New Contemporary Fantasy from Loren Rhoads!

Check out this new collection from Loren Rhoads. A few weeks ago, I got to ask her questions about her stories. Read the interview below!

Alondra DeCourval travels from San Francisco to Prague to Olso, encountering magical creatures and searching for the limits she will go to for love.

Alondra's Experiments

 So, how long have you been writing your Alondra stories. I've been a fan forever.

Loren Rhoads: I wrote the very first story in high school. Thank god it's still unpublished. The first story that was published appeared in Not One of Us in 2008. That story -- about a fox spirit in Tokyo -- made the long list for the British Fantasy Award that year.

I remember that! It's a beautiful story. Alondra is such a great character, and you've been carrying her with you for a long time. Where did she come from?

Loren Rhoads: To be honest, I wanted to write a story about a red-haired witch. I had the hubris to think I could spin the trope and add something new to it. Actually, she's one of my favorite characters to write for.

The magic in her stories is so great too. I always learn something that I didn't know about magic.

Loren Rhoads: Wow, that is the nicest thing anyone's said to me all day!

I’m glad. It's true. What are your favorite monsters? What are Alondra's?

Loren Rhoads: Alondra has a thing for older men, so she's not sensible when it comes to the tragic backstory. She keeps getting tangled up with vampires and other immortals.

I mean, I like tragic. Also it keeps your commitment down.

Loren Rhoads: This is true.

I also like that the stories take place all over the world. You're very good at setting the scene. Where do these three stories take place?

Loren Rhoads:  The three in this book are set in Golden Gate Park, Prague -- including a visit to Franz Kafka's grave, and Olso. Olso is the one I haven't been to, so it took a lot of research

Which I know you love. I can't wait to read them. Do you see a more collections in Alondra's future?

Loren Rhoads: Thank you so much for asking that. I will have another collection of stories out sometime in April. It will be called Alondra’s Adventures.

Aha! I'm so glad to hear this. Something to look forward to.  I'm so envious of everyone who gets to read these stories for the first time!

The Alondra stories have appeared in Best New Horror #27, Strange California, Sins of the Sirens, Fright Mare: Women Write Horror, The Haunted Mansion Project: Year One, The Ghostbreakers: New Horrors and more.

Loren Rhoads is the author of 199 Cemeteries to See Before You Die and Wish You Were Here: Adventures in Cemetery Travel. She blogs about graveyards as travel destinations at CemeteryTravel.com.
Loren is also the author of The Dangerous Type, Kill By Numbers, and No More Heroes, a space opera trilogy set after a galactic war has wiped out much of humanity.
She is the co-author (with Brian Thomas) of the novel Lost Angels about a succubus who sets her sights on an angel and ends up possessed by a mortal girl's soul. 
Loren likes long walks in the moonlight and old graveyards. She remembers when men walked on the moon.

Double Danger: a review

When Alyssa Mallory crashes into Nick Trammel’s car, she is plunged into a roller coaster adventure. Her home is ransacked. Two men shoot at her and Nick, and Alyssa’s friend is shot. Nick forces her to go with him into the wilderness of northern Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, running from the two men who Nick says will kill both of them to get information they believe he has. But he doesn’t know what it is they want. Chased by men with guns, Alyssa ad Nick find themselves in a desperate race against time to figure out why they are targets. Complicating matters is the emotional threat of falling for a man Alyssa knows is dangerous. Alyssa is faced with a terrible choice, one that could save her life, but might cost her the man she loves. and Nick find themselves in a desperate race against time to figure out why they are targets. Complicating matters is the emotional threat of falling for a man Alyssa knows is dangerous. Alyssa is faced with a terrible choice, one that could save her life, but might cost her the man she loves.

Alyssa Mallory is a nice woman. She’s a school teacher who lives alone, has a cat and works part time in her deceased aunt’s antique shop. It’s a nice, empty, life. All that changes the second she crosses paths with Nick Trammel. She finds him irritating, if not handsome and smart.

Within hours of that chance meeting nearly everything in her life changes. She is forced to walk away, with nothing but her van and her cat. Nick Trammel is nothing that he seems, and he drags Alyssa into his world without warning. This book is a slow burn, a twisty mystery that ratchets up the tension between the characters as they race to unravel it.   Written in multiple points of view, we feel both the characters resist this relationship, and face their fears; Nick’s of failing to protect anything he loves, and Alyssa’s that she will lose him to the flash of a gunshot. They work together to deal with the bad guys and solve the mystery.

Double Danger is filled to the brim with memorable characters, vivid action and romance. It is placed mostly in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, and is filled with the wild beauty of that place. From beginning to end, it never fails to satisfy. If you’re a reader of Karen Rose, or Catherine Coulter, this book is for you. 

Here' the pre-orer link for Amazon:Double Danger, out April 30th!

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for a fair review.

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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....... 

