Diane Allen

Diane Allen the author of the popular Pray, Hope, and Don't Worry: True Stories of Padre Pio Book 1 and Book 2, spent three years in the research and writing of her latest book, They Walked with God Book 1: St. Bernadette Soubirous, St. John Vianney, St. Damien De Veuster, St. Andre Bessette, Blessed Solanus Casey. Bernadette Soubirous was born in Lourdes, France in 1844. Between February 11 and July 16, 1858, the Virgin Mary appeared to Bernadette eighteen times at the grotto of Massabielle. Bernadette was 14 years old at the time. When Bernadette was twenty-two years old, she entered the Sisters of Charity Religious Order in Nevers, France. She passed her remaining years in prayer and seclusion despite almost constant sickness and pain. To this day, Lourdes remains one of the greatest healing centers in the world. At the Capuchin monastery in Detroit, Michigan, where Father Solanus Casey (1870-1957) served for many years, he was given the job of doorkeeper. It was as doorkeeper that his amazing spiritual gifts came to be known and recognized. People of all ages, creeds, and economic backgrounds found themselves drawn to him and sought him out. He was known for his remarkable abilities as a spiritual counselor, as well as for his great attention to the sick, to whom he directed his attention and his prayers. The great love and compassion which he manifested extended even to the animal kingdom. Countless people were healed by his touch. Brother Andr Bessette served as a lay brother in the Congregation of the Holy Cross. He was known during his lifetime as a wonder worker and had gift of prophecy, reading of hearts and more. Thousands of miraculous healings were attributed to his prayerful intercession and he became commonly known as the "miracle man of Montreal." Through his efforts, the largest shrine in the world dedicated to St. Joseph was built. When he passed away on January 6, 1937, over a million people attended his funeral. Not long after Father John Marie Vianney had been ordained to the priesthood, the tiny parish of Ars became vacant and needed a pastor. It was the poorest and most remote parish in the diocese of Lyons, France. The bishop assigned Father John Marie to the parish of Ars and said to him, "There is hardly any love in that parish. It will be up to you to bring love there." Paradoxically, the parish of Ars, so small and so poor, through the continuous efforts of Father John Marie became the focal center of spirituality for all of France. The mayor of Ars described it correctly when he said, "We have a poor church but a holy priest" and a visitor to Ars was so impressed by the saintly priest that he said of him, "I have seen God in a man." During the last year of his life,100,000 people traveled to the tiny village to make their confession to Father John Marie and to receive his blessing. Father Damien of Molokai has been described as a "martyr to charity." He volunteered to serve at the leper settlement on the island of Molokai, well-aware that his service there was a potential death sentence, since leprosy at that time was both contagious and incurable. To the lepers confined to Molokai, Father Damien became their doctor, their nurse, their advocate, their counselor, their father and their friend. He brought order and peace to an island where there had been no law and no hope. Like the Good Samaritan, Father Damien is an example for all who wish to be involved in the struggle for a more just, more humane world. He died of leprosy after serving 16 years at Molokai and 25 years in all in the Hawaiian Islands. Be sure to visit the author's website at www.padrepiodevotions.org

1941, Giggleswick: Flora Whittaker runs The Cunning Vixen Inn, a small pub in the centre of the village. When her husband, Bill, re-enlists in the war, he leaves Flora to run the pub with the help of young May, the next-door neighbour’s daughter. Flora has several money-saving and illegal schemes running, and when young May starts courting local policeman PC Whinray, he seems to show interest in Flora’s illegal activities. Trying to alleviate their money troubles, Flora decides to let her room to Matt Walker, who is here on behalf of the War Office to oversee the smooth transfer of Italian POWs into Settle. Flora finds out that Matt’s mother was once the landlady of The Cunning Vixen and they become good friends, even though her mother and the rest of the town do not welcome Matt’s presence. Meanwhile, Bill hears from sources about Matt’s stay and begins to get suspicious. Matt has a big secret, and he is about to share it with his host. Will it shatter her world, or will it bring her and her mother closer together? Praise for Diane Allen 'Warm-hearted and compassionate' – Lancashire Post 'If you are a lover of historical sagas . . . this novel is definitely for you' - Historical Novel Society

Dentdale, YorkshireIn the sleepy Yorkshire Dales, the peaceful existence of Sally’s family is shattered by the outbreak of the Second World War. With her father navigating the challenges of wartime farming, and her mother striving to keep the home fires burning, young Sally is determined to do her bit.The war brings unexpected challenges, but none so disarming as Luca – an Italian POW who introduces Sally to a love that threatens to unravel everything she holds dear.As secrets threaten to surface and the war rages on, Sally must face a battlefield of her own, torn between love and duty. Will her choices lead to heartbreak or hope?

