Newest promotion. Join the commotion.

We've been thinking lately on the matter of promotions. Each month, we usually have a title that enjoys free shipping for that entire month. This month, April, we have two titles. Albany: a Bio in Poemtry by Ben Ohmart, and Where I'm Coming From by Jay Walker. Why?

Because it's National Poetry Month and we've always enjoyed good poetry.

So until April 30, any orders for either of those titles through our website will receive FREE domestic shipping, or greatly reduced international shipping.

But that's not all. We've been thinking of other promotions.

To continue with the poetry theme for April, we've decided to open a short little raffle. Between now and midnight EST of April 30, you're invited to send in a rhymed couplet. Doing so will enter you into a raffle in which a randomly selected entree will receive a FREE copy of Albany or Where I'm Coming From.

You can submit your entry as a comment to this post (either on Facebook or Blogspot) or e-mail your entry in to info@merryblacksmith.com.

Good luck!

--John

p.s. Stay tuned for more Merry Blacksmith news coming up about a great new SF collection by Don D'Ammassa, and a new, updated edition of The Joy of Booking by Bud Webster, author of ther Locus-recommended Anthopology 101.

What news?

As the Merry Blacksmith Press nears its first anniversary, I'm honestly amazed at how great a year it's been. We've put out some very fine books, and they've all received great reviews. At this point in time, there are still a couple of days left to get Hugo nominations in. We think that Bud Webster's ANTHOPOLOGY 101 would make a fine addition to the Best-Related nominations list, and that Tim Pratt's very successful fourth Marla Mason novel, BROKEN MIRRORS, would likewise look great sitting there on the BEST NOVEL nominations list.

Just putting that little bug in your ear.

Earl Kemp will be appearing at the Los Angeles Paperback Show next week and he'll have copies of WHO KILLED SCIENCE FICTION on hand to autograph and sell. If drop by, don't forget to grab a flyer showcasing some of our other titles.

Back to awards for a sec...Merry Blacksmith author Connie Corcoran Wilson brings in two from eLit Awards with a Silver for IT CAME FROM THE '70s and a Gold for HELLFIRE & DAMNATION. Way to go! Connie will be appearing at the Wizard World Con in Austin, and at the New York Book Expo.

As far as new release go, don't forget that for the entire month of March, Bradley H. Sinor's incredible collection of fantasy stories, WHERE THE SHADOWS BEGAN & OTHER STORIES comes with FREE domestic shipping and greatly reduced international shipping.

As for upcoming titles, look for Ben Ohmart's ALBANY: An Autobio in Poemtry coming very soon.

And we have much more coming up over the next few months. Stay tuned for details including a special release planned for Renovation and one or two for next year's Chicon.

Yeah...it's a fun ride. It doesn't end here. We'll have more news on our other great titles coming up.

Cheers!

Some (but not all of the) New Titles for Spring

For the entire month of March, orders for Where the Shadows Began & Other Stories by Bradley H. Sinor will enjoy FREE domestic shipping and drastically reduced international shipping. If you haven't ordered yourself a copy yet, you don't know what you're missing. Consider tales that:

• A theatre where the play’s the thing and nightmares perform.
• Fog that, if you walk into, you will come out to find the world changed—and that you must face the greatest killer of an age.
• How the burden of legend, honor and the pain of love lost stretches down through the ages.
• The sands of a beach where choices made cannot be unmade.
• A tale as old as time—from an unexpected point of view.
• Who cleans up after the titans clash?

Brad's fantasy takes you into uncharted territories of wonder and possibility. It's a highly recommended read.

Speaking of great reads, coming soon is a fine collection of poetry from Ben Ohmart. In Albany: an Autobio in Poemtry, Ben takes a different approach to biography by presenting a series of poems which not only encapsulate his own experiences growing up, but which also envelope the reader in a shared experience. It's not often one finds poetry that talks about playing Frogger or Space Invaders as a child, or enjoying comic books or Star Wars action action figures (from the first trilogy). If you're a Merry Blacksmith reader, then you're probably a little bit of a geek and proud of it. Ben's one of us and it shows. Look for this book around the beginning of April.

Cheers!

And poetry, too

And you know...we also publish poetry.

It's true. Our most current offering is Jay Walker's long-awaited second book, Where I'm Coming From, a collection of poems that express the Rhode Island experience through the poet's eyes and heart. But Where I'm Coming From is not just a love letter to Rhode Island; it’s a declaration of the status of his emotional journey to the ultimate destination of peace, love & nakedness for all. Walker writes about everything from world issues to the aspects and events of his own life and art.

On the horizon, we're happy to be introducing a new volume of poetry from Ben Ohmart, Albany: An Autobio In Poemtry.

Stay tuned for samples from each.

Cheers!

--John