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! He is a tom cat with attitude!
I told you he liked company. So it seemed natural to write about cats, and I kept a diary. My dad was and still is one of my other great sources of inspiration. He has travelled extensively to the Far East, and Middle East and is a wonderful raconteur.
As far as my writing is concerned the inevitable happened. I was the typical teenager. I got distracted. I found boys, discos, parties, and my writing suffered. Somehow I didn’t pick it up again for a very long time. This is a regret. A massive regret. But what can I do? I can’t travel back in time, I don’t have a Tardis. So I just have to accept that the time is right now. You see, I’m still this young girl at heart, just stuck in an older and maybe wiser body. I have experienced more, travelled more, lived more, so hopefully that will make me a better writer.
Several events came together to ignite my desire to write again. First of all I read a lot. At the time I was reading Dorian Gray and it was definitely a novel that captured my imagination and set my mind free. Also my eldest daughter was studying GCSE Art and I took a sudden interest in art and photography. I’m not saying that I can paint or draw, though I wish I could. No, I enjoyed watching her artistic development and I enjoyed sharing ideas with her and encouraging her.
All of these influences helped me to write my first book, a children’s/YA fantasy set in Cambridge, which I have now published. The female protagonist in my novel is a teenage girl who paints a puzzle of art. But it is by no means a novel simply about Art. She expresses her sadness, and discovers her magical powers, through the medium of painting and via crystals and well the rest you will find out when you read the book. Let’s just say that a lot happens and I think that it will keep you entertained! Well I hope so anyway.
Also I know this sounds crazy but my other source of inspiration was a black cat, a throw back to Chester. I had never seen this strange black cat before and suddenly he just started appearing in our garden. There was something different about him. He appeared like a miniature panther, all glossy and splendid, looking for attention, with his mesmerising eyes, I fell under his spell. He liked to show off, he would disappear into thin air, climb to ridiculous heights, or chase his tail around the garden like a demented clown. He just had to play a part in this book too. Lets just say he has a subsidiary part to a main character, who is male, young and very interesting too, just like him. That was the beginning. Looking back I am amazed that from just a few initial thoughts my idea just seemed to grow and grow. Now my debut novel is nearly ready for the final edit. How did that happen? I couldn’t be happier in fact if I had a tail, I’m sure I would be whizzing around and around chasing it with excitement!
Update: I released my first book The Curse of Time Book 1 Bloodstone in August 26th 2017 in kindle form via Amazon. The paperback is now released too.
To buy follow this link: http://mybook.to/TheCurseofTime
Unique Selling Point: Unique, Imaginative, ‘Charming, enchanting and richly layered this is purely delightful.’
“This delightful book will appeal to teens and young adults who love stories filled with magical crystals, dark family curses, and mysteries waiting to be solved around every corner. Each chapter leads you on a journey of discovery where Amelina earns the right to use three wizard stones to reset the balance of time and finally break the curse that holds her family hostage. A captivating tale!” – Colleen M. Chesebro (Editor)
Bye for now, xxxxx
M J Mallon Author – The Curse of Time – Book 1 Bloodstone
My links:
Authors Website: https://mjmallon.com
Collaborative blog: https://sistersofthefey.wordpress.com
Twitter: @Marjorie_Mallon and @curseof_time
Founder of Facebook – #ABRSC Authors/Bloggers Support Group:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1829166787333493/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17064826.M_J_Mallon
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mjmallonauthor/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mjmallonauthor/
Tumblr: http://mjmallonauthor.tumblr.com/
I love your blog. Good luck with the queries. I am querying now. I make a point to send off a few every day. We will hit the jackpot!
Good luck! All the best to you.. 🙂
Hi, I loved the whole post. You write beautifully. Looking forward to reading more!
-Ishu
Thank you so much that is so kind of you. Appreciate your kind comment and your following my blog. 🙂
I was so glad to find your site, I can see I will enjoy it. I’ll come back and read the rest of your post, I was just passing though for a moment 🙂
Oh do feel free to stop by again. 🙂
I like your writing style, it’s very conversational. I’m often inspired by animals too!
Thank you so much, Carolee thank you for stopping by. 🙂
Best of luck with the book, Marje.
Thank you Mary. Appreciate your good luck wishes. 🙂
Well, this is an interesting read, Marje. I decided to dig deep into your blog’s archive and I’m so pleased I did because, here, I see the beginnings of ‘The Curse Of Time.’ It’s told me how it all began and I can almost see the whole journey and that finishing post (which I hope will be in Nov 2016).
