About
Email: [email protected]
John Allen has written more than twenty books in a variety of genre: fiction, non-fiction, mainstream political, historical romance, environmental and fantasy. Two of his titles have movie contracts with London-based Hourglass Productions, and John recently completed editing MJ Maher's groundbreaking Racism and Cultural Diversity, due for release by Karnac (London) in Sep.2011.
All the author's books are now available in Kindle format.
Brine projects the results of sea level rise over the next 40 years. After the 2010 Vendée tragedy, France acknowledged that millions are at risk and is redrawing its coastline map. What's ahead as we run out of living space on the planet? Chaos? Waterworld?
Recognising that 'we do not inherit the planet from our parents: we borrow it from our children', Brine deals with the most critical problem of our age.
Filigree. Emotionally adrift following a disastrous marriage, Elna forges an intimate relationship with a woman she previously considered 'just a friend'. Filigree tracks the meltdown after surreal dreams and all-too-real nightmares take their toll.
Concerning the Nature of Man has prompted interesting mail for many years, and Robert Pirsig (Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, Lila) wrote to say he too, in his own books, has always considered the theme of Static and Dynamic Quality within the history of religion one of the most important.
CNM, which is also available in French, continues to be a respected work on this divisive subject.
Apartheid South Africa is considered by top Amazon reviewer QRA 'a unique firsthand-knowledge account...an important addition to any serious reader about southern Africa.' It is an authoritative source for student research on South Africa at Troy High School, California, and Philippe Willems, associate professor of French and cultural historian at Northern Illinois Univ. says it may well be the top contemporary reference on the subject. 'Rarely have I got so much information from one book...re-readings will be necessary...I have a copy on order for my university's library.'
The Islander has received numerous rave reviews from Amazon's top 50 critics, and in additional media comment, BJ Deese critiqued for Romance Junkies, Tara Rogan interviewed John for Love Romances magazine and Angela Becerra hosted a special for WOAI television.
The Carpentier Diaries is the complete account of the Carpentier cousins' struggle to retain their island inheritance. The trilogy begins with Maximilienne (1855-1877), whose diary, published in 2004 as The Islander, attracted so much media attention in the US (see above). It concludes with Emilie's very frank account of her life, loves and confessions.
Hipper Crit, which represents the mainstream of young adult fantasy, will be enjoyed by all lovers of the Narnia series and Lord of the Rings fans. It has also been translated into French.
The Sons of Godwine: Part Two of The Last Great Saxon Earls
Description
<p>Emerging from the long shadow cast by his formidable father, Harold Godwineson showed himself to be a worthy successor to the Earldom of Wessex. In the following twelve years, he became the King's most trusted advisor, practically taking the reins of government into his own hands. And on Edward the Confessor's death, Harold Godwineson mounted the throne—the first king of England not of royal blood. Yet Harold was only a man, and his rise in fortune was not blameless. Like any person aspiring to power, he made choices he wasn't particularly proud of. Unfortunately, those closest to him sometimes paid the price of his fame.<br /><br />This is a story of Godwine's family as told from the viewpoint of Harold and his younger brothers. Queen Editha, known for her Vita Ædwardi Regis, originally commissioned a work to memorialize the deeds of her family, but after the Conquest historians tell us she abandoned this project and concentrated on her husband, the less dangerous subject. In THE SONS OF GODWINE and FATAL RIVALRY, I am telling the story as it might have survived had she collected and passed on the memoirs of her tragic brothers.<br /><br />This book is part two of The Last Great Saxon Earls series. Book one, GODWINE KINGMAKER, depicted the rise and fall of the first Earl of Wessex who came to power under Canute and rose to preeminence at the beginning of Edward the Confessor's reign. Unfortunately, Godwine's misguided efforts to champion his eldest son Swegn recoiled on the whole family, contributing to their outlawry and Queen Editha's disgrace. Their exile only lasted one year and they returned victorious to London, though it was obvious that Harold's career was just beginning as his father's journey was coming to an end.<br /><br />Harold's siblings were all overshadowed by their famous brother; in their memoirs we see remarks tinged sometimes with admiration, sometimes with skepticism, and in Tostig's case, with jealousy. We see a Harold who is ambitious, self-assured, sometimes egocentric, imperfect, yet heroic. His own story is all about Harold, but his brothers see things a little differently. Throughout, their observations are purely subjective, and witnessing events through their eyes gives us an insider’s perspective.<br /><br />Harold was his mother's favorite, confident enough to rise above petty sibling rivalry but Tostig, next in line, was not so lucky. Harold would have been surprised by Tostig's vindictiveness, if he had ever given his brother a second thought. And that was the problem. Tostig's love/hate relationship with Harold would eventually destroy everything they worked for, leaving the country open to foreign conquest. This subplot comes to a crisis in book three of the series, FATAL RIVALRY.</p>
Story Behind The Book
London-born Elna Wright is in the medical profession, but her own state of mind is far from what most consider normal. Emotionally adrift following a disastrous marriage, Elna finds her heart drawn unexpectedly towards her closest acquaintance, and forges what she believes to be an indestructible bond with Mary, a woman she previously considered ‘just a friend’.
After an intensly erotic relationship, Elna and her lover meet Harry, a gruff American intent on ruining their future, but the subsequent emotional chaos triggers dreams so bizarre that Elna feels empowered to intercept Harry’s destructive violence towards Mary, who has since eloped to the US. Further help also arrives from an unlikely quarter, but by now more lives are caught up in the delicately wrought filigree of spiritual meltdown, and the thin veil that separates the living from the dead is finally torn asunder.
Although crafted with an eye for the female psyche’s mystical element, Filigree speaks to the intricate and uncanny in each of us. Delving into the surreal world of dreams and visions, the author has delivered a fascinating read.
