Anne's Books
THE CAMILLA RANDALL MYSTERIES
Murder, Mayhem, and Mr. Wrong
"Anne R. Allen is P.G. Wodehouse for the 21st Century!"
... Sidonie Wiedenkeller
After her celebrity ex-husband’s ironic joke about her “kinky sex habits” is misquoted in a tabloid, New York etiquette columnist Camilla Randall’s life unravels in bad late night TV jokes. Nearly broke and down to her last Hermes scarf, she accepts an invitation to a Z-list Writers’ Conference in the wine-and-cowboy town of Santa Ynez, California, where, unfortunately, a cross-dressing dominatrix named Marva plies her trade by impersonating Camilla. When a ghostwriter’s plot to blackmail celebrities with faked evidence leads to murder, Camilla must team up with Marva to stop the killer from striking again.
"Ghost Writers is set in a writers' conference in Santa Ynez Valley, where I've lived for twenty years.... This book is hysterically funny AND accurately depicts the Valley. Anne Allen gets it right, down to the dollar bills stuck on the ceiling of the Maverick Saloon. It was so fun to read as she called out one Valley landmark after another. Allen got the local denizens right, too, the crazy characters that roam our streets"...Sandy Nathan, award winning author of The Bloodsong Series
Suddenly-homeless American manners expert Camilla Randall becomes a 21st century Maid Marian—living rough near the real Sherwood Forest with a band of outlaw English erotica publishers—led by a charming, self-styled Robin Hood who unfortunately may intend to kill her. When Camilla is invited to publish a book of her columns with
And in paper from Amazon and Barnes and Noble
"A wily tale of murder, deceit, and intrigue that can stand with the best of them. Her characters are all too real and her dialogue took me from laughter to chills" David Keith on Smashwords
"Smartly written and nearly impossible to put down, I found myself counting the hours until I could leave work and get back to reading! Well done!" T.L. Ingham on Smashwords
I've just finished Sherwood Ltd and I loved every scabrous word. It's an hilarious lampoon of crime fiction, publishing and the British in general. Anne Allen gets our Brit idioms and absurdities dead to rights. Whether you enjoy crime suspense, comedy or satire - or all of them together - you'll have enormous fun with this cleverly structured romp. Highly recommended!...Dr. John Yeoman
"An intriguing and fast paced novel that demands you read on to the next page and beyond. The characters are well constructed and believable and I enjoyed the difference between the USA and UK people. The plight of our heroine is complex and well -managed and in the beginning I was striving for her to find some genuine help and support. The flip over to the UK added more spice! Highly recommended."—David L. Atkinson, author of The 51st State
When Camilla Randall, a 1980s New York debutante, is assaulted by her mother’s fiancĂ©, smeared in the newspapers by a sexy muckraking journalist, then loses all her money in the Savings and Loan Scandal, she seeks refuge with her gay best friend in California. But her friend has developed heterosexual tendencies and an inconvenient girlfriend, so Camilla has to move in with wild-partying friends. When a TV star ends up dead after one of their parties, Camilla is arrested for his murder. She must turn to a friendly sanitation worker, a dotty octogenarian neighbor and the muckraking journalist who ridiculed her--who also happens to be her boss.
"Once I started THE BEST REVENGE, I found I couldn't put it down. An engaging Hollywood caper set during the 1980's pits a fashionable New York debutante against a hard nosed reporter who's had a bad day. I don't even know what to classify this book as -- thriller, romance, comedy, drama, whodunit, who's going to do it -- it has everything! I cannot wait to read the rest of Allen's work. And definitely put this on your summer beach reading list. You won't be disappointed. "...Regency Romance author Anne Gallagher
NO PLACE LIKE HOME: Camilla Mystery #4
Comedy with a conscience. Doria Windsor, the uber-rich editor of Home decorating magazine loses everything, including her Ponzi-schemer husband, when their luxury wine-country home mysteriously goes up in flames. Homeless, destitute, presumed dead and branded a criminal, 59-yr-old Doria has a crash course in reality…and a second chance at love.
Meanwhile, reluctant sleuth Camilla Randall is facing homelessness too, as Doria's husband's schemes unravel and take down innocent bystanders along the way. When the mysterious—and dangerously attractive—Mr. X. turns up at Camilla's bookstore looking for clues to the death of a missing homeless man, Camilla joins in the search.
With the help of brave trio of homeless people and a little dog named Toto, Doria, Camilla and Mr. X journey to unmask the real killer and reveal the dark secrets of Doria's "financial wizard" husband.
Anne. R. Allen weaves her usual blend of archetypal images (this time from The Wizard of Oz) with unique and wacky characters, hilarious situations, and laugh-out-loud one-liners that all somehow come together and make perfect sense at the end.
No Place Like Home is the fourth of the Camilla Randall Mysteries, but can be read as a stand-alone novel.
Here's an article I wrote about the "Bag Lady Fears" that prompted me to write the book.
