My First Signing!

This has been weird. I have been to signings before, sat next to my friends while they signed their books for people. I've even signed my name to an anthology or two that I've had short stories published in. Today was different. Today I got to sit at the table at the Barnes and Noble put Black Light into other people's hands, all day. It was great. But weird. But great!

With me are Kacey Vanderkarr, Brian Thomas, and AJ Tupps. What great company to be in.  I saw a couple of old friends, which was amazing, and make a whole bunch of new ones, and even recruit a few for Flint Area Writers! And!! You guys! I even got to sell the book to people who were complete strangers! How much fun is that!

So, in celebration of my first signing, I'm doing a Goodreads Giveaway, starting at midnight tonight. ( July 9th). You can enter to win one of three paperback copies of Black Light from now until July 31.

Y'know what? This is another first for me!!. Wow......

Anyway, just click on the link over to the right of this blog, okay? And go enter!

Stuff That's Happening (and a little tiny rant)

This is usually where I share stuff that my other writer friends have going on. And there's a bunch of stuff going on. My friend Kacey Vanderkarr's first book in her trilogy, Reflection Pond is FREE on Kindle right now. If you don't already have it, go here:http://www.amazon.com/Reflection-Pond-Kacey-Vanderkarr-ebook/dp/B00JCZ8V8M 

I'm not kidding you should read this book. And then leave a review. 

And my friend Loren Rhoads is having a goodreads give-a-way for the book she wrote with Brian Thomas, As Above, So Below. You should enter to win here : https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/123716-as-above-so-below And then you know, if you win, read it and leave a review. 

And always, there's Out of the Green, Yep, it's right over the the right of you. If you haven't gotten your copy, seriously what are you waiting for? Not only does it include stories by the aforementioned  authors, but also a story by me, and ten others, all with their unique view of fairy. If you're around my area, I can fix you up with a copy,  no need to wait. If not, well you know where it's available. And once you've read it..... You know what I'm going to say, right? Yep. Leave a review......

Maybe you're sensing a common theme here. The "leave a review" part? yeah. Stephen King once said something like, the writer and the reader are in partnership. One doesn't exist without the other. I'm paraphrasing, but I believe it's true. When you write a story, a novel, a poem, it's not meant to sit on your desk, or in a drawer. It needs a reader. Or, to be honest, it needs a bunch of readers. I write so that I can find out what happens in the end. I hope that people read my stories for the same reason, to find out what happens in the end. To be relieved, or heartbroken at how it plays out. 

This is what makes the Internet a wonderful and terrible place. Now readers are more accessible than ever. And that's fantastic. But it there's no feedback, the words you put out may as well be sitting in that drawer..... 

The truth is that putting books out online, whether electronically or as traditional books, is a word-of-mouth game of selling. Kindle rates books on their reader reviews and that can make or break an indie author. So if you enjoy an author, and leave a review, it does two things. One: it puts another of their books into your hands(kindle ranking and all that). Two: you tell that author that it's working, that yes, the novel you sweated over worked for me. It touched me and I identified with it. Believe me, to a writer, sitting in some cafe somewhere alone with their computer, that's huge. 

Oh! And before I forget, I have a new short story up on Wattpad that you can read for free! (@MarthaAllard). It's my lesbian genie story. I actually really like it..... If you like it.....um.... feel free to leave a comment....... 

Wild is the Wind--Out of the Green.

I've always loved a good rock and roll magic story. I mean, think about it, isn't rock and roll magical anyway? What if what we think of as onstage theatrics are all really magic? No, not like Ozzy getting in trouble with PETA. Like what if the boy with the glitter eyeliner and up swept  ears is actually what he looks like?

So when Kacey Vanderkarr suggested that we co-edit this anthology and also suggested we write for it, I thought, cool! I know just what I want to write about.

Fairy and rock and roll? What could go wrong? I love the British, from the seventies and the eighties, because there's a restlessness to that music. British rock and rollers of that time all longed to escape England. It was too small. Too much the same. They wanted America because from where they stood, it was wide and huge and anything could happen.

That restlessness was my inspiration for my Fairy Lord to leave his lands.  It makes sense to me that he falls in love as soon as he leaves, and takes the human world for his own.   What happens after that? Oh, I'm not going to tell you. That would ruin it.

If you want to know what happens, the links are all down here, There are twelve other stories as well, all with different takes on Fairyland.

Also, contributor Loren Rhoads has also blogged about her story. You can read about it here:http://lorenrhoads.com/blog/  Check out her website. She is a busy writer!

Links  For the Book: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/out-of-the-green-martha-j-allard/1120802195?ean=9781503079281

For the ebook:  http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_fb_1_15?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=out+of+the+green+tales+from+fairyland&sprefix=out+of+the+gree%2Cstripbooks%2C581
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/out-of-the-green-kacey-vanderkarr/1120812796?ean=2940150730700

Out Of The Green cover reveal!!

At last! The cover reveal for Out Of The Green, Tales From Fariyland! It's been a long wait, but I promise you won't be disappointed. This anthology features thirteen new stories of Fair, just in time for Christmas. 

The digital version is available for preorder on Amazon right now, and the release date will be Nov. 24. I can't wait.

A Wall of Wings and Sorrow – A.M. Supinger
Rabbit, Rabbit – Jill Corddry
Fill – Kacey Vanderkarr
The Youngest Prince – Holly Hook
Pixielated – Katie Tillwick
Tam Lin’s Documentation – Ian Springer-Woods
Grandfather Carp’s Dream – Loren Rhoads
The Marriage of Dorian the Shepherd – Russell Adams
Wish – Nancy Tucker
See You at 7 – Tiffanie Shaw
The Steed of the Fey – T.J. O’Hare
Wild is the Wind – Martha J. Allard
Pixie Sticks – E.A. Fow

Cover reveal for Reflection Pond, coming soon from Kacey Vanderkarr

Reflection Pond

By Kacey Vanderkarr

Release date: April 1, 2014

Sometimes you find home, sometimes it comes looking for you.

Callie knows a lot more about pain than she does about family. She’s never belonged, at least, not until she falls through a portal into her true home. The beautiful faerie city of Eirensae doesn’t come free. Callie must find her amulet and bind herself to the city, and most importantly, avoid the Fallen fae who seek her life. Seems like a small price to pay for the family she’s always wanted.

Then she meets cynical and gorgeous Rowan, who reads the darkness of her past in her eyes. He becomes Callie’s part-time protector and full-time pain in the ass. He has secrets of his own for Callie to unravel. What they don’t know is that the future of Eirensae lies with them, and the once peaceful city is about to become a battleground for power.

About Kacey:

Kacey Vanderkarr is a young adult author. She dabbles in fantasy, romance, and sci-fi, complete with faeries, alternate realities, and the occasional plasma gun. She’s known to be annoyingly optimistic and listen to music at the highest decibel. Kacey is the president of the Flint Area Writers and the Social Media Director for Sucker Literary. When she’s not writing, she coaches winterguard, and works as a sonographer. Kacey lives in Michigan, with her husband, son, crazy cats, and two bearded dragons. Kacey’s debut novel, Antithesis, is available from Inkspell Publishing.

Catch up with Kacey (if you can) here:

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So get ready, you're going to want to read this, believe me. I think I've mentioned that I've read it already, and I can't wait to read it again.
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