Read. Write. Now.

Read. Write. Now. That’s my mantra. You can usually find me with my nose in a book or my fingers on the computer keys. And here you can find info on Layla Dog Press and Blank Slate Communications, books I've written or co-written, books I'm working on, books and other projects by family members, books I've helped publish, and books I've edited or designed or laid out or just plain, flat-out loved.

  • The Paths Between The Stars Cover

    The Paths Between the Stars / Amira Makansi

  • The Sowing Book Cover

    The Sowing: Book 1 of the Seeds Trilogy / K. Makansi

  • The Reaping Book Covere

    The Reaping: Book 2 of the Seeds Trilogy / K. Makansi

  • The Harvest Book Cover

    THE HARVEST: Book 3 of the Seeds Trilogy / K. Makansi

  • Box Set of the Seeds Trilogy

    The Seeds Trilogy Box Set, with The Prelude (by Amira Makansi)

  • Oracles of Delphi

    Oracles of Delphi / Marie Savage (aka) Kristina Makansi

  • The Moment Before Cover

    The Moment Before / Jason Makansi

  • Literary Libations cover

    Literary Libations / Amira Makansi

  • THE TROUBLE WITH ROOMMATES BY MARIE K. SAVAGE (Kristina Makansi's pen name)

COMING SOON…

American Romantasy from Marie K. Savage:
First there was American Gothic, full of ghosts and monsters and puritanical guilt. Now comes American Romantasy, full of gods and goddesses and the fight for truth and justice.

IN THE WORKS…

Brutalist Satire from Jason Makansi:

Through the prism of an academic colloquium, Wrequiem at the Red Rocks prosecutes the excesses, contradictions, confrontations, and cul de sacs of contemporary American discourses and aspirations.  

What Readers Say:

“This is my very favorite kind of book, grounding imaginative fantasy in fascinating research. The Alchemist of Aleppo breathes fresh life into old legends. Makansi performs her own alchemy by transforming her meticulous research into a tale of undying love that spans centuries and continents. Writers from Longfellow to Trollope have already told the tale of the Luck of Edenhall, a Islamic glass beaker on display at the Victoria and Albert Museum, but Makansi’s unique connections to the cup open up new windows on both Islamic luxury glassmaking and the forbidden secrets of alchemy. I loved every minute of it.” —Erica Obey, author of The Lazarus Vector

“Sophisticated prose in all the best ways. Savage is a beautiful writer, and immediately drew me into her story. I was invested from the start, but from the moment Kat Musgrave, an American geneticist, and Michael Samaan, an English art historian met in front of the mysterious Luck of Edenhall goblet, Savage had me by the throat. You don’t have to believe in past lives or alchemy to find deep meaning in The Alchemist of Aleppo. At its core Savage’s novel asks questions that are timeless and essential to human existence. How do we deal with our pasts and can we keep them from poisoning our present as we make choices that will shape our futures? Is love timeless? What binds certain souls together forever? A triumph! This one is going to stay with me for a long time.”— Sophie Perinot, multi-published historical novelist

Perfect for fans of Diana Gabaldon. Kinetic and heartrending, Marie Savage weaves a history-spanning romance that commands our focus. The tension between love and time is universal, touching on the age-old question: Does love endure? Just like the artifacts in the Victoria & Albert Museum, the author has curated multiple romances from across the centuries, dusted them off, and placed them on display for the reader’s enjoyment. —Ryan Byrnes, author of My Dear Antonio

A twisty, spellbinding tale of love, both its undying light and its darkest corners. A moving exploration of what happens whenmagical alchemy offers lovers hope of rejoining each other across the centuries, and they discover, too late, the unintended sacrifices. We like to believe that love transcends time, but what if it really did? —Judith Starkston, author of Priestess of Ishana

Check out more reader reviews here!

the alchemist of aleppo

An ancient goblet unlocks the secrets
of a centuries-old love story

When Michael Samaan and Kat Musgrave meet by the display case of a fourteenth century glass goblet at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, they know immediately that they are deeply connected—to each other and to the goblet. But neither one understands what that connection means. Through a series of uncovered books and recovered memories, Michael, a British art historian, and Kat, an American geneticist, work together to peel back the layers of history—and their past lives—to find answers.

Spanning centuries, THE ALCHEMIST OF ALEPPO bends the space-time continuum of souls forever bound together and embodies our fascination with what science can’t explain and money can’t buy.

For fans of The Cloisters by Katy Hays, The Midnight Library by Matt Haig, The Winter Sea by Susannah Kearsley, or The Reincarnationist by M.J. Rose.