Ally Malinenko's Blog

On September 30th, I had what was easily one of the best days of my life. Broken Dolls my third middle grade novel was released and I had my book release at Twisted Spine – an incredible horror bookstore in Brooklyn with none other than Clay McLeod Chapman.

If you don’t know Clay, he’s the sort of guy who graciously agrees to do your launch with you and then dresses up like this

And if that wasn’t enough he arrived early, spent a half hour, as people were arriving, sitting stock still in a chair like an actual doll.

Then when we started, I told the audience we were going to play a game and had them all close their eyes. As their eyes were closed Clay got up and slowly crept closer to the audience. In the end he wound up shrieking in one of the audience member’s face. And guess who it was?

My editor, the wonderful Sara Schonberg. It was very funny.

We had an amazing talk about the book, which he described as genuinely scary – like not just for kids scary – which was very kind of him. And we talked a lot about grief. I shared about how when I started this book it was three years after my father’s death and I was ready to talk about grief. And in the writing, my mother unexpectedly passed away. My wonderful editor moved the timeline up for me so that I could take my time because now I was writing about grief while actively grieving. Which was….not easy.

Broken Dolls is in my opinion the best book I have written. Even Stephen King liked it.

I have an email from him taped up over my writing desk. He sent it while he was reading Broken Dolls. It’s three words and it just says “This is good.”

Every time I think I can’t do this writing thing, I look at it to remind myself that my hero thinks I can.

And everyone got to meet the dolls that inspired Broken Dolls. There was Eudora – my little bald baby

Tamzin, who is quite literally just a head and is in one of the scenes in Broken Dolls that scared Clay the most

Jangling Jane was there who Nat Cassidy (read all his books!) got to meet

And of course, our most villainous villain, Miss Abyss

We had a wonderful crowd as you can tell by the very stupid smile on my face

And I can’t thank Clay, the Twisted Spine, and everyone else who came out enough. I am a very very lucky girl. And you all made my dreams come true.

In other news, I’ve started radiation after a long summer of chemo. Just finished week 1 of 5 and am very much looking forward to this being over. In the meantime, my witch book is out on submission – queue anxious submission face

And I’m currently writing the Monsters in the Woods book and after that I have plans for an Alien book and after that…..who knows?*

*I did know but have since forgot. Stupid brain. Reminder friends, write your ideas down.

Anyway, thank you to everyone who has posted about, read, shared, reviewed or even considered Broken Dolls. That includes you, Steve

And yes, sending a copy to Mr. King will always be the most incredible thing in the world. Knowing that my book will sit on his shelf, the way his books sit on mine is everything.

Peace, love, and starbursts,

Ally

Hello friends

It’s been a minute. I haven’t posted here since February (which is wild) when I announced that The Other March Sisters was out in the world! I’m proud of this book that I wrote with my co-authors Linda Epstein and Liz Parker.

And we wound up being a #1 bestseller! Baby’s first orange banner

It even spurred on my first ever book tour, which was fun, but stressful for an introvert like me. I hope to have the chance to do one again some day and at least then I’ll know what to expect (i.e. very little downtime and social anxiety lol)

Since then, S’More Spooky Stories: A National Parks Anthology came out! This was my first anthology and I loved being a part of the collection – also it has inspired an upcoming Lost in the Woods horror story I want to write.

But the best thing about it is that proceeds from the book go to help our National Parks and considering our current political climate and government, our parks could use all the help they can get. I’m definitely a city girl but I was raised in a small town and value how important our park system is. If the powers that be had it their way, everything would be paved into non-existence.

Next up is Broken Dolls which is out September 30, 2025. I feel like I have been waiting for this book to come out forever – even more so after Stephen King slapped his stamp of approval on it with a blurb that blew my mind.

And for as wonderful as that blurb is (and it is wonderful) the best thing is a small one line email that I have hanging over my desk from earlier this year when he was reading it.

I see that and I think if he was reading Broken Dolls and took the time to send me that….well anything is possible.

And I guess that’s what I wanted to talk about today. Because when anything is possible that means wonderful things can happen. But it also means hard things can happen.

I don’t really want to dance around this so I’ll just come right out and say it: I have cancer again.

That was weirdly harder to type than I thought it was going to be.

