Alison Storm

Happy New Year!

Alison — Fri, 04 Jan 2013 21:03:12 +0000

I could start the year off rehashing all of the things I failed to blog about during the fourth quarter of 2012, but instead I’ll tell you why. I blame this guy:

That’s my baby, Samuel Sterling, now four months old. Which, by coincidence is exactly the length of time it’s been since I last updated this blog. Not only have I been busy learning the ropes of motherhood, but I’ve kept up my work as the features editor of Belle Magazine, I contributed to two issues of Town Magazine, wrote an article for Business Black Box, continued my responsibilities as publicist for Ambassador International and wrote more than 100 bog posts.

The new year is already starting off with some exciting happenings. We’ve got a new issue of Belle on newsstands now. Next week I’ll be appearing on a new program called Carolina Now to talk about ebooks and how to get them for free. And I’ll have a byline in a major women’s mag soon. I feel very blessed to be able to do what I love while also spending lots of time with my little man. (He’s laying next to me right now!) I’m looking forward to all 2013 has to offer. How about you?

September Belle is Out!

Alison — Mon, 03 Sep 2012 18:17:57 +0000

The September issue of Belle should now be popping up all over the Upstate. It’s our fashion issue and I’m really excited about some of the pieces I was able to contribute. For starters, I did a profile on Billiam Jeans, a local custom jeans company. The owner, Bill Mitchell, decided he wanted to learn how to sew. The hobby turned into a career when he launched his denim line. It’s cool enough that you can go and watch your jeans being made while you wait, but what makes the company even more unique is their commitment to fighting sex trafficking.

I also wrote a piece on the gel nail craze. It’s pretty pricey if you get it done at a nail salon so I road-tested a few different at-home kits to find out if they really work. We also are featuring Bailey Hanks, a local gal-turned-Broadway star in our Girl Talk column. On top of all that there are some great pieces on Loggerhead Apparel, a Greenville-based, American made clothing brand and a local artist who taps into the past to design some retro clothing.

September Town

Alison — Wed, 29 Aug 2012 18:11:23 +0000

I am thrilled about some new assignments I’ve recently received from TOWN Magazine. It’s a great lifestyle magazine based here in Greenville. In the September issue you’ll see my byline twice. I contributed a piece for the cover story, profiling one of six Upstate faith leaders. The other article I wrote happens to be about one of my heroes- Roland Bergeron. Roland is an amazing guy and the founder of Water of Life, the organization I traveled to Liberia with a year ago.

I pitched doing a story on Roland for TOWN last September, and finally I got the opportunity to write the article for this issue. I could practically write a book on Roland and Water of Life so trying to fit his story into a few hundred words was probably one of the most difficult parts about this assignment. But magazine writers often have to condense their work down while still making it powerful and stocked with information. Hopefully I achieved that, but please pick up the September issue and tell me your thoughts.

Education in South Carolina Part 2

Alison — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 17:06:37 +0000

I don’t think I’ve ever done a series of articles as in depth as the ones I’m writing on education in South Carolina for Business Black Box magazine. The third quarter issue just launched and it includes part two in my three-part series. This one focuses on innovation in education and it was fascinating to me. Although all of the interviews I did were interesting, talking to South Carolina’s Superintendent of Education, Mick Zais, was particularly intriguing. He seems to be very forward-thinking and perfectly fine with bucking the status quo if it means improving education in our state. Pick up a copy of the latest issue and let me know what you think!

Shop Like an Olympian

Alison — Tue, 31 Jul 2012 17:00:36 +0000

I love saving money. And I love talking about saving money. And of course, I love writing about saving money. I recently wrote a post for UltimateCoupons.com about how to shop like an Olympian. An anchor at the local NBC affiliate saw my article and asked if I could talk about it on TV. I think the photographer did a great job of making me look decent despite being 34 weeks pregnant and heavier than I have ever been! Check it out:

How to Coupon Like an Olympian

New Ambassador International Website

Alison — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 21:12:22 +0000

Anyone who has ever been a part of a website redesign knows it’s a MAJOR project. It takes planning and forethought, creativity and LOTS of writing! One of my many job titles is publicist for Ambassador International. I also do a lot of marketing work and lately that has meant writing copy for our new website, Ambassador-International.com.

