Who shot Morgan Le Fay? Someone has shot the aging bad-girl rocker 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. Smart, funny women's fiction for the Woodstock Generation.
The Leaders of the Twenty-First Century was the original title for the manuscript that branched into three and became Food of Love, The Lady of the Lakewood Diner and The Gatsby Game. It's a terrible title, of course, because it sounds too dry and pretentious for a bunch of comedies. But the phrase has excellent comic credentials. It comes from Mickey Mouse himself. The original Mickey Mouse Club TV program always signed off with the inspiring proclamation that the show was "dedicated to you, the leaders of the twenty-first century!" When my little girlfriends and I giggled in our basement "rec rooms," mesmerized by the addictive new show, it never occurred to us the announcer wasn't talking to us as much as to our brothers. We didn't see any women leaders around us, but somehow, the magic of Disney was going to propel us all to new heights. My best friend planned to be a doctor and I wanted to be a famous writer. Or maybe princess of the world. The heroines of these three novels, Congresswoman Rev. Cady Stanton, Princess Regina of San Montinaro, diner owner Dodie Hannigan Codere, rock star Morgan le Fay, and sporting goods CEO Nicky Conway are powerful yet vulnerable (and I hope funny) women who represent those Baby Boomer women who watched the Mickey Mouse Club with me. Our mothers, who fought WWII on the home front only to be lured out of the workplace to a life of suburban housewifery, often saw our generation as entitled and self-involved. But as my character Dodie Hannigan said in the first version of the manuscript: "We're called Boomers, but it wasn't us that did the booming—that was our parents. We just showed up nine months later and got plunked in front of those brand new TVs." We were born at the dawn of the television age to become Madison Avenue's most coveted "target demographic." Advertising campaigns and kid-centric programming made us the first generation to be given a collective identity separate from family or community. And for good or ill, they made us who we have become: women who have demanded to be treated as equals by the other half of the human race. I know it's still something of a taboo to write novels—especially romantic comedies—about women "of a certain age," but Boomer women have been breaking rules since the Mickey Mouse Club proclaimed our destiny. I hope you'll enjoy their stories. Anne R. Allen Los Osos, CA., 2014
Short stories and poems from humorist and rom-com mystery novelist Anne R. Allen. Some stories, like "Vive La Revolution"--which first appeared in the edgy humor magazine Opium, are satire--and others are more heartfelt. But they are all humorous 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 Valley Girl 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…
The Camilla Randall Mysteries are a laugh-out-loud mashup of romantic comedy, crime fiction, and satire: Dorothy Parker meets Dorothy L. Sayers. Downwardly mobile bookstore owner and etiquette expert Camilla Randall is a magnet for murder, mayhem and Mr. Wrong. But she always solves the mystery in her quirky, but oh-so-polite way. 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. *** "There is a depth and freshness about Anne Allen's work that makes for a pleasing surprise!" Poet Janice Konstantinidis "Tremendous fun, wittily satiric and highly recommended." Nigel J. Robinson "A perfect blend of wild and wacky characters spouting hilarious dialogue while finding themselves in unpredictable and unexpected situations." Paul Alan Fahey, Rainbow award-winning author of The Mother I Imagined, The Mom I Knew. "Lots of fun! Anne R. Allen is a hugely talented writer, and her Camilla Randall series never fails to entertain." Claude Forthomme, senior editor, Impakter magazine. "Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys romance, and crime suspense, with a lethally satiric edge." Dr. John Yeoman, author of How Did the Author Do That?
This novel offers a possible solution to a real unsolved Hollywood mystery—the death in 1973 of David Whiting during the filming of the Burt Reynolds’ movie, "The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing". Whiting was found dead in the motel room of the actress Sarah Miles. It destroyed Sarah Miles' career and her marriage. When Nicky Conway meets Fitzgerald-quoting Alistair at a Princeton mixer in 1969, she falls for his retro, Jazz-Age charm. But she discovers he’s a con man obsessed with his own “Daisy”—British actress Delia Kent. After Alistair manipulates Nicky into nannying for Delia’s daughter on the set of a Hollywood film, Delia finds Alistair dead in her motel room. Local police can’t decide if it’s accident, suicide—or murder, in which case, Nicky is the prime suspect.
