rolandallnach

.

.rolandallnach.com

.

Menu:

News, news, news!
...look here...

For your browsing peace of mind, this site is verified:

Welcome!

My name is Roland Allnach. Visitors to this site will most likely know me from some of my published fiction, which has appeared in both print journals and on the Internet, but there's also the chance you've seen me on television or heard me on Internet radio. I try to get around as best I can. I've secured publication for numerous short stories in various genres. I've also seen publication of two critically acclaimed anthologies, which have been graced with a combined total of seven national book awards.

My taste for the written word is eclectic, as my short stories attest. If there's a general feel to my fiction, it's a sense of the surreal, with some 'darkness', most often portraying strange people in perhaps even stranger circumstances. My aspiration is to craft compelling characters in stories of sufficient depth to deliver additional insight upon repeated readings. As an author, I try to think of how a story presents itself not only on the initial read, but on a second or third reading as well. While most of my writing falls among various genres, I've done some mainstream fiction as well, just to keep things well rounded.

I want this website to be a casual read, so the tone will be conversational. The tone of my fiction, as you may already know, can be quite different. That aside, the point, of course, is that these stories entertain you, the reader. So, if you wish, delve these pages, and enjoy. I intend this site to be an evolving project. I update on a regular basis, and highlight areas I've added, revised, or expanded in the monthly news posts below.

At present, I've secured publication for numerous stories. There are also two stand alone anthologies of my novellas, Remnant (published 2010) and Oddities & Entities (published 2012).

For autographed copies of my books, visit the Autographed Bookstore right here on this site.

________________

Remnant is an anthology of three novellas in spanning the science fiction and speculative genres. Published in 2010, Remnant has gone on to place in the National Indie Excellence Awards, Readers Favorite Book of the Year Awards, and USA Book News Best Book Awards.

"A nearly perfect gem of sci-fi." (ForeWord Reviews)

Available at ATTM Press, Amazon, Kindle, Barnes&Noble.
A PDF excerpt of Remnant is available here. (Requires Adobe Reader, download here.)

Check out the Reviews page for more acclaim for Remnant, or drop by the Remnant page for a look into the creation of my debut book.

Oddities & Entities is an anthology of six stories spanning the paranormal, supernatural and horror genres. Published in 2012, Oddities & Entities has gone on to place in the Readers Favorite Book of the Year Awards, USA Book News Best Book Awards, National Indie Excellence Awards, and ForeWord Reviews Book of the Year Awards.

"The stories are gritty, gruesome, bewitching, and beautiful." (Cynthia Brian, NY Times Bestselling author, host of World Talk Radio's 'Starstyle')

Available at ATTM Press, Amazon, Kindle, Barnes&Noble.
A PDF excerpt of Oddities & Entities is available here. (Requires Adobe Reader, download here.)

Check out the Reviews page for more acclaim for Oddities & Entities, or drop by the Oddities & Entities page for a look into my second book.

Both Remnant and Oddities & Entities are published courtesy of All Things That Matter Press.

________________

In the meantime, I invite you to follow the links below:

Read the Stories...here's an index of published short fiction, and where to find it
Behind the Stories...a glimpse of what inspired a particular piece of short fiction
For the Writer...if you're a new writer, some information on publication
A Few Words About Me...a few words as to who I am
Remnant...a look inside the creation of this science fiction/speculative fiction anthology
Oddities & Entities...a look inside the creation of a supernatural/paranormal anthology
Reviews...on this page find market reviews for my books
Media and Presskit...promotional reference material

And to those who have taken the time to visit this site and read my stories, I offer my thanks.

________________

Other places to find me:

Questions or comments about my writing? Email me: fiction@rolandallnach.com

Visit me at: AuthorsDen.com
Where authors and readers come together!
I have a variety of material at Authors Den that in effect mirrors my own site here. So if you came here from Authors Den, welcome. If you want to go straight to my personal Authors Den page, click here.

Visit me at: LibraryThing.com
LibraryThing is a library database built up by members, and is somewhat similar to Goodreads. If you want to know what I read and what I think of what I read, visit my personal LibraryThing page here. Just click on the 'Reviews' section at the top of the page to see the reviews I've posted.

Visit me at: Goodreads, on my personal page, with book trailers and reviews.

Visit me at: facebook, at my page, www.facebook.com/roland.allnach

And if you wouldn't mind, 'like' me:
Despite some of my antisocial inclinations, I decided to be part of the modern social age...at least in some capacity.

