Flipping the Script on Life’s Cruelest Plot Twists

Marrying Lou was a dream come true for me. Losing him was my nightmare. Writing helped me flip that script, to build a new dream.

I didn’t become a writer on purpose. I became one because I was trying to survive my nightmare.

My husband deployed to Iraq, only to be murdered by a fellow soldier. That soldier was ultimately acquitted, even after offering a guilty plea. I was already decimated by the murder of my husband. The trial nearly kept me that way.

I loved everything about being Barb Allen, Lou’s wife.
I hated everything about being Barb Allen, Lou’s widow.
And I hated most of all that our four beautiful boys would grow up without the love and leadership of their extraordinary dad.

I had to find something to hold onto - something strong enough to pull myself and my children through the aftermath.

Writing became that lifeline.

At first, it was a way to tell the true story behind the headlines. Then it became a way to speak for myself in the face of harsh judgment. Eventually, it became a way to help others make sense of their own loss. That path led to three books of my own, a career as a ghostwriter, and now, a dream I never imagined: turning How to Woo a Widow into a film.

The screenplay is written. A director is attached. The pitch deck is nearly complete.

How to Woo a Widow is a fictional love story, but it’s built from real moments -mine and those of others I know -after loss. It’s funny, painful, and hopeful in the same messy way real life is.

And this dream isn’t just about making a movie because doing that is awesome…The actual process is packed with impact, too.

I’m going to fill EXTRA roles with people who’ve stood beside me, inspired others, and navigated their own loss. I’m going to open the shooting process up to survivors of military, law enforcement and first responders who are interested in filmmaking. I’ll have designated mentors there to walk them through the sets, introduce them to cast and crew, and experience a moment they will carry for a lifetime.

The set will have mementos of people our cast and crew have loved and lost, and we will honor their memories together.

How cool is all that???

I didn’t choose the plot twist life threw at me. But I do get to choose how to flip the script.

You can, too.

If you’re carrying a story born from pain, resilience, or reinvention—and you feel the pull to finally write it - I’d be honored to help.

Let’s talk about turning your story into your signature book.

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