Stories of flawed people, second chances, faith, and the unexpected places life takes us.

I write contemporary Christian fiction about ordinary people whose lives rarely go according to plan. My characters make mistakes, wrestle with faith, carry baggage they would rather leave unpacked, and sometimes discover that grace has been waiting for them in the most unlikely places.

I’ve been writing for most of my adult life, although it took a few decades to make good on my six-year-old self’s announcement that I intended to become a novelist.

After years spent in PR, communications and editing — writing about everything from construction and security to technology and industry — I finally turned to fiction. Under Construction, my first novel, grew out of nine years working in the construction sector, but it was the people, rather than the buildings, that interested me most.

That hasn’t changed. I write Christian fiction about flawed, funny, occasionally infuriating people navigating faith, family, friendship, forgiveness, and second chances. My characters don’t have all the answers, and neither does life.

I live with my husband on South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal South Coast, where, when I’m not writing fiction, I’m usually still working with words in PR, communications, and editing. Somewhere amongst all that are family, friends, church, our dogs, the sea, and the occasional person who unknowingly gives me an idea for a character.

If you enjoy stories with heart, humour, real-life struggles and hope, welcome! I think you’ll feel at home here.

Discover the books

From the familiar South African world of Adine du Toit to the small Scottish village of Bieldfell, my books explore faith, family, friendship, forgiveness and fresh starts, with plenty of human complications along the way.

Watch this space for more information on my books. In the meantime, you can find them on Amazon by searching ‘Allyson Koekhoven’.

Read the latest

Book news, behind-the-scenes glimpses, new releases, writing thoughts, and the occasional look at what happens when fictional characters refuse to behave as their author intended.

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