Dentdale, YorkshireIn the sleepy Yorkshire Dales, the peaceful existence of Sally’s family is shattered by the outbreak of the Second World War. With her father navigating the challenges of wartime farming, and her mother striving to keep the home fires burning, young Sally is determined to do her bit.The war brings unexpected challenges, but none so disarming as Luca – an Italian POW who introduces Sally to a love that threatens to unravel everything she holds dear.As secrets threaten to surface and the war rages on, Sally must face a battlefield of her own, torn between love and duty. Will her choices lead to heartbreak or hope?

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September 1939.Friends Maggie Shaunessy and Lizzie Taylor are heartbroken to be evacuated from their Liverpool homes to rural Yorkshire.Lizzie is sent to live with a vicar in the village of Gargrave, while Maggie finds herself delivered by chauffeur to Hawith Hall and Lady and Lord Bradley.Both girls at the hall and the vicarage are far different to what they are used to – and both are very homesick. Though Maggie finds friendship too in the form of Alice, a young servant at the hall who takes Maggie under her wing.But change is coming to the Dales too, leaving the girls feeling harboring desperate plans of run away, back to Liverpool . . .

September 1939.Friends Maggie Shaunessy and Lizzie Taylor are heartbroken to be evacuated from their Liverpool homes to rural Yorkshire.Lizzie is sent to live with a vicar in the village of Gargrave, while Maggie finds herself delivered by chauffeur to Hawith Hall and Lady and Lord Bradley.Both girls at the hall and the vicarage are far different to what they are used to – and both are very homesick. Though Maggie finds friendship too in the form of Alice, a young servant at the hall who takes Maggie under her wing.But change is coming to the Dales too, leaving the girls feeling harboring desperate plans of run away, back to Liverpool . . .

Diane Allen's The Yorkshire Farm Girl is a heartfelt novel of a family dreaming of a better life when war looms on the horizon. Life is hard for the Fothergill family as they try to make a living on their farm in the Yorkshire Dales. Bob Fothergill has set his sights on buying his own farm instead of renting the one they currently hold. Sally, his teenage daughter, wishes her father would see that she could help more with the farm, but he believes that a girl's place is in the home. Ben, their youngest, has no interest in farming – so is ignored. Sally's mother makes do, knowing her husband wants what's best for them.But when Bob decides to take a well-paid job collecting milk it causes friction in the family. With Germany is shaking its angry fist at other nations, the threat of another war undermines everything. Times are hard and the future is uncertain, but perhaps the coming years could bring better times. Will the Fothergills survive the oncoming storm?

Diane Allen's The Yorkshire Farm Girl is a heartfelt novel of a family dreaming of a better life when war looms on the horizon. Life is hard for the Fothergill family as they try to make a living on their farm in the Yorkshire Dales. Bob Fothergill has set his sights on buying his own farm instead of renting the one they currently hold. Sally his teenage daughter, wishes her father would see that she could help more with the farm, but he believes that a girl's place is in the home. Ben, their youngest, has no interest in farming so is ignored. Sally's mother makes do knowing her husband wants what's best for them.But when Bob decides to take a well-paid part time job, collecting milk for the local dairy, it causes friction in the family, bringing tension to New Year’s Day, 1939. Ivy and Sally’s lives change. Sally gets her wish to be more hands on with the farm, coping with a bad winter and lambing sheep on her own. But then a stranger walks into Ivy’s life that shows her the affection that she craves and her heart is lost to him.With Germany is shaking its angry fist at other nations and the threat of another war undermines everything. Times are hard and the future is uncertain, but perhaps the coming years could bring better times. But will the Fothergills survive the oncoming storm?

