Welcome, Mom’s Choice viewers, to another interview in our ongoing series! Today we have the chance to talk to author Alison Bellringer, who lives in New Zealand near beautiful parks and beaches. Alison has created a fun-filled adventure story in her Mom’s Choice Award-winning book, The Bronson Escapades—about five siblings (ages 9–17) who get into truly epic adventures, run into the odd problem, and learn how to navigate obstacles successfully. Read on to find out more about Alison and The Bronson Escapades!

MCA: Welcome, Alison! Please tell us about yourself.

I have been writing fictional short stories to share with friends and family for almost as long as I can remember, and always enjoy exploring my creativity when putting pen to paper, so getting published has been a great way for me to explore different key areas and help develop this passion even more. I am extremely grateful for any opportunity to further share my love of writing with others.

When I am not busy writing, I like spending time exploring all the nearby parks and beaches with my pet dog, Smoky (a Labrador x Huntaway). Ever since puppyhood, she has kept me busy with various antics such as chasing rabbits along the riverbank and posing patiently for the ever-present camera.

More recently, I have been quite heavily involved with building up my freelance photography business, Ali’s Alley Photography, often practicing my varied skillset in the yard while Smoky models elegant (or quirky) facial expressions. Other main subjects include the beautiful scenery across New Zealand, flower close-ups, and some types of wildlife (especially the birds and butterflies which are more common to the area of the country that I live in).

My favorite form of landscape photography is being able to capture the incredible light during the renowned “golden hour” at sunset, or even sunrise if I can be bothered getting up early enough…

Some of my other regular hobbies include playing trombone in a local band and having fun on my euphonium (or one of my many other musical instruments), joining in with friends to “make a joyful noise” whenever possible.

MCA: With so many varied interests, what was your path to becoming a writer like?

I was homeschooled using a very literacy-based program and was an avid reader throughout my entire childhood. Because of this, I was exposed to quite a wide range of books and different writing styles from a very early age, which really seemed to open up a whole new world for me as an aspiring author.

My main focus is to create engaging, wholesome chapter books for children who are able to read simple plotlines on their own, continuing to help them grow in confidence and learn about real-life issues, even within fictional settings. A more long-term goal is to present these younger readers with a wider range of material that illustrates high moral standards and hopefully encourages them to personally embrace these traits in their own day-to-day lives.

Ever since the beginning of my writing journey, I have always been more interested in how many people my books might reach in an impactful way, rather than allowing myself to immediately become too fixated on achieving the greatest number of sales possible in a given time frame or anything like that. In understanding of this mindful decision, I currently have several stand-alone publications that all encompass similar overall themes, including friendship or loyalty between characters, building trust, taking on board responsibility, and not judging others merely by their appearance. These are probably some of the key attributes that I value the most as well, and since I’ve always had some kind of pet (including a dog), I naturally lean toward writing about animals, so they often tend to feature quite prominently throughout most of these stories.

Growing up, I liked to read about subjects along these same lines, but even as an adult I enjoy going back to some of my old favorites, or discovering others in the same general category.

As to where I generally get my inspiration from, it could simply relate to what I’ve observed in the world around me previously, or even just what I’ve learned from reading other books and picking up on exactly what those authors do or don’t do. I believe nature is also brilliant at providing worthwhile material for me to use: From a bubbling stream to a puppy chasing its tail, I’ve found that the simplest of actions can turn into something extremely meaningful—but only if you know how to incorporate it successfully into the bigger picture.

MCA: What was your inspiration for writing The Bronson Escapades?

The Bronson Escapades is actually my third published book, and I wanted to prove to myself that I could produce content that is generally more entertaining and lighthearted than what was presented in some of my earlier (and now subsequent) works. I also really wanted to challenge myself with something slightly different at the time and was quite curious to find out just how far my creative outlet could go when fully unleashed.

The Bronson Escapades is not currently part of a series, but each chapter is presented like a separate little mini-adventure and includes different combinations of the primary family as they overcome various challenges or difficulties. The series is about five adventurous siblings who just keep getting themselves into trouble on their farm and generally causing mayhem in the local community, with each child having their own distinctive trait or slightly annoying habit. From finding their mother’s lost ring, or locking themselves out of their own house, to simply giving the garden fence a fresh coat of paint, the family soon learn that not everything is as straightforward as it should be.

