Anne Allen's Blog, page 5
December 7, 2014
Its Never too late to be what you want to be
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November 8, 2014
Re-Post from Seumas Gallacher
…the beauty of an Author’s writing is in the beholding Reader’s eye…
...telling a story in the movies is so much different from rolling out a narrative in a book… p’raps that explains why so many film versions fall short of the written WURD… on screen, precious little is left to the imagination of the cinemagoer… even the tone of language and delivery of the spoken passages are all scripted a la Director’s discretion… I’ve shared before, I prefer to read the novel before I see a movie theatre production of it… where else, save in his/her scribbling, can one person, a writer, have their wee masterpieces interpreted in so many ways?… growing up all these years ago, I recall some of the most absorbing times in my life, immersed in books, long before the movies caught on to the idea of making a bundle out of their popularity… Richard Llewellyn’s How Green Was My Valley… all of Dickens’ gems… John Steinbeck’s monumental portrayals of life at the rough end in the evolving hardship that once was California and the dust bowls of the American Far West… Robert Ruark, John O’Hara… and all the rest of the literary titans of that era… magical times… conjurers of images in my little brainbox as I read… I remember with great affection watching a live one-man show performance in Hong Kong of all places, by the uber-talented Peter Ustinov…
…’An Evening With…’ it was titled… it could well have been, ‘A Lifetime With…’ …he told an enraptured audience of a time when he was in Africa as a UNESCO Children’s Ambassador… in a small village clearing, in sign language he entertained a posse of young native children with a story of imaginary multi-coloured birds, which he mimed throwing into the air with his open hands and blowing after them as they notionally flew up into the heavens…
…the children, as one, all looked skywards and started pointing to the invisible creatures, shouting excitedly… even in that Hong Kong theatre, I could see these birds… and I’m sure most of the audience also saw them… the art of the story-teller… allowing the listener/reader to concoct the pictures as they pleased… the beauty of an Author’s writing is in the beholding Reader’s eye… whatever I write will be seen and heard and experienced as every individual decides, not I… so I write these things for myself, and read them back for myself, picture the scenes for myself… that way I believe I may have an outside chance of letting my readers share with me… see yeez later… LUV YEEZ!…
ALL MY BLOG POSTS ARE FREE TO SHARE/RE-BLOG SHOULD YOU SO WISH—BE MY GUEST!
Seumas Gallacher | November 7, 2014 at 7:08 pm | Tags: #AmazonKindle, #BlackOps, #bookreviews,#books, #BUILDINGTHEPLATFORM, #crimethrillers, #druglords, #internationalcrime, #newauthors,#newindies, #PeterUstinov, #policenovels, #SAVAGEPAYBACK, #Self-PublishingStepsToSuccessfulSales,#selfpublishing, #selfpublishingguide, #socialnetworking, #SOSYALNETWURKIN, #TBSU,#TheViolinMan’sLegacy, #undercoveroperations, #VENGEANCEWEARSBLACK, blogging, blogscratching,commandos, humor, humour, interpol, money-laundering, people trafficking, reviews, SAS, SeumasGallacher,thrillers, writing | Categories: Blether, Scribbling & Stuff | URL: http://wp.me/p2pTaK-1p3
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November 7, 2014
KindleCountdownDeal – Dangerous Waters
If any of you lovely readers have not yet read Dangerous Waters – The Guernsey Novels Book 1, then this is your chance to grab a copy for 99p/99c between now and 10th November.
It’s an offer you can’t refuse! To buy click here http://bit.ly/dangerouswaters
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October 10, 2014
New Review of Guernsey Retreat – AWomansWisdom
Guernsey Retreat by Anne Allen
Book Blurb
The latest page-turner offering mystery and romance from the Award-Winning Author of Dangerous Waters
Two violent deaths. Separated by time, but with a fatal connection…
A man loses his father. A young woman loses her mother. Both in tragic circumstances that lead, when they meet, to surprising revelations from the past.
