#The Ballad of Allyn-a-Dale

[outlawsofavalon]

Deejay, the Great and Terrible

So imagine that you’re a minstrel dropped into this world from a faraway fairytale universe, and your first encounter with 21st-century music went like this:

“Whoa-oh-whoa-oh-whoa —

Putcho hands up, hands up!

Shawty on the dance floor,

Shakin’ it like what, wha-what?!

I’mma be with muh baby in the club,

Goin’ all night long!

Don’t you stop my song, dee-ee-jay…”

Teeth gritted in pain, Allyn forced his hands away from his ears long enough to press the power button a second time, bathing the car in near-silence once more. He glowered at Will Scarlet. “What in all hells was that?!”

“I gather that whoever played the radio last was somewhat hard of hearing,” Will said, bouncing back from a cringe of his own. “Though whether they started out hard of hearing, or only became so after listening to hip-hop at such a volume for any extended space of time, is anybody’s guess.”

[...] Brow puckered, he tried again, his finger unintentionally sliding a little bit lower. It proved a happy accident, for the radio abruptly forsook the song about the hip-hop minstrel’s encounter with the highwayman called Deejay (or such was Allyn’s best guess as to what the lyrics had been going on about)...

(From “The Ballad of Allyn-a-Dale”, emphasis added)

Weird, sure, but as an isolated incident, it’s just one random nonsense song.

Except the more you listen to hits on the radio, the clearer it becomes that this Deejay person is no mere highwayman.

Clubbers everywhere are praying to this character as if he holds their hearts in his hands.

“DJ give us something to ride to”

“Play my song, Mr. DJ, I’m in love with the DJ”

“Oh DJ, ease my mind will you”

“I love the DJ, the DJ loves me”

“DJ’s got the party started, there’s no end in sight”

“I’m so into you ‘cause I love the DJ”

“Last night a DJ saved my life” 

“The DJ’s gonna save us, DJ’s gonna save us tonight”

“Listen to what the DJ’s spinnin’, he’s tappin’ into just what you’re feelin’”

“Close your eyes to the DJ, close your eyes and fade away”

“DJ! Don’t do this to me - I tried to do my best - I tried not to sing out of key - DJ! Don’t you dare to leave - I tried to be the one - and now I’m on my knees!”

“Don’t blame the world, it’s the DJ’s fault”

*record scratch*

What are you, otherworld minstrel, to make of it all? You never once doubted that music has power, but this...

Is the Deejay a wizard?? A legion of demons?? A sentient drug?? Is he God???

In Deejay we move, in Deejay we love, in Deejay we trust! Don’t abandon us, Deejay! We pump blood to your beat! We succumb to your groove! Don’t take my baby from me, Deejay!

It’s Deejay’s party, and we’re just living in it! But of course are those who resist.

Rebel leader Ke$ha declares “it’s time to kill the lights and shut the DJ down”. She’s backed up by The Smiths, calling for the people to “burn the disco, hang the blessed DJ”.

It is to be war.

And you can only wonder... when the smoke clears... when silence falls ... who will be left standing on the dance floor?

[the-sacred-now]

Welcome to Avalon, a Renaissance Faire where heroes of legend never die. Where the Robin Hood walking the streets is truly the noble outlaw himself. Where the knightly and wizardly players of King Arthur’s court are in fact who they profess to be. Where the sense of enchantment in the air is not mere feeling, but the Fey magic of a paradise hidden in plain sight. Enter Allyn-a-Dale. The grief of his father’s death still fresh and the doom of his own world looming, swirling realities leave the young minstrel marooned in an immortal Sherwood Forest, where he is recruited as a member of Robin Hood’s infamous outlaw band. But Allyn’s new life may reach its end before it’s scarcely begun. Their existence under threat, the Merry Men are called upon to embark on a journey to the dangerous world Outside – ours – on a quest which must be achieved without delay, or eternity in Avalon will not amount to very long at all.