Sample Reviews:
"Very funny and easy to read I couldn’t put it down until I had read every last word." Nana at The Parents' Little Black Book
"a remarkably good book. The characters are varied, several are redeemed through their experiences; the bad guys get their comeuppance; and the seemingly worthless are heroic"...3Kids2Cats1Divorce
"A book for everyone who lives a good mystery, a little romance, and a bit of the world’s truth for today." Sherry Meyer at Found Between the Covers.
"It's comedy about a dark topic – homelessness – and it succeeds without ever descending into tasteless insensitivity, or tipping over into sentimentality."...Lucinda Elliot at the Sophie deCourcie
blog.
No Place Like Home is available at Amazon, NOOK, and Kobo, It's also available in paperback from Amazon US, Amazon UK, and Barnes and Noble, in regular and LARGE PRINT. LARGE PRINT is also available at Barnes and Noble.
SO MUCH FOR BUCKINGHAM: Camilla mystery #5
This comic novel—which takes its title from the most famous Shakespearean quote that Shakespeare never wrote—explores how easy it is to perpetrate a character assassination whether by a great playwright or a gang of online trolls.
It's a laugh-out-loud mashup of romantic comedy, crime fiction, and satire: Dorothy Parker meets Dorothy L. Sayers. Perennially down-and-out socialite Camilla Randall--a.k.a. "The Manners Doctor"--is a magnet for murder, mayhem and Mr. Wrong, but she always solves the mystery in her quirky, but oh-so-polite way. Usually with more than a little help from her gay best friend, Plantagenet Smith. n this hilarious episode she makes the mistake of responding to an online review of one of her etiquette guides and sets off a chain of events that leads to arson, attempted rape and murder.
Sample reviews:
"Delicious wit, wonderful eccentric characters, and a beguiling plot. Camilla Randall is a delight!"...Melodie Campbell, "Canada's Queen of Comedy."
"Anne Allen's ability to weave throughout her stories a current social commentary easily and throughout the story amazes me. She does this without jeopardizing her plot or her characters' development."...blogger Sherrey Meyer
And in paperback it is available at Amazon, Amazon UK , and Barnes and Noble
The Audiobook, narrated by CS Perryess and Anne R. Allen is available from Audible and iTunes
THE QUEEN OF STAVES, Camilla Randall Mystery #6
Music blogger Ronzo never dreamed that giving an unfavorable online review to the Leftenant Froggenhall band would destroy his life. But he can only escape the band's gruesome persecution and threats to his loved ones by faking his own death and living as a homeless dumpster-diver.
He's forced to hide his blossoming relationship with bookstore owner Camilla Randall to keep her safe from the band's vengeful clutches. Not easy when they're together every day, as Ronzo's unexpected tarot-reading skills keep Camilla's failing Morro Bay shop afloat.
When a mysterious Irish poet shows up dead on a tarot client's beach, it's up to secret lovers Camilla and Ronzo—and the tarot cards—to find the killer. Hopefully before the homicidal Froggenhalls arrive in Morro Bay.
Luckily Buckingham the cat is on the case, ready to fight the bad guys, tooth and claw.
"I really enjoyed the book from start to finish. Wonderful characters and a ripping story which never lets up right up to that fabulous showdown !"...award-winning Irish humorist Tara Sparling
Also Barnes and Noble, Kobo & iTunes
And in paperback at Barnes and Noble and Amazon
Also available in paperback.
At her beach-read
bookstore in Morro Bay, California, everybody tells Camilla their troubles.
When the body of talkative widow Ginny Gilhooley shows up on Camilla’s
doorstep, Camilla is sure the online scammer who has been catfishing Ginny has
murdered her.
Then former
boyfriend Peter Sherwood appears at Camilla’s door after three years, carrying
a large fish, and things take a turn for the strange.
Ginny’s body disappears,
along with Peter. The body reappears in a homeless camp, and Camilla’s unhoused
friend Hobo Joe—who has his own dark secrets—is accused of killing Ginny.
Camilla, with the
help of two precocious Nancy Drew-wannabes, and her cat Buckingham, must solve
the mystery of the travelling corpse and prove that Joe had nothing to do with
Ginny’s demise.
B&N, and Kobo.
Available in paperback at Amazon and B&N.
When the body of a disagreeable customer turns up on the back step of Camilla’s bookstore, then disappears, reappearing at a local homeless encampment, Camilla finds herself and two young girl customers involved in a major sleuthing operation. The victim has been scammed by a ’catfisher,’ so that is the prime suspect. In the midst of a variety of characters, all pursuing their own goals, the hilarious pursuit keeps you guessing until the final pages. Ultimately, it all makes sense, with a lot of fun along the way!...Gretchen Pili
The Camilla Randall Mysteries Box set is available at Amazon, Kobo, iTunes, Smashwords, Google Play, and NOOK.
Sample Reviews:
"Anne Allen had me laughing unexpectedly and sometimes out loud with her wonderful crafting of her words into sentences that became alive and three dimensional throughout these stories." John Williamson
And Yes, Anne Has Written Some Other Books, Too.