Louisa needs to find the father she has never known, to warn him of possible danger – for them both. Her search takes her from England to Guernsey. Malcolm’s journey is more tortuous: conceived in Guernsey, he travels to Canada as a baby with his bereaved mother. Many years later he arrives in India, and from here he is led back to Guernsey to open a health centre at La Folie. This was his father’s home, where Malcolm was conceived, but never lived and where his father was killed at the start of the Second World War.
At the heart of the two deaths lie stolen jewels. Valuable enough to kill for. Twice.
Finding her father brings Louisa more than she bargains for, and her life is transformed, while Malcolm learns that life is, after all, for sharing…
My Review
Malcolm returns to Guernsey and opens up a health retreat in the old house his family used to own before his uncle killed his father. As the workmen dig up the grounds for a swimming pool they find his father’s remains and the investigation into his death is once again reopened. But where is his uncle now? Is it possible he is still alive? His mother was forced to leave with his uncle when he convinced her she would be an accessory to murder but she fled with Malcolm when his uncle was called up for military service and they haven’t seen him since.
Louisa needs to find her father after her mother dies when a man breaks into her house looking for stolen jewels he believes her mother has. She knows the father she has never seen in the flesh is connected with this but how does she find a man whose name is all she has? A chance flick through a magazine gives her a lead she must follow.
Again Anne Allen has made me want to visit Guernsey. She really does describe the beauty of the place so vividly it makes you want to book a ticket and leave immediately. I loved this second Guernsey story I have read by her, it has it all; mystery, murder, love and intrigue. The story flows along and develops at a satisfyingly pace too making it a nice easy read. This is going straight in to my ‘Feel Good’ books section!
A page turner of a book which is ideal for a weekend comfort read.
Anne Allen can be found on her website, Twitter and Goodreads. Click on the book cover above to buy from Amazon UK.
Thanks Ali for a lovely review ☺
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September 24, 2014
Re-Post – In conversation with Anne Allen (Jaffareadstoo)
In conversation with Anne Allen ~ interview
I am delighted to welcome back to Jaffareadstoo Anne Allen –
Talking about her latest book
What gave you the idea for writing Guernsey Retreat?
Guernsey Retreat is linked to my previous novel, Finding Mother, featuring a gothic mansion set on the cliffs in Torteval, Guernsey. At the end of that book, the house, La Folie, is sold and I thought it would make a fantastic setting for a natural health centre and retreat. I brought in new characters with their own stories, but some of the characters from both Finding Mother and my first novel, Dangerous Waters, make an appearance.
Tell us more about the novel’s background.
I wanted Guernsey Retreat to be more of a romantic mystery, like my first book. I love anything to do with secrets and mysteries, don’t you? Starting with the premise that someone had been violently killed in La Folie at the time of WWII, I thought it would be interesting for the son of that man, Malcolm, to be the future owner, converting it to a health centre. Malcolm is linked to a young woman, Louisa, whose mother is killed in a violent robbery in her home in London. Susan, her mother, urges her to find her father who Louisa has never met, and might now be in danger. Louisa tracks Malcolm down to Guernsey and they meet. Malcolm never knew he had a daughter so it proves quite interesting. The story then follows their search for the person – or persons – responsible for the two deaths. Along the way Louisa also meets someone who becomes very important to her.
What was the most difficult aspect of the writing of the story? How did you overcome it?
Later in the story the UK police are involved in bringing those responsible to justice and I was a bit hazy about police procedures. My only knowledge was that gleaned from watching crime dramas on TV – not necessarily accurate! Fortunately, my brother is a retired policeman and I was able to pick his brains although I did allow myself a little artistic licence ☺
Whilst you are writing you must live with your characters. How do you feel about them when the book is finished? Are they what you expected them to be?
Interesting question! My characters do seem to take on a life of their own at times, doing or thinking things I had not planned. I always end up with a fondness for the main protagonists – as long as they are ‘goodies’ – and in some cases will bring them back in minor roles in future books. I love to see how they grow into the lives I have created for them. ☺
How do you manage to balance writing with your everyday life and what do you do to relax?
