Pen Name:
None
Genre:
Articles, Memoir, Humor, Horror
Social Media:
Bio
Chris Allen holds a Masters Degree in Archaeology from the University of New Mexico. She spent the majority of her career writing technical reports in the area of Cultural Resource Management. In 1990, Chris became involved in the government of the Village of Corrales, New Mexico, first as an elected official and later as a member of the village administration. During that time, she submitted articles to the local newspaper informing the public about issues and decisions affecting the residents. In 2014 she joined the Corrales Writing Group where she stretched her writing skills to include literary nonfiction, especially humor and memoir. Chris is fortunate to live in Corrales with her husband and a menagerie of animals from horses to fish. They provide a continuous source of material for her comical essays. Her work has been published in two of the Corrales Writing Group’s award-winning anthologies.
Articles/Essays/Short Stories
“To Begin Again” (co-authored with Jim Tritten)
♦ The Criterion eJournal / Vol. 8, Issue II (April 2017), 1231-1241
♦ Quail Bell Magazine (June 19, 2017)
Books
Title: Alchemy’s Reach
Co-author: Patricia Walkow
Published: August 2023
Genre: Murder Mystery Romance
Jennifer Murphy, deputy sheriff in a small town in New Mexico, has closed her heart to love. She throws herself into her job as well as running the ranch she and her brother, Ethan, inherited from their parents. Ethan’s wanderlust has taken him away in search of odd jobs. When he returns home, Jennifer entices him to stay for a while by telling him about Alchemy, a ghost town, once drowned by a reservoir, but now exposed by drought. Local barflies think there is treasure buried there. Others believe it is cursed. Intrigued, Ethan packs up his dog, Fi, and heads to the town. What happens at Alchemy will change Jen’s life forever, but will it open her heart to love?
Available for Sale:
Short Story/Essay Collections
Anthology: between the covers: An Adult Romance Anthology (The Red Penguin Collection)
Publisher: Red Penguin Books (August 15, 2021)
“To Begin Again,” with Jim Tritten and Maureen Cooke (pp. 105-120)
between the covers – An Adult Romance Anthology is edited by JK Larkin. Are you looking for a collection of provocative, steamy, arousing stories for every reader (eighteen and older!)…. This is not your average romance anthology. And it’s about to get sexy. Are you ready for what’s between these covers? Featuring stories from the following writers: Ash Orlando, Bruce Pratt, Chris Allen, Diane Kane, Jim Tritten, Mahendra Waghela, Martha Patterson, Maureen Cooke, Nichole Blake, O’labumi Browne, Rizwan Asad, Sandi Hoover, Shari Held, and Suzanne Baginskie.
Available for Sale
Anthology: Kale is a Four Letter Word
♦ Co-editor, Contributor
Publisher: Artemesia Publishing, LLC (September 1, 2020)
“Keep Kale Cool”
“Project Resurrect and Illuminate Kale” (Memos 1-8)
“Obsessed by Kale”
“The Great Kale-Cauliflower War”
“A Word about Recipes”
“Kale Farewell” ♦ with Patricia Walkow
Kale has invaded our culture as the go-to food for healthy living, appearing everywhere on restaurant menus, in grocery stores, and beauty products like soaps and scrubs. It’s in salads and sandwiches, on pizzas, in soups and stews, and even salted as chips. For many, it shouts, “Eat me. I’m good for you.” For others, the vitamin load and beneficial fiber cannot outweigh the bitterness and texture of this member of the cabbage family. For those people, kale has ignited a passionate response, often reflected in internet memes and T-shirt slogans. This collection of short stories shows kale in a new light. Some stories present the perspective of those who introduce kale to their spouses and the reaction of those who are so targeted. A couple of tales are horror stories about kale’s effect on a life; another one describes a speculative history of kale; one is a murder mystery where kale plays an unusual role; and one is a fantasy about kale’s rivalry with another popular, competing vegetable, cauliflower. This book also has delicious recipes that feature kale as the primary ingredient. A word of caution, though. One recipe was written by someone with a novel approach to cooking kale.
Available for Sale
Anthology: Passages: A Corrales Writing Group Anthology
Publisher: CreateSpace (2017)
“Booked!”
“Ember: Birth of an Evil Twin”
“Ember: The Toddler”
“Horse Wreck”
Passages is the fourth anthology from the Corrales Writing Group. It contains not only humor, fiction, essay, and memoir but the creative work of nineteen artists from the Corrales area. Passages contains all interior artwork in glorious color.
Available for Sale
Anthology: Currents: Corrales Writing Group 2015 Anthology
Publisher: Corrales Writing Group LLC (2015)
Genre: Mixed
“Thanksgiving”
“Entwined”
“A Knight to Remember”
“Willow”
Currents is an anthology of work from the Corrales Writing Group for the year 2015. It includes humor, fiction, essays and memoir.
Available for Sale
Anthology: Corrales Writing Group 2014 Anthology
Publisher: Corrales Writing Group LLC (2014)
Genre: Mixed
“A Slight Tap”
“Eye-to-Eye ”
“A Grave Matter”
This anthology is a compilation of work written by members of the Corrales Writing Group. It includes memoirs, humor, philosophy, fantasy, poignancy, whimsy and fiction, to make the reader laugh, cry, smile, and reminisce. Topics range from romance, through travel, multiple types of aviation, jokes, the meaning of life, sailing, village life, close encounters with wild animals, a burial, an automobile accident, a bedtime and a children’s story.