The New Year (viewed with dread and glitter)

I'm a little late with the "Last Year In Writing" post, aren't I? Well, actually, this might be my first one.
Last year was..... Complicated. It wasn't all bad. I got to go to Gilchrist twice. That was great. My nephew graduated from High School without giving his mother or me a fatal heart attack.  That was fantastic. My Dad is still hanging on with us, and I'm grateful for that.
Also, we published Out Of the Green (available on bn.com and Amazon.com), and I'm fond of the stories in it. I had a great time writing mine. I wrote two other short stories that have yet to find a home. One's a post-apocalyptic lesbian djin story. Yeah, okay, that one might be hard to find a market for.... And the other... Well the other is an Asia story. I haven't decided what to do with that one yet.
I know I promised to have a book out by late fall last year, didn't I? Well, it's a little late too, (cover issues plus just plain too much life-intrusion) but don't forget about it! It's still coming.
The first two weeks of the new year, though, are for the novel I'm working on right now.  I'm working that subplot.
So, while life isn't perfect (I work in a hell hole, still, and home is really prickly at the moment), I'm working on it. I wish I could be the kind of writer that had big lovely announcements at year's end, but for me, this works for right now.

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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

Tired of Waiting

Do you sometimes feel like you've spent your whole life waiting? I do. I feel, in the situation I've been in with the care of my father that I've been waiting. Today I waited for the Doctor to read Dad's ex-rays to tell me if his hip or pelvis was broken. Last night, in lieu of sleeping, I waited for my alarm to go off so I could get up and go over to help get Dad ready for his appointment. Today I'm waiting to see if this latest bout of re-arranging my work schedule will be the thing that pushes them over the edge to knock me down to part time. I wait for quiet time to write.....Wait....wait.

 Before I continue this rant, there were no broken bones, luckily. But back to my point. Oh, yeah. I'm not going to wait anymore.

I haven't updated this blog in a while because, while it's been a really productive year for my friends, (Reflection Pond, by Kacey Vanderkarr, available from amazon and bn.com, As Above, So Below, Loren Rhoads and Brian Thomas, Black Bed Sheets Books, available from amazon and bn.com), for me, not so much.

I have decided that's going to change. So here's my plan, and it's secret, so don't spread it around. I'm going to finish "The Night Was Not," before Christmas. (novel). I'm going to put out "The Black Light" this fall (novel), and I'm going to finish two short stories, and finalize the story I wrote for "Out of the Green," the fairy anthology from Urban Fey Press, and then help it to print.

That's it. I'm not waiting anymore.  

Where to find me. (In which I plug the anthology I'm in)

So have you all been wondering what I've been doing with my time lately? Well, here's one thing. Below is the blurb and the lovely cover of Re-Vamped: Blood Lust Revenge. In it you'll find my story, "Getting Fixed" along with many other fantastic stories about the fairer (and fanged) sex, For 2.99 it's a bargain. Check it out on amazon. 
Though people have been exploring the legend of the vampire for hundreds of years, the female vampire has been largely overlooked...until now.

Neophyte Press proudly presents Re-Vamped: Blood Lust Revenge, a collection of short stories focused on fanged girls of the night with a taste for human blood and a penchant for power, seduction and terror.

Find your favorite turtleneck and sink your teeth into this monster of a collection. You're in store for some long, dark nights filled with beautiful, hungry creatures. But don't cry when you find yourself with two perfectly round puncture wounds on your neck...

‘Cause you've been warned.

Re-Vamped: Blood Lust Revenge(Kindle Edition)

by Ty Schwamberger, Adam Lewis

Here's a small bite of my story:
                                                                             Getting Fixed

 The bite turned out to be profitable for Casey. Made her lucky. Of course it had taken her a while to accept this. A vampire bite wasn’t your average injury. Not something you came out of happy to be alive. You get bit, you turn, somebody stakes you before you spill blood. That’s how the world worked.

She thought. Turned out, it wasn’t that simple. The taint, passed through the spit of her attacker had given her some vampiric qualities: increased strength, sensitivity to sunlight. It also woke the thirst, but Casey found ways to deal with that. 

Want more? Click on the link above. It'll be fun, I promise.

Mart

Dust, another story

Check out this link to "Dust and other stories" available on BN.com for nook. If you're interested, and don't own a nook, it's possible to download the ereader software for free to a pc, mac, iphone, ipad, blackberry... You get the idea.

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/books/e/2940012634139/?itm=1&USRI=dust+and+other+stories

This nookbook contains three of my short stories, one of which was nominated for a British Science Fiction Award! I'm very pleased with how it came out. The Barnes and Noble publishing platform is called Pubit!, and was very easy to use. It was about as difficult as making an etsy listing. You have control over everything, even the price. I priced "Dust" at $1.99, because it seemed fair within the market, and it's actually selling fairly well. Neat, huh?