Happy Halloween! Flash Fiction: The Ghostly Jacket of Discovery

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Happy Halloween everyone!!!

I’ve written a Halloween themed piece of flash fiction for Esther Newton’s flash fiction competition. Here is the link if you’d like to find out more. Esther Newton Blog: Last Call for Flash Fiction Entries. But today is the last day for entries so get on your witch’s broom and hurry up. The prompt is discovery, so doesn’t have to be Halloween related!

The Ghostly Jacket of Discovery

Last night the sliding wardrobe had been closed but this morning it lay open.  All of Ed’s shirts were freshly laundered and ironed. His ties neatly arranged in perfect rows, his shoes polished and shiny. Iris pulled his biker jacket off the hanger. It was his one aberration, the one piece of clothing that was different. He had loved that jacket, had said that it carried special memories of freedom, laughter, and happiness. He had refused to throw it out, long after the leather had cracked, and its colour had faded. Iris laid it on the bed, pulling at the tiny threads that held loose buttons.  For some odd reason, it soothed her to stretch the thread to its furthest point and to hear it snap. Soon the jacket button’s hung in shame, one more pull and it would be over. There’d be no snap back, no ping and return. She gently placed it back on the bed, caressing the threads as if asking for forgiveness.

Musing about her long happily married life she knew she had gone beyond mourning Ed’s death. She might as well have died with him. She hadn’t answered the phone, read her emails, or engaged in any way with anyone. This had gone on for months. She had survived on infrequent sips of water, tinned food, and crackers. 

Her eyes returned to the crumpled jacket. She hadn’t moved it, but now it lay with its two sleeves pointing in opposite directions. She touched the left sleeve; it ached with a strange heaviness.   The right side felt light and airy, tingling with the promise of fresh discovery. 

She picked up Ed’s jacket and hugged it, inhaling the faint but familiar scent of his aftershave. She smiled; Ed had always worn the same scent, oaky, masculine, and liberating. Walking out into the night air she drew in a deep breath, she shook, tears cascading like released diamonds onto the hard concrete slabs.  Each breath nearly killed her with its fierceness, but she courageously took another and another. Soon she was giddy with recklessness. A ghostly shudder gripped her by the shoulders and tingled down her arms before reaching her widowed heart. She reached up standing on tiptoes, longing for Ed’s kiss. She was rewarded by the gentlest of caresses, feather light but exquisite.  She melted in his ghostly arms and smiled a happy but fleeting smile.

Ed’s ghost saw her sudden sadness and sighed. He touched her cheek saying, ‘My love. Ditch the jacket. It’s time to buy a new one. You wear it this time. Discover all there is to know about the liberating thread of a life well lived.’

She looked at the jacket, and noticed that the loose threads had drawn together in a heart shaped goodbye.

 

© Marjorie Mallon 2016 – aka, Kyrosmagica. All Rights Reserved.

Hope you enjoyed my piece of flash fiction.

Bye for now,

 

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The Spam Monster

This is for all of you have come under the threat of the spam monster. It has been quite a problem recently for several bloggers, our well intentioned comments not appearing on blogs…. So I wrote this little poem with that and Halloween in mind.

The Spam Monster

It’s all hallows eve,

You’ve no time for a pet peeve,

The wretched spam monster making curds,

Of your well thought out words.

 

He insidiously turns your comments into mush,

Sweeps them all away with a hot-wired brush,

He’s all wires and circuitry,

His gadgetry puts you into purgatory.

 

But, don’t fret, don’t worry, help is at hand,

The Happiness Engineers Askimet band,

Party together, they’ll help you out.

No need to storm, stamp, and shout!

 

Stick your perky pumpkin by your computer,

Light it with a ferocious candle to neuter,

That bloody spam monster with his big hooter,

Mr snooty, snotty, snooper.

© Marjorie Mallon 2016 – aka, Kyrosmagica. All Rights Reserved.

If you need any help with this problem Hugh has written a great post how to contact the Askimet engineers – here’s the link: Hughs Views And News: What To Do If your Comments Are Ending Up in Spam Folders

Bye for now,

Hope you liked the silly poem!

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Why I May Have Ended Up In Your Spam Folder

Unfortunately it looks like I’ve been taken hostage by the spam monster too. I have been replying to your comments – the one’s I’ve seen – good idea to check your spam folders. Thank you to the bloggers who alerted me to this issue. Thanks to Hugh for this post of what to do if the spam monster gets you, reblogging to spread the word.

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Rigby and Peller Fashion Show – Addenbrooke’s Breast Cancer Appeal

 

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I am so thrilled to be part of the team of lingerie stylists at Rigby and Peller, Cambridge. This is a totally new venture for me. I’ve never worked in lingerie before, in fact in my previous retail job in John Lewis I was ensconced in the menswear department, amongst woolly jumpers, socks, underwear, and other male paraphernalia.

Since joining the company I’ve been impressed by Rigby and Peller’s training programme and their positive attitude and intention to make women feel good about themselves.

So with that in mind I put together the above slide show and this little blog post to tell you all about a very extraordinarily inspiring evening.

