AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT Anne Allen

I’m delighted to welcome Anne Allen to my AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting Anne many times and was even asked to introduce her at our recent Guernsey Literary Festival. Anne writes a book a year and most recently I’ve read The Inheritance, which had me gripped to my seat. It’s one of my favourite books of the year so far. 

THE INHERITANCE 

How close were Victor Hugo and his copyist?

1862 Young widow Eugénie is left bereft when her husband dies suddenly and faces an uncertain future in Guernsey. A further tragedy brings her to the attention of Monsieur Victor Hugo, living in exile on the island in his opulent house only yards away from Eugénie’s home. Their meeting changes her life and she becomes his copyist, forming a strong friendship with both Hugo and his mistress, Juliette Drouet.

2012 Doctor Tess Le Prevost, Guernsey born though now living in Exeter, is shocked to inherit her Great-Aunt’s house on the island. As a child she was entranced by Doris’s tales of their ancestor, Eugénie, whose house this once was, and who, according to family myth, was particularly close to Hugo. Was he the real father of her child? Tess is keen to find out and returning to the island presents her with the ideal opportunity.

Will she discover the truth about Eugénie and Hugo? A surprise find may hold the answer as Tess embraces new challenges which test her strength – and her heart.

More about Anne

Anne Allen lives in Devon, England by her beloved sea. She has three children, and her daughter and two grandchildren live nearby. Her restless spirit has meant a number of moves which included Spain for a couple of years. However, the longest stay was in Guernsey for nearly fourteen years after falling in love with the island and the people. She contrived to leave one son behind to ensure a valid reason for frequent returns.

By profession, Anne was a psychotherapist, but long had the itch to write. Her work enabled her to study the human psyche in depth and this has contributed to her characters’ personalities and experiences. The prompt to start writing came after Anne won a true-life story competition in Prima magazine, with a prize of £500 worth of M & S vouchers. Realising writing might actually pay the bills, or at least put food in her mouth, Anne drafted what was to become, years later, the first in The Guernsey Novels series.

Now a full-time writer, (which is not quite the same as writing full-time!) she has published seven novels in the series. However, each one is a standalone story with links to other books and characters. Although not originally planned, Anne is, in effect, writing a saga of Guernsey; featuring numerous characters and stories covering the German Occupation, Victorian Guernsey and the present day. The next as yet un-named book will be another dual-time story, set partly around the late !8th/early 19th century and features privateers and smugglers. Oh, and a ghost! A mix of family drama, mystery and love, the books have proved to appeal to readers of all ages.

Thanks, Anne, for agreeing to appear. I can’t wait to read your next one x

Website: 

Facebook 

Twitter: 

NEXT ON AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT. THE AMAZING CLARE CHASE, WHOSE NEXT BOOK WILL BE APPEARING, AS IF BY MAGIC, ON MY KINDLE ON THE 24th JUNE 

Advertisement