Everyday life? Relax? What’s that?! I have to admit this past year or so I have become a bit obsessive about my writing and publishing and could do with finding more balance. Perhaps I should spend more time on housework – would that count? I live alone so it’s very easy to forget to dust, vac, cook etc. unless I have visitors. My favourite way of relaxing is to watch a good drama on TV unless I’m out with friends for a meal. Reading is another favourite but I don’t seem to find much time for books except last thing at night or while travelling. Living by the sea does occasion the odd foray down to the beach for an ozone boost. Great for the little grey cells.☺
What’s next for the Guernsey Novels?
The Family Divided is another romantic mystery and centres on Charlotte, a character from Guernsey Retreat, who helps a local man, Andy Batiste, to find out the truth behind his grandfather Edmund’s death during the Occupation. Edmund was labelled a collaborator by his younger brother, Harold, and his pregnant widow fled Guernsey to escape the family’s antagonism. Harold was left to inherit the family wealth which should by rights have belonged to Edmund’s heirs. Andy not only wants to clear the family name, but to restore his father’s inheritance.
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September 12, 2014
Re-Post from TheBooksMachine Blog – Interview with Anne Allen
It’s time to present another great author, Anne Allen and her great book Dangerous Waters, a heart-warming contemporary romance
TBM: How do you imagine the ideal reader of your book?
AA: I imagine my ideal reader being someone interested in relationships – both romantic and familial –but also enjoying stories encompassing secrets and mysteries. My books are all set in Guernsey, in the British Channel Islands, providing the added frisson of a foreign setting for most readers, appealing to people who wish to learn more about countries they may never visit.
TBM: How was the writer inside of you born?
AA: I’m not sure! I think the writer side of me enjoyed an extremely long gestation period, frankly. I did enjoy writing what was termed ‘composition’ while a schoolgirl, but didn’t ever feel that I wanted to be a writer. In fact initially I wanted to be a pharmacist! However, I became a mature student at The Open University here in the UK and my studies gave me the opportunity to stretch my unused writer’s muscle. Again, there was a period of gestation before I finally took up my pen in earnest in 2006 and wrote my first novel, Dangerous Waters, after winning a true-life short story competition in a national UK magazine.
TBM: What genres do you work with and why are you attracted to these forms of writing?
AA: I write romance based stories, with either a touch of mystery or family drama. Having spent nearly thirty years as a psychotherapist, I am fairly well qualified to write about relationships and issues of love and loss, including overcoming tragedies. While working with my clients I was always heartened to hear how strong the human spirit is in the face of adversity. And, unlike real life, I can allow my characters to achieve happy outcomes.
TBM: As a reader, what elements of a story do you love, or do you hate?
AA: I love stories that are many-layered, and involve the emotions. I need to empathize with the main character(s) and want to will them to succeed in achieving their goal or goals. My pet hate are stories that seem to run out of steam and offer up a tame ending after what was an enjoyable ride. Even worse are those books that leave the reader in suspense, having to decide for themselves what the outcome is.
TBM: What inspired you to write Dangerous Waters and what do you hope your readers will take away from this book?
AA: I was inspired by a book set on a small island off the French coast which reminded me of Guernsey and made me want to write a story based there. In a way it was my homage to an island where I had lived for many happy years but had recently, and reluctantly, left. I also wanted to have a tragic heroine who needed to let go the past and move on, in the process uncovering family secrets and solving a tragic mystery. Ideally, I would like readers to feel a connection with this young woman and her journey and also come to appreciate the beauty and history of Guernsey.
TBM: How long did it take you to write this book and what did you do the day that you finished it?
AA: The first draft took 6 months and, in my ignorance, I thought that was it! But after several professional critiques and much re-writing and editing, I finally finished the published version in 2012. Having thoroughly enjoyed writing the initial draft, I felt a little bereft when it was finished so promptly started my second book, Finding Mother.
TBM: What would you like to say to your readers?
