500 books from hundreds of authors are up fpr grabs in '500 Facebooks likes Giveaway,' including The White Amah. Browse at http://www.tyhadareads.net/2013/05/500-facebook-likes-giveaway.html
Ann Massey
Friday, May 10, 2013
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
A walk on the wild side - a review of 'The White Amah'
I was blown away by this book. I honestly had not expected it to be quite as intricate as it is. It's quite a story that has an awesome view of southeast Asian indigenous people. There is a little mystery thrown in and a look at the rougher side of life. The introduction of a lot of characters can sometimes be overwhelming however not here. I loved how in the end everyone ties in together one way or another and how the story does a well rounded circle.
(Margaret- Goodreads)
(Margaret- Goodreads)
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Some secrets should never be told
When not teaching English Ann Massey is busy devising plot twists and turns involving germ warfare, the International Space station and environmental risks. Her settings often draw on her diverse career; she has been a country publican, newspaper marketing manager and teacher to name just a few of her previous roles.
Ann, added novelist to the list, after accompanying her partner on a five-year posting to Borneo. Shocked by the permanent damage to the rainforest by excessive logging, she sat down and wrote The White Amah a thrilling family saga that sweeps you from the nightlife of Singapore to the rain -drenched jungles of Borneo to the world of a rich and ambitious rock star - The White Amah is the story of a dark secret and the consequences when a woman's past comes back to threaten the present.
Her second novel draws on her time as a governess on a remote Pilbara sheep station. But the plot of The Biocide Conspiracy is far removed from anything she encountered. A roller-coaster thriller, it involves international intrigue and biological warfare. It poses the question where do we draw the line. Are no holds barred in modern warfare?
Ann, added novelist to the list, after accompanying her partner on a five-year posting to Borneo. Shocked by the permanent damage to the rainforest by excessive logging, she sat down and wrote The White Amah a thrilling family saga that sweeps you from the nightlife of Singapore to the rain -drenched jungles of Borneo to the world of a rich and ambitious rock star - The White Amah is the story of a dark secret and the consequences when a woman's past comes back to threaten the present.
Her second novel draws on her time as a governess on a remote Pilbara sheep station. But the plot of The Biocide Conspiracy is far removed from anything she encountered. A roller-coaster thriller, it involves international intrigue and biological warfare. It poses the question where do we draw the line. Are no holds barred in modern warfare?
Monday, January 30, 2012
Fairy Tales: the single biggest influence on contemporary literature.
Not sure if I agreed with this statement but intrigued, I decided to examine my own stories in the order they were written.
The White Amah tagged as a family saga focuses on a young woman brought up in the rain drenched jungle of Borneo, who, to escape a forced marriage, embarks on a search for her roots. Tricked by a maid posing as her mother, she becomes a lowly amah.
Stop there! Isn't that just like the good-hearted princess in The Goose Girl. Wasn't she seized by her maid and turned into a common goose girl? I'm not apologizing if it was good enough for Charles Dickens, it's good enough for me. because you'll have to agree Oliver Twist is a variation of this popular theme.
The Biocide Conspiracy with its dastardly plot and its motely cast of rogues and villains is a modern Treasure Island and yet it has a lot in common with Hansel and Gretal with my teen hero and heroine accepting help from a Good Samaritan, unaware that they are falling straight into a trap.
So there you are, the first stories I knew and loved are still influencing my writing and I'm hoping my grand-daughter will enjoy them as much as I did at her age.
The White Amah tagged as a family saga focuses on a young woman brought up in the rain drenched jungle of Borneo, who, to escape a forced marriage, embarks on a search for her roots. Tricked by a maid posing as her mother, she becomes a lowly amah.
Stop there! Isn't that just like the good-hearted princess in The Goose Girl. Wasn't she seized by her maid and turned into a common goose girl? I'm not apologizing if it was good enough for Charles Dickens, it's good enough for me. because you'll have to agree Oliver Twist is a variation of this popular theme.
