Photo courtesy of Alison Robinson
Local author Alison Robinson blends fantasy and faith in her young adult novel "Shadowless" — meet her at the Homewood Library Mini Con on Sunday, Oct. 26.
Local author Alison Robinson is the featured speaker at the Homewood Library's Mini-Con, set for Sunday, Oct. 26, from 2 6 p.m. Robinson spoke about her first novel, "Shadowless" in advance of the event.
Q: Please tell our readers about yourself.
A: I’m a displaced Texan who’s been happily rooted in Hoover for 16 years. I adore Birmingham — though my Lone Star roots still insist beef makes better BBQ than pork. The internet calls me an “Elder Millennial.” After being mildly offended, I’ve embraced the title and traded doom-scrolling for “granny hobbies”: puzzles, reading, crafts, taking a walk at the same time every day, apologizing to my houseplants, and watching the critters in my backyard. I’m currently hooked on "Murdle" (think murder mystery meets Sudoku) — pointless, yet delightful.
The best part of my life right now is the elementary-school phase with our second-grader: pure joy. My husband of 14 years (and counting) is a local pastor and truly the best person I know; most of our time is spent making each other laugh. We live in a tiny Inverness neighborhood with cobblestone sidewalks, kind neighbors walking their tiny dogs, and deer who treat my flowerbeds like a salad bar. Our cat, Watson, is a grumpy-faced Scottish Fold who meows like a lifelong Marlboro man and adores people, especially our daughter.
Q: What attracted you to being a writer as a career? Did you always want to be a writer? Why were you inspired to write a young adult novel, rather than another type of novel?
A: I’ve been a bookworm since middle school — give me fantasy, adventure and the occasional sci-fi detour. But growing up, “writer” never occurred to me as a possible career. That sounded reserved for people smarter than me. On my 30th birthday, my husband asked, “What do you want to do before 40?” I surprised myself by blurting, “Write a book.”
Because I was working as a counselor, I assumed it would be non-fiction — something faith-and-life adjacent. I drafted two chapters, set them aside and reread them a month later. It took exactly three pages to realize the world did not need my advice. I filed it away and spared us all.
Then one day, a character popped into my head. I wrote one chapter, tucked it in a folder assuming I’d forget about it. But my mind kept returning to it, like an itch I couldn’t shake. A year later, I gave it my full attention and finished the first draft. Turns out I was right — I wasn’t smart enough to write a book. It took three more drafts, reading numerous books on writing, workshops, coaching and editing. That’s how I became a writer.
Why young adult? I love threshold moments — first courage, first grief, first real choice between what’s easy and what’s right. YA combines wonder and moral weight in the same breath. It’s where my favorite stories live, so that’s where I write.
Q: What did you do to prepare yourself to become a writer? Where did you attend college and what did you major in?
A: I studied theatre arts at Ouachita Baptist University — a small, Samford-like campus tucked in Arkadelphia, Arkansas — and followed it up with an acting apprenticeship at the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey. From my early teen years, teachers and directors told me I had “natural talent,” and I assumed talent equals calling. Working professionally taught me something truer: I loved the artform, but the lifestyle of an actor didn’t fit the life I hoped to build. I left the stage feeling rather lost.
Three years later I pivoted to the University of Alabama for a master’s in counseling — craving something quieter and clinical — only to discover how much counseling overlaps with acting. You live in character: motivation, behavior, relationship dynamics, story. The difference is that, in counseling, the people aren’t roles, they’re real.
Writing turned out to be the place where both halves meet. The imaginative play and voice work of theater, plus the analysis and inner life of counseling. To transition from amateur to professional, I built my own MFA: shelves of books on craft, workshops and conferences, coaching, brutal-but-loving edits and lots of pages. Drafting is intuition; revision is clinical. Between the two, I’ve cobbled together a thorough, ongoing education in the craft.
The cover of the book, "Shadowless" by Alison Robinson.
Q: Tell our readers a little bit about your debut novel, "Shadowless." How do you think "Shadowless" is different from other young adult novels on the market?
A: In a kingdom where souls are bound to magical animals called Shadows, Rowena’s Shadow is a ghost — silent, powerless and a death sentence if anyone finds out.
I spent two years pitching "Shadowless." Editors told me the same thing: “We love it… we just don’t know what to do with it.” It wasn’t gritty or steamy enough for current trends, and it didn’t fit the usual boxes or tropes. I wound up partnering with Village Editorial here in Birmingham to hybrid publish, meaning I am independently published with a powerhouse of professionals behind me.
What makes "Shadowless" different? It’s a hope-forward YA fantasy: cozy at the start, then a sharp turn into mystery and consequence; clean without being simplistic; emotionally big without nihilism. It blends adventure, alchemy and moral stakes with a warm, page-turning voice — more wonder and light than doom and gloom, while still landing a serious punch.
Readers keep using the same words: “special,” “unexpected,” “left me thinking” and, my favorite, “I need Book Two!” If “too wholesome to publish” is the label the industry gave me, I’m wearing it like a badge.
Q: It’s so interesting that you blend fantasy and Christian themes in "Shadowless." What is the inspiration behind this?
A: I write from the only lens I have, which is certainly my faith, but I never want the novel to read like a sermon in costume. Story comes first. If readers sense an agenda, they’re gone (and teens can smell it a mile away).
Inspiration lives where wonder and meaning overlap. Fantasy lets me ask spiritual questions sideways: What is a soul? What if you found the darkness in the world originated in the heart? In "Shadowless," the magic system — souls bound to animal Shadows — became a way to explore the mind, conscience, guilt and evil without naming them on the nose. My job is to build an honest world, give characters real choices and consequences, and trust truth to rise naturally.
So yes, my faith is the lens — but it’s like a lamp illuminating a room, rather than a spotlight in your eyes. If a reader turns the last page feeling both ache and hope, then I’m happy.
Q: How did you become attached to the Homewood Library and their Mini Con event? Why are you excited about attending?
A: I first reached out to the teen librarian to introduce myself and ask if "Shadowless" might be a fit for the library’s collection. She literally gasped seeing my book’s cover (it’s gorgeous), we started talking books and art and realized we share a heart for the teen genre. Not long after, she invited me to Mini Con.
I love library events because they draw my favorite kind of people — curious, open-hearted and genuinely fascinating. Mini Con adds that extra spark: cosplay, art tables and teens discovering new worlds right there in the stacks. I’m especially thrilled that it’s the week before Halloween; my heroine’s “Shadow” is literally a ghost, so it’s prime time to read "Shadowless."
Mostly, I’m excited to celebrate what libraries do best: connect a community through story. If "Shadowless" finds another reader in Homewood, that’s a win.
Q: What is next for you? Are you planning to write another novel? Where do you see yourself as a writer in the next five to 10 years?
A: The story of "Shadowless" has just begun. Book Two is well underway and I’m targeting fall 2026 for release. In the next five years, my goal is to complete the full "Shadowless" trilogy. After that, I’ve got two other series begging to be written: a magical realism series targeted for adults, and a middle-grade mystery. Those books are waiting in the wings until the "Shadowless" trilogy takes its bow.
You can find me on Instagram @alisonrobinsonwrites or visit AlisonRobinsonWrites.com.
"Shadowless" is available on Amazon or wherever books are sold. For a signed copy (locally printed in Homewood), order directly from her website at the same price as Amazon plus flat-rate shipping.