We just launched the new site this week and I’m thrilled with the results. The new website includes lots of features such as:

Social Media Integration: Visitors can now comment, share, pin and tweet on every Ambassador book title or blog post.
Ambassador International Blogger Review Program: Bloggers are encouraged to sign up for the new Ambassador International Blogger Review Program as a way to receive free books in exchange for honest reviews.
Online Manuscript Submission: Potential authors can now submit manuscripts and information directly through the website.
Downloadable Book Media Kits: Media kits are now accessible directly through each book page. The PDF document can easily be saved or printed.

So please take a moment to visit the new and improved Ambassador-International.com and let me know what you think! While you’re there, be sure to enter to win the Ambassador International children’s book library!

Great Author Publicity

Alison — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 21:01:04 +0000

In addition to writing, I also help authors get the word out about their books. Recently I’ve been able to score some really big interviews for the authors that I work with. Here are some highlights.

Author David Sitton was featured on the cover of the May issue of Christian Voice Magazine. Inside they included a beautiful article about his book Reckless Abandon.
Author Kevin Morrisey was interviewed on Orlando Magic Radio about his book God’s Lineup.
TooFab.com ran an article on author Holly Durst and her book Chocolate Socks.
Next week God’s Lineup authors Liz and Kevin Morrisey will be featured on American Family Radio’s Today’s Issues programs which is carried in more than 200 markets.
Next Wednesday author of Fallen Angels CK Quarterman will be interviewed on the Mancow Muller Show, the fourth most popular radio program in the US.

July is already shaping up to be another great month for interviews and features. Author DM Webb and her book Mississippi Nights will be in the July/August issue of Mississippi Magazine. Several authors will be attending the International Christian Retail Show in Orlando in mid-July and I already have many interviews lined up for them. I love helping to get the word out about great books and talented authors and landing them publicity is very rewarding.

Article in June REDBOOK

Alison — Thu, 17 May 2012 19:45:46 +0000

I’m excited to see my latest article in REDBOOK. It’s in the June issue. The article is all about helping babies in need and provides several easy ways to do that– and not all of them are about opening up your wallet! It was fun to work on this article because at the time I had just found out I was expecting my first. I never write articles about babies so I was excited to get the opportunity to work on this piece. The cover also happens to feature the cast of What to Expect When You’re Expecting which opens this weekend. And yes, I plan to go!

I interviewed many people for this article and unfortunately they didn’t all make it into the final draft. I asked one man who runs an organization collecting items for newborns in need why he’s so passionate about this cause and he said, “Because I love babies. Who doesn’t love babies?” Amen!

Busy Busy

Alison — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 13:48:32 +0000

It’s been far too long since I’ve updated my blog! I don’t know where the time has gone, but yes, I have been working. I did fit in a 10-day trip to Ireland since my last blog post. We had an amazing time touring the North and South of Ireland. Here are some highlights from March and April:

I had an article in the March issue of Town. It was about a golf ball plant here in the Upstate that makes some of the fanciest, high tech golf balls on the market.
The March and April issues of Belle were both full of fun stories. One of my favorite assignments was interviewing Billy Graham’s granddaughter Cissie Graham Lynch. She is a beautiful, inspiring young Christian woman.
I began a multi-part series on education in South Carolina for Business Black Box magazine. The first article will be in the upcoming issue.
I completed an assignment for the June issue of REDBOOK which should be appearing on newsstands in mid-May.

Personally, my husband and I are welcoming our first baby in just a few months. Baby Samuel is due September 7 and we can’t wait!

February Town Magazine

Alison — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 15:09:09 +0000

Last fall I met the coolest guy– chef Michael Granata. He’s a New Yorker (who all share a special spot in my heart!) and a chef with a cool local business called Granata’s Catering and Kitchen Studio. We met through a mutual friend (thanks Johnnie!) at an event at Granata’s. My husband and I monopolized Mike’s time that night asking a million questions about his favorite New York City restaurants, what it was like growing up that close to Times Square, and how he ended up in South Carolina. I immediately knew I had to write a story about this guy and thankfully my editor at Town Magazine agreed! So in the February issue you can find out why I find Michael Granata so fascinating. Let’s just say he holds some Guinness World Records and plans to set a few more. So please pick up a copy or visit Granata’s yourself to meet him!