Check out my blog at: rafictionzone.blogspot.com
Unlike this website, where the focus is on my writing, I set up the blog with an intent to host conversations on various topics. Drop by, have a read, and leave a comment - I'm always up for a good, thoughtful discussion.

________________

News, news, news!
(for posts from previous years, check out my News Vault archive)

June, 2013

So, here we are in June, and even though award season has drawn to a close the benefits continue. It's a little hard to see, but this is ForeWord Reviews' display stand at Book Expo for their Book of the Year Award Winners, with Oddities & Entities on the middle shelf, over to the right. The final award placements will announce at the end of this month, so I'm still looking forward to that date.

In other news, I'm doing a mini-virtual book tour for Remnant, with a giveaway that includes an Amazon gift card and a signed copy of Remnant. For anyone interested, I'll post the tour dates below as they come up. The tour and giveaway conclude in the middle of the month. Just visit one of the stops listed below to enter the giveaway.

6/5: Kickoff, with spotlight at Deal Sharing Aunt
6/6: Guest blog post at Speculative Friction
6/7: Spotlight and interview at Grinelda Markowitz
6/12: Review at Close Encounters with the Night Kind
6/13: Guest blog post at Read Between the Lines
6/14: Review at Pink Skulls Book Reviews

Virtual book tour arrangements provided by Book Trailer Showcase.

Late May, 2013

A few items came up late this month, so it's time for a late-month update. Can we queue the evening news music?

On the meet-the-world front, Oddities & Entities will be displayed at Book Expo America late this week as part of ForeWord Reviews Book of the Year display, and as part of the Independent Publisher (IPPY) Award display (though I didn't place in their awards, I'm still on display). I'm also going to do a two week book tour for the first half of June for my first book, Remnant. The final award rankings for ForeWord Reviews Book of the Year Awards is scheduled for late June, and I can't wait to see what award O&E brings home in the Horror category.

My big news, though, is that Oddities & Entities placed as Finalist/Short Stories in the 2013 National Indie Excellence Awards. The full listings are at the 2013 NIEA site.

May, 2013

This has been a fast-flying month. I always welcome the pop of Nature as the cold finally slips away and the everything green comes back to life. Of course, that means a great deal of work waiting outside, hence the delay in updating for this month.

Late April, 2013

A brief addition and update to April's events. I said I was hoping to expand the 'For the Writer' page on this site to include some of the things I've learned since entering the world of book publication, and - presto! - the ideas of what I wanted to share condensed and found their way across my fingers to the keyboard. Check out the new improved 'For the Writer', version 2.0, and I hope it's of value. I also grew a little sentimental, so I added a little passage at the end of the page...but you'll have to go the page to find it.

Last but not least, my publisher picked up Prism. Book number three is on the way! I'm hoping for holidays 2013, but more likely early 2014 for a release date. Stay tuned.

April, 2013

The big news this month is one of anticipation. I've sent Prism off to my publisher, All Things That Matter Press, and now the ball is rolling, so to speak. Prism is a dandy little mix of diverse genres and narrative forms, so I'll be very happy when it comes out into the light of the publishing world. And with Prism on its hopeful way, I'm turning my creative attention to finish another book, The Lazarus Locus, which takes me back in the sci-fi/speculative realm. So many ideas, so little time.

My first ever virtual book tour has come to a close, and I'm happy to say it was a pleasurable experience and a good learning opportunity. Some of the guest posts I did as part of the tour I'll be incorporating into my blog as time goes by. As far as this site is concerned, I'm making plans to expand my 'For the Writer' page to encompass some of the things I've learned with my book publications.

Mid-March, 2013

Things are moving right along. I'm nearing the end of my proofing of Prism, so I'm quite excited about that, and very happy with the way it's taking shape. In the meantime, the blog tour rolls on, and I'm continuing to update the links below and on my 'Media & Presskit' page here on this site.

The real reason for this mid-month post, though, is to highlight a new review for Oddities & Entities, over at 'The Paranoid Gamer'. It's a very flattering review, I'm happy to say, and comprehensive in its scope.

March, 2013

With March I find myself at the midpoint of my virtual book tour and, so far, it's been a fun ride. As I did with February I'll keep a running list of specific links as the tour progresses.

In other news, I've added the last short stories I've seen into the publication spotlight to this site, so now all my published short fiction is right here at home base on Planet Strange. I've also added a new editorial polish on the stories in my continuing effort to bring them to a proper point of expression. It's not just an exercise of my perfectionist predisposition, but also a lead in to my next publication pursuit, book number three, a volume I plan to call Prism, that will consist of equal parts published short fiction and unpublished fiction. Stay tuned!

