Detroit-native author creates fantasy series to inspire young women to embark on science and technology careers

Using her writing and marketing skills, Carol Allen is writing a three-part sci-fi book series for teens with the goal of giving readers a positive outlook on environmental issues.

VSarol Bendix Allen, a University of Michigan graduate in the 1970s, found her first dream job writing marketing materials for Vogue magazine. Before getting married and raising two sons, she focused on fashion.

Allen, now a grandmother of four and a real estate marketing consultant in New York State and Massachusetts, wants to help young women find the job of their dreams, but with a different and more opportune goal: opportunities. in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).

Using his writing and marketing skills, Allen writes a three-part science fiction book series for teens with the goal of giving readers a positive outlook on environmental issues. Three recurring characters, in a time warp, are taken to another planet and together use their brains to help find solutions.

“I’m working on the third book, and hopefully it will be released in the spring,” said Allen, living in upstate New York with her husband Michael Allen. “The first two books – One if: a fantasy of Virago and If then: a fantasy of Virago – are available on Amazon and have won bestseller awards.

Motivation for the series came from family and work experiences – a granddaughter losing her enthusiasm for STEM fields and corporate outreach associates showcased through Northwell Health’s Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research in Manhasset, NY.

“I was shocked that the professional women I met, researchers and doctors alike, struggled with the same things I did – the imbalance that occurs with gender,” said Allen, whose relationship with Northwell brought her. to serve on the advisory board for the advancement of women in science. and medicine (AWSM).

“I wanted to reach teenagers in a way that they would be passionate about science, and I thought a fun way to do that would be fantasy novels. It is clear that STEM will be the future bedrock of jobs and careers. At this point, women make up half of the graduate workforce, but only 28 percent of women are in STEM.

“We need to involve young women, get them excited about the opportunities and make them realize that they are capable of helping to make the world a better place. It was the key to the direction I chose for the books.

Allen, who enjoys the outdoors and cares about the environment, is a disciplined morning writer. Her first book was recognized as the Kindle Daily Nation Young Adult Book of the Week in 2020. The second book won a gold medal at the Global Book Awards for Teen & Young Adult Fantasy in 2021.

The first book sets the stage for the problems of climate change and places the three characters in a new world where they can stay while Earth’s time freezes until they return. The second book develops the characters as they solve problems amid political drama and romantic attention.

“I put ‘Virago Fantasy’ in the title extensions because virago is about women with the same strength and spirit as men,” she said.

Allen, who grew up in the metro area, praised his hometown by including a Detroiter as the main character. With long-standing family ties to the recently digitally attended Temple Israel, the author recognizes religious attachment through a Jewish figure in the third book.

“If I can get someone to follow a path to STEM to help make the world a better place – whether it’s in climate, virology, infrastructure engineering, or whatever – I’ve achieved a goal,” said said Allen, whose books are marketed through Metro Editions.

Allen, who served as an advisor for STEM programming promoted by local Girl Scout groups, was disappointed that the pandemic interfered with scheduled speaking engagements. She offers to travel for programs that will promote STEM and her books, which are sold with partial revenue pledges donated to STEM initiatives.

“I love my characters and have developed them to be inspiring and ethnically diverse,” Allen said.

“Everyone has a different personality and struggles. Even if their beginnings are difficult, they learn to collaborate. They build on each other to show that people can come together and solve problems, regardless of individual background. “