Lindsay Allison
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lindsayallisonbks.bsky.social
Lindsay Allison
@lindsayallisonbks.bsky.social
120 followers 160 following 440 posts
Writing my debut romcom, higher ed professional by day, trained journalist at heart, mom of three wild tornados, wife to a tall guy, play viola when I can, probably reading three books, proud ginger.
IG: @lindsayallisonbooks
#RevPit ‘25 Shortlist 2x
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lindsayallisonbks.bsky.social
The great #10queries feedback I got is the result of lots of hard work and revision over the last year. Here are my other query critiques from March. Since then I completely wrote my whole book and rewrote my query multiple times. Keep going and thank you for your help, @reviseresub.bsky.social!
October 25, 2025 at 1:00 PM
lindsayallisonbks.bsky.social
#1 ranked Ohio State (HANNAH MCCOY) to play in 2025 College Football Playoff final. TBD who they will match up against – #18 ranked Michigan (JOSH ADLER) or unranked outside chance University of North Texas (TODD LIU).

Tune in for the results in HANNAH MCCOY TAKES A STAND.
#unhingedpit #A #R #Q
college football data for Ohio State college football data for Michigan college football data for UNT
September 23, 2025 at 4:40 PM
lindsayallisonbks.bsky.social
The characters of HANNAH MCCOY TAKES A STAND as various Jurassic World Jonathon Bailey personas:

Earnest musician returning to his craft + Handsome expert in his field + Chaotic and comfortable doof

(+ a community orchestra + a concert solo + debilitating stage fright)

#unhingedpit #A #R #Q
3 pictures of Jonathon Bailey
September 23, 2025 at 1:54 PM
lindsayallisonbks.bsky.social
The characters of 💕 HANNAH MCCOY TAKES A STAND 🎻 as frizzy-haired millennial icons:

JOSH ADLER: “Stop! Stop! You sound horrible! Isn’t anyone practicing?”

HANNAH MCCOY: "Somebody sat on me again.”

TODD LIU: “Please let this be a normal field trip… with the Frizz? No way!”

#unhingedpit #A #R #Q
The chatacters of HANNAH MCCOY TAKES A STAND as frizzy-haired millennial icons. Meryl Streep in Music of the Heart, Anne Hathaway in the Princess Diairies, Ms. Frizzle from the Magic School Bus
September 23, 2025 at 12:20 PM
lindsayallisonbks.bsky.social
My agent’s guide for HANNAH MCCOY TAKES A STAND — a contemporary adult romcom complete at 93K words, written for the grown-up high school fine arts nerds. 🎶🎻😘

Now in the query trenches!

#amquerying #writesky #writingcommunity #writers #agentsguide #romcom #romance
After years of playing it safe backstage, a wallflower violist takes on a concert solo, igniting confidence that catches the attention of both the orchestra’s director and concertmaster and propels her past the fear of inferiority that has ruled her life characters Twenty-eight-year-old Hannah McCoy prefers life backstage. So when her community orchestra stand partner quits, leaving her responsible for leading the viola section and performing the fall concert solo, Hannah must confront her self-limiting beliefs about where she belongs. To make matters more complicated, tension crescendos through the orchestra when Hannah befriends her childhood friend Todd’s work rival, Josh. As the two men jockey for artistic control of the orchestra and Hannah’s attention, Hannah takes center stage and must choose: fight for a future with the man she loves or retreat into the comfort of the background like she always has. comps
September 23, 2025 at 3:15 AM
lindsayallisonbks.bsky.social
Pleased to present my agent’s guide for HANNAH MCCOY TAKES A STAND — a contemporary adult romcom complete at 91K words, written for romance-lovers and the grown-up high school fine arts nerds. 🎶🎻😘

Now in the query trenches!

#amquerying #writesky #writingcommunity #writers #agentsguide
An agent’s guide to Hannah McCoy Takes a Stand. When a wallflower violist steps into the spotlight, she catches more than just the audience’s attention. Music notes, background image of a river. contemporary romcom, 91k words. Meet the characters. An Asian man, Todd, orchestra director, human exclamation point, Hannah’s childhood bestie. A white woman with curly hair, Hannah, reluctant 1st chair violist, academic advisor, stands up for everyone but herself. Brunette white man, Josh, concertmaster, burnt marshmallow, Hannah’s nemesis. Twenty eight years old Hannah McCoy prefers like backstage. So when her community orchestra stand partner quits, leaving her responsible for leading the viola section and performing the fall concert solo, Hannah must confront her self-limiting beliefs about where she belongs. To make matters more complicated, tension crescendos through the orchestra when Hannah befriends her childhood friend Tood’s work rival, Josh. As the two men jockey for artistic control of the orchestra and Hannah’s attention, Hannah takes center stage and must choose: fights for a future with the man she loves or retreat into the background like she always has. Comp books: Hello Stranger, Abbott Elementary, The Love Hypothesis, Not Another Love Song, Ready or Not. Academic side quest, earnest education nerds. College town, orch dorks, friends to love triangle.
August 28, 2025 at 7:13 PM
lindsayallisonbks.bsky.social
Here’s Hannah and Josh’s first exchange from my brand new first chapter! I realized this draft they needed an antagonistic meet-cute, so here it is. 😅