Catfishing in America is the 8th installment of the Camilla Randall Mysteries — a laugh-out-loud mash-up of mystery, rom-com, and satire. At her beach-read bookstore in Morro Bay California, everybody tells Camilla their troubles. When the body of talkative widow Ginny Gilhooly shows up on Camilla’s doorstep, Camilla is sure the online scammer who has been “catfishing” Ginny has murdered her. But Ginny’s body disappears, and Camilla’s unhoused friend “Hobo Joe” is accused of the murder. Camilla, with the help of two precocious Nancy Drew wannabes, and her cat Buckingham, has to solve the mystery of the travelling corpse and prove Joe had nothing to do with Ginny’s demise.
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. 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. In this hilarious episode Camilla 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. Plantagenet, vacationing in England, is accused of the murder and nobody but Camilla's shady former boyfriend—fresh from prison—can save him. Camilla and Plantagenet are caught between rival factions of historical reenactors who are fiercely pro- and anti-Richard III. And there's a mysterious cat. Who knows more than he's letting on… Although this is #5 in the series, it can be read as a stand-alone "Laughs and social commentary abound in this global adventure. Camilla Randall, a down-on-her luck-socialite-turned-etiquette-expert, takes on review cyberbullies while her friend Plantagenet hunts down the ghost of Richard III. "Anne R. Allen has given us a hilarious satire that pokes fun at some dark topics." "Anne Allen is masterful at keeping the plot twisting and turning; and making sure all those details make sense by the end." "On the surface, it's a frothy romance-cum-suspense story…but underneath, it provides a perceptive insight into the mad world of modern publishing and the subculture of Internet lunatics." "Josephine Tey's Daughter of Time for the 21st Century." "Laughs and social commentary abound in this global adventure. Camilla Randall, a down-on-her luck-socialite-turned-etiquette-expert, takes on review cyberbullies while her friend Plantagenet hunts down the ghost of Richard III."
THE AUTHOR BLOG: EASY BLOGGING FOR BUSY AUTHORS: an easy-does-it guide to simple, low-tech blogging for authors who want to build a platform, but not let it take over their lives. An author blog doesn't have to follow the rules that monetized business blogs do. This book teaches the secrets that made Anne R. Allen a multi-award-winning blogger and one of the top author-bloggers in the industry. And you'll learn why having a successful author blog is easier than you think. Here are some things you'll learn in this book: How an author blog is different—and easier to maintain—than a business blog What authors should blog about at different stages of their careers Choosing the right blog topics for your genre and audience How one type of blogpost can build your platform quickly Basic SEO tips that don't make your eyes glaze over with tech jargon How to write headers that will grab the attention of Web surfers How to keep your audience by learning the tricks of content writing Essential blog and social media etiquette rules What happens to your blog when you die?
Snarky, delicious fun! The Camilla Randall mysteries are 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. Sherwood Ltd. takes aim at the world of small press publishing and all things British. It's a madcap tale of intrigue, romance and murder set near the real Sherwood Forest in the English Midlands. After discovering a dead body near the dumpster where she's been diving for recyclables, down-on-her luck socialite Camilla Randall escapes to England, enticed by the charming Peter Sherwood—a self-styled Robin Hood who offers to publish a book of her etiquette columns at his unorthodox publishing company. But murder and disaster follow her. She lands in a gritty criminal world—far from the Merrie Old England she envisions. The staff are ex-cons and the books are seriously kinky. Hungry and penniless, Camilla camps in a Wendy House built from pallets of porn while battling an epic flood, a mendacious American Renaissance Faire wench, and the mysterious murderer who may be Peter himself. Sherwood Ltd. is the second in this humorous mystery series, but it can be read as a stand-alone. "Anne Allen is also masterful at keeping the plot twisting and turning; and making sure all those details make sense by the end." "It’s a laugh-out-loud funny modern take on the Robin Hood legend, set mainly in Lincolnshire, UK, and I found the local detail to be excellent." "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."
Snarky, delicious fun! 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. After Camilla's 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 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 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 the dominatrix to stop the killer. Meanwhile, a wannabe writer who happens to be a hot L.A. cop just may steal her heart. "Twisted chick-lit noir with a side of funny!" "This book is hysterically funny AND accurately depicts the Santa Ynez 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" "This feisty tale trips along like an A-list hooker in high heels, street-wise and chic."
