Meet Rachael Allen | Author & Scientist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Rachael Allen and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Rachael, we’d love to hear about a book that’s had an impact on you.
Reading The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot made me want to write Young Adult books. I loved the voice and humor. I loved reading about Mia’s life. It was the first time I had ever read a book that didn’t feel like it was for kids or grown-ups but squarely for teens. It felt like the most exciting time to read about – first loves and navigating complicated friendships and discovering yourself. Later, when I started writing my own stories, those were the kinds of stories I knew I wanted to write.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My art has always been about telling stories that inspire, resonate, and hopefully even spark change. One thing I’m incredibly proud of is how my work highlights women in STEM, marginalized voices, and characters with layers of complexity. Whether it’s Harley Quinn as a teenage neuroscientist fighting against injustice or a boy with Tourette syndrome falling in love with the girl next door, I love creating stories that help people see themselves or understand the world in a new way.

My two greatest hopes for my Harley Quinn trilogy are that readers will become more interested in STEM after reading and that LGBTQIA+ readers and neurodivergent readers will feel seen. This trilogy is the first DC Icons series to feature a sapphic romance, and that means so much to me. I hope seeing Harley as a bisexual teenage girl scientist with ADHD will mean a lot to other people, too.

Writing Harley, a character I grew up watching on Batman: The Animated Series, was the highlight of my writing career. But getting here wasn’t easy. Writing books while having a career in neuroscience came with its fair share of challenges, like imposter syndrome and figuring out how to balance all my passions. There were moments when I questioned if I could do it. But the truth is, I wouldn’t trade the winding path for anything. I leaned on mentorship, friendships, and a relentless belief that stories can change the world.

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is this: Don’t be afraid to combine all the things you love. For a long time, I thought I had to pick one thing—science or writing. But I’ve found that the most meaningful art often comes from where our passions collide. For me, it’s science, storytelling, and advocacy.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Oh, wow! This is such a fun question! If a friend came, and I wanted to give them the perfect day in Atlanta, this is what we’d do:

Coffee – We’d definitely get coffee at either Golden Drops (for the signature Golden Latte and guava and cheese empanadas) or The Corner Cup (for The Vermont and the raspberry-cheese danishes). We’d talk about all of our writing ideas and workshop each other’s plots for our next books.

Antique Furniture – We’d go look at antique furniture next, and I *think* my favorite place moved locations to Avondale and it *might* be called Finders Keepers Furnishings now. One time, I found a big wooden cabinet there with special drawers that used to hold printing press letters, and now I use it to store all my art supplies, and it’s my absolute favorite. (Could substitute going to Ulta and trying on tons of make-up if the friend doesn’t like antiques.)

Bookstores – Next, would be Little Shop of Stories and Brave + Kind Books, my two favorite Atlanta bookstores, where we’d get recs from the awesome staff and make our TBRs bigger and our wallets smaller as we talk about the best (and worst) books we’ve read lately.

Lunch – We’d stop at any of the places in Downtown Decatur with a patio or outdoor seating, depending on what we’re in the mood for: FarmBurger or Brick Store Pub or Leon’s or White Bull. And maybe Butter and Cream for ice cream after (my favorite is Honeycomb Forest).

Hike – After lunch, we’d go for an easy hike at Doll’s Head Trail so we don’t get the post-lunch sleepies. We’d come for the nature walk and stay for the weird/creepy/awesome art installations.

Art – Inspired by our art walk, we’d make art of our own. We could paint book foreedges or make cards using watercolors or do pour art. Something easy and fun and it’s okay however it turns out.

Dinner – We’d head to Tortuga y Chango for dinner and mezcal. And if we feel like a drink after, we could go to the secret hidden bar in Downtown Decatur (SOS Tiki Bar).

Campfire – We’d end the evening roasting s’mores over my firepit, and we’d talk about the goals and dreams we want to manifest for ourselves in the coming year. Then, we’d write our manifestations down on paper with quill pens and ink and toss them into the fire while we listen to Stevie Nicks.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
As a scientist by day and writer by night, I have had wonderful mentors in every aspect of my career. Science mentors. Writing mentors and critique partners. When I first started writing books, I was on these AbsoluteWrite forums (anyone still remember those?), and I met a bunch of really cool women who were also writing books for teens, and we started a private online forum of about 20 people to support each other and talk about publishing. At the time (over 10 years ago!), only one of us was published. Now, many of us are, and it has been so cool to see everyone’s journey and be supportive of each other.

My Atlanta writing community is amazing too. We have meetups at bookstores and annual writing retreats, and I have an area of my bookshelf with all their books signed by them. I feel very grateful to be a part of it!

Instagram: @rachael.stewartallen

Other: TikTok: @rachaelallenwrites

Image Credits
Brookwood High School
North Gwinnett Youth Writing Conference
Brave + Kind Books
The Studios of Key West