M. Allman

It’s a pleasure to be back at her at Manic Readers. I’m excited to discuss my latest writing project, “Mermaid’s Kiss.”

I have always loved books about mythical creatures and folklore, so in my newest young adult short story, I came up with a new twist on the mermaid premise.  I love mermaids and wanted to write a story that does not deal with a mermaid wishing to be human or falling in love with a human male.

Fantasy stories, especially those that incorporate folklore, give the readers a story that excites and stretches the imagination and removes readers from the real world into a place where anything can happen.  We all wish we could help loved ones in their time of need, and wouldn’t it be wonderful if the answer is right in front of us all along? If we are only brave enough to believe in something other than ourselves—something mystical.

In “Mermaid’s Kiss,”Eliseis a young teen mermaid who, while interested in the humans she watches from afar and eventually comes into contact with, does not wish to be anything other than what she is. She is intrigued by humans and unlike her friend Delpha, the seagull, she doesn’t think all humans are cruel fisherman who eat sea creatures and dissect mythical creatures, like herself.

Thomas is the human main character in the story. He reads about myth and folklore and believes that other creature exist and have mystical powers.  In the story, Thomas reads that a mermaid’s kiss can heal the sick, so he sets out to catch one to heal his grandfather who is terminally ill.  He is teased by his cousin for believing in mermaids, but that doesn’t stop Thomas from believing that the answer is out there, if he only reaches beyond what is real into the undefined and unknown.

Thomas and Elise’s story is one of friendship and trust, but not a love story or one of wishing to be something they aren’t and will never become.

“Mermaids Kiss” is scheduled for release in March 2013 as a Kindle short story.  I would also like to thank the talented to Su Halfwerk for creating the lovely cover. It brings to life the image I had in mind for Elise.

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When you were a kid did you love fall, because you knew Halloween was just around the corner? Yes, or course the candy was a big reason to love this holiday, but so was dressing up and being scared. There were scary shows on television throughout the month of October and a lot of times, scary books were read at school. Remember The Legend of Sleep Hallow? Bwahahaha!

Thinking back to those good ol’creepy days of childhood is what inspires me to write stories for a younger crowd that are scary, but never gory, and creepy enough to give the reader goose bumps, while still making the story somewhat humorous.

Last year I released “Ally Ally Oxen Free” as a Kindle short story. This story revolves around one game that all kids love to play as a child—hide and seek. (Well, at least I did, and I had 4 sisters and 3 brothers to play along with me.)  Tom is the main character in this story and this young boy is fascinated with bones and the workings of the human skeleton, so when he gets a change to dig in a vacant lot, he is thrilled. But, he doesn’t expect to unearth someone that will make all the neighborhood kids tremble with fear. The title comes from the call that brings everyone safely out of hiding and those four little words have more power than one might think.

This fall, my new release “Alfred C.Bogeyman” from Melange-Books YA imprint Fire and Ice is another creepy little story with a bit a humor. Adrian and his two friends set out to find the boogieman and make him stop scaring his little brother. The trio does find who they believe is the boogieman and this is where their battle with good and evil collide. The book has a few twists that make it fun to read for both younger readers and adults.

I have discovered that I love writing books for the YA crowd and have others in the works. I am currently working on a third eBook, “Mermaid’s Kiss,” about a boy who sets out to catch a mermaid to help heal a dying relative’s illness. The mermaid kiss is supposed to heal and her tears are like a fountain of youth, so the story is based on this premise. However, this one is not creepy, but full of fantasy and fun.

If you are feeling nostalgic, or have a child at home, feel free to check out my creepy little stories. Stories are always more fun when you share them. 🙂

Bio: Molly holds a BA in professional writing. She lives in rural Indiana and works as a freelance writer and author. Molly has also been known to write the occasional quirky greeting card verse and some questionable poetry. Visit her website to learn more about current and upcoming writing projects as well as book release dates.

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At first, when I announced to everyone I knew –out of sheer excitement—that Tales from Imagination’s Closet had been accepted for publication, I didn’t know how to answer the one question everyone asked me. “What’s your book about?”

I had to stop…think about it a minute. “Well, it’s a book of short stories,” I’d reply, but    that wasn’t enough information. People have to know what a book is about before they’ll  consider reading it. Right?

 Then I realized I had trouble with this question because my book is about a lot of things  – each story is different. So, that’s when I began to tell those interested that my book is  about a variety of things.

 The stories are about aliens, murder, cannibalism, a mysterious pinkie ring, rogue  snowmen, devil weeds, death and the afterlife, imaginary people, heaven and hell, mixed  emotions…the list goes on.

 But, this is too long of an explanation, so I tried describing my stories as Twilight Zone–  like stories, but I didn’t want anyone to think I was in any way comparing myself to the  great Rod Serling or all the other wonderful writers whose stories were featured on that  particular series.

So, I thought along with reader reviews, there would readers’ descriptions that I could use to describe my book. So, I give you this little nugget from B. Carrigan’s review.

“I recommend this book to anyone who likes quick, easy reads that range from hilarious to horror”

I have also found readers have at least one story that is their favorite, not to imply they do not like the other stories, but there is at least one story that resonates with each person, or maybe a specific character with which they can identify.

Author Jenny Twist had this to say:

 “These finely-crafted tales are in a variety of genres and range from light humour to thought-provoking excursions into the supernatural. The plots are refreshingly different. I was particularly taken with The Roads Not Traveled with its unexpected ending, and very moved by Yesterday’s Children.”

I believe readers interpret stories in different ways, so each reader may come away feeling differently about each story. This means a story may be “about” something different to each reader.

So, what is Tales from Imagination’s Closet about?

I’ll let the readers decide for themselves.  🙂

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Biography: Molly holds a BA in professional writing. She lives in rural Indiana and works as a freelance writer and author. Molly has also been known to write the occasional quirky greeting card verse and some questionable poetry.