In March I had a double mastectomy and reconstruction. The best thing about that is that it requires a lot of down time and man did I catch up on some horror movies. Speaking of, if you haven’t seen Hell House LLC get on that. It was good.

Anyway, after surgery we found out that unlike last time the cancer was ductal not lobular. This is not a recurrence. This is a whole new cancer. And then, in my doctors office with my husband holding my hand my oncologist said the word that I have feared the most since 2014 and my first go round with this stupid disease: Chemotherapy

Don’t get me wrong. I know that chemotherapy saves lives. I’m not stupid but there are just certain things in this world that scare people and for me it was this. You see in 2014 I didn’t need chemo. Just radiation and while my life was incredibly altered, it wasnt altered like THAT.

And now here I was staring down chemo. As of this writing I’m having my third treatment on Thursday. Not to go into too many details but I had an allergic reaction to the first treatment (anaphylactic shock) that shook me to my core. But my doctor changed the chemo and last week went fine. And I have every reason to believe this week will be fine. And the week after that. And the week after that.

Here’s me last week after week 2

So I’ll be going every week for 12 weeks. I’ve got my own weird countdown going. For instance, after Thursday, only 9 left.

Single digits, baby!

I’m not going to lie and say this has been easy or that there hasn’t been a lot of crying. Because there has. And I’m not going to ask “why me” because we all know that sometimes the universe says why not?

So is this my summer? Yes but also no.

Did I miss Stokercon? Yes. Was I very sad? Yes.

Did Tanya Pell (buy her books) organize a massive card signing at Stokercon so that my horror family could send me love?

Yes, yes she did. And I am eternally grateful.

Because, you see, my summer is also this. Its being reminded that I am loved, that this is temporary and that when it’s done, life will keep chugging along.

Because my summer is finishing the Witch book and going on submission.

My summer is seeing movies and buying books and getting ice cream

My summer is plotting out the Monsters in the Woods book.

My summer is going to my sister’s wedding.

And my fall? My fall will be even better.

Because the fact is, this – treatment – is something I am doing.

It is not something I am.

So to all my friends out there, that may feel defined by one singular thing – an illness, a break up, grief – whatever it is, remember as our friend Walt Whitman said:

You contain multitudes, my friends. You got this. I believe in you.

Peace, love and starbursts,

Ally

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

I feel like every blog post I post here is about how I have finished this book yet again.

But here’s what happened – I sent in the draft that I finished after my beta readers read it. Everyone who read it loved it and said everything was working and it was really strong so I was feeling pretty good about sending this to my editor.

Then my edit letter came back.

For reference an edit letter is a letter your editor sends you about what is and what isn’t working in your book and what changes they wanted to see. My editor is amazing and gentle and always leads with great news. And this time was no different.

But this time it was long. Eight pages long to be exact. And it highlighted plot points that weren’t working, character arcs that weren’t working. If there is an aspect of storytelling that can be done wrong, I did it wrong.

Again, she is extremely kind so all of this was delievered as gently as could be but to say that I was panicked would be an understatement. This felt like a re-write more than a revision. Whole plot points needed to change. Whole characters needed to change.

And I didn’t think I had it in me.

See the thing is, I started writing – really writing this book – a few years after my dad died. I felt like I had enough distance that I was ready to talk about my grief. And I was right. It started off well. When I sold the book, I offered my editor two books. I offered the witch book which was basically finished and I offered the idea of the Doll Book with sample chapters and an outline. This was very much not finished.

To my suprise they picked the Doll Book. Which now meant I needed to write this book about grief on deadline.

Deep breath. But I figured I had to be ready otherwise I wouldn’t have put it out there right?

So I got to work. And things were going well. I don’t like writing on deadline and personally don’t suggest that people sell things they haven’t yet written (lesson learned!) but overall I was happy with the story and how it was coming along.

And then my mom died. And everything changed. The grief was too close now, too raw, too over powering. I couldn’t sit there and tell a story about a girl filled with an ache that won’t stop because now I was HER.

There are certain things you can push through. And maybe certain things you shouldn’t push through. Maybe I should have given Harper Collins their money back and walked away. Maybe that would have been better for my mental health. But I’m not built like that. So I powered through.

And now it’s done. I made the edits (hopefully) my editor was looking for and today it is back in her inbox. I broke the bones of this story once again. And I did it with my own broken heart.

