Today’s the day! Dagger and Coin, the companion novel to Sword and Verse, is available NOW in hardcover and e-book. I like to think of this book as the rage feminism fantasy epic that we all need right now, featuring Soraya Gamo, the sharp, ambitious would-be queen who must learn to work with her former enemies to rebuild a broken society.

Order now at: harpercollins.com | IndieBound | amazon.com | barnesandnoble.com

Heidi Heilig, author of The Girl from Everywhere says “Rich in politics, intrigue, and betrayal, Dagger and Coin  is a complex feminist fantasy featuring a tough and prickly ex-princess that I couldn’t help but adore.”

Kirkus says: “Soraya’s compelling narration makes the minutiae of management as thrilling as the betrayals, murders, and desperate gambits propelling the plot…A fine balance of political intrigue, relationship drama, and thoughtful characterization.”

School Library Journal says: “MacMillan has created a complex, nuanced world. Strong female characters taking the lead in a fast-paced plot will appeal to fans of fantasy, mythology, and works by Kristin Cashore…Those who haven’t read the first title in the series will not be disappointed or confused. A good choice for fantasy shelves.”

Join me for Dagger and Coin events!

Wednesday, October 10 at 1:30 PM: “The Heroine’s Journey” at Fall for the Book (Fairfax, VA)

I’ll be discussing feminism and fantasy with Deborah Schaumberg, author of The Tombs, at Fall for the Book.

Saturday, October 13 and Sunday October 14, 11 am-5 PM, Maryland Renaissance Festival (Crownsville, MD)

I’m thrilled to be launching Dagger and Coin at Page After Page Bookstore at the Maryland Renaissance Festival!  Join me to get your signed copy, learn how to write your name in the language of the gods, and collect some groovy swag!

Sunday, October 21, 5-7 PM: Choices and Consequences – Writing Workshop at The Ivy Bookshop (Baltimore, MD)

Geared to Grades 7-9. $30 registration fee includes a signed copy of Dagger and Coin and an Ivy Journal. Grades 7-9. RSVP to 410-377-2966 or MarthaAtTheIvy@gmail.com by October 14.  Learn how to analyze your story through the lens of choices and consequences to create coherent plots, compelling characters, and satisfying endings. Click here for more information.

Friday, October 26 and Saturday, October 27: West Virginia Book Festival

• Friday 11:30AM-3 PM: Signing at the SCBWI MD/DE/WV Booth
• Friday 3:30-5:30 PM: Storybuilding (free writing workshop). Learn how to focus on the specifics you need at each stage of the writing process to build your characters’ world without ever losing sight of the story at its heart.
• Saturday 11 AM: Nita’s First Signs storytime
• Saturday 12:30-2:30 PM and 4-5 PM: Signing at the SCBWI MD/DE/WV Booth
• Saturday 3 PM: Nita’s First Signs storytime

Saturday, November 10, 11AM-1PM: Read Local Kick-Off Party at Winchester Book Gallery (Winchester, VA)

Come help us kick off the Maryland/Virginia/Delaware/Washington D.C. Read Local Challenge! Join us for an all-ages storytime at 11 am, featuring American Sign Language stories and songs, followed by games and crafts featuring the 42 books in the Read Local Challenge and a book signing for both Nita’s First Signs and Dagger and Coin. You can win great prizes just by participating! Find out more about the Read Local Challenge here.

Check out the complete calendar of upcoming appearances for more information!

Click and listen!

I’m on the Reading with Your Kids podcast today talking about writing in multiple genres, ambitious female characters, and addressing the political through fantasy in Dagger and Coin. Click here to listen for free!

Enter to win!