My Review

For fans of the Merry Men, Ren Faires, or lighthearted, magic-just-around-the-bend urban fantasy, The Ballad of Allyn-a-Dale is an automatic win. As with all of D.E. Shipley’s works, characters are the driving force behind the unique story and beautiful style–and as usual, they are individual, charming, and full of life. Meet Allyn-a-Dale, a young minstrel whose heart is fresh from a tragedy. He’s just as freshly fallen from the magical secrets of his own world, and into the magical secrets of a modern Renaissance Faire. With his late father’s voice still ringing in his head, (Gant-o-the-Lute is quite the charismatic figure in his own right, even as an imagined echo,) the adaptable bard tentatively finds a new family in the Merry Men. The Merry Men… you’ll find the upstanding and surprisingly straight-laced Robin Hood, Marion “the fun aunt” Hood, the frighteningly-quiet and hilariously deadpan Little John, and… Will Scarlet. Incorrigible, indomitable, energetic, babbling, brave, manic, shameless, luminous fan-favorite Will Scarlet. Just wait till you meet him. You’ll see. You’ll see. What might have been a sweet, comedy-filled coming-of-age story takes a sharp and sudden turn into action-adventure, theft, a car chase, magical shenanigans, and battles with fantastic forces. I wish I could show you some of my fan art, but–alas, spoilers! Suffice it to say, Ballad drew me in with its voice, characters, and worlds, but it riveted me with its peril. In a melodic style that matches the magic and minstrelsy inherent to the story, Danielle E. Shipley spins out a story that is at once fantastic, funny, sweet, melancholy, and dangerous. It’s rich and silly and beautiful and hilarious and deep. It’s not one hundred percent to my taste–I tend to like “grittier” and more intrigue-fraught books than this–but it’s an exactly perfect version of what it’s meant to be. For fans of The Wilderhark Tales, this is the urban fantasy continuation you didn’t know that you needed–but that you desperately needed. For newcomer’s to Miss Shipley’s works, know that The Outlaws of Avalon, while connected to the Wilderhark world, is a series all its own, and a perfectly good place to start. It’s where I started!

[outlawsofavalon]

It's the Smashwords End of the Year Sale!

Now thru January 1, get huge deals on tons of ebooks -- including *jazz hands*

~ The Ballad of Allyn-a-Dale ~

FREE with coupon code EY100. Click here to grab a copy for yourself, or gift it to a Robin Hood fan in your life.

Merry Christmas from all of us in Avalon! ^o^

[outlawsofavalon]

Why I wrote “The Ballad of Allyn-a-Dale” (Outlaws 1)

- Because it was my first NaNoWriMo, so I had to write something

- Because I saw Robin Hood at the Renaissance Faire, and I wanted to believe he was real

- Because meeting Gant-o’-the-Lute made me mad for minstrels

- Because the world of Wilderhark wasn’t big enough for its own legacy

- Because I love an adventure with friends (even if the Merry Men and I didn’t know each other as friends just yet)

- Because unbeknownst to Allyn, he had a story that needed telling

- Because unbeknownst to me, I needed my Will Scarlet in my life

- Because I am a runaway to Sherwood

Why I wrote “The Marriage of Allyn-a-Dale” (Outlaws 2)

- Because outside his book world, Allyn continued to grow

- Because our mutual friend Tirzah refused to accept the sorry father/son relationship between Gant-o’the-Lute and Allyn lying down

- Because once I’d seen what their love could be, I had to find a way to get it on paper

- Because the classic story of Robin Hood’s minstrel is a favorite of mine

- Because, as Merlin said, “Legend does have a funny way of becoming prophecy”

- Because intending “Ballad” as a standalone didn’t mean I wouldn’t leap at the chance to spend another novel in Avalon Faire

- Because you knew Will Scarlet wouldn’t be content with just one Outside adventure

Why I wrote “The Legend of Allyn-a-Dale” (Outlaws 3)

- Because outside his book world, Will was growing, too

- Because unlike Allyn, when Will Scarlet grows, there are hella growing pains

- Because sometimes the struggle is so real, the character needs to get it worked out in book form to deal with it