AA: I do hope that you enjoy my books and I would love to hear from if you do. It’s wonderful as an author to receive an email from a reader, saying they enjoyed a book I’d written but I think readers may shy away from doing this. As if they are imposing on the author. Don’t be shy! I can be contacted through my website – www.anneallen.co.uk
TBM: Tell us more about Dangerous Waters
AA: Jeanne Le Page left Guernsey 15 years ago at the age of 16, after a tragic boating accident that left her injured and an orphan. In distress, she left the island to live with her maternal aunt in England and has remained there since. But now she has to return as her beloved grandmother has died and left her an old cottage. Jeanne, recently grieving the end of a relationship, plans to return long enough to settle her grandmother’s affairs and then leave. Life, however, does not always go according to plan, and she finds herself drawn to stay and re-invent herself. The cottage itself contains a long-buried secret and as Jeanne learns more, she also begins to learn the truth behind her parent’s deaths, putting her own life in danger.
TBM: Lastly, a direct message to the readers, about why they should read Dangerous Waters.
AA: If you enjoy romance and mystery, then this is the book for you! It can be enjoyed on the beach or curled up under the duvet on a chilly evening, wafting you to the beautiful, sunny island of Guernsey for some true escapism. And remember, it is Book 1 in The Guernsey Novels series, with two more books already published and the 4th due in 2015.
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September 7, 2014
‘Finding Mother’ by Anne Allen | A Lover of Books
A lovely review of Finding Mother is now live on Sonya’s blog, A Lover of Books
‘Finding Mother’ by Anne Allen | A Lover of Books.
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September 3, 2014
Meet Guest Author Anne Allen | Chris The Story Reading Ape’s Blog….. An Author Promotions Enterprise!
Meet Guest Author Anne Allen | Chris The Story Reading Ape’s Blog….. An Author Promotions Enterprise!.
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August 5, 2014
Re-Post from BeingAnneReading : Author Feature- Anne Allen-Guernsey Retreat
MONDAY, 4 AUGUST 2014
Author feature (Part 2) – Anne Allen – Guernsey Retreat
What a lovely weekend for Anne Allen, with Dangerous Waters hitting #1 in the Amazon free book charts! It’s back up to £1.99 now (and worth every penny). As I mentioned last week, the third of Anne Allen’s Guernsey novels,Guernsey Retreat, will (officially) be published on 8 August, but I’m delighted to tell you that you can already purchase it for Kindle – the paperback will be available before the middle of August. Doesn’t this sound just wonderful?
Two violent deaths. Separated by time, but with a fatal connection…
A man loses his father. A young woman loses her mother. Both in tragic circumstances that lead, when they meet, to surprising revelations from the past.
Louisa needs to find the father she has never known, to warn him of possible danger – for them both. Her search takes her from England to Guernsey. Malcolm’s journey is more tortuous: conceived in Guernsey, he travels to Canada as a baby with his bereaved mother. Many years later he arrives in India, and from here he is led back to Guernsey to open a health centre at La Folie. This was his father’s home, where Malcolm was conceived, but never lived and where his father was killed at the start of the Second World War.
At the heart of the two deaths lie stolen jewels. Valuable enough to kill for. Twice.
Finding her father brings Louisa more than she bargains for, and her life is transformed, while Malcolm learns that life is, after all, for sharing…
I’m delighted to welcome Anne Allen to the blog to answer my questions about the first two books, and to tell us a bit more about Guernsey Retreat.
I’m full of admiration that you started writing later in life, and do it so very well – where did the impetus come from to actually start writing? Did you have Jeanne’s story in your head before you started capturing it in writing?
Thank you, Anne. The impetus had been slowly boiling over the years – if that’s not a contradiction in terms! I, like a number of writers, had often thought about writing and my ex-partner even bought me novel writing software. But life kept getting in the way until, finally in 2006, I decided I had run out of excuses and now was the time. The immediate impetus came from reading a book by Katie Fforde, one of many I had enjoyed over the years, and thinking I’d like to write something like this. I started by knowing I wanted to write a story based in Guernsey, where I had lived for many happy years, reluctantly returning to England in 2002. Once I had my setting I wanted an old house with secrets and then Jeanne popped into my head as the protagonist with a tragic past. The story was not fully-formed before I began writing and actually became more of a mystery than a romance. As the story revolves around love and loss it became quite painful for me at times, but also cathartic. I actually cried buckets writing a couple of scenes! But, as you know, Anne, there is a happy ending.
Your books are full of strong characters – I particularly liked Helene in Finding Mother, feeling for her through the difficult decisions she was forced to make. Do you have a personal favourite?