While there might be another round of edits, it is the story she saw that it could be. And she was right. Writing a book is a partnership with your editor. It’s your words and it’s your story but you have to trust them to see what you maybe can’t. And I trust her.

So while it’s not completely done and there will be line edits and pass pages, the story is what it was meant to be.

And I’m proud of it. And I know my parents are too.

Yeah.

You read that correctly. He followed me on Twitter over the summer, after listening to Neil and Nat and I discuss his novel IT on Neil’s podcast Talking Scared which was of course thrilling.

And now, he wants to read my book which is just….unreal

I literally fell over when I saw it. And then things got more crazy. I dm’d him to thank him for the kind words and never expected a reply and then his showed up in my inbox

Needless to say, he’s excited about my middle grade book. So yeah, it’s been a wild time. And once I was able to shelve my imposter syndrome (now convinced that if he does read it he’s going to be so dissapointed) and use this as encouragement to finish this draft.

Trust me, nothing keeps you typing like knowing Stephen King wants YOUR book.

And I did finish it. This was probably the hardest book I have ever written. Writing a book about grief while grieving on DEADLINE was a lot more pressure than I was prepared for. But you know what? In the end, I think it might be my best first draft ever. I changed very little in edits before sending it to my beta readers. So with fingers crossed we’ll see what they think. Still writing The End felt good.

In addition there was chatter on twitter about how people who work full time find time to write and I shared my schedule.

Some people responded saying they were going to start getting up early to write, inspired by my schedule which was really flattering and I can’t wait read all the new books that will come out of that.

But, you also need rest. The story isn’t going to leave you. Creativity needs down time too. It also needs time away from the keyboard. I’ve solved every plot hole I have ever had on that 5 mile walk to work.

So it’s time for that now. I’m taking off the next two weeks, catching up on some sleep and then when I come back from vacation, it’s time to return to the WITCH BOOK which is very close to being done but was shelved so I could draft BROKEN DOLLS.

That’s my advice to all of you. Make time for writing. But also make time for rest.

Peace, love and starbursts,

Ally

Hi all

It’s been a minute since I have posted on here. I feel like I say that every time but this has been a rough summer and fall (see previous post) and my grief has been in the drivers seat for a lot of it. I’m going to attempt to write here more regularly but no promises. I’m sure the next post will start off the same. I’m also saving all my writing energy for Broken Doll book, my next middle grade horror.

Yesterday I found out that This Appearing House has been challenged by a parent in the Keller, Texas school district.

I know that a lot of people’s knee jerk reaction to something is “yes! You got to them. You’re doing something right!” and I get that. But the truth is when it comes to children’s books it is really the opposite. With no income or access, children are reliant on adults to give them books. And it is through story-telling, which contains mirrors (so kids see themselves) and windows (so kids see other lives) that kids build empathy – and this is especially true for middle grade books.

The recent slate of bans shows that book bans are up by 33% this year with Texas ban a total of 625 books. The vast majority of these books are diverse books – including BIPOC and queer characters. And when kids don’t see themselves in books it’s bad. Representation matters. In addition, denying kids access to books restricts ideas. At middle grade level we should be encouraging kids to read, to question and explore. To learn new things. Book banning has the opposite effect. It only restricts.

According to the complaint my book was challenged, which if it does not pass review, it can be banned for up to ten years. If it does pass review all it takes is another challenge to restart the process. The reasoning is because my book discusses death.

A thing that will happen to all of us. A thing many children have already experience through losing loved ones. One of the central themes of This Appearing House is that though life can be challenging, living is worth it. That everyone is going to get one life. It is a story that I infused with hope. And it is a story that I hoped would allow kids to explore their feelings and their grief.

I wrote This Appearing House for the kids how have experienced trauma. (Not necessarily cancer, because what Jac is experiencing in the book is the ripple effect of not dealing with her feelings about what happened). We have created a world so full of hate and fear and violence and carelessness that most kids have experienced trauma. The pandemic was traumatic. They have lock down drills. Kids get abused. Books that talk about hard things are necessary and important. And if we stop having those conversations with our kids, how are they ever going to navigate this difficult world?

We’re hurting them.

There are ways to stop book bans. Stand up for your librarians. Start read-ins. Pressure local officials to get on the record against book bans. Make sure the people who are doing this know that you are coming for them. Talk about the books you love. Donate copies. Encourage open mindedness and love.

Because our kids deserve it.

Peace, love, and starbursts,

Ally

Hi all

It’s been a minute since I’ve posted anything here, I know. But we’ll get to that in a second.

I have some good news!

That’s right my third stand alone middle grade horror about grief, creepy dolls, and what it really means to be alive is coming out with Harper Collins in 2025. Which means, for those playing along at home, I will have TWO books out in 2025. My homage to all things Little Women and my first foray into adult writing, THE OTHER MARCH SISTERS and now, BROKEN DOLLS.

It was nice to have something to celebrate this summer

I’m so very happy to be working with Sara Schonfeld on another book. Sara is an incredibly supportive editor and she makes all of my books better than when she got them. I’m so grateful for her continued support and trust in my storytelling.

Also I recently was lucky enough to cohost a two part episode of Talking Scared with Neil McRobert and Nat Cassidy wherein we did a big deep dive into Stephen King’s IT. The talk was easily one of my favorites. It came from a place of love but we didn’t shy away from our feelings about problematic stuff (yes we talk about THAT scene). It seemed to be a hit with listeners and to all of our surprise, was listened to by the big man himself.

Yeah. Stephen King listened to us talk for 3 hours about his book.

It gets better. Because then, he joined Neil on the show. I talk a lot online about the horror community and how supportive they are but I want to give a special shout out to my mate, Neil. He has done so much good work to bring books into people lives, to share writers with new and old readers and to extend this horror web a little more. I couldn’t be more happy for him and this incredible success. Take a listen to the talk. It is like to old friends having a chat at the bar about their favorite things. It’s the magic of horror. Then, when you’re done, go back to the beginning and listen to all of Neil’s interviews. He puts his heart into every one of them and it shows. It is a joy for both writers and readers.

Oh, and then this happened which was also cool

Having been a lifelong fan this was a very cool albeit nerdy and stupid thing that I loved.

Also quick reminder I’m teaching a class called Why Horror about writing horror for kids for The Highlights Foundation at the end of the month if that is something you would be interested in.

And because life is never particularly fair, I also said goodbye to my mom this summer. Trish the Dish (as we call her) was a force to be reckoned with, a keeper of magic stories, a silly woman, and someone who knew how to stand up for herself. I wrote a little thing for her and it would be the greatest of honors if you would read it and get to know this incredible woman too.

It’s been a very very hard summer. Losing both my parents has affected me in ways I did not expect. I see now that I am still deep in the phases of grief and keeping my anxiety at a manageable level has proven to be a challenge. And because I know they wouldn’t want me to suffer, I am getting help. I’m only had one session so far but already I feel as I have stopped spinning and can see a path forward. For that I am grateful.

If you need help friends, please know there are people who want to help. You just have to be brave enough to ask.

That’s about it for me. I’ll leave you with this one last moment, something that always makes me smile when I see it.

“And will I tell you that these three lived happily ever after? I will not, for no one ever does. But there was happiness. And they did live.”

– Stephen King

There was happiness. And they lived.

To Big Ron and Trish the Dish. I won the parent lottery. I will miss you forever.

Take care of each other, friends.

Peace, love and starbursts,

Ally

Annnndddd we’re back from StokerCon 2023 which was amazing. It was held in Pittsburgh this year which was nice for me because it’s a place I’m very familiar with so that helped with some of the anxiety but also because I have family there too.

We drove in Thursday, and after hitting some traffic I got in with a bit of time to spare before my reading. Honestly, I hate reading from my book. And this was even harder cause the book is meant for 9-12 year olds not the adults in the room but I survived and read the teeth scene and all was good.

I had a panel called Youthful Frights: The Importance of YA and MG writing with Lora Senf (The Clackity), Darcy Coates (Dead of Winter), Clare Withers (Special Collections Librarian) which was moderated by Robert Ottone (The Triangle). It was a really great conversation and Robert – who later went on to win a Stoker (GO ROBERT!!!) was an excellent moderator.

Friday evening there was a wonderful Short Film series. And I am not joking when I say that the second to last one had a jump scare that literally made me scream (much to Lora’s delight)

But the best part of the whole weekend was meeting writers I have known only from Twitter. I didn’t take nearly enough pictures but it was an incredible time.

