Karen Martin
ALLi Author Member
Location: Australia
Genres: Mind Body Spirit, Fantasy/SciFi/Speculative, Literary Fiction, General Fiction, Religion, Womens Fiction, Historical Fiction
I grew up and ran away with the Women's Circus, created plays in prisons and wrote theatre that strived for transformation. I won awards for my work (thank you), got funding to travel to write in-situ and learned to listen and embrace the muses to write novels. Dancing the Labyrinth is my first book in the thematic series Women Unveiled. Each novel can be read separately but are united by a distinctive feminine narrative exploring societal boundaries and transitions. The series blends Greek mythology, history and imagination in the telling of (almost true) stories.
Karen Martin's books
Genres: General Fiction, Historical Fiction, Womens Fiction
Formats: E-Book, Paperback
Age Groups: 18+
When Aphrodite is humiliated by Hephaestus, she plots revenge. As divine payback, she curses his beloved island Lemnos, turning love into loathing and unleashing a reckoning of betrayal, bloodshed, and for Hypsipyle, an impossible choice between opposing loyalties. For readers drawn to retellings of Greek mythology through a feminist lens like those of Pat Barker, Natalie Haynes, or Madeline Miller, Hypsipyle and the Curse of Lemnos is a fierce, lyrical reclamation of one woman’s struggle to shape her destiny following the repercussions of a divine retribution.
Genres: Advice & How To, Humour, Self-Help/Personal Development
Formats: Paperback, Hardback
Age Groups: 18+
A red flag is a warning sign. In sport it will stop the game because of a foul or danger. In relationships, red flags are not so literal. They are metaphoric signals advising caution. But here's the thing, they are not always obvious. You must be paying attention. Unfortunately, I was distracted. The Little Book of Red Flags is a tangled dance of love and loss, sprinkled with a dash of social media wisdom and a pinch of self-respect. Through quotes and musings, these snippets speak to the heart of personal experience, revealing their significance as red flags only in hindsight.
Genres: Contemporary Fiction, Historical Fiction, Womens Fiction
Formats: E-Book, Paperback
Age Groups: 18+
Runner up 2025 Eyelands Book Award DELPHI is the highly anticipated sequel to the captivating story of Dancing the Labyrinth. Set four years after their fateful meeting, Cressida and Angela have built a life together, sharing a warm and loving home as they co-parent Cressida's son, Andreas. However, just as Cressida begins to believe her past is firmly behind her, an unexpected visitor arrives. A mysterious aunt brings with her an intriguing financial proposition that threatens to unravel the stability Cressida has worked hard to achieve. As the past resurfaces and secrets are unearthed, Cressida finds herself embarking on a journey to Delphi, a place rich with symbolism and significance. It is within the ancient walls of Delphi that Cressida must confront her deepest fears and the choices that will shape her future. In this enthralling sequel, author Karen Martin masterfully weaves together themes of family, love, and self-discovery, taking...
Genres: Historical Fiction, Magical Realism, Womens Fiction
Formats: E-Book, Paperback, Hardback
Age Groups: 18+
From the award-winning writer and director of The Women’s Jail Project and author of Dancing the Labyrinth, comes an evocative tale that unashamedly merges renowned historical characters and events in a spellbinding story of destiny. “I should have assumed with parents known to the world as Mary Magdalene and Jesus Christ, I would be different.” And Sara is different, for she time travels forward into other people’s bodies. When Sara, whose Aramaic name means ‘bringer of happiness,’ wakes up in Sarah-Marie, a young Cathar girl from Montségur, she believes it is her destiny to rescue her from the 13th Century siege. By saving Sarah-Marie, Sara hopes to safe-guard her mother’s gospel. In this odyssey of death, destiny and soul’s purpose, we join Sara as she journeys from Jerusalem to Egypt to Crete, until finally to France, heeding her call. Narrated by the daughter of Mary Magdalene, the Bringer of Happiness...
Genres: Contemporary Fiction, Historical Fiction, Womens Fiction
Formats: E-Book, Paperback
Age Groups: 18+
Winner of the International 2024 Eyelands Book Award (Self Publishing) Cressida flees to Crete, hoping to escape her abusive past. Nothing goes to plan when she discovers she is pregnant, and she fears her baby may inherit her father's violent genes. It takes an ancient matriarchal culture to teach her otherwise. Dancing the Labyrinth moves between contemporary and ancient Crete in this tale of a young woman from an abusive background who discovers the veiled history of Europe’s most advanced civilization of the Bronze Age – the Minoans.
Genres: Humour, Self-Help/Personal Development
Formats: Paperback, Hardback
Age Groups: 18+
A companion book to the Little Book of Red Flags, this curated illustrated collection of ‘I’m sorry’ statements provides a guide to identify what’s on offer: a heartfelt apology, a half-hearted one, or something in between. Relationships are great - until they aren’t. One minute, you’re embraced in feelings of bliss; the next, you’re smack in the middle of an argument that seems to have come from nowhere. Sure, a good apology can help patch things up, but what happens when it just doesn’t feel right? Whether you’re on the giving or receiving end, The Little Book of Apologies unpacks the delicate art of saying sorry whether it is genuine, awkwardly given, or not at all. From sincere remorse to cleverly disguised non-apologies, explore with Lil' Kaz what makes a real ‘I’m sorry’.