Well, I totally fell in love with Nick in Dangerous Waters, if that counts? As far as the women are concerned, I think Eve, from Finding Mother, is my favourite. I admire her spirit and the way she dealt with some harsh blows in life.
I feel as if I’ve travelled around the bays and eaten in the restaurants with your characters, and I’d love to attend a barbecue in Jeanne’s garden. The Guernsey setting of your novels is so vividly drawn – how long did you live there, and how often do you get to go back?
I lived there for nearly fourteen years and try to go over every year. My elder son still lives there and is now a qualified ‘local’, he’s been there so long. Since my books have been published I travel over a little more often to launch new books and attend The Guernsey LitFest. It’s helpful to walk and drive around as it refreshes my memory about the various parts of the island I mention in the books and to undertake any necessary research.
Is it important to you that they’re accurate around the geography, and the historical background?
Totally! I’m very aware that many local people and ex-pat Guerns read my books and would not want them being disappointed by any inaccuracies. I could just imagine the negative reviews!
You’re so good at writing about love and loss and the difficult decisions people sometimes have to make. Despite that, your books left me with a smile on my face and hope for the future. Is that feel-good factor important to you?
Yes, it is. An awful lot of books these days seem to focus on the grimmer side of life and can leave readers quite depressed. Life is far from perfect for most of us, and it’s no point painting a rosy picture if it’s totally unrealistic. But, through my work as a psychotherapist, I learnt how strong the human spirit can be as long as there’s hope. Hope for better health or love or whatever is needed and I aim to portray that hope in my books. I’m glad I left you with a smile on your face!
I know it’s not long now until we’ll be able to read your third Guernsey novel. Can you tell us a little more about it?
Called Guernsey Retreat it is a mystery romance: the mystery takes precedence over the love story. It begins with a violent death in Guernsey in 1939, just as war is declared and fast forwards to 2009 when a body is discovered in the grounds of La Folie, shortly to be opened as a natural health centre and retreat. The owner, Malcolm Roget, is the son of the man killed in 1939. A few months later, single mother Susan Canning, dies after a violent burglary at her home in London, leaving her only daughter Louisa to find not only the father she has never known, but why her mother was targeted. The story follows Louisa’s search which leads her to…Guernsey!
And will we encounter again some of the characters we’ve enjoyed getting to know?
Certainly – quite a few in fact. Not only is the main story centred on La Folie, which featured in Finding Mother, but characters from both my previous books make an appearance. So readers can get an update on their favourite people. Guernsey is a small island – 7 by 5 miles – so it’s entirely plausible that these type of connections exist. Anyway, it makes for a more interesting story! I realised while writing Finding Mother that I was, in effect, writing a series, and have now called it The Guernsey Novels series. All the books are stand-alone but, as you can see, there are links between them. I’ve already started writing book 4 – The Family Divided – and there will be familiar faces making an appearance. Due in 2015.
As well as writing, I know you’re an avid reader too. Have you read anything recently you’d like to recommend to others, perhaps a book you’d rather like to have written yourself?
I have eclectic taste in reading and often read books of various genres that I wouldn’t attempt to write myself. One writer who I would like to emulate is Linda Gillard. I recently read Cauldstane, a gothic mystery and romance. Linda writes beautifully and I’ve read two of her other novels. Cauldstane is set in a gothic Scottish castle and for me held shades of Macbeth – or rather Lady Macbeth – in the telling. Definitely worth a read!
Thank you Anne – I’m really looking forward to reading Guernsey Retreat. And, as chance would have it, I’m also a big fan of Linda Gillard’s writing – I’ve already read and reviewed Cauldstane (currently £1.99 for Kindle), and loved it as much as you did. The best of luck with your new book!
Posted by Anne Williams at 12:16
Many thanks, Anne for the lovely feature. Anne’s blog can be found here: http://beingannereading.blogspot.co.uk/
July 31, 2014
♫♫FREE BOOK ALERT♫♫ Dangerous Waters 1st -3rd August ONLY
I will post again soon with details about Guernsey Retreat – watch this space!
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