Author Allen M Werner

Novella, new book or new short story. Whatever you want to call it, Ares in Chains has arrived and comes in just under 15,000 words making it a quick and easy read for many.
I hope Ares In Chains will be the first in a long series of novellas centered on Greek mythology. The Shades of Myth Series.
These novellas will be classic retellings of ancient stories from my own unique perspective, hopefully putting a new twist on lesser-known tales.
Ares in Chains focuses on a brief period in time when the gods of Mount Olympus held Ares accountable for the death of Poseidon’s son, Halirrhothius. The God of War had avenged an attack on his daughter, Alcippe, by Halirrhothius.
History doesn’t have a lot to say about the particular event. It is briefly covered in several ancient manuscripts without any of the text explaining details of the murder and case or how an outcome was reached. It is like a footnote about something important that happened but wasn’t important enough to expound further on.
I decided to put my own spin on the tale and dramatize it. I hope readers will find this interpretation of events interesting.
I still have several larger projects in the works. Shades of Myth will be my side project. I have several more novellas in mind and these novellas will focus on stories not commonly known to anyone but the most devout admirers of Greek Mythology.
I originally intended to release Ares In Chains on Google Play Books as an eBook but as simple as the site seems, I hit an unanswered wall I did not like. They rejected my manuscript out of hand as if I didn’t own it. They said I needed to file another form to defend my right to produce my own work. They didn’t bother to highlight the issue so I could address it directly.
So, I am back at Amazon KDP.
Amazon KDP has some hoops to jump through, but over the years I’ve learned a lot about the hoops, and I have gotten pretty good at hoop-jumping now. And when there is a problem on KDP, they are clear about the problem so it can be addressed quickly.
As of this date, 12/29/25, Ares In Chains is live and available on Amazon KDP for $2.99.
The Paperback version has not yet been approved for sale but should be very soon. It will be $7.99 for the Paperback.
This is not a long epic tale. This is a simple novella readers will find to be a quick, easy and entertaining read. (Also, my daughter is the artist for the cover art)
Let me know what you think. Leave a review wherever you do purchase the book and let others know about it. Word of mouth is still my best form of advertising, and it has surprisingly served me well over the years. I still can’t believe I have found so many devoted readers all over the world. I would have never thought that was possible when I first began, especially being a self-published author.
Thanks again to all my supporters for their patience. It’s been a long, difficult year but we’ve gotten through it. Here’s hoping 2026 brings us all many days and nights of good cheer, health and love.
You can find a link to the new book below.
Stay tuned for more updates.
Stay inspired and keep reading!

Allen M Werner is the author of the epic dark fantasy series
THE CRYSTAL CRUX