Agatha from She Wore Black Podcast Katrina Monroe (Graveyard of Lost Children) Trevor Williamson (SleyHouse Publishing) Brian McAuley (Curse of the Reaper)

Kathy Palm (Into the Gray), Lora Senf (The Clackity) Clay McLeod Chapman (What Kind of Mother) and Katrina Monroe (They Drown our Daughters) Rachel Harrison (Such Sharp Teeth), Nat Cassidy (Nestlings) Stephanie Gagnon (Books in the Freezer podcast) Agatha Andrews (She Wore Black podcast) Neil McRobert (Talking Scared podcast) and Brian McAuley (Curse of the Reaper) Ally Wilkes (All The White Spaces)

And there were loads of other people that I hung our with that I didn’t get a picture. I got to see Hailey Piper again and I met Cina Pelayo (and cheered when she won her Stoker!) and Catriona Ward (which was wild cause I’m a huge fan). So many wonderful storytellers!

And then it was time for the Bram Stoker Awards! Or as we call it – Horror Prom!

My nominee badge! We’re going to Horror Prom! The lovely gift package my inlaws sent to the room! The 2022 Bram Stoker winners!

It was such an exciting night. And I was so proud to hear my name and my book title read out loud during the ceremony. My biggest congratulations to Daniel Krauss for winning the first ever middle grade Bram Stoker award. And my deep thank you to the Horror Writers Association for giving us a much deserved seat at the table. Horror is for everyone and that includes kids. I’m so proud of what Daniel, Lora, Lisa, Delilah and I did. We will always be the inaugural class for middle grade and that is special.

We don’t write stories to scare kids. We write them to show kids how brave they are. I was proud of every single writer in that room, nominated or not. Every single one of us who are brave enough to tell our stories, to peer into the dark, to know that in the darkness hope resides.

Hey friends! Its spring already (though the last few days in New York City have felt like summer. It is far too soon for these nearly 90 days)!

I have some NEWS! And the NEWS is book-shaped!

That’s right! I wrote a Little Women book with some friends and come 2025 you will be able to read it! I know that sounds like a long time but I promise it will be here before we know it (oh speaking of I listened to this great podcast called InnerCosmos and now I know why time seems to go faster when you’re an adult and it’s because you are not laying down as many new memories like you did as a kid. Isn’t that both depressing and fascinating??)

So we did something, I think, pretty special with this book. It lives in the world of Little Women taking place in the story when Jo is in New York City, Amy is traveling Europe, Meg is a new mother and Beth is the only one left at home. And the biggest part about it is that it’s not about Jo. She’s not in it. Because, as you can tell from the title it’s about The Other March Sisters!

And I am so excited for you to read Linda’s incredible Amy – where she blows apart the myth that Amy is just a little brat – and I’m so excited for you to read Liz’s witchy Meg navigating new motherhood and marriage – and I’m excited for you to meet my Beth (and to read my first foray into historical, non-horror, adult writing!)

You see the thing is, we have always felt like while Louisa did a good job of making Jo fully realized, her sisters have always read a little one dimensional. So, we reached back to the real life Alcott sisters – Anna, Lizzie, and May for inspiration. And I need you to know, after reading Lizzie’s letters (as well as this amazing essay by Carmen Maria Machado) the House Angel that Louisa gave us was very different from the dark-humored woman that Louisa actually knew.

For instance, this is from one of her letters:

I hope I did that woman, the one who called herself Your Little Skeleton – the one who was more than her illness – I hope I did her right.

I can’t wait for you to meet Our Other March Sisters!

P.S. – It’s also very gay! lol

Peace, love and starbursts,

Ally

Hello! It’s been a minute but I just wanted to pop in here and say that This Appearing House has been nominated for a Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in Middle Grade Novel and I couldn’t be more thrilled.

The Horror Writers Association has been giving out the Stoker award since 1988 but 2022 is the first year they have extended this honor to a middle grade (ages 8-12) novel. I am beyond thrilled to be nominated in the inaugural year.

Voting for Active members is currently open (check your inboxes for the ballot from HWA) and the awards ceremony – which is like the Oscars for Dark Writing and affectionately referred to as “Horror Prom” – will take place in Pittsburgh (yay! my other hometown) in June. I’m excited to go and get a chance to meet my fellow horror friends.

Give a shout out if you’re coming to StokerCon!