Hello friends! Today is the book birthday of The Other March Sisters
The Other March Sisters which I co-wrote with Linda Epstein and Liz Parker takes place in the world of Little Women when Jo is in New York, Amy is in Europe, Meg is newly married and Beth is at home. We each wrote a different sister (I did Beth, Liz did Meg and Linda did Amy) purposely leaving Jo off the page.
Here’s the synopsis:
I’m sure you believe you know their story from reading that other book, which told you an inspiring tale about four sisters. It told you a story, but did it tell you the story?
Four sisters, each as different as can be. Through the eyes and words of Jo, their characters and destinies became known to millions. Meg, pretty and conventional. Jo, stubborn, tomboyish, and ambitious. Beth, shy and good-natured, a mortal angel readily accepting her fate. And Amy, elegant, frivolous, and shallow. But Jo, for all her insight, could not always know what was in her sisters’ thoughts, or in their hearts.
With Jo away in New York, pursuing her dreams of being a writer, Meg, Beth, and Amy follow their own paths. Meg, newly married with young twins, struggles to find the contentment that Marmee assured her would come with domesticity. Unhappy and unfulfilled, she turns to her garden, finding there not just a hobby but a calling that will allow her to help other women in turn.
Beth knows her time is limited. Still, part of her longs to break out of her suffocating cocoon at home, however briefly. A new acquaintance turns into something more, offering unexpected, quiet joy.
Amy, traveling in Europe while she pursues her goal of becoming an artist, is keenly aware of the expectation that she will save the family by marrying well. Through the course of her journey, she discovers how she can remain true to herself, true to her art, and true to the love that was always meant to be.
By purposefully leaving Jo off the page, authors Liz Parker, Ally Malinenko, and Linda Epstein give the other March sisters room to reveal themselves through conversations, private correspondence, and intimate moments—coming alive in ways that might surprise even daring, unconventional Jo.
There have been a bunch of goodreads giveaways and the early reviews are promising. I know some people get really touchy when authors work with classical material but I do hope readers will give our girls a chance to shine on their own.
You can pick up a copy whereever books are sold!
My next book that is coming out in September is one that SOMEONE is very excited to read.
Ahem
Broken Dolls will be my third middle grade horror novel and I can’t wait for you all to read it.
LOOK AT HER!!
Ever since Kaye’s grandfather died, she’s been obsessed with counting things: the steps to her bedroom, the
dolls on her sister’s bed, even the threads on her favorite blanket. It’s arithmomania, and with the selective
mutism that sometimes prevents her from speaking, she literally can’t find the words to talk about how she
feels now that Grampa is gone. When they take the summer to clean out and renovate his old house, Kaye
finds herself counting the days.
That is, until her younger sister, Holly, starts finding dolls. She finds them buried in the backyard, stuffed
in the walls, crammed into the closets. From the first one, Kaye knows they aren’t like normal dolls. They
smile at her like they know something, and sometimes their eyes open and close on their own. Kaye hears
her sister talking to them constantly—and she swears she’s heard the dolls whispering back.
Everyone assumes that Holly’s just a kid with a good imagination. Kaye doesn’t think it’s a game, because
she knows that Holly—and the dolls—are going to make her play with them. Forever.
Not going to lie – getting that Stephen King quote on there meant the world to me. Just emailing with the King himself was a surreal experience.
AND I had a THIRD book come out – this one was an anthology of spooky stories set in National Parks and is the first anthology I got to be a part of which was very exciting
And the story that is in there has inspired the one I’m going to be working on soon about kids who get lost in the woods and discover MONSTERS. That one is very much about anxiety.
But before then, I’m back to work on my Witch Book!
So those are my new and upcoming babies. It’s been a rough couple of years (especially 2024) so writing feels good, even when things are hard. It’s good to have that comfort.
And I wish the same for all you friends. I hope you find joy in this coming spring.
Peace, Love and Starbursts,
Ally
Ally Malinenko 