Indiana Comic Con 2015

Posted by John F. Allen Author on March 17, 2015

This past weekend of March 13th through March 15th, the 2nd Annual Indiana Comic Con 2015 occurred in downtown Indy and I was there! It was a GREAT selling day for The God Killers and a GREAT promotion day for my upcoming e-novella, Codename: Knight Ranger!

Indiana Comic Con 2015 Pic 7 While I was there, I had the opportunity to meet with one of my writing idols, comics legend and brilliant writer, Denny O’Neil! I had the honor of getting a photo with him and he’s an exceptionally nice, warm and genuine human being.

One more thing checked off of my Bucket List!

This was my first time at this event as a vendor and I would highly recommend it for other speculative fiction authors. The atmosphere was ripe with plenty of genre readers and potential, future fans. Registration and set up was a breeze and the event was very well organized and HUGE!

I also had 5 Free, hand made nail polish by Akira Lacquer on sale as well, with colors inspired by The God Killers! Click the link above to learn more and see the variety of FABULOUS nail polishes available!

My friend, 2-time Indiana, karaoke champion, Frank Smith III was also on hand, selling his memoir, Confessions of a Karaoke Singer and promoting his brand, the K.N.O.W. (Karaoke Ninja Outlaw Warrior) Warrior!

Please check out more pics below!

I will definitely be attending Indiana Comic Con 2016…SEE YA THERE & REMEMBER TBIYTC!!!

CYBER MONDAY SALE FOR THE GOD KILLERS & MORE!!!

Posted by John F. Allen Author on December 1, 2014

Hey everyone! Now that we’ve recovered, or at least we’re on our way to recovery, from Thanksgiving and Black Friday, we have Cyber Monday to look forward too!

Today, and today only, the ebook version of my debut novel, “The God Killers,” will be on sale for only .99 cents!

That’s right, only ninety-nine pennies and you can own a copy of “The God Killers!” So, if for some strange reason you haven’t already purchased my novel, now is your opportunity to do so and at a HUGE SAVINGS!

Click here to purchase: The God Killers

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But wait Johnny, there’s more!

Not only is “The God Killers” on sale, but also the anthology, “Thunder on the Battlefield: Sword, Vol 1,” featuring my most acclaimed short story, “Forest of Shadows!”

Click here to purchase: Thunder on the Battlefield:Sword, Vol 1

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SEVENTH STAR PRESS

Also, follow the link below to enter into the Seventh Star Press, “Feel the Fire III Contest,” offering a Kindle HDX (7 inch screen) as the grand prize with bonus entries for tweeting and posting about the sale. Only USA-based winners can receive the Kindle grand prize, if an international winner is chosen, a cash prize of equivalent value will be substituted and sent via PayPal. Contest entries will end at 12 AM EST on Monday, December 22nd. Winner will be selected that Monday.

Click here to enter: Feel the Fire III Contest

After you enter the contest, feel free to look around at the other wonderful Seventh Star Press titles, written by other exceptionally talented authors, also on sale for .99 cents during Cyber Monday!

Thanks and remember TBIYTC (The Best Is Yet To Come)!!!

John F. Allen will be featured author and panelist at Imaginarium Convention

Posted by John F. Allen Author on September 17, 2014

This weekend is the first-ever Imaginarium Convention in Louisville, KY, a new type of creator/reader friendly convention, in which Seventh Star Press is front and center.

I’ll be in the Seventh Star Press section with my Indy author peeps R.J. Sullivan and Eric Garrison, selling The God Killers, my debut novel and Book I in a series and a NEW line of nail polish, brought to you by Akira Lacquer and inspired by characters from the novel. Most of the time you can find me in the Vendor’s Room and if not, I’ll be on a hand either moderating or sitting in on the following panels:

Friday 5:00 PM: The Big Reveal – Plot Twists are an important part of mystery writing. Ever wonder how to keep yours from sounding trite or goofy? Come talk to our experts about how they establish and reveal twists and turns in mystery settings without being corny. Moderator: Tony Acree Panelists: John F. Allen, Tommy Hancock, Christopher Kokoski.