Lovely to read about how writing has interacted in your life. If you find that TARDIS, then please let me know because, like you, I’d go back and get serious about my writing many years before I knuckled down and started to.
Yes it is a big regret, and I’m struggling to find that Tardis! I keep encouraging my daughter to write – she has plans to be a novellist too! Luckily she has oodles of time to accomplish her goals. I better hurry up, or she’ll get there before me!
Two published authors in the family sounds fantastic, Marje. Better get your skates on. ⛸
That would be amazing! We are so alike! 🙂
have a very nice monday dear
Kisses
Thank you. Hope you are having a lovely Monday too. 🙂
Loved the post. I used to keep a diary as well and, I had a dog, Chikkush, a pug…
Great to know about your writing journey. Best of luck for your upcoming book… 🙂
Thank you so much for your lovely encouraging comment. 🙂
I’m a cat lover too. Once my dog Lilly lost her puppy. My baby brother found her a baby kitten. She was so happy adopted the kitten right away. She milked the kitten as if it was her own puppy! But you know something? when that kitten grew up, he did know how to cover it wastes. He could climb up to the tree, but didn’t know how to get down. Many times my brother had to climb up the tree to get him down. Once we found him crying so hard on the roof. My poor brother had to borrow a ladder from our neighbour to take him down! My mother said it’s because his mother was a dog.
Ah what a sweet story. Your poor brother having to climb up ladders to take the kitten down!
Marje, your story inspired me. I’ll write something about my pets. Thank you!
Thank you Myra. Look forward to reading it. 🙂
That’s funny – a cat also played a part in my first story about a million years ago. They can be fun characters. Your book sounds interesting – I love the idea of magic happening through a painting.
Marje – you are incredible and amazing blogger, I enjoyed your page – I joined you group.
Could you please so kind support and like my Facebook page, here is the link:
https://www.facebook.com/Mihran.Kalaydjian.public/
Thank you so much!
Thank you so much Mihran, for your kind words. Very touched. Have just liked your Facebook page, and thanks for joining the Authors/Bloggers Rainbow Support club. 🙂
like wise, my pleasure, I found your post informative and valuable,,,
It sounds interesting. Blending art and magic
That’s what I thought too! Thanks for your kind comment. Planning to release my ebook 26th August more news about that will be coming soon. 🙂
So much can transpire in life to turn us from the writing path. I’ve found my way back as well, and that path is nothing like I ever thought it would be, ever. Keep on writing!
Thank you Jeri, and you too, enjoy your writing!
How neat. I always love learning what inspired other authors, especially authors who didn’t start out of the gate as writers, to try their hand.
Thanks Allie it’s been a long time coming but one of the best decisions of my life. So glad I found out who I am! Lol. Xx
I love to heard how ppl started writing 😀 Its such a treat to learn something new about ppl 😀
Thank you Elin. Glad you enjoyed!
It’s always interesting to read the histories of writers. It seem most of us start as soon as we learn how to string words together in a notebook.
Yes I suppose there is always a tendency to be creative. Thank you for popping by and leaving a comment. 🙂
A pleasure.
🙂
There’s a long history of inspiration by animals. A cat is no surprise. Mine is often my dog!
Oh, yes dog’s can be pretty inspirational too, my friend Colleen’s lovely dogs sugar and spice certainly were. I once looked after a very cute dog called Zog for the day and wrote a Tanka about my experience: https://mjmallon.com/2017/07/06/colleens-weekly-poetry-challenge-40-sugar-spice/
Love the new picture of you; love the post and blog!
Thank you. Nice to change it up. That’s an old pic but I love it too. 🙂
Hello! What a wonderful story of your path to writing! I found your blog and your book by chance when looking for author and book blogs. As a writer working on my first book myself, your path rings very true. I wrote a lot as a child and at school, but unfortunately like can get in the way sometimes. I am now making a concerted effort to carve out some time for my passion. I will grab a copy of your book when I have cleared my current reading backlog! 🙂
Thank you Pandora and good luck with your writing passion. Hope you enjoy The Curse of Time when you get to it. 🙂
Thank you for sharing your story. I know how you feel about coming back to writing and wishing to some degree you’d been here all along. In the end at least you did. And it’s true, you’re wiser and more experienced now and have much more to offer your writing. Good for you for taking that step and doing it and publishing your work. Keep it up!
Aww, thank you so much for your kind encouragement. I really appreciate it. I’m so glad I did pursue my writing and continue to do so. 🙂