Colleen’s Weekly #Poetry Challenge # 39 – MIRROR & HARBOR


Today for Colleen’s Weekly #poetry challenge I’m focusing on a short excerpt from my debut novel The Curse of Time – Book 1 – The Bloodstone  which I will be releasing this summer, (all the relevant details have been emailed to my book cover designer!) plus a new Tanka I’ve written.

Excerpt: The Curse of Time – Book 1 – the Bloodstone

I felt the need to unravel the mystery of my father’s disappearance. Somehow, I knew it all began with Esme, a captured victim of a curse who lived in the mirrors of our house and kept out a watchful eye. I could see her but Mum couldn’t. As far as I could tell, neither could Dad. That suited me because Esme was my secret.

I remembered seeing Esme shortly after she had vanished from school, when Dad disappeared, two years ago. The memories of that day flooded into me so much that I’d thought I had been hallucinating. Poor Esme. When I saw her reflection staring at me in the mirror, the first thing I did to acknowledge her presence was to grab a flannel and try to wipe her away. Some welcoming! Except, she wasn’t a reflection she existed. When she spoke, I almost fell over in shock. 

‘Hey, stop that,’ she scolded, ‘I don’t need a shower, you’re making me all smeary.’ I stepped back and stumbled in surprise. This was crazy. Bizarre. Extraordinary, how could this be happening? At that moment, I felt like I had tumbled into a Dr Who mystery. Who else had such a dysfunctional family – a disappearing Dad, an accomplished vanishing cat, a cranky Mum, and now, a girl who lived in mirrors for a best friend? No one!

© M J Mallon 2017. All Rights Reserved.

Time's up!Time out!

 

Hope you enjoyed the Tanka and that the excerpt piqued your interest.

Here’s an infographic to see the type of themes I’ve explored in my YA debut novel – The Curse of Time. Come, enter the maze….

Untitled design (1)

To join Colleen’s fun challenge follow the link: https://colleenchesebro.com/2017/06/27/colleens-weekly-poetry-challenge-39-mirror-harbor/

Bye for now,

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My social media links:

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Twitter: @Marjorie_Mallon
Twitter: @curseof_time

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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/

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Marje @ Kyrosmagica

Hi. Welcome to my blog: M J Mallon - Kyrosmagica Publishing. A blog about magic, books, writing, laughter, and much more! I'm a YA fantasy author, poet and reviewer. My first YA fantasy novel The Curse of Time - Book 1 - Bloodstone is set in Cambridge and Book 2 - Golden Healer is now out too. As well as this, I have contributed to several anthologies, created my own with some amazing international writers, bloggers and creatives during the pandemic: This Is Lockdown and written two poetry collections: Lockdown Innit Poems About Absurdity & Mr. Sagittarius Poetry and Prose. I write book reviews on my blog and on Goodreads, book bub and on my bookstagram. I have a penchant for travel and have relatives in far flung places, Australia, Malaysia, and Singapore, (my birthplace.) I grew up in in Bonnie Scotland, in Edinburgh, and now live in Cambridge. I love sunny, hot places, particularly Rome, Venice, Portugal, Barcelona, and I forgot to mention the sun drenched beaches of the Caribbean, how could I? I am lucky to have been blessed with two lovely daughters and a husband who I fondly refer to in this blog as my black sheep. Family joke! With my passion for travel, culture, beautiful beaches, good food, books, theatre, writing, and humour, I hope to keep you entertained. I'm loving every minute of this creative journey, please join me.

50 thoughts on “Colleen’s Weekly #Poetry Challenge # 39 – MIRROR & HARBOR”

  3. Marje, I’m tingling reading this excerpt – Poor Esme and also her friend who had such a shock! This reads so well and has me hooked; what happened to her father and more importantly what about the vanishing cat! The tanka draws us in further into the mystery. I love the infographic of your themes…highly original and visually appealing.

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  8. Marje! I have goosebumps! I am loving your sneak peeks and how the words are leading you down new poetry paths. You are rocking it! ❤ ❤ ❤

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  17. Love your Tanka Marje, and your excerpt too, has me most intrigued about this Esme…and of course, although not revealed here, about Shadow 🙂 I am all for shocking details yet to be revealed! So excited for you! Will share… xxx

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      3. Ahh…so lovely to read this today dear Marje. Sorry it’s taken me so long to reply, I’ve been off the radar in all respects manically packing and getting ready for the move on top of myriad other ‘stuff’. Last week was awful, we were supposed to exchange last Monday and complete and move this Friday and then a problem with the deposit at the bottom of the chain stopped everything, threatening to break the entire chain and possible lose our purