TESTIMONIALS & REVIEWS
T G Hyde
Glenn launched his first collection of short stories at Hoogah in September 2021.
See his work on my 'Books' page.
I have been fortunate enough to have worked with Alana over the past couple of years. She helped to compile and arrange my first collection of short stories, which had been lying dormant for a while on my memory stick. Then Alana went on to edit and publish the collection, along with designing the cover. That's no mean feat obviously, and I was delighted with the result.
Due to Alana's encouragement, support and editing skills, I have since gone on to have a novella completed and published, and I am about to release another collection of short stories.
It is down to Alana's meticulous and passionate approach to her work and through helping others that I have achieved any of this. I hope to continue to gain from her inspirational style in the future!
Mike Everly
Alana did a wonderful job of proofreading my A Moment in Time: Collective Works publication. She was extremely diligent and missed nothing. I also learnt a lot from the process - particularly that it is never a good idea to proofread your own work as you see what you think is there rather than what is. I also learned from her the correct way to punctuate dialogue, always a thorny issue, and which is slightly different in Britain and America. Therefore, I would highly recommend Alana to anyone wishing to have their work proofread as she provides a highly professional service.
David Huw Thomas
When I wrote my first book in 2021, my introduction to Alana could not have been more fortuitous She is a very professional lady with bags of talent in her own right. She is also a lady who cares about her clients, which ensures a polished product at the time of publication. Her advice and common sense approach have helped me in my new venture as an author and I hope will continue in the future.
REVIEWS OF
'THE MAKING OF ANNIE-MAY'
Ann Marie Thomas
So many twists I didn't see coming!
I wasn't too sure where this story was going, but soon got completely hooked. Well characterised, great setting, real people in real places. Loved it. Highly recommended.
I just wanted to say, I have started your book in earnest at last! It is such a lovely book, and I’m enjoying it so very much - the surprises, the sadness, the delights, and even the way it's printed on the page. I’m on page 200, so much more to go. It’s one of those books where I can't wait for bedtime to pick it up again!
Beti
Richard E Rock
It all starts when Anya May Gethin lands herself a job as a temporary, fill-in teacher in a local college. It’s a big step and she feels unprepared and not a little terrified, but with her husband out of work and three daughters to support, it’s a leap she has to take.
This is the south Wales Valleys of the early 1980s. Margaret Thatcher is in No.10 and a miners’ strike is looming. In other words, life is pretty tough. However, our Anya (or Annie-May to her nearest and dearest) is strong, resilient and resourceful, and she has unwittingly just taken the first step on a journey that will eventually lead her all the way to Parliament. But to get there, she has to negotiate the rapids of forbidden love, institutional sexism and family secrets long buried deep.
Spanning several generations, The Making of Annie-May is a book about families, politics, ambition, secrets and lies, all driven by anger, desperation, the desire for a better world, and – of course – love. It is fantastically written with a vivid sense of character, time and place. Alana Beth Davies doesn’t just weave a handful of characters in these pages, she spins an entire village with its own social and economic eco system. And at the centre of this ever-spinning vortex of unemployment, babies, schooling, bills, divorce, marriage and frustration is Anya, who, with the endless support of her equally resilient mum Sarah, slowly comes to realise the importance of politics and how it affects every single aspect of her life.
This is as much a manifesto as it a novel, driven by fire and belief, and is utterly compelling from start to end. I couldn’t put it down.