- Because I, like Allyn, would do just about anything for our Will

- Because I’d been sitting on this really exciting detail from my Merry Men’s medieval lives, and this was my chance to milk it the best I know how

- Because unbeknownst to me, there was a line in Book 1 that pointed right to how Book 3 would end

- Because stories – like destiny – are a weird mix of our choices and the inevitable

[outlawsofavalon]

So Overt, It’s Covert

“We’ll have to be on our toes now,” Will spoke low to Allyn. “You see, as far as the Outsiders know, I’m not Will Scarlet. I’m a fellow Outsider pretending to be Will Scarlet. So in reality, I am Will Scarlet pretending to be an Outsider pretending to be Will Scarlet.”

#BALLADquotes

[outlawsofavalon]

On Little John

Will Scarlet: I’m told he is only half as fearsome as he appears.

Allyn-a-Dale: Oh, good. Then he is only twice as fearsome as I should like.

#BALLADquotes

[outlawsofavalon]

A Veritable Something-or-Other

“I do not have breakdowns,” Allyn spoke up with dignity. “Scream like a young girl, when events so warrant. Break down, never.”

#BALLADquotes

[outlawsofavalon]

On Leadership

Robin Hood: “The best leaders know how to follow.”

Arthur Pendragon: “Fair enough. Now if only the followers could learn to do the same.”

#BALLADquotes

[outlawsofavalon]

“Why do people do that?” Robin wondered, annoyed. “Just break the rules for fun? Breaking the rules is not fun.”

Little John looked at him.

“Well, that’s different,” Robin smiled. “The Merry Men make everything fun. And anyway, we always had our reasons.”

“Right,” said Little John. “Fun.”

“And justice. And slightly convoluted integrity.”

Little John said soberly, “I only joined up for the fun.”

( mug and other #BALLADofAaD merch available via https://society6.com/everonword )

[outlawsofavalon]

#Durance

Will Scarlet: “Oh, really, Robin. When have any of us ever allowed ourselves to be thrown into prison? Don’t mention that one time.”

#BALLADquotes

[outlawsofavalon]

The author says: Happy #IndiePrideDay to all the artists doing their independent thing, and to the blessed souls who actively support them. <3

Related: Now through July 31, get an e-copy of “The Ballad of Allyn-a-Dale” for half price -- part of the Smashwords Summer/Winter Sale!

[outlawsofavalon]

#OutlawsOfHamilton

Everyone @ Will Scarlet: How do you talk like tomorrow won’t arrive?

Why do you talk like you need it to survive?

You realize we may be here for eternity?

Take a break breath.

[outlawsofavalon]

#OutlawsOfHamilton

Will Scarlet: What are you waiting for?

What do you stall for?

You saved your heroes, man.

What was it all for?

Merlin: For the thousandth time, Scarlet, when the time is right—

Will: You are ze worst, Merlin.

[outlawsofavalon]

One sight, smell, sound, feel, and taste to describe the aesthetic of "The Marriage of Allyn-a-Dale”

Sight = An arrow through the heart.

Smell = Assorted flowers.

Sound = An orchestral string section – with featured lute solos.

Feel = A sun-warmed breeze.

Taste = Popcorn, Chinese takeout, and mead.

[outlawsofavalon]

#OutlawsOfHamilton

Author Danielle E. Shipley: The plan was to write a total of five outlaws, the speaking parts probably divided more or less evenly among the Merry Men. In the end…

Shipley: Allyn-a-Dale and Robin Hood solidly spoke their share.

Shipley: Little John decided to play it largely silent, giving most of his lines to Marion.

Shipley: WILL SCARLET SPOKE

Shipley: THE OTHER 51% OF THE DIALOGUE

[outlawsofavalon]

Just Married ... erm, Released!

A minstrel with a forbidden romance, in need of a little outlaw intervention...

Return to the world of Avalon Faire in “The Marriage of Allyn-a-Dale” (The Outlaws of Avalon, Book 2)!

Now available