Saturday 9:00 AM: The Evolution of Urban Fantasy – Panelists experienced in the growing Urban Fantasy genre talk about the evolution of the genre and how both their work and the work of their contemporaries fits into the grand scheme. Moderator: John F. Allen Panelists: Marcia Colette, Missa Dixon, Addie J. King.

Saturday 12:00 PM: Paranormal Romance vs. Urban Fantasy (M) – A common misconception among readers is that Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance are the same thing. While this can be true, there are very distinct differences between the two. Our authors discuss those similarities and differences to help you distinguish between them. Moderator: John F. Allen Panelists: Missa Dixon, Nicole Kurtz, Jettie Necole Angelia Sparrow, Pamela Turner.

Saturday 6:00 PM: Racial Lines in Romance (M) – Authors and editors discuss how to properly execute an interracial romance scene without being trite or offensive. Moderator: John F. Allen Panelists: Marcia Colette, Maddie James, Annie Jones, Nicole Kurtz, Kimberly Richardson.

Sunday 11:00 AM: Urban Fantasy: The Gateway Genre – Let’s face it, Urban Fantasy is a huge trend and a growing portion of the Speculative Fiction realm. Our panelists discuss how the rise in Urban Fantasy has changed the sci-fi/fantasy landscape. Moderator: John F. Allen Panelists: Marcia Colette, Allan Gilbreath, Nicole Kurtz, Tim Waggoner.

Sunday 12:00 PM: Pulp Fiction 101 (M) – What is Pulp Fiction? This panel will cover the history of pulp writing and how today’s trends differ from the stories that started it. Moderator: John F. Allen Panelists: Earl Dean, Andrea Judy, Sean Taylor.

I expect this to be a GREAT weekend and I hope to see some of you there. REMEMBER TBIYTC!!!

EXCITING NEW NAIL POLISH LINE FROM AKIRA LACQUER INSPIRED BY THE GOD KILLERS!

Posted by John F. Allen Author on September 15, 2014

Author John F. Allen, in collaboration with Akira Lacquer presents a BOLD & EXCITING NEW line of nail polish inspired by characters from The God Killers!

PLEASE VISIT: www.akiralacquer.com for details!

INCONJUNCTION SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASY CONVENTION 2014 IS THIS COMING WEEKEND!!!

Posted by John F. Allen Author on June 30, 2014

Inconjunction Science Fiction and Fantasy Convention 2014 is being held on the east side of Indianapolis, this Fourth of July weekend! It’s an awesome local event celebrating all things within the speculative fiction realms. This year I’m attending as part of the Speculative Fiction Guild (SFG) and we’re hitting the con in a big way.

We’ll have a vendor’s booth with all of our titles, where I’ll be selling and autographing copies of my debut novel, The God Killers. Convention pricing is $15.

Also at the SFG booth: RJ Sullivan, Matthew Barron and Eric Garrison. Directly next to us is SFG member Crystal Leflar, who’s running her OWN vendor booth as event marketer for Nightscape Press, so check out their array of titles along with her own books.

The WONDERFUL folks who throw Inconjunction (the Circle of Janus) has the SFG hopping in panels this year and we’re glad for it!

This will be my second appearance at Inconjunction, first time with a novel to sell/promote and I’M VERY EXCITED to attend!

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Here’s my panel itinerary:

Friday, July 4th
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8 pm–Grand Ballroom 7 and 8: Analyzing the History of the Comic Book Movie with: RJ Sullivan and Mike Suess.
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Saturday, July 5
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11 am–Indianapolis Ballroom D: SFG Writer’s Workshop: Point of View: Why it’s Better to Have One with: the SFG: RJ, Eric, Matt, and Crystal, plus Rosemary Laurey

1 pm–Room name coming: Discussion on genre television, title forthcoming: with RJ Sullivan.

