“Were not these exotic creatures simply convenient dehumanised receptacles available at a modest price to render instant sexual gratification? Enthusiastic. Uninhibited. And above all, anonymous, disappearing into the shadows of the sultry night after the act.” As a medical student in London in the 70s, Harry Lester was a frequent and prolific donor to several of the unregulated private infertility clinics, which treated infertile couples desperately yearning for a child of their own. Over twenty years later, his wanderlust lifestyle finds him working as a ship’s doctor, enjoying a carefree and self-indulgent lifestyle on a luxury cruise liner. A twenty-something young man, smart and self-possessed, Jason Brown—an intensely wanted child by his mother, a patient of one of the many infertility clinics in London—feels hurt and lost after discovering the truth of his ‘real father’, a sperm donor. His obsession to find this totally anonymous figure takes him on an unrelenting global quest, travelling far and wide to discover the truth of his complete genetic origin. A bright, young and beautiful newly qualified nurse, who has endless career possibilities ahead of her, puts her future on hold in order to take a job as a nurse on a luxury liner which is on a world cruise. After she has joined the ship in Singapore, she is swept of her feet in a whirlwind romance, blinded to the consequences that may unfold soon enough in her life. A heart rending drama unfolds and gains unstoppable momentum as the main characters cross paths at sea. The final outcomes may shock. Those involved in the unregulated infertility business of the 70s—donors, patients and offspring alike—may need to re-evaluate the consequences of the part they played after reading this story.

WINNER OF THE DIAMOND BOOK AWARD 2017 

The fifth of The Guernsey Novels, Echoes of Time is a dual-time story set in the German Occupation and present-day Guernsey and is likely to appeal to fans of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.

Betrayal, injustice and revenge echo down the years…

1940. Olive marries farmer Bill Falla. The Germans occupy Guernsey.

All too soon Olive realises she has made a mistake. Her life changes when she meets Wolfgang, a German officer-however there’s a price to pay. . .

2010. Natalie Ogier returns to Guernsey to escape an abusive relationship – only to be plagued by odd happenings in her beautiful cottage on the site of a derelict and secluded farm. Disturbing dreams, disembodied voices and uncanny visions from the past. She becomes increasingly ill at ease as someone else’s past catches up with her own…

Her only immediate neighbour, Stuart, is the grandson of the original owners, Bill and Olive.

Thrown together in a bid to find out what happened to Olive, can they each survive the repercussions of the past and move on? 

Book reviews

"A powerful family drama packed full of mystery and intrigue. A stunningly good read." A ‘Wishing Shelf’ Book Review

"For the last three days, I have been thoroughly immersed in Echoes of Time, a family saga set in Guernsey. Let me begin by saying how gripping this story is. Not only is the plot packed full of twists and turns, but the setting – and the characters – are lovingly described. There is, I think, nothing better than a novel written by an author who knows how to balance setting, speech and plot.
So, what did I like? Well, the opening chapter, albeit very short, is a real ‘grabber’. I’m very fond of books which open with a ‘BANG!' and not with endless paragraphs of flowery prose. Well, trust me, this opens BIG, hooking the reader in…

I also very much enjoyed the pacing of this novel. The chapters were surprisingly short for this genre and there’s often a cliffhanger at the end of the chapters. So, although it is a family saga of sorts it is also very much a thriller and a mystery, and the style of writing reflects that.

So, would I recommend this book? Yes, absolutely. And who to? Well, pretty much anybody and everybody. If you enjoy a good thriller, this is for you. If you enjoy a complex family saga, this is for you. Or, if you simply love Guernsey, this is for you." A ‘Wishing Shelf’ Book Review www.thewsa.co.uk

"Superbly written, Echoes of Time is captivating, exciting, sad, bittersweet and yet hopeful and full of happiness. Anne Allen lovingly depicts the place and people of Guernsey and seamlessly combines the past and present, telling almost parallel stories that come to a joint resolution." Readers Favorite Review - Awarded Finalist in Readers' Favorite Awards 2017.

The Guernsey Novels will appeal to lovers of the works of Joanna Trollope, Maeve Binchy, and the best-selling book The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.

Bridgette Connor is a woman on the edge. Her career is in tatters, her relationship is doomed, and after an ill-fated pregnancy, she does the one thing she’s always done best. She runs. Her car careens off the road leaving her battered, bruised and beaten. It is then that she meets the woman who will change her life. Alexis Parker is a woman in control. Her business is thriving, her friends are by her side and the daughter she refused to abandon is the happiest little girl in the world. When the bloodied and broken Bridgette Connor collapses at her door, Alexis does the one thing she’s always done best. She helps. Last Things is a story of two women, the story of how they are different and how they are the same. It is a story of love, a story of loss, and above all, a story of friendship.

2017 Readers' Favorite Awards Winner

"What a Great Book!" - Jennifer P., HISTORY/A+E Networks

A Blazing Gilded Age is the epic story of a volatile nation burning with ambition, yet bleeding with injustice. It was a time of profound change, boldly transforming from an agrarian backwater into an industrial powerhouse.

