MARK OF THE GODDESS
has arrived
Sometimes a blessing can be a curse.
Young Maya bears the mark of the moon goddess, a sign that would doom her to sacrifice in her village where the death god is revered. Forced to dye her golden eyes dark, Maya lives in constant fear of discovery. To save her family and the village’s future, she must find the courage to stand up to the high priest before he can bring the death god into this world.
Cover design and illustrations by A. L. Kaplan
I’m thrilled to be going to Chicon 8 September 1 – 5, 2022!
The 80th World Science Fiction Convention
Hyatt Regency Chicago
151 E Wacker Drive
Chicago, Illinois 60601
Here is my schedule:
3-D Paper Craft, Friday, September 2, 2022, 10:45 AM CDT
Yoga and Juicing Isn’t Fixing This, Friday, September 2, 2022, 1:00 PM CDT
Teen Table Talk – A. L. Kaplan, Friday, September 2, 2022, 4:00 PM CDT
Readings: Anthony W. Eichenlaub, A. L. Kaplan, Emily C. Skaftun, Saturday, September 3, 2022, 4:00 PM CDT
Legacies and Traditions: Looking at the Past for the Future You, Sunday, September 4, 2022, 11:30 AM CDT
See you there!
Check out this great review of Star Touched by Rea Keech.
Review by Rea Keech
Star Touched is a dystopian novel that takes place after a terrible Cataclysm has destroyed much of the country. It is also a fantasy novel in which some survivors of the Cataclysm have received magical powers. And it is a young adult novel with the theme of accepting others who are different and a focus on teenage and young twenties characters, with older characters depicted as caring parental figures or cruel bullies.
Read the rest of the review on Real Nice Books:
Sometimes it’s hard to be who you are meant to be.
Especially when your powers can get you killed.
Eighteen-year-old Tatiana is running from her past and her star-touched powers eight years after a meteor devastates earth’s population.
Her power to heal may be overshadowed by more destructive abilities. Fleeing the persecution of those like her, Tatiana seeks refuge in a small town she once visited. But this civil haven, in a world where society has broken down, is beginning to crumble.
Only by harnessing the very forces that haunt her can Tatiana save her friends…and herself.
Plagued by memories not her own, a young hummingbird struggles to decipher the visions and powers that set her apart from her fellow birds. But the road to awareness is fraught with danger that could doom her to repeat history.
One step toward understanding.
One stride toward survival.
One leap toward flying free from the past.
A Hidden Past – A Deadly Secret
Gifted with the ability to wolf-talk, Kara has lived with the wolves since she lost her memories eight years ago. Now at sixteen, snippets of her past send her searching for answers.
But the warm welcome she receives in the human village hides more danger than life with the pack.
For many years I’ve been working to earn a membership to the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA). Until recently, the only way to join was to be published by specific qualifying markets. Publishing today is a vastly different animal than it was even a few years ago. Many talented and highly successful authors have self-published or have been published through small presses. In March of 2022, SFWA updated is membership qualifications to accommodate this changing environment.
I am a science fiction and fantasy author who has been published through small press. (Star Touched – Intrigue Publishing & several anthologies through other small press.) I’ve also self-published some of my short stories. (Look for Mark of the Goddess this fall) Sales have been good, but with the old SFWA membership requirements I didn’t qualify to join.
I am happy to say that now I do.
On May 30, I received a wonderful email saying that my application was accepted. Welcome to SFWA.
I read this at 1:30 AM Sunday morning at Balticon. On Saturday, I had moderated a panel on Getting the Most Out of Your Writing Organization, where we discussed SFWA’s new changes. Most of the other people on the panel were already SFWA members and I mentioned that I had applied. Needless to say, after two days of excitedly greeting people I hadn’t seen in three years, and reading that email, I didn’t fall asleep any time soon.
My first instinct was to announce to the world. First, I wanted to tell my family and a few authors at the con who I really liked and respected. All of them were excited for me as I bounced up and down while sharing the news. (They could have been laughing, which is still okay.) Several gave suggestions on how to navigate this brand-new open door to resources and networking. There was one person who made it clear that they thought SFWA had lowered their standards to let the riff-raff in. I tried not to let that bother me too much.
Now I’m sharing this wonderful news with you. Sorry it took so long.
Happy writing and reading.
Sometimes it’s hard to be who you are meant to be.
Especially when your powers can get you killed.
Eighteen-year-old Tatiana is running from her past and her star-touched powers eight years after a meteor devastates earth’s population.
Her power to heal may be overshadowed by more destructive abilities. Fleeing the persecution of those like her, Tatiana seeks refuge in a small town she once visited. But this civil haven, in a world where society has broken down, is beginning to crumble.
Only by harnessing the very forces that haunt her can Tatiana save her friends…and herself.
Plagued by memories not her own, a young hummingbird struggles to decipher the visions and powers that set her apart from her fellow birds. But the road to awareness is fraught with danger that could doom her to repeat history.
One step toward understanding.
One stride toward survival.
One leap toward flying free from the past.
A Hidden Past – A Deadly Secret
Gifted with the ability to wolf-talk, Kara has lived with the wolves since she lost her memories eight years ago. Now at sixteen, snippets of her past send her searching for answers.
But the warm welcome she receives in the human village hides more danger than life with the pack.
