| Logan has a lip so pouty his Pa is sure a bird is going to poop on it. Shoveling coal as a furnace feeder at the foundry is hot, sweaty work, but Logan is determined to pay off his debt for a broken spyglass—even if his lower lip sticks out the whole time. But when a “Pouty Paw Paw” tree begins growing in the soot of the foundry’s smokestack, the town of Blooming Glen starts catching a bad case of the “pouts”. When Gran’s legendary joyful jam is stolen and replaced with a “darkness jam” that makes everyone hateful, Logan must trade his gloom for the fruit of joy. With his pet raccoon Rascal by his side, Logan is about to prove that a joyful heart is the best weapon against a stinky, pouting plot! Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy Click here to get your copy! |  |
Interview with Allen
#1. What drew you to write in this particular genre?
I started writing the Towers of Light series in what I call Prairie Punk because the 1860’s frontier in the Midwest was something I knew pretty well, and I hadn’t seen fantasy done there. Growing up in southeast Iowa, there was history from that period everywhere, and my Grandfather helped start a thing called the Midwest Old Threshers, which was an annual celebration of historical farming in Iowa. Logan vs. the Pouty Paw Paw is in that same world and characters with a twist that it’s focused on a single character with a Huck Finn / Tom Sawyer kind of feel.
I started writing the Towers of Light series in what I call Prairie Punk because the 1860’s frontier in the Midwest was something I knew pretty well, and I hadn’t seen fantasy done there. Growing up in southeast Iowa, there was history from that period everywhere, and my Grandfather helped start a thing called the Midwest Old Threshers, which was an annual celebration of historical farming in Iowa. Logan vs. the Pouty Paw Paw is in that same world and characters with a twist that it’s focused on a single character with a Huck Finn / Tom Sawyer kind of feel.
#2. How did you name your characters?
Aiden, Ethan, Logan, and Jesse are all named for my sons and their best friends. Gramps was just kind of a natural name for the character when I first made him up, but the Sewer Boys were a bit of inspiration from the rainy-day scene they show up in. Finally, I had to ask my now-grown-up kids for a name for the bad guy, and they just kind of blurted out Nebuchadnezzar.
Aiden, Ethan, Logan, and Jesse are all named for my sons and their best friends. Gramps was just kind of a natural name for the character when I first made him up, but the Sewer Boys were a bit of inspiration from the rainy-day scene they show up in. Finally, I had to ask my now-grown-up kids for a name for the bad guy, and they just kind of blurted out Nebuchadnezzar.
#3. Tell us something funny, sad, embarrassing, whatever, that happened involving this book.
A year ago, my mom was in the end stages of cancer, and I was staying with her and my stepdad. At the time, I was running a Kickstarter for my picture book, Meow Meow Milks the Cow. And my stepdad supported it to the point that he could influence a future project. I shared the ideas behind Logan vs. the Pouty Paw Paw, and he said he’d like to contribute to that. So, we worked on it over the past year, after my mom passed away, and in many ways it’s a tribute to her.
A year ago, my mom was in the end stages of cancer, and I was staying with her and my stepdad. At the time, I was running a Kickstarter for my picture book, Meow Meow Milks the Cow. And my stepdad supported it to the point that he could influence a future project. I shared the ideas behind Logan vs. the Pouty Paw Paw, and he said he’d like to contribute to that. So, we worked on it over the past year, after my mom passed away, and in many ways it’s a tribute to her.
#4. If you could change one thing in your life, past or present, what would it be?
The only real regret I have is that in 1991 I was at basic and advanced training at Fort Benning, Georgia and I was told I should work with my recruiter to have training extended by 2 weeks to do Airborne school. I didn’t take that opportunity, and to this day have never jumped out of a perfectly good airplane.
The only real regret I have is that in 1991 I was at basic and advanced training at Fort Benning, Georgia and I was told I should work with my recruiter to have training extended by 2 weeks to do Airborne school. I didn’t take that opportunity, and to this day have never jumped out of a perfectly good airplane.
#5. What one piece of advice would you like to give readers?
If you feel like you have a book to write, write it. You won’t regret it.
If you feel like you have a book to write, write it. You won’t regret it.