#WritingCommunity #romancewriters #romanceauthors #writersofbsky
“Hello,” I say in my calmest customer service voice, the one I use to de-escalate worried parents, stressed out students, and, occasionally, stuck-up faculty. “I’m Hannah. What can I help you with?” The man sighs. “I need a real adult staff member who knows what they’re doing, not another student worker.” I scoff involuntarily before regaining composure. Sure, I still occasionally get carded at the bars in town, and my boxy-cut Balc State orientation polo and frizzy curls piled into a top-knot aren’t doing me any favors, but I graduated from college six years ago. This guy can’t be more than a few years older than me, maybe thirty. Although the lines between his eyes make me wonder if he’s older or just perpetually grumpy. Seems like the latter.
August 2, 2025 at 1:50 PM
lindsayallisonbks.bsky.social
This is a near constant debate in my bff group chat looking for younger actors to cast in a current movie. 😂 Shared my “too old” options yesterday, so here’s the current “properly aged” cast:

Hannah: Haley Lu Richardson
Josh: Jack Quaid
Todd: Joshua Hyunho Lee

#camprevpit #CRPDamselflies
Jack Quaid, Joshua Hyunho Lee, and Haley Lu Richardson
April 30, 2025 at 2:50 PM
lindsayallisonbks.bsky.social
We also only have one table for meals and crafts 😂 we have a whole craft cabinet, but why put it all away when we use it daily — this the windowsill has become interim craft storage lol

And dad cleaned up the games and puzzles before I could snap a pic 😍
Table covered in kids clutter
April 27, 2025 at 7:05 PM
lindsayallisonbks.bsky.social
Todd (3/3)
“You’ll figure it out. Just… have fun. Enjoy playing the music. And forget about what anyone else thinks. I know it’s not all fun and games, but you know the technical stuff. You just need to stop spending so much time in your brain and let the music come from here.” He pressed his finger to my chest and my eyes snapped to his. More unexpected touch. “Okay?”
April 23, 2025 at 2:35 PM
lindsayallisonbks.bsky.social
Josh (2/3)
“What did Todd’s audition comments say?” “Ummm, let me see.” I scrolled to Todd’s page of notes. “Uh, ‘Always happy to add violists!’” I bit my lower lip. Todd had definitely gone way too easy on me, even I could admit it. “That’s it?” Josh asked. I nodded. “Okay, see, that bullshit doesn’t help anyone.”
April 23, 2025 at 2:30 PM
lindsayallisonbks.bsky.social
I’ve got one for my big 3 characters. Hannah has two.
#camprevpit #crpdamselflies (1/3)
Screenshot of a word doc that says, ‘“But I love college students. They’re so… lost.” I glanced around the patio, taking in the students who sat around us. “And they just need someone to point them in the right direction and ask them the right questions so they can figure out their lives. And I like being that person and being able to help them.”’ Screenshot of a word doc that says: ‘“I’m adding this as a recurring event to my Google calendar right… now,” Josh said as he tapped his phone. “Here, I’m just going to send you a calendar invite. What’s your email?” I know it’s very stupid to be turned on by a calendar invitation, but I was very turned on by this.’
April 23, 2025 at 2:30 PM
lindsayallisonbks.bsky.social
I primarily work from bed on my lap-desk that I gave to my dad (who is also a writer) for Father’s Day in HS and then stole when I went to college. 😏 I also occasionally work from a coffee shop or my day job desk at lunch.
#camprevpit #crpdamselflies
(1/2)
A laptop sits on a lap desk on an unmade bed
April 23, 2025 at 2:12 PM
lindsayallisonbks.bsky.social
HMTAS is set in a fictionalized version of San Marcos, TX -- Spring Lake. My FMC works at "Balcones State University" and finds it difficult to date in a small college town. The river that runs through camps/town is the setting for some big romance moments in the story!
#crpdamselflies #camprevpit
an aerial shot of a river running down over several sets of rocks/rapids. an arched building overlooks downtown
April 21, 2025 at 3:20 PM
lindsayallisonbks.bsky.social
Hi #camprevpit!

