Sunrise Calls It a Night Novel
Backstory
Allison began writing a fictionalized version of her LA adventures in a jury box in 2004. She quickly developed a passion for writing but kept her work deeply private. She added a second half to the book in 2010 after her NYC band split up while crying in her spandex stage pants. In 2025 she dusted off the book out of curiosity and was pleasantly surprised by the lost, heartbreaking, and hilarious voice of the young narrator as well as the forgotten details of the 2000’s. She spent a year on the final draft, weaving in a story of growth, love, and self-discovery. In December she shared the book with a select group and the feedback was incredible – everyone read it in two days and raved about the voice, humor, time period, and intimacy of the 20-something experience. And at the urging of the group, Allison is seeking professional partnership for the first time after self-publishing her previous 2 nonfiction books.
Synopsis
Can wild adventures in 2000’s LA and NYC reveal the confident young woman and artist inside?
Sunrise Calls It a Night is a romantic coming of age novel set between 2004-2008 in Los Angeles and New York City. The reader is along for the ride inside the head of the beautiful, 20-something Southern narrator, Valencia Brooke. She’s the ultimate seeker – diving into seedy city adventures on dance floors and rock stages while battling loneliness and insecurity – on a path to discover the real woman and artist inside. Told with copious humor, honesty, and 2000’s period details, the story is equal parts entertainment and inspiration. The vibe? Valencia Brooke is the lovechild of Holden Caulfield + Bridget Jones + The Strokes, and is the ultimate charming, flawed heroine.
Part 1 takes place in Los Angeles in 2004-2005. The story begins on a typical night out in West Hollywood with Valencia’s “good time friends.” The reader is immediately drawn into her world of velvet ropes, dance floors, and Hollywood Hills balcony parties. It’s a glittery spectacle with temptations and heartbreak around every corner. Across a pivotal year of her life, Valencia must learn the hard way why drugs and handsome players are ill advised and confront why the dark side is so appealing to her. A city haunted with sketchy memories, she decides to leave LA (and Mason, a brooding, budding musician and her only protector) for new adventures.
Part 2 takes place in New York City from 2005-2008. Valencia lands in the East Village and is quickly absorbed in the exploding independent music scene of the nearby Lower East Side. She molds to her new surroundings, swapping self-tanner and miniskirts for the perfect vintage boots and tapered jeans. She dates and befriends musicians and enjoys the new freedom of a pedestrian city. Once she finally faces her performance fears, she joins a band and ignites the artist within. The reader is there for every moment – from the audition to the first show, and from late night song writing sessions to the tour that cements Valencia’s future. In a twist of fate, Mason resurfaces, and their relationship evolves across their creative collaboration.
Throughout the entire book there are two love stories unfolding. The first is between friends Valencia and Mason who grow closer through both maturity and music. It’s a love that can only bloom when Valencia deepens her confidence and direction. In parallel, the second love affair is of course the one Valencia has with herself.
More than a story, the book is a first-person, present-tense experience intended to connect like-minded young, restless spirits. Woven with wisdom gems throughout, there is a deep, positive undercurrent taking both Valencia and the reader to the other side of feeling lost. And it’s a lot of fun along the way. We’re talking vanilla vodka, leather pants, digital cameras, Myspace, indie rock, and laminated maps. It was another era, but some lessons never change.
Inspired by real events, the names were changed to protect the other young, beautiful idiots.
Potential book categories: Romance, Coming of Age, New Adult, Feelgood, Women’s Fiction, Single Women, Women’s Domestic Life