3/5: Guest Blogging at The Story Behind the Book 'The Story Behind Oddities & Entities'
3/6: Interview at Between the Covers
3/7: Book Review & Book Giveaway at Urban Girl Reader
3/8: Book Review at Deal Sharing Aunt
3/12: Book Review at Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
3/12: Interview at Beyond the Books
3/13: Guest Blogging at Moonlight Lace & Mayhem - 'Pathos and Purpose: Crafting Bizarre Characters'
3/14: Guest Blogging at The Paperback Pursuer - 'A Road Less Traveled: Crafting an Anthology'
3/15: Excerpt Reveal at Waiting on Sunday to Drown
3/18: Guest Blogging at Bibliophilia, Please - 'E-readers vs. the Printed Book'
3/19: Spotlight at Fantasy Pages
3/19: Book Review at Beauty in Ruins
3/20: Book Review at My Cozy Corner
3/21: Guest blogging at The Writer's Life - 'Creating an Anthology'
3/22: Book Review at Emeraldfire's Bookmark
3/22: Guest Blogging at Literal Exposure - 'Where, oh where, do all the strange things live?'
3/26: Review at Must Read Faster
3/27: Guest blogging at Emeraldfire's Bookmark - 'The Supernatural Might Be Closer Than We Think'
3/28: Guest Blogging at The Top Shelf - 'Putting Some Groove in the Ghouls'
3/29: Interview at American Chronicle

Last, but certainly not least, the Spring book awards season is under way, and I'm very pleased to say I've already been complimented with a placement. Oddities & Entities has been selected among five finalists in the Horror category of the 2012 ForeWord Reviews Book of the Year Awards (final award ranks will be announced in two months).

February, 2013

I'm going to create a running list here of my blog stops, with their specific links, as they come up. Links will also be updated on the 'Media and Presskit' page.

2/4: Interview at Examiner.
2/5: Interview at The Writer’s Life
2/6: Interview at Laurie’s Paranormal Thoughts and Reviews
2/7: Guest Blogging at Lori’s Reading Corner - 'Creating an Anthology'
2/8: Interview at Books Books the Magical Fruit
2/12: Guest Blogging at Delphina Reads Too Much - 'Where, oh where, do all the strange things live?'
2/15: Interview at Book Marketing Buzz
2/18: Guest Blogging at Precious Monsters - 'Putting Some Groove in the Ghouls'
2/19: First Chapter Reveal at As the Pages Turn
2/19: Interview at Literarily Speaking
2/20: Interview at As the Pages Turn
2/21: First Chapter Reveal at Beyond the Books
2/22: Interview at Review From Here
2/25: Interview at Pump Up Your Book

February, 2013

Now that the excitement of the Superbowl has passed and another NFL season becomes history, it's time to make a little 'history' of my own.

My virtual book tour, courtesy of Pump Up Your Book, commences Monday, February 4 and will run through to the end of March. The schedule is full of good things and is listed at Pump Up Your Books. I've also added it to my 'Media & Presskit' page.

In other news, I appeared on a radio interview with Senior Voice America's afternoon show, 'Health, Wealth & Wisdom' Wednesday, February 6 at 5pm EST.

The interview is at the 'Health, Wealth & Wisdom' archive. I have a quick mention in the program intro, and my interview segment runs from minute 65 through minute 78.

Last but not least, I've moved all the 2012 news updates into the 'Vault' page. Grab a flashlight, and head to the basement, if you dare...

January, 2013

Ah yes, the new year is here, and things are shaping up for an exciting year ahead. I've been working on publicity goals, and so, to that end, I've decided to call in the professionals at Smith Publicity. They've been invaluable in steering many great leads my way, so in the weeks and months to come I should have good things to share. I've also book a virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Book, which is set to run through February and March. With this as well I will be updating as more information comes available.

In the meantime, more reviews are coming for Oddities & Entities, and they will be finding their place on the 'Reviews' page I keep here. Part of my exposure plan is to work more with Goodreads, so a good number of these reviews will be appearing there as well.

For now I'm going to leave the 2012 news updates here on the home page, but in the near future they're going to find their way into the 'News Vault'. Onward time marches...

________________

For older news posts, I've archived them on a separate page in an effort to keep the homepage here as tidy as possible. So, if you're interested in how things have gone on a month to month basis, grab a flashlight and venture into The News Vault.

(RETURN TO TOP)

Site launch: June 2010
Last update: May 2013