I’ll be revising HANNAH MCCOY TAKES A STAND: When a wallflower academic advisor joins an orchestra to reclaim her joy, she must confront her fear of the spotlight as she faces a concert solo and a love triangle she never asked for.

🎶: https:/linkcuts.org/hv8t8ifa

#crpdamselflies
A collage of images related to my work in progress: a craftsman style house, beach ball, kolaches, sheet music, a music conductor’s arm, barbecue, coffee, an inflatable dinosaur costume, ice cream cone, an emesis bag, a violin, a viola, pillar candles, Anakin and Padme from Star Wars, the cast of Frasier, the cast of Friday Night Lights, blueberry muffin, a river, a metronome, an OSU Buckeyes banner, a cafe case, a French horn, a University of Michigan banner, a pencil, a backwards baseball cap, high school cafeteria, a pizza with sorry spelled in M&Ms
April 21, 2025 at 1:15 PM
lindsayallisonbks.bsky.social
I wrote most of this book in bed with my laptop! The rest was done at various coffee shops or at my day job desk on my lunch break. And lots of phone notes jotting. Someday maybe I’ll have a dedicated space, but for now, this works!
April 4, 2025 at 12:39 PM
lindsayallisonbks.bsky.social
I don’t have too many memes, but I’ve got some reels and also this trolling suggested edit from Google:
Screenshot of google docs suggesting “violist” be changed to “violinist”
April 2, 2025 at 12:57 PM
lindsayallisonbks.bsky.social
Here’s the line from my opening pages that has gotten the most 🤣 emojis from my betas.
I took a moment to unclench all the tense muscles in my body as I read the notes I had left myself at the top of the page: Do it scared. The life I love is making music with my friends. No guts, no glory. I felt like a cheesy self-help addict on the cusp of joining an MLM as I recited the mantras, but research showed positive affirmations led to reduced stress and increased performance. I told my students at work to do this kind of crap all the time. Who was I if I couldn’t follow my own advice?
April 1, 2025 at 1:45 PM
lindsayallisonbks.bsky.social
Nothing currently in progress.
I’ve been keeping busying CPing while #revpitwaiting, but I have a metaphorical little black book of story ideas just waiting until I get into the #querytrenches!
Screenshot of phone notes showing various lists, including a book ideas list
March 28, 2025 at 12:57 PM
lindsayallisonbks.bsky.social
I shared my favorite tradpub authors this weekend, so I’m gonna share about @kelligalyean.bsky.social! She’s the one who inspired me to write, who made me realize “normal people” are authors! HMTAS wouldn’t exist if Kelli hadn’t asked me to beta read How Can It Be last year. 🥰
March 27, 2025 at 12:25 PM
lindsayallisonbks.bsky.social
I have no pets because 3 boys within 2.5 years of eachother is enough chaos. But here’s what I texted my writing pals last month. Sorry in advance to the incredulous plant parents. 😬
Picture of dying ivy plant with the caption: “this plant died so HMTAS could live. I propagated this from a Facebook marketplace cutting last year and then promptly neglected it once I got a different creative hobby.”
March 26, 2025 at 12:50 PM
lindsayallisonbks.bsky.social
✨❤️🎶 HANNAH MCCOY TAKES A STAND Vibes 🎶❤️✨

🍌🤢🎻👯‍♀️📺👨🏻🎶👨🏻‍🦱♥️💙😳😩☕️🎭🍝🚗🥪☀️🍗🏃🏻🌮🕯️🎻🍦😍🏈🎼💒🍹🕺🏻😘😡💔😭🍜🦖🏥🍕🎵🥹💋
A collage showing aspects of the novel
March 20, 2025 at 12:34 PM
lindsayallisonbks.bsky.social
Hannah: a feisty overlooked academic advisor and violist, loves an organized calendar and the OSU Buckeyes

Josh: an uptight middle school teacher and violinist who’s secretly a cinnamon roll

Todd: the most enneagram 7 orchestra director you’ve ever met

(Head-casting ignoring age pictured here 😂)
Kaitlyn Dever with curly hair Darren Criss with a beard and glasses Harry Shum Jr with longer hair
March 19, 2025 at 12:30 PM
lindsayallisonbks.bsky.social
I’ve got a playlist and a mood board! 🥰 open.spotify.com/playlist/7jM...
March 6, 2025 at 4:01 PM