Center stage is the Wozniak family; poor coal miners struggling to achieve the elusive American dream. Suffering a string of calamities at the hands of their ruthless and depraved boss, Archibald Desmond Huxley, the Wozniaks are thrust into utter turmoil, thus igniting a blazing journey of revenge, justice, and survival.

During the Wozniaks’ quest they encounter many icons, including Theodore Roosevelt, J.P. Morgan, Andrew Carnegie, Mark Twain, Nikola Tesla, Presidents Garfield and McKinley, Buffalo Bill, and many others, thus painting a broad and vivid canvas of 19th century America.

Springing to life is an era boiling with bravado, yet blistering with greed, as innovation and military might coincide with child labor and class warfare. After many unexpected twists of fate—some fortuitous and others heartbreaking—the Wozniaks emerge victorious, thus finally achieving the American dream, yet not without scars.

Both powerful and poignant, “A Blazing Gilded Age" serves as an entertaining and enlightening read of how and why America has gone astray, and why it became a world leader. While at its core, it imparts the harrowing, yet triumphant, tale of a family's struggle to survive in an age that, in many ways, was as dark and rough as coal and at times could be as blazing as Hell.

Center for Fiction Finalist for First Novel Prize 2017
Named to Kirkus Reviews' Best Books of 2015
Gripping, suspenseful, and unflinching, Tiger Pelt is a story of rebirth from the rubble of a savage time and a ravaged place: Korea during the Japanese occupation followed by the Korean War. A farm boy embarks on a quest that propels him on an odyssey spanning the Korean peninsula and crossing the Pacific. In a parallel life, a beautiful young girl is kidnapped and forced to work as a comfort woman for the Japanese military. During a raging monsoon, the two souls will collide in a near-death encounter that will alter the course of their lives.
Independent Publisher Book Awards Bronze Medal for Historical Fiction 2017; NIEA Finalist for Literary Fiction, Finalist for Contemporary Novel 2017; Global Ebook Awards Gold Medal for Historical Literature, Gold Medal for Multicultural Literature 2017; Readers' Favorite Annual Book Award Silver Medal for Fiction-Drama 2017; IAN Book of the Year Awards Finalist for Literary/General Fiction 2017; Best Book Awards Finalist for Best New Fiction, Finalist for Historical Fiction 2017.

"Our kids, my, my, Gracie, where did we go wrong? One marries God, another a Jew, and the last one, the devil!"

Texas, 1951. The Wolanskys—Grace, Bud and their three grown children—are a close-knit clan, deeply rooted in their rural community and traditional faith. On their orderly farm, life seems good and tomorrow always holds promise.

But under the surface, it’s a different story. Grace is beset by dark memories and nameless fears that she keeps secret even from Bud. Their son Andy has said no to becoming a farmer like his dad and, worse, fallen in love with a big-city Jewish girl. Youngest child Regina is trapped in a loveless marriage to an abusive, alcoholic husband. Even “perfect” daughter Angela’s decision to become a nun takes an unforeseen turn.

And then Ceil Dollard breezes into town.

Ceil—wealthy, sophisticated, irrepressible—is like a visitor from Mars. She’s a modern woman. She drives a car and wears pants. She blows away tradition and certainty, forcing Grace to face her fears and brave a changing world. Through Ceil, Grace learns about courage and freedom—but at the risk of losing Bud.

Barbara Frances’ sparkling, richly human novel takes you back to a time when Ike was president and life was slower, but people were the same as now. You’ll encounter a cast of characters storm-tossed by change, held together by love. Written with compassion, humor and suspense, Like I Used to Dance will charm you, warm you and even squeeze a few tears, from it opening number to the last waltz.

Calvin Greenwood is a family man in his eighties. He is alone for the first time in over sixty years: his wife, Emily, just passed away and he isn't taking her loss well. He doesn't remember how to be alone, and he isn't sure if he can forgive himself for the mistakes he made while she was alive.

Edward White is a long time family friend who knows something is wrong with Calvin. He comes to check on him during his time of need and make sure he isn't planning to do anything reckless. Edward understands just how dangerous things are for someone struggling the way Calvin is, and he hopes talking to him can settle things back down. He just hopes he isn't too late to help.

Help, however, isn't the easiest thing to give, and it can be even more difficult to accept...

Love, loss, and forgiveness weave through this human tale of friendship and hope.

Winner of New Adult Fiction-- Beverly Hills Book Awards for 2016

Winner of the 2016 SILVER Medal for Best Fiction in Drama from Readers Favorites

Finalist USA Best Books Awards 2016 in Literary Fiction and in New Fiction

A story of the complexity of the bonds between parents and children and how difficult it can be to escape them, Things Unsaid is a highly charged family saga of characters fighting for space to breathe.

Jules, her sister Joanne, and her brother Andrew all grew up in the same household―but their varying views of and reactions to their experiences growing up have made them all very different people. Now, as adults with children of their own, they are all faced with the question of what to do to help their parents, who insist on maintaining the upscale lifestyle they’re accustomed to despite their mounting debts. A deft exploration of the ever-shifting covenants between parents and children, Things Unsaid is a ferocious tale of family love, dysfunction, and sense of duty over forty years.