I love to write. For me it’s a lifestyle and a stress outlet. I enjoy seeing how my stories evolve, seeing where the characters lead me and perhaps most of all listening to readers’ responses to the tales I pen. Like many authors, I never have a shortage of ideas. They come in all sizes, styles and themes. You’ll find various novels and short stories in the menu to your left. If you’re looking for the stuff still unpublished or in the works, it’s under “Still Scribbling” on the Just the Author page.

Keep an eye out for “Giveaway” on the menu. It’ll appear when I’m giving away a published eStory for free. Enjoy….

How do you come up with so many different stories?

Someone asked me this a long time ago. My answer was a bit tongue-in-cheek, but I’m fond of it so I’m going to repeat it. Essentially a voice emerges in my head, often a fully formed character with thoughts, attitude and a distinct voice. He or she regales me with his story and pleads for me to chronicle it. Of course, he’s hardly the only voice in there waiting for a story to be told. Arguments ensue, usually devolving into something of a mental knife fight, complete with bad Star Trek TOS soundtrack. The winner lays the winning knife to my throat and threatens me. I write his story next.

— Michael J. Allen

Are you saying you hear voices?

Not the way you mean, but sure, “I hear imaginary people.”

Writing often feels as if I merely a chronicler, penning a story told in my ear – kind of like I imagine it works with a medium hearing the dead. If I didn’t hear a character’s voice I could never tell their story in a way a reader could hear it.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve come from a writing session and told one of my advance readers, “You’ll never guess what I learned today.” It’s a wonderful experience.

–Michael J. Allen

Why list so many novels if they’re unpublished?

This site is a living anthology, a presentation of my body of work. Each item I list is a finished novel even if it isn’t published. Many of them are circulating through agent or publisher submissions. Some of them are being considered for publish, whether traditional or self-published. I want them presented, their excerpt available, to whet your appetite, because it is the visitors here who can help make each one’s journey into the public eye a reality.

–Michael J. Allen