Today, I am delighted to share with you my cover reveal for my debut fantasy YA novel:

The Curse of Time – Book 1 – Bloodstone

I’m delighted with the cover – Wendy Anne Darling at BOOKXEEDO Book Covers has done a marvellous job. Isn’t the cover just beautiful? Thank you Wendy so much.
Cover photography credit: Chronopage and grasshopper – John C Taylor, OBE.

Cover photography credit: author photo – Georgina Mallon.

Cover photography credit (spine) :  Bloodstone – Alex Marlowe.

Synopsis:

On Amelina Scott’s thirteenth birthday, her father disappears under mysterious circumstances. Saddened by this traumatic event, she pieces together details of a curse that has stricken the heart and soul of her family.

Amelina longs for someone to confide in.  Her once carefree mother has become angry and despondent. One day a strange black cat and a young girl, named Esme appear. Immediately, Esme becomes the sister Amelina never had. The only catch is that Esme must remain a prisoner, living within the mirrors of Amelina’s house.
Dreams and a puzzling invitation convince Amelina the answer to her family’s troubles lies within the walls of the illusive Crystal Cottage. Undaunted by her mother’s warnings, Amelina searches for the cottage on an isolated Cambridgeshire pathway where she encounters a charismatic young man, named Ryder. At the right moment, he steps out of the shadows, rescuing her from the unwanted attention of two male troublemakers.
With the help of an enchanted paint set, Amelina meets the eccentric owner of the cottage, Leanne, who instructs her in the art of crystal magic. In time, she earns the right to use three wizard stones. The first awakens her spirit to discover a time of legends, and later, leads her to the Bloodstone, the supreme cleansing crystal which has the power to restore the balance of time. Will Amelina find the power to set her family free?

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This is  my writer’s blog about me and my crazy journey to becoming a half decent author.

Well how did I start writing? It was quite odd really. I used to write as a teenager. At the time I had a ginger tom cat called Chester, Mr. Popularity, everyone loved him. He liked to venture afar and we would often have to rescue him. I remember one occasion in particular, my brother and I ended up trudging through the woods, in Blackhall in Edinburgh, to pick him up from a house in the vicinity. He ended up at the most peculiar places. One time he chose to visit a house with thirteen cats!

Here he is looking very much like a tom cat with attitude!

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Today I’m thrilled to have over, friend, author, and blogger, Marjorie Mallon with her debut book, The Curse of Time – Book 1 of the Bloodstone series, a YA Fantasy novel. Marje writes at her blog Kyrosmagica about writing, inspiration, photography, and magic Haiku. She also the founder of our Facebook group Authors/Bloggers Rainbow…

via Guest Featured Author with a New Book – MJ Mallon – The Curse of Time — D.G. Kaye Writer

Discover The Legends of Windermere series via C.S. Boyak, (the creator of Lisa Burton Radio.) In this blog post Craig showcases an excerpt of Path of The Traitors in the Charles E. Yallowitz, Legends of Windermere series. Charles’s first book, ‘Beginning of a Hero’ is free! Click on the source below to find out more…

Source: Back to Windemere

This is in response to Charli Mill’s Carrot Ranch Flash Fiction Challenge. The theme is riptide.

Here’s my entry:

The Riptide Suitcases

The riptide hid in two shallow suitcases. Foreign tee-shirts lay crushed against jumpers, jeans pressed unfolded next to sandals and boots. I lifted my daughter’s larger suitcase up; it was heavy but not as heavy as my swirling heart.

No traffic impeded our journey. The ripples began early, too early. We shared coffee but didn’t eat. The departure gate beckoned. The riptide began. It burst out of me. I cried, no I wailed. Guilt crashed against waves of sadness. Sadness wrestled and drowned my heart. Never again will I feel such depths of emotion. My adventurer, daughter had gone.

Recently my daughter left the UK for at least a year (perhaps more,) to work abroad in South Korea, teaching English as a Foreign Language. I couldn’t be happier for her but I couldn’t be any sadder either at her departure. I cried and cried! Such emotions, perhaps I’d been keeping them in for a long time? I didn’t cry when she went to University, and now I made up for it, spectacularly. What an outpouring!