The Biocide Conspiracy with its dastardly plot and its motely cast of rogues and villains is a modern Treasure Island and yet it has a lot in common with Hansel and Gretal with my teen hero and heroine accepting help from a Good Samaritan, unaware that they are falling straight into a trap.
Likening The Little Match Girl to Salvation Jane, the story I'm currently writing, was a bit of a stretch but as it's about a human rights activist campaigning for the rights of homeless people I feel it's not that far removed from Andersen's bittersweet tale of man's inhumanity to man.
 |
| Little Red Riding Hood is the story tonight. |
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Amazon - new Family Saga: The White Amah
Strong women, powerful suspense - for anyone who can't get enough of Nora Roberts, Maeve Binchy and Jilly Cooper you'll love this intriguing family saga - set against the backdrop of the timber industry in Malaysia which makes multi-national companies rich while plundering the precious environmental habitat and centuries old tribal way of life.
Ann Massey weaves a spell-binding story of a young woman brought up in the forbidding, rain-drenched jungles of Borneo who, to escape a forced marriage, embarks upon a search for her roots. The only link with her past is a beautiful carved necklace. Her voyage of discovery takes her to England and a prison called Holloway. It is here she finds the cruel and startling truth about her family and her heritage
Ann Massey weaves a spell-binding story of a young woman brought up in the forbidding, rain-drenched jungles of Borneo who, to escape a forced marriage, embarks upon a search for her roots. The only link with her past is a beautiful carved necklace. Her voyage of discovery takes her to England and a prison called Holloway. It is here she finds the cruel and startling truth about her family and her heritage
*** 3 DAY OFFER JAN 15 - 17 ***
The best ever DEAL ON ANN MASSEY NOVELS - e-books reduced down to 99¢ get it before it goes back to its regular price of $2.99 http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004VMQAW0
*** Other Works ***
For anyone who hungers for some serious controversy & can't get enough of Dan Brown, James Patterson and Robert Ludlum, you won't be able to put down Ann Massey's young adult adventure - The Biocide Conspiracy - highly recommended by mature readers. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004VN31N0
Monday, December 12, 2011
Margaret Reviews > The White Amah
I was blown away by this book. I honestly had not expected it to be quite as intricate as it is. It's quite a story that has an awesome view of southeast Asian indigenous people. There is a little mystery thrown in and a look at the rougher side of life. The introduction of a lot of characters can sometimes be overwhelming however not here. I loved how in the end everyone ties in together one way or another and how the story does a well rounded circle.
www.goodreads.com/review/show/200540029
www.goodreads.com/review/show/200540029
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
A rich reading experience -Shoma Mittra reviews 'The White Amah'
It was raining thick sheets of water. The sound was deafening as it hit the tiled roofs and slid heavily through the gutters into the ground. As I made my third cup of coffee that day, I was longing for a good book I could dig into, curl up in my favourite chair and lose myself in another world. It took me only a few minutes to find and download The White Amah on the Kindle and I was set…
The White Amah by Anne Massey weaves a tale around three women connected by a single mistake. Like a haunting melody that peaks and troughs, this book has some stunning writing without being trite. It will take you traipsing through the night life of Singapore, launch you into the deep rain forests of Borneo and scoop you up and put you down in the streets of London.
Tuff is a chartbusting pop singer with a dubious past. She has created a carefully contrived image around her persona and the public are ga-ga over her every move. But when confronted with some unpalatable truths from her past, Tuff loses her cool and makes one wrong move which will prove to be very costly for her.