Check out what Michele Chynoweth said about Star Touched!
5.0 out of 5 stars Exciting Read
Reviewed in the United States on May 1, 2022
“This novel grabbed me from the first page and didn’t let go! The characters and setting were richly developed, especially the main character, Tatiana. I found myself rooting for her and the townspeople she encounters along the way, holding onto the edge of my seat along a roller coaster ride of a story. Bravo, I can’t wait for A.L. Kaplan’s next book!”
Sometimes it’s hard to be who you are meant to be.
Especially when your powers can get you killed.
Eighteen-year-old Tatiana is running from her past and her star-touched powers eight years after a meteor devastates earth’s population.
Her power to heal may be overshadowed by more destructive abilities. Fleeing the persecution of those like her, Tatiana seeks refuge in a small town she once visited. But this civil haven, in a world where society has broken down, is beginning to crumble.
Only by harnessing the very forces that haunt her can Tatiana save her friends…and herself.
Emily really enjoyed Hummingbird.
5.0 out of 5 stars Great descriptions!
Reviewed in the United States on April 18, 2022
“Hummingbird has a great progression from beginning to end, with wonderful description and overall themes to guide us through the story. I loved the way this story was written and how impactful it was despite its short length.”
Did you get your copy yet?
Plagued by memories not her own, a young hummingbird struggles to decipher the visions and powers that set her apart from her fellow birds. But the road to awareness is fraught with danger that could doom her to repeat history.
One step toward understanding.
One stride toward survival.
One leap toward flying free from the past.
Sometimes it’s hard to be who you are meant to be.
Especially when your powers can get you killed.
Eighteen-year-old Tatiana is running from her past and her star-touched powers eight years after a meteor devastates earth’s population.
Her power to heal may be overshadowed by more destructive abilities. Fleeing the persecution of those like her, Tatiana seeks refuge in a small town she once visited. But this civil haven, in a world where society has broken down, is beginning to crumble.
Only by harnessing the very forces that haunt her can Tatiana save her friends…and herself.
A Hidden Past – A Deadly Secret
Gifted with the ability to wolf-talk, Kara has lived with the wolves since she lost her memories eight years ago. Now at sixteen, snippets of her past send her searching for answers.
But the warm welcome she receives in the human village hides more danger than life with the pack.
Only One Day Left To Get A Free Copy of Hummingbird: A Star-Touched Story
The promotion ends Sunday, December 19th at 11:59 PM.
Plagued by memories not her own, a young hummingbird struggles to decipher the visions and powers that set her apart from her fellow birds. But the road to awareness is fraught with danger that could doom her to repeat history.
One step toward understanding.
One stride toward survival.
One leap toward flying free from the past.
To commemorate my first World Con, a digital copy of Hummingbird: A Star Touched Story will be available for free on December 15-19, 2021
Plagued by memories not her own, a young hummingbird struggles to decipher the visions and powers that set her apart from her fellow birds. But the road to awareness is fraught with danger that could doom her to repeat history.
One step toward understanding.
One stride toward survival.
One leap toward flying free from the past.
Charles French started a November Self-Promotion Party. The link to his original post is below.
Don’t be shy. Tell us about your books.
Here are some of mine.
HUMMINGBIRD: A Star Touched Story
Plagued by memories not her own, a young hummingbird struggles to decipher the visions and powers that set her apart from her fellow birds. But the road to awareness is fraught with danger that could doom her to repeat history.
One step toward understanding.
One stride toward survival.
One leap toward flying free from the past.
Sometimes it’s hard to be who you are meant to be.
Especially when your powers can get you killed.
Eighteen-year-old Tatiana is running from her past and her star-touched powers eight years after a meteor devastates earth’s population.
Her power to heal may be overshadowed by more destructive abilities. Fleeing the persecution of those like her, Tatiana seeks refuge in a small town she once visited. But this civil haven, in a world where society has broken down, is beginning to crumble.
Only by harnessing the very forces that haunt her can Tatiana save her friends…and herself.
A Hidden Past – A Deadly Secret
Gifted with the ability to wolf-talk, Kara has lived with the wolves since she lost her memories eight years ago. Now at sixteen, snippets of her past send her searching for answers.
But the warm welcome she receives in the human village hides more danger than life with the pack.
Want to hear the beginning of HUMMINGBIRD: A Star Touch Story?
You can find it and many other events at the
Here is the direct line to the HUMMINGBIRD reading.
Purchase a copy of HUMMINGBIRD: A Star Touched Story here.
Sometimes it’s hard to be who you are meant to be.
Especially when your powers can get you killed.
Eighteen-year-old Tatiana is running from her past and her star-touched powers eight years after a meteor devastates earth’s population.
Her power to heal may be overshadowed by more destructive abilities. Fleeing the persecution of those like her, Tatiana seeks refuge in a small town she once visited. But this civil haven, in a world where society has broken down, is beginning to crumble.
Only by harnessing the very forces that haunt her can Tatiana save her friends…and herself.
A Hidden Past – A Deadly Secret
Gifted with the ability to wolf-talk, Kara has lived with the wolves since she lost her memories eight years ago. Now at sixteen, snippets of her past send her searching for answers.
But the warm welcome she receives in the human village hides more danger than life with the pack.