To enter Charli’s challenge respond by September 19, 2017 to be included in Charli’s compilation (published September 20). Rules are here. All writers are welcome!

https://carrotranch.com/2017/09/15/september-14-2017/

Perhaps you have had similar experiences when your son or daughter has left home? Do comment below.

Bye for now,

My social media links:

Authors/Bloggers Rainbow Support Club on Facebook
Twitter: @curseof_time

Instagram

Facebook

Tumblr

Fellow Administrators of our Authors Bloggers Rainbow Support Club #ABRSC on Facebook, myself, my good friends Colleen Chesebro and Debby Gies. Click on Colleen’s and Debby’s photos to be directed to their awesome blogs. These ladies rock!

https://mjmallon.com

http://dgkayewriter.com/

I’ve had a fantastic week, on Monday I met the esteemed inventor Dr John C Taylor, OBE.

What an experience, Dr Taylor is an extraordinary person. He is an inventor, pilot, adventurer, photographer, architect and philanthropist. After meeting him it’s no wonder that I’d be inspired to write a Tanka poem about one of his amazing Chronopage inventions. He has three in total, the Corpus Chronopage below resembles a grasshopper and features on the front cover of my novel.

Here I am with Dr Taylor by the Corpus Chronopage in King’s Parade, Cambridge.

Below is the Midsummer Chronopage, a huge mythical fly-like creature with intricate wings and a sting in its tail.

http://www.johnctaylor.com/the-chronophage/midsummer-chronophage/

And the interactive Dragon Chronopage does everything a dragon should short of breathing fire and flying away.

Here’s a close up of the dragon’s shiny blue tongue with pearl!

and now for the eye!

http://www.johnctaylor.com/the-chronophage/dragon-chronophage/

Isn’t the Dragon Chronopage fabulous?

Using Colleen’s prompt words this week – voice and watch – I wrote a little Tanka poem. I used statement instead of voice and I kept watch even though I had chronograph.

Before I tootle off I’d just like to say that Dr Taylor has some magnificent stamps that you can order and collect featuring his wonderful inventions – all proceeds go to the Teapot Trust – a worthy charity – art therapy for children with chronic illness:  http://www.teapot-trust.org/

Here’s the link to order @DrJCTOBE  stamps: https://www.iompost.com/stamps-coins/collection/invention-and-innovation-dr-john-c-taylor-obe/

All funds received by Dr Taylor from sales of these stamps will be donated to the
Teapot Trust.

To read more about Dr Taylor’s Philanthropic work here’s a blog post I discovered about his professorship of innovation: https://venitism.wordpress.com/2017/04/28/professor-of-innovation/

To join in Colleen’s weekly poetry challenge follow the following link:

https://colleenchesebro.com/2017/09/12/colleens-weekly-poetry-challenge-no-50-haiku-tanka-haibun-voice-watch/

Many thanks to the lovely Tina Fotherby at Famous Publicity for emailing me the wonderful images of the Dragon Chronograph and Midsummer Chronograph.

Photography Credit: Dragon Chronograph, Midsummer Chronograph – Dr John C Taylor, OBE.

If you’d like to vote for me in the WritersDB first line and cover contest here’s the link to my blog post about that: https://mjmallon.com/2017/09/08/please-vote-for-me-in-authorsdb-first-line-contest/

Bye for now dearest clock and dragon lovers don’t forget to leave a fiery message below.

Much love,

My social media links:

Authors/Bloggers Rainbow Support Club on Facebook
Twitter: @curseof_time

Instagram

Facebook

Tumblr

Fellow Administrators of our Authors Bloggers Rainbow Support Club #ABRSC on Facebook, myself, my good friends Colleen Chesebro and Debby Gies. Click on Colleen’s and Debby’s photos to be directed to their awesome blogs. These ladies rock!

https://mjmallon.com

https://colleenchesebro.com/

http://dgkayewriter.com/