Set deep in the Yorkshire Dales, Diane Allen’s A Child of the Dales is a sweeping novel of family, deceit, separation and love.Abandoned as a baby on the steps of a remote inn, Ruby Blake has been raised by the innkeeper’s wife, Martha Metcalfe, unknowing of the family searching for her. One wild stormy night, Ruby is reunited with her long-lost father, who wants to whisk her away to Banksgill Farm for a happy life with her true family. Feeling betrayed by Martha, Ruby follows her father for the chance of a new life.However, for her Romani heritage, Ruby is quickly outcast from her real family by everyone – everyone except the charming stable hand, Tom Adams.Struck with loneliness in a village of people who find ways to make her miserable, she seeks friendship and love in Tom. As their relationship blossoms, Ruby is faced with the temptations of a handsome local miner and, when rumours begin to spread, Ruby feels more lost and confused than ever.With his long-lost daughter now safely under his wing, Reuben Blake is still desperately searching for Ruby’s mother, and vows he will not rest until he finds his true love. With Rueben’s mission leading him to the darkest corners of Brough Hill, his search shows only signs of heartbreak and despair.As neither father or daughter feel quite whole, will either finally find where they truly belong?

Set deep in the Yorkshire Dales, Diane Allen’s A Child of the Dales is a sweeping novel of family, deceit, separation and love.Abandoned as a baby on the steps of a remote inn, Ruby Blake has been raised by the innkeeper’s wife, Martha Metcalfe, unknowing of the family searching for her. One wild stormy night, Ruby is reunited with her long-lost father, who wants to whisk her away to Banksgill Farm for a happy life with her true family. Feeling betrayed by Martha, Ruby follows her father for the chance of a new life.However, Ruby is quickly outcast from her real family for being born of Romani blood by everyone but the charming stable hand, Tom Adams. Struck with loneliness in a village of people who find ways to make her miserable, she seeks friendship and love in Tom. As their relationship blossoms, Ruby is faced with the temptations of a handsome local miner, and when rumours begin to spread, Ruby feels more lost and confused than ever.With his long-lost daughter now safely under his wing, Reuben Blake is still desperately searching for Ruby’s mother, and vows he will not rest until he finds his true love. With Rueben’s mission leading him to the darkest corners of Brough Hill, his search shows only signs of heartbreak and despair. As neither father or daughter feel quite whole, will either finally find where they truly belong?

Set between the wild fells of North Yorkshire, Canada and Liverpool, A Precious Daughter by Diane Allen is a sweeping saga novel following a family's struggles in the 19th century.When Ethan Postlethwaite, his wife Grace and their daughter Amy announce that they will be leaving the family home in the Yorkshire Dales, Grace’s parents are heartbroken. Hoping for a new life prospecting for gold in the wilds of Canada, the young family say goodbye and set sail across the Atlantic in search of a brighter future.The journey there proves hard and treacherous, however, and upon arrival it becomes apparent that the riches they had been promised in the gold fields have already been plundered. So when the family is devastated by the death of Grace, Ethan decides he must take his daughter back to England.Arriving in Liverpool, Ethan and Amy soon find work in a dairy as cow-keepers, but Amy is restless and struggles to settle into yet another new life. And when a chance encounter at a cattle show ignites an old friendship, she must decide where her own future lies and what she must do in order to find happiness at last . . .

Set between the wild fells of North Yorkshire, Canada and Liverpool, A Precious Daughter by Diane Allen is a sweeping saga novel following a family's struggles in the 19th century.When Ethan Postlethwaite, his wife Grace and their daughter Amy announce that they will be leaving the family home in the Yorkshire Dales, Grace’s parents are heartbroken. Hoping for a new life prospecting for gold in the wilds of Canada, the young family say goodbye and set sail across the Atlantic in search of a brighter future.The journey there proves hard and treacherous, however, and upon arrival it becomes apparent that the riches they had been promised in the gold fields have already been plundered. So when the family is devastated by the death of Grace, Ethan decides he must take his daughter back to England.Arriving in Liverpool, Ethan and Amy soon find work in a dairy as cow-keepers, but Amy is restless and struggles to settle into yet another new life. And when a chance encounter at a cattle show ignites an old friendship, she must decide where her own future lies and what she must do in order to find happiness at last . . .

Set on the wild moors of West Yorkshire, The Girl from the Tanner's Yard by Diane Allen is a moving family drama about a girl who rises to prosperity from humble beginnings.After facing the horrors of the Crimean War, Adam Brooksbank returns to Black Moss Farm filled with regret over the path in life he has chosen. Starting anew, he decides to focus on rebuilding his family’s rundown farm and make it a home again.Lucy Bancroft lives with her parents on Prospect Terrace which backs onto the local tannery, and is the most beautiful girl in the village. But unfortunately her wealth doesn’t match her looks, and she soon realizes that nobody wants to court a girl from the filthy Flay Pits, let alone marry her.Yet when Lucy comes to work for Adam as his maid she finds herself falling in love with the farm set high upon the wild Moors of Haworth. Furthermore she begins to imagine a life with her new employer that goes beyond just being his maid. As they spend more time together, their feelings develop for one another despite her parents warning her nothing good will come of it. As rumours swirl around the village igniting jealousies and unearthing deeply buried secrets, will love find a way?

Lieutenant-Colonel (Retd) Diane Allen had 30 years' experience in the British Army. She was one of the first women at Sandhurst. Sandhurst was so unprepared there were no boots small enough for women and no beds for them (a recurrent theme). She served in Northern Ireland and Germany in the regular army, then 25 years in the reserves, alongside a career in the public and private sector. She moved through the ranks into more senior military leadership, creating new intelligence units. But with each success she achieved, resistance from those in charge increased. In November 2018, Diane was awarded the OBE for services to military intelligence. But by November 2019, she had started a messy divorce with the Army. She isn't leaving voluntarily - she has been pushed out. This is her account of her time in the army; the comical, the tragic, the painful and the honest story of a woman for whom the Army will always be her true family.

Set in the Yorkshire Dales during the 19th century, The Miner's Wife by Diane Allen is a sweeping historical saga novel.Nineteen-year-old Meg Oversby often dreams of a more exciting life than the dull existence she faces at her family’s farm deep in the Yorkshire Dales. Growing up, she’s always sensed her father’s disappointment at not having a son to help with the farm work. So when Meg dances all night at the local market hall with Sam Alderson, a lead miner from Swaledale, a new light enters her life. Sam and his brother Jack show Meg a side to life she didn’t know existed. But when her parents find out, she’s forbidden from ever seeing them again. Although where there is love, there is often a way. When Meg’s uncle offers her the chance of helping to run the small village shop, she leaps at the opportunity, seeing it as a way to escape the oppressive family farm and see more of her beloved Sam. But as love blossoms, a darker truth emerges and Meg realizes that Sam may not be the man she thought he was . . .

A sweeping historical saga set in the picturesque Yorkshire Dales, where love, family, and destiny intertwine.In Diane Allen's The Miner's Wife, nineteen-year-old Meg Oversby dreams of a life beyond her family's farm deep in the Yorkshire Dales. Despite her father's disappointment at not having a son to help with the farm work, Meg finds a glimmer of excitement when she dances with Sam Alderson, a lead miner from Swaledale.Sam and his brother Jack introduce Meg to a world she never knew existed, but her parents forbid her from seeing them again. Determined to pursue love and escape the oppressive farm life, Meg seizes an opportunity to help run the village shop, hoping to see more of her beloved Sam. As their love blossoms, a darker truth emerges, and Meg begins to question if Sam is truly the man she thought he was. . .Set against the backdrop of the 19th-century English countryside, this captivating historical romance explores the depths of love, the strength of family bonds, and the pursuit of one's dreams amidst the challenges of rural life.

A moving Yorkshire saga, Daughter of the Dales is the much anticipated finale in Diane Allen's Windfell Manor Trilogy.The death of the family matriarch, Charlotte Atkinson, at Windfell Manor casts a long shadow over Charlotte’s husband Archie and her two children, Isabelle and Danny. With big shoes to fill, Isabelle takes over the running of Atkinson’s department store but her pride – and heart – is tested when her husband James brings scandal upon the family and the Atkinson reputation.Danny’s wife Harriet is still struggling to deal with the death of their first two children – a death she blames Isabelle for. But Danny himself is grappling with his own demons when a stranger in town brings to light a long-forgotten secret from his past.Meanwhile, Danny and Harriet’s daughter Rosie has fallen under the spell of local stable boy, Ethan. But will he stand by her or will he cause her heartache? And can Isabelle restore the Atkinson reputation and her friendship with Harriet, to unite the family once more?