More from Allen
“Logan vs. the Pouty Paw Paw” is a special book in the series “Logan’s search for the Fruits of the Spirit” because it was written with the support of my stepdad, John Beghtol. In the spring of 2025, we were working through the death of my Mom from a long battle with cancer. He found out my kids were running a Kickstarter for one of my picture books, Meow Meow Milks the Cow, and decided to support it. As a supporter, he earned the option to share some creative direction on one of my upcoming projects.
Over the summer of 2025, I was doing some research for my next Logan book, looking for a native Midwestern fruit that would be good for representing sadness, to contrast with the spiritual fruit of joy. I learned that Paw Paws were a rare native fruit that would have been used to make jam in the 1860’s. So, they seemed like a good fit, especially if they were Pouty Paw Paws. It also kind of fit what was going on with us, both of us were sad at the loss of my mom, and many people use the name Paw Paw as another name for a Grandfather. So, it spawned the idea that Gramps from the Towers of Light series could be a key character in this adventure.
I shared an early flight plan for the story with him, and he liked it in principle, but then provided an idea around a mysterious stranger entering the town. I like the idea, but I felt a little stuck because this story takes place after the Towers of Light series, where all the bad guys had been defeated, so who was this mysterious stranger? Eventually, I just wrote a mini story about the stranger to place him in the city, and I was off with a solid story to tell.
The story ended up being a good cross-section of dealing with sadness of different forms, from being upset over chores that feel to hard, to the loss of a loved one. At the same time, I kept the fun and hijinks that only a boy and his pet raccoon can get into. I hope your child enjoys it as much as I did while writing it with my Bonus Dad.
Over the summer of 2025, I was doing some research for my next Logan book, looking for a native Midwestern fruit that would be good for representing sadness, to contrast with the spiritual fruit of joy. I learned that Paw Paws were a rare native fruit that would have been used to make jam in the 1860’s. So, they seemed like a good fit, especially if they were Pouty Paw Paws. It also kind of fit what was going on with us, both of us were sad at the loss of my mom, and many people use the name Paw Paw as another name for a Grandfather. So, it spawned the idea that Gramps from the Towers of Light series could be a key character in this adventure.
I shared an early flight plan for the story with him, and he liked it in principle, but then provided an idea around a mysterious stranger entering the town. I like the idea, but I felt a little stuck because this story takes place after the Towers of Light series, where all the bad guys had been defeated, so who was this mysterious stranger? Eventually, I just wrote a mini story about the stranger to place him in the city, and I was off with a solid story to tell.
The story ended up being a good cross-section of dealing with sadness of different forms, from being upset over chores that feel to hard, to the loss of a loved one. At the same time, I kept the fun and hijinks that only a boy and his pet raccoon can get into. I hope your child enjoys it as much as I did while writing it with my Bonus Dad.
 Allen Brokken | Allen Brokken is a teacher at heart, a husband and father most of all. He’s a joyful writer by the abundant grace of God. He began writing the Towers of Light series for his own children to help him illustrate the deep truths of the Bible in an engaging and age-appropriate way. He’s dedicated 15 years of his life to volunteer roles in children’s ministry and youth development. Now that his own children are off to college he’s telling stories and sharing clean humor on social media. |
It's Time For A Giveaway!
To celebrate his tour, Allen is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon Gift Card!!
Click below to enter. Be sure to comment on this post before you enter to claim 9 extra entries!
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The Bookish Ledger, August 17 (Author Interview)
Simple Harvest Reads, August 18 (Author Interview)
Guild Master, August 18
Stories By Gina, August 19 (Author Interview)
A Modern Day Fairy Tale, August 7 (Author Interview)
Tell Tale Book Reviews, August 8 (Author Interview)
Blossoms and Blessings, August 9 (Author Interview)
Texas Book-aholic, August 10
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, August 11
Books, Books, & More Books, August 12 (Author Interview)
For the Love of Literature, August 13 (Author Interview)
Fiction Book Lover, August 14 (Author Interview)
Artistic Nobody, August 14
Vicky Sluiter, August 15
Labor Not in Vain , August 16
The Bookish Ledger, August 17 (Author Interview)
Simple Harvest Reads, August 18 (Author Interview)
Guild Master, August 18
Stories By Gina, August 19 (Author Interview)
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