Allison O'Neill (born 1985) is a writer from New Zealand. She is the author of four books, most notably 'The Boss Benchmark' which was endorsed by Global CEO of Saatchi & Saatchi Kevin Roberts.
Career
O'Neill worked in banking and human resources prior to her career as a writer. She ran her own consulting company that did staff surveying. Her management articles were published in The National Business Review, NZ Business, Idealog, Chamber of Commerce Magazines and HR magazines in Australia, the UK and USA. After learning about staff, bosses and workplace culture she wrote 'The Boss Benchmark' - a book about being a great boss. It was published in 2008 and endorsed by Kevin Roberts, Global CEO of Saatchi & Saatchi who bought 45 copies for his senior management team.
After giving birth to her first child, O'Neill wrote her debut fiction piece 'Your Perfect Life'. Published in 2010, it was unpublished in 2021 with O'Neill stating it was a beginners piece and not fitting with her current writing brand.
O'Neill's next release 'The Result of Kidnap' was published in 2017.It is about a man on home detention after leaving prison. His story is heavy, but he overcomes his life's horrors, finds love and builds a family.
'The Edge of Myself' was released in 2021 and is about a man who accidentally sets himself on fire while in a drunken stupor, one year into a marriage that fell apart. A badly timed but magic love falls into his life right when he is definitely not looking.
O'Neill says "my natural landing spot with writing is relationships. I like to write about courageous people and love. I don't write 'romance' as that genre stands. I write love. Chemistry. Characters falling in love is fun to write. How emotional intimacy builds to physical is a playground in a writer's world. Despite there being spice in my books it's not filth (!). There are no topless cowboys on the cover and a gruesome title you wouldn't want to be reading on a train! As the person channeling the story onto the page, I think you don't really get a choice about what happens... word flow and creativity is an out of body experience where you are just there to take the minutes!"
She does not however just write 'couple love'. In 'The Result of Kidnap' the lead male character gets to live the strong paternal love he waited so long to experience. There is also a deep platonic relationship in that title.
Bibliography
Publication year Title Original publisher ISBN
2021 The Edge of Myself Amazon KDP ISBN 9780473571689
2017 The Result of Kidnap Amazon KDP ISBN 9781973162490
2010 Your Perfect Life Amazon KDP ISBN 9780473175535
2008 The Boss Benchmark Amazon KDP ASIN B007V96TWG