Anne Allen-Interview and Giveaway with the Author

TRC: Hi Anne and welcome to The Reading Café. Congratulations on the release of Dangerous Waters. We would like to start with some background information. Would you please tell us something about yourself?

Anne: My home is in Devon, by my beloved sea. I have three children and my daughter and two grandchildren live nearby. I was born in Rugby, to an English mother and Welsh father. As a result I spent many summers with my Welsh grandparents in Anglesey (now famous for being the home of Prince William!) and learnt to love the sea. My restless spirit has meant a number of moves which included living in Spain for a couple of years. The longest stay was in Guernsey for nearly fourteen years, after I fell in love with the island and the people. However, I contrived to leave one son behind to ensure a valid reason for frequent returns!

By profession I’m a psychotherapist but have long had creative ‘itches’, learning to mosaic, paint furniture, interior design and sculpt. At the back of my mind the itch to write was always present but seemed too time-consuming for a single mum with a need to earn a living (my husband died while young). Now the nest is empty there’s more time to write and a second novel is gestating, but novels take a lot longer than children to be born!

TRC: Your bio states that you were a hypnotherapist, psychotherapist and counselor, as well as a Master Reiki Practitioner. Would you please explain to our members, what entails a Master Reiki Practitioner?

Anne: Reiki is a form of healing devised by a Japanese man, Mikao Usui, and aims to balance energy levels – physically, mentally and emotionally. It’s very gentle, with the practitioner placing their hands a few inches away from the client’s fully clothed body and moving down from the head to the feet. A practitioner will practise meditations, treat themselves and follow simple spiritual principles. A Master Practitioner is someone who has trained to Level Four Reiki and can then teach others.

TRC: Do you believe your experiences have helped with your writing career?

Anne: Definitely! Both personal and professional experiences have impacted on the way I see people and I‘ve learnt a great deal about human nature. All useful for a writer! And a significant character in my book is a psychotherapist who uses hypnosis.

TRC: What challenges have you faced as an author?

Anne: The usual, I guess – lack of time, a great deal of procrastination, feelings of isolation and loss of confidence in my ability to write.

TRC: DANGEROUS WATERS is your latest release. Would you please tell us something about the premise?

Links to Order
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Anne: It’s a romantic mystery set in Guernsey, Britain following the loves and losses of Jeanne Le Page. She’s a thirty-something who left the island 15 years before after a family tragedy and now is forced to return after her grandmother’s death. The old lady has left Jeanne her cottage but she doesn’t want to live there, planning to sell it and leave. Heartbroken after the recent end of a relationship she is feeling completely lost. But then Jeanne starts to unearth secrets going back to the German Occupation together with the truth behind the unexplained tragedy. She had been injured in the accident and suffered traumatic amnesia. With the help of hypnosis Jeanne slowly recovers her memory but this puts her in mortal danger from an unexpected source.

Jeanne has to relive the past as the ghosts continue to haunt her. But over time the Island works its magic, encouraging her to live and love again. . .

Click HERE for our review of DANGEROUS WATERS

TRC: What was the inspiration behind the storyline?

Anne: The island of Guernsey was the initial inspiration and I wanted to write a romance with a twist – some mystery. The story covers love and loss, which can and does happen to most of us, meaning it’s something everyone relates to. Both my own experience and my clients’ stories offered examples of how people overcome tragedy. This was the central theme – that whatever, or whoever, we’ve lost, we can always love and live again. There is a parallel story concerning Jeanne’s grandmother which flags up events from the Occupation which actually occurred. So there’s a mixture of fact and fiction with the characters and their stories being pure fiction of course! I also knew that there had to be an old house hiding a secret.

TRC: If you could virtually cast the storyline characters, which model or actors would you select for Jeanne, Marcus, Peter and Molly?

Anne: Emily Blunt as Jeanne.

Ben Affleck as Marcus.

Tom Wilkinson as Peter.

Julie Walters as Molly.

TRC: Have you faced any difficulties on the road to publication?

Anne: I sure have! I sent my MS. out to what seemed like all the literary agents in the UK, but was possibly nearer 20, and in the main just received short, pre-printed rejections. Very depressing! I did receive a couple of personal replies which were encouraging and it was these that kept me going. I obtained some professional critiques which really helped me to see where I needed to make changes to the novel. I ended up chopping out about 10000 words! I later realised that sending out my first draft to agents was very foolish and I’ll know better another time J

TRC: Writer’s Block is a very real phenomenon for many authors. How do you handle the stress and anxiety of writer’s block?

Anne: It’s usually been short-term – perhaps a few hours or days at the most- and I find it best just to walk away and do something different. Usually when I’m not actually thinking about the book, the answer to any problem will pop into my mind. Otherwise, I’ll just write something to move the story on, knowing that I can change it later.

TRC: With whom do you bounce ideas and storylines?

Anne: Well, I have a couple of girlfriends who are happy to listen to my ideas and read rough drafts. We all need someone to encourage us!

TRC: On what are you currently working?

Anne: Finding Mother, the story of a young woman’s search for her natural mother. Along the way family secrets are revealed going back to the Second World War. It’s based primarily in Guernsey but has excursions to England, Spain and Jersey. It’s another story of lost love but it will have a happy ending! I’m hoping to see it published next year.

LIGHTNING ROUND

Did you attend ANY of the Olympic events?
No, I’m not really into sport. But my children went one night to watch the track events in the fantastic stadium. My youngest son treated his brother, sister and brother in law and they all really enjoyed it!

Favorite Food
Lobster (Have expensive tastes!)

Favorite Dessert
Baked Alaska

Favorite TV Show
Inspector Montalbano (Italian – not sure you get it in the US)

Favorite Movie
Shirley Valentine

Last Movie You Saw
The Iron Lady (on DVD)

Dark or Milk Chocolate
Dark

Favorite Flower
Freesias – from Guernsey!

Do you have any pets?
No

TRC: Thank you Anne for taking the time to answer our question. WE wish you all the best in your chosen career. Good luck on your next life-adventure.

Anne is offering a copy of her novel DANGEROUS WATERS to one lucky member at The Reading Cafe.

1. You must be a member at The Reading Cafe to qualify for the giveaway. If you are not a member, please register using the log-in at the top of the page, or by using one of the social log-ins.

2. If you are using a social log-in such as Twitter, please post your email address with your comment, as Twitter etc does not allow for email addresses.

3. Giveaway is OPEN Internationally for ecopy. Giveaway is OPEN to UK residents for Paper Only. (Please let us know if you are a UK residents when you comment)

4. Giveaway runs from October 6-8, 2012