They're not entirely unrelated to the Camilla comedies. They may have a bit more literary meat on their bones, but they're still fun-filled comedies full of one-liners and mysterious doings. You may even spot a character or two from the Camilla books making a cameo.
WHY GRANDMA BOUGHT THAT CAR: stories and verses.
A collection of Anne's previously published stories and poems.
Portraits of rebellious women at various stages of their lives. From aging Betty Jo, who feels so invisible she contemplates robbing a bank, to neglected 10-year-old Maude, who turns to a fantasy Elvis for the love she's denied by her patrician family, to a bloodthirsty teen version of Madam Defarge, these women—young and old—are all rebelling against the stereotypes and traditional roles that hold them back.
Which is, of course, why Grandma bought that car…
Sample Reviews:
"Six short stories featuring women as the main characters, each at a turning point in their lives. Something happens to shake up their world and it will change them forever. Each story featured such well-drawn characters that their perceptions and epiphanies were immediately relatable."...Laura
also at Nook, iTunes
After Princess Regina, a former supermodel, is ridiculed in the tabloids for gaining weight, someone tries to kill her. She suspects her royal husband wants to be rid of her, now she’s no longer model-thin. As she flees the mysterious assassin, she discovers the world thinks she is dead, and seeks refuge with the only person she can trust: her long-estranged foster sister, Rev. Cady Stanton, a right-wing talk show host who has romantic and weight issues of her own. Cady delves into
"This book has enough twists and turns within the plot to keep even the most experienced mystery reader wanting to go on to the next page, and don't be surprised at anything that happens or what comes next. There's a pivotal point where the solution to the mystery comes to Nicky, and all of this adds up to a surprising conclusion that could not have been predicted."--John Williamson
THE LADY OF THE LAKEWOOD DINER is a comedy that pokes fun at the myth of a Golden Age, making parallels between the Grail legend and the self-mythologizing of the Baby Boomer Generation.
Someone has shot aging bad-girl rocker Morgan Le Fay and threatens to finish the job. Is it fans of her legendary dead rock-god husband, Merlin? Or is the secret buried in her childhood hometown of Avalon, Maine?
Morgan's childhood best friend Dodie, the no-nonsense owner of a dilapidated diner, may be the only one who knows the dark secret that can save Morgan's life. And both women may find that love really is better the second time around. Think Beaches meets Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe.
"I’m already a massive fan of Anne’s blog, and this book is written in the same humourous, yet highly informative style as her blog posts. Sharing her own blogging successes and mistakes, she explains how and why things need to be done in certain ways. Anne makes the whole blogging process seem accessible to everyone, no matter what you’re working on or your level of technical expertise.".... Mark Tilbury
HOW TO BE A WRITER IN THE E-AGE...A SELF-HELP GUIDE
A guidebook for writers learning to navigate the tumultuous, and ever-changing waters of the 21st century publishing business. It's a collaboration with my mentor, #1 bestselling author Catherine Ryan Hyde, author of Pay it Forward and 24 other award-winning novels.
NOT JUST FOR INDIES! There's lots of info on how to write a query, how to avoid bad agents, how to deal with rejections, bad reviews, etc. Plus a step-by-step guide to starting your own blog.
"Whether you're a neophyte to publishing, a wannabe writer, or one familiar with the ins and outs of getting you book out there in print, there's a lot of excellent info in these pages. Kudos to both authors for bringing this one to market, and even more so for making this an upgradable edition. If you're interested in pursuing the craft of writing, then this one is highly recommended. It has brought me a couple steps closer to my own writing goals." Amazon Vine reviewer John Williams
You can pick up the ebook for only $3.99 or the equivalent at Amazon. It's also available in paper for $12.99
PRAISE FOR CATHERINE RYAN HYDE AND ANNE R. ALLEN:
"Anne Allen is an amazing author advocate and one of my favorite people. Her blogs are a treasure trove of the best information in an ever-changing paradigm, and all writers will benefit now that Anne has written THE book! Anne is one of the strong voices of the Digital Age. She is an encourager, a leader and a wonderful teacher and I am grateful to know her and learn from her." KRISTEN LAMB, social media expert and author of WE ARE NOT ALONE...the Author's Guide to Social Meda.
~
"Catherine Ryan Hyde is a magnificent storyteller, an expert at plot and pacing and voice. –THE DENVER POST
~
"Hyde is a remarkable, insightful storyteller, creating full-bodied characters whose dialogue rings true, with not a word to spare." –LIBRARY JOURNAL
~
"I very much admire the work and the philosophy of Catherine Ryan Hyde, and I thank her for what she is doing, and for what she is writing." -- BILL CLINTON.
Here's a link to a lovely review of HOW TO BE A WRITER IN THE E-AGE from Ryan Field. And one from Joanna Celeste
Several of my books are also available in translation.
Ghostwriters in the Sky is available in Spanish
at Google Play and Amazon
Why Grandma Bought that Car is available in Portuguese
at Google Play, iTunes, Smashwords
Available in Italian at Google Play, Smashwords, iTunes, Kobo, B&N
and Amazon
No comments:
Post a Comment