Green Valley author to sign first novel

Green Valley resident Dolores Allen has written a new book, her first novel, an intense family saga spanning the time period between 1919 and the 1950.

"Broken Promises" is a story of betrayal, lust, hate, faith and forgiveness, with unforgettable characters, finely drawn and well-developed and a plot that moves surely and as swiftly as a fast-running stream.

Like all good novels, this one is written to make you not want to put it down until you've finished it and one that keeps you wondering about what will happen to these people next. The setting is farm country and mining country, mostly small towns.

Central characters are Millie, a spiritual woman with a sunny, positive and loving disposition, and Jacob, the love of her life who leaves her unwed and with child, walking away, at the urging of his spiteful and hypocritical sister.

Jacob begins a life of wandering, sinking inexorably deeper and deeper in the black hole of alcoholism as he finds and exploits other women and fathers several other children, causing all much pain and suffering.

Millie finds joy in her love child, Joey, and eventually marries, but throughout her life keeps the image of her soul-mate Jacob uppermost in her mind.

The lives of Jacob, Millie, Fran, Emma and their children continue to intertwine in strange and moving ways as they suffer through tragedies, find new directions, deal with lies, betrayals and secrets, and ultimately discover the power of faith in a higher power and the need for forgiveness.

Allen said the theme of book is meant to be uplifting.

"It seems to me that no matter what happens, be it losses, alcoholism, betrayal, whatever, people can change and they can find forgiveness. I think the book is basically about the power of forgiveness. There are a lot of people I have known who made a major turnaround in their lives and the message of this book is that you can do it, too."

Allen wrote the 354-page book in two weeks, then spent a year re-writing it.

"My characters just came to me and I couldn't stop writing. I love my characters and I think readers will, too," she said.

The book does include some embarrassing typos and grammatical lapses, which Allen attributes to the haste with which it was published.

"I'm 67 and wanted to get as much done as possible. I'm planning a sequel to this book now," said.

Allen lived most of her life in Windsor, Ontario, working in the real estate field for 26 years. After retiring, she studied writing at the University of Windsor and began writing for the school paper.

Her own life has included many adversities, including witnessing her dad die in a fire when she was 9, losing her brother to suicide, her mother to cancer and her beloved 37-year-old son to cancer

Now a Green Valley winter visitor, Allen and her second husband, George, who was her childhood friend, recently purchased a home in Desert Meadows III. George also recently joined the Sheriff's Auxiliary Volunteers.

Her first book, "Spellbinding Stories," many of them semi-autobiographical, was published last year.

Allen chose to self-publish both her books, she said, because she thought she would have to wait too long to interest a commercial publisher.

Allen has three book signing scheduled, the first of which is Saturday, April 9, at the Book Shop in the Green Valley Mall from 10 a.m. to noon.

Other book signing events are Monday, April 11, at Safeway at the Continental Shopping Center from 1 to 3 p.m. and at Tortuga Books in Tubac on Tuesday, April 12, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

kengle@gvnews.com 547-9736