3 pm–Indianapolis Ballroom D: Modern Fairy Tales with Eric Garrison, Crystal Leflar and Rosemary Laurey.

4 pm-Grand Ballroom 7-8: Making the Jump to a Series with RJ Sullivan and Mike Shepherd.

5pm-Grand Ballroom 7-8: Comic Book Movies: Live Action and Animation with RJ Sullivan and Mike Suess.

7 pm–Harrison Room: SFG Writer’s Roundtable: Making the most of local settings in genre fiction with The SFG: RJ, Eric, Matt, and Crystal.

10 pm–Grand Ballroom 7-8: Candlelight Horror Reading with RJ Sullivan, Crystal Leflar and Jeff Seymour.
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Sunday, July 6
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11 am-Indianapolis Ballroom B: This Year’s Comic Book Movies with Mike Suess.
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While you’re there, check out James Barnes of Loconeal Books, local filmmaker Kate Chaplin of Karmic Courage Productions, and check out the show by Five Year Mission.

I HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!!!

THE GOD KILLERS GETS A FIVE STAR REVIEW! PLEASE JOIN IN ON THE LIVE CHAT GOING ON NOW!!!

Posted by John F. Allen Author on April 30, 2014

Author John F. Allen Interview and Amazon Gift Card Contest LIVE NOW!!!

CLICK HERE: http://bittenbybooks.com/?p=77136

Sponsored by BITTEN BY BOOKS

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The God Killers by John F. Allen

CLICK HERE TO READ FULL REVIEW: http://bittenbybooks.com/the-god-killers-by-john-f-allen/

“John F. Allen has a splendid and solid debut on his hands. If you are a fan of Jane Yellowrock and Mercy Thompson I think you will get a huge kick out of Ivory and The God Killers. I cannot wait to see what is next.”

Book Stats:

Paperback: 344 pages
Publisher: Seventh Star Press, LLC (July 10, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1937929167
ISBN-13: 978-1937929169

Buy a print copy of The God Killers from Amazon by clicking here.
Buy a Kindle copy of The God Killers from Amazon by clicking here.

Books in the God Killers Legacy series in the order they should be read:
The God Killers

Review Overview

Overall Rating: *****

Summary : The mechanics of The God Killer just work really well. It excellently-paced, Ivory’s voice is strong and certain, and it sets up what I can easily see as being a much wider world with endless potential. The plot is fantastic, including some very effective twists that make this a really fun read. The God Killers is obviously the opening salvo to a promising series, yet it still manages to give resolution to the initial mystery.

Come out to MAP Arts in the Park this Saturday and enter “The Spooky Author Book Bag Benefit Raffle!”

Posted by John F. Allen Author on October 10, 2013

This Saturday, October 12, 2013, the Mooresville Arts Partnership is re-launching Arts in the Park, an annual all day festival exhibiting and celebrating all aspects of art expression in the area. My good friend and fellow local author R.J. Sullivan has ask for “a little help from his friends” and gotten it from, dark fiction authors me, Matthew Barron, Nicole Cushing, and Crystal Leflar to instruct beginning-level writer’s workshops for all ages.

Read all the details and sign up for a workshop time here!

We’ll also hold an all-day raffle at our canopy for a “Spooky Book Bag” of our work–$1 per ticket gets you one chance to win a set of books valued at over $60without signatures–and the authors will sign and personalize each book on request.

This way, you can personalize a book for every horror reader on your gift list–or have all the books signed to you and keep them–we won’t tell.

To enter, find the Horror Authors Canopy. Raffle tickets are $1 each. Enter as often as you like. For each ticket you buy, we need your name and phone number (preferably a cell phone number you will be carrying with you at 5:30 that day, the time of the drawing) on the half you leave in the raffle.