I usually aim to write for children aged anywhere between 9–14 years, focusing on simple chapter books for those more confident in reading alone, and this publication continues to follow suit. This book also works great as a read-aloud for even younger audiences who wouldn’t necessarily be able to manage it all on their own.

MCA: I imagine kids in that age range can easily relate to your characters and their foibles! What are some of the key lessons found in the book?

While I wrote this book to be more on the humorous side, hoping each reader will encounter several laugh-out-loud moments as they follow along with the children muddling their way through various, often outrageous, circumstances, I still tried to convey strong messages of acceptance, especially the underlying love that bonds siblings together despite their differences. Common overall themes include concepts such as friendship, problem-solving, taking on board responsibility, and teamwork. These are all subtly woven together to flow consistently throughout the entire book as it progresses along, carefully developing each central character as individuals, while simultaneously illustrating how they manage to work together as a family through each and every new situation that tumbles their way.

MCA: The importance of teamwork—always a valuable lesson. What kind of response from readers have you received from readers?

Interestingly enough, The Bronson Escapades currently seems to be the most popular out of my published books so far, and all the feedback I’ve received for it has been quite positive. This includes being contacted by several companies or individuals to discuss further marketing options after seeing it displayed at various international book fairs, or even just being freely offered other suggestions or ideas to effectively increase my discoverability as a young and upcoming author still reasonably unknown in the publishing world, therefore equipping me to manage an even wider range of disciplines that may already be at my disposal. (For example, consistently posting regularly to a dedicated author page on social media to help keep followers or potential new readers updated with further news about my books or writing goals.)

Another remarkable feat to note about this book is the probability of getting it translated into another language, specifically Arabic, although this process is entirely handled by my publisher and I was only quite recently notified of this interest actually being shown toward one of my works.

The Bronson Escapades has also been presented with several very favorable, 5-star reviews from independent sources associated with Readers’ Favorite, one of which includes the following excerpt, while the others can be easily found simply by using the search function on their website:

“The Bronson Escapades takes readers on a delightful journey with the lively Bronson family. … It is a heartwarming story of the enduring power of family ties and the innocence and wonder of childhood. Readers who enjoy family tales such as The Swiss Family Robinson, The Secret Garden, and The Chronicles of Narnia won’t want to miss The Bronson Escapades. It’s an ideal choice for the home or classroom. Not only is the book fun, but it also has lessons that will prompt discussions about its themes.” –Carol Thompson: Readers’ Favorite, 2024

MCA: Recognition is a wonderful thing—as is interest in having your book translated into another language. Tell us, what is next for your writing endeavors?

I have actually just completed a new trilogy series, with each book exploring the lives of different central characters more deeply. In Whisper, a mistreated little girl finally runs away from home. In Lucas, an orphan boy searches for his own place to belong. And in Escape, a faithful teenager marries her childhood sweetheart in secret, only to find that untold heartache and sorrow rapidly follow. Their individual paths are forever entwined together, as each of them embarks on a personal journey of discovery, forgiveness, and redemption.

Several reviewers of this series have indicated their enjoyment of each of these books, including positive comments about how engaging they were, the depth of character development over the course of the entire series, as well as my understanding and respectful approach in tackling sensitive topics such as abuse and childhood trauma. Readers of Whisper, Lucas, and Escape have all found these books difficult to put down, as they are immediately drawn into the lives of specific individuals through three very distinctive points of view. Encouragingly, one very excited ten-year-old (who is exactly the age these books are aimed towards), has publicly shared that these books are ‘unforgettable’ and that she will always remember them. This is the exact sort of response I would love to receive for all of my books, as one of the main reasons for me continuing to write is to then offer up each story as strong beacons of hope, in the process also prompting others to seek innovative ways to overcome challenges while showing a greater amount of kindness to those around them.

I also have another stand-alone manuscript with my publisher that is still in the very early stages of being produced, so it will likely not be released until sometime during mid-2025 (and I already have lots of other drafts waiting for me to polish off at some point in the near future too!).

MCA: Alison, thanks so much for speaking with us today. Please be sure to keep us posted as each new book comes out!