The Addenbrooke’s Breast Cancer Appeal Fashion Show was held in the Grand Arcade in Cambridge on the 4th of October. Several retail companies joined in the event including Rigby and Peller. Today I heard the wonderful news that the goal to raise £10,000 for the Addenbrooke’s appeal towards the cost of biopsy equipment for the breast cancer unit has now been met, and is being surpassed!

My manager at Rigby and Peller, Jenny Mason – one of the organisers of the event – has had first hand experience of the devastating effect of cancer, having lost her father to this dreadful disease. Jenny and Natalie Emuss (one of the models,) have worked tirelessly to make the fashion show such an enormous, and memorable success.  Much respect to them both.

Here’s my daughter Georgina at the fashion show with her camera at the ready. A big thank you to Jenny Mason for allowing Georgina to take photographs of the event.  Georgina is currently studying for three diplomas in Photography, Media Studies and Business Studies.

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This was Georgina’s first opportunity to take part in a photographic shoot and what better event to begin with than one that was so charged with emotion. The awesome women modelling lingerie and fashion had us spellbound, as did their husbands and partners. I so admire their bravery and positivity.

Georgina chose four of her favourite images to share with you here: one black and white  and three in colour.

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What a great start to her photographic studies.

I will leave you with one of our shop windows at Rigby and Peller advocating :

Strength, Courage, Love.

I couldn’t agree more!

Don’t forget to pop into Rigby and Peller to donate your unwanted bras in store this October. Or do what you can to raise money and awareness for breast cancer sufferers.

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Links:

Saffron Walden Reporter Brave breast Cancer Models

Addenbrookes Breast Cancer Appeal Fashion Show Facebook Page

To donate:

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Natalie-Emuss2

Bye for now,

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Independent motion – can you help?

Can you help Sue Vincent’s son Nick follow his dreams? Please do what you can to help this amazing man who has been through so much. Reblog, share, and donate what you can to Nick’s Go Fund Me Campaign.

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My Kyrosmagica Review of Soulless by Gail Carriger

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Goodreads Synopsis:

Alexia Tarabotti is laboring under a great many social tribulations.

First, she has no soul. Second, she’s a spinster whose father is both Italian and dead. Third, she was rudely attacked by a vampire, breaking all standards of social etiquette.

Where to go from there? From bad to worse apparently, for Alexia accidentally kills the vampire–and then the appalling Lord Maccon (loud, messy, gorgeous, and werewolf) is sent by Queen Victoria to investigate.

With unexpected vampires appearing and expected vampires disappearing, everyone seems to believe Alexia responsible. Can she figure out what is actually happening to London’s high society? Will her soulless ability to negate supernatural powers prove useful or just plain embarrassing? Finally, who is the real enemy, and do they have treacle tart?

My review:

Soulless by Gail Carriger is the first in the five book Parasol Protectorate steampunk series.  It’s quite a mixture: a  steampunk, Victorian, paranormal romance, fantasy, vampire, werewolf, mystery! In which Miss Alexia Tarabotti, a preternatural who has ‘no soul,’ sets off a chain of events by killing a vampire with her much loved parasol. Highly recommended – really enjoyed this. It had me laughing out loud a lot, generally sniggering in various rooms in our house, and even in public places…  I had to stifle my hysterical laughter whilst drinking a cup of tea in Starbucks!

This was my first experience of reading a Steampunk novel, and I have to say it did make me want to read more in this genre.

I enjoyed the characterisation, even the subsidiary characters were well fleshed out and entertaining, but I particularly enjoyed the hilarious love scenes between the strident, confident, Alexia, and Lord Maccon, Earl of Woosley, a Scottish alpha werewolf and head of the B.U.R, (The Bureau of Unnatural Registration.) Lord Akeldama, the fashionable vampire with his male harem, was a positive treat. Equally, I loved Mrs. Loontwill, Alexia’s mother,  her two idiotic stepsisters, Evylin and Felicity, and Floote her long suffering butler.

More than anything this novel is full of FUN, and FROLICS. If you want a light-hearted read that will make you laugh and keep you laughing this is the one. If you want a serious read then I suggest you avoid this like the plague!

My rating: 4 stars

DISCLAIMER: “As of 13th September 2017 we are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.”  

My opinions are my own and any reviews on this site have not been swayed or altered in any way by monetary compensation, or by the offer of a free book in exchange for a review. 

Buying Links

Amazon UK Kindle: http://amzn.to/2fblk3F

Amazon UK Paperback: http://amzn.to/2fbNLhO

Amazon UK Hardcover (available 20 Feb 2018): http://amzn.to/2w7jKa1

Authors Website: http://www.gailcarriger.com

Have you read Soulless? Do let me know in the comments below, I’d love to hear what you think of it.

Bye for now, Happy Reading!!!

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#HorrorOctober 2016: Week 1 Round-up — Lipsyy Lost & Found

It’s been a busy first week of bloody blogging so here’s a handy summary in case you missed anything. Wouldn’t want that would we!? (Titles link to the posts) Horror October Week 1 (1st – 7th) Welcome to Horror October 2016 Flash Fiction Battle – Vote Now Review: Revisiting An English Ghost Story Review: […]

via #HorrorOctober 2016: Week 1 Round-up — Lipsyy Lost & Found

Reblog via Lipsyy, sadly I am too busy doing final edits,  and have just started a new job, so will be mainly sharing reblogs of my favourite posts in October.

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