Some notes:

Everyone who participates in the writer workshops earns one free ticket for the raffle. Children must have the ticket filled out by a parent.
100% of all proceeds go to MAP.
We’ll draw the winner following the 4 p.m. workshop, so some time after 5 p.m.
All tickets will be discarded responsibly. Tickets are to contact the winner. The rest will be destroyed.
Books will be “flat signed” unless the winner requests personalization. This will allow the authors to personalize books intended as gifts.
Parents take note: The books in the raffle and at the vendor tent contain adult content. We’ll do our best to sell responsibly, but we’re not going to card, nor will we judge what you let your kid read.

The Spooky Book Bag in detail. Links take you to the Amazon page:

The God Killers by John F. Allen; Secular City Limits by Mattthew Barron; We Are Dust and Death to the Brothers Grimm, both with a story by Crystal Leflar; Haunting Obsessionby R.J. Sullivan–and maybe more! Plus bookmarks and other doodads.

These books and more can be purchased all day at the vendor tent! Authors will be around to sign all day.

PLEASE COME OUT THIS SATURDAY AND SUPPORT A GREAT EVENT WHILE HAVING FUN!!!

PICK UP THE GOD KILLERS TODAY – NOW AVAILABLE ON KINDLE & NOOK!

Posted by John F. Allen Author on July 25, 2013

EXTRA, EXTRA! READ ALL ABOUT IT!

My debut Urban Fantasy novel, The God Killers is now available for purchase on the Amazon Kindle and Barnes & Noble Nook!

Click the icons below to purchase your copy TODAY!!!

THE NEXT BIG THING…who, me?

Posted by John F. Allen Author on January 28, 2013

Welcome everyone to my blog post for The Next Big Thing Hop, the traveling blog that asks authors who they consider the NEXT BIG THING, and then has them pass along the questions for those authors to answer in their blogs.

I’m honored to have been picked last week by Nia Trevisa as her choice for the Next Big Thing.

Here is my Next Big Thing Post!

1: What is the working title of your book?

The God Killers
2: Where did the idea come from for the book?

I was studying art and art history at a local university and decided that it would be cool to have an art gallery owner who recovered stolen artwork on the side. It then morphed into an Urban Fantasy because of my love for the genre.
3: What genre does your book come under?

Urban Fantasy
4: Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

I would probably cast the actress Paula Patton to play Ivory Blaque, my protagonist, Matthew McConaughey as Johnny Philcher my antagonist, The Rock as Malik Tokugawa the love interest and Shemar Moore as Antoine Valentine, the foil.
5: What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

Former art thief turned art gallery owner/art recovery professional gets caught in the middle of a secret Cold War between humans and vampires after obtaining mystically enhanced Civil War pistols and learns about her own past as a former lover threatens to kill her, while new suitors actively vie for her attention.
6: Is your book self-published, published by an independent publisher, or represented by an agency?

The God Killers is the first in a series of books featuring Ivory Blaque being published by Seventh Star Press with a tentative release of summer 2013.
7: How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

1.5 years
8: What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

None, as it is unique in its characters and situations in my opinion.
9: Who or what inspired you to write this book?

The gift of storytelling I received from God and my wife and kids.
10: What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

The novel contains horror, mystery, action/adventure and romance, features a female protagonist living in Chicago, and the story/series deals with classic and non-contemporary urban fantasy creatures as well as mythological beings and urban legends.

Below are the links to the next chain of authors, who will be posting next Wednesday. Be sure to bookmark their sites and add their new releases to your calendars. Happy Writing and Reading!

1. Urban Fantasy/Horror author: James Lee Nathan III

2. Poet and Literary fiction author: Kimberly Reed

3. Post-Apocalyptic Sci-Fi author: Paul West

4. Sword & Soul/Steamfunk & Epic Fantasy author: Balogun Ojetade

5. Sword & Soul/Steamfunk and Sci-Fi author: Valjeanne Jeffers