Seventeen years earlier, a young Australian called Crystal Brooke finds herself abandoned in the big bad world in Singapore. Her dreams of becoming a pop star come crashing down when she finds that she is pregnant. There is no question about returning back to her family in Australia. Crystal knows that her father would never accept her. Frightened and alone, there is only one option – Crystal puts her baby up for adoption. The infant is adopted by an expat family in Malaysia. The couple engage an amah (nanny) to look after the baby, Mei-Li. Rubiah, the amah is herself a young girl and although she loves and cares for the baby, her sights are set on a good life. ‘Good life’ comes in the form of nightly visits from her employer who piles her with gifts and baubles –until the wife finds out. Then all hell breaks loose and the expat dumps Rubiah and flees the country with his wife. Rubiah is left holding a baby she doesn’t want. She realises that she is only a young girl herself and her dreams of a slick city life with all the riches will remain a distant dream if she has an infant in tow. So Rubiah takes the baby to her native village in a remote rain forest jungle in Borneo where she leaves Mei Li under the care of her parents and returns to the city to make a life for herself.
In the deep forests, Mei Li is brought up as a traditional Dayak tribal woman. She has no ambition except to lead a good peaceful life in the jungle she loves. But fate has other things in store for her and no one is more surprised than Mei Li at the turn of events which catapults her into an environment she has never dreamed of. She becomes the white amah.
Anne Massey’s book The White Amah plays on many different levels. It is like peeling off the petals from an exotic tightly curled bloom – the more you peel, the tighter are the curls beneath- enticing you to lift yet another layer. Beautiful prose, accompanied by a plot with surprising twists and turns, this book keeps you hooked to the very end. The White Amah shows how much Massey’s work has matured as a writer after the The Biocide Conspiracy which was her first novel.
The White Amah is a treat to read and I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a rich reading experience.
Purchase from http://www.amazon.com/White-Amah-Ann-Massey/dp/1456578065/ref=cm_cr-mr-title
The White Amah by Anne Massey weaves a tale around three women connected by a single mistake. Like a haunting melody that peaks and troughs, this book has some stunning writing without being trite. It will take you traipsing through the night life of Singapore, launch you into the deep rain forests of Borneo and scoop you up and put you down in the streets of London.
Tuff is a chartbusting pop singer with a dubious past. She has created a carefully contrived image around her persona and the public are ga-ga over her every move. But when confronted with some unpalatable truths from her past, Tuff loses her cool and makes one wrong move which will prove to be very costly for her.
Seventeen years earlier, a young Australian called Crystal Brooke finds herself abandoned in the big bad world in Singapore. Her dreams of becoming a pop star come crashing down when she finds that she is pregnant. There is no question about returning back to her family in Australia. Crystal knows that her father would never accept her. Frightened and alone, there is only one option – Crystal puts her baby up for adoption. The infant is adopted by an expat family in Malaysia. The couple engage an amah (nanny) to look after the baby, Mei-Li. Rubiah, the amah is herself a young girl and although she loves and cares for the baby, her sights are set on a good life. ‘Good life’ comes in the form of nightly visits from her employer who piles her with gifts and baubles –until the wife finds out. Then all hell breaks loose and the expat dumps Rubiah and flees the country with his wife. Rubiah is left holding a baby she doesn’t want. She realises that she is only a young girl herself and her dreams of a slick city life with all the riches will remain a distant dream if she has an infant in tow. So Rubiah takes the baby to her native village in a remote rain forest jungle in Borneo where she leaves Mei Li under the care of her parents and returns to the city to make a life for herself.
In the deep forests, Mei Li is brought up as a traditional Dayak tribal woman. She has no ambition except to lead a good peaceful life in the jungle she loves. But fate has other things in store for her and no one is more surprised than Mei Li at the turn of events which catapults her into an environment she has never dreamed of. She becomes the white amah.
Anne Massey’s book The White Amah plays on many different levels. It is like peeling off the petals from an exotic tightly curled bloom – the more you peel, the tighter are the curls beneath- enticing you to lift yet another layer. Beautiful prose, accompanied by a plot with surprising twists and turns, this book keeps you hooked to the very end. The White Amah shows how much Massey’s work has matured as a writer after the The Biocide Conspiracy which was her first novel.
The White Amah is a treat to read and I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a rich reading experience.
Purchase from http://www.amazon.com/White-Amah-Ann-Massey/dp/1456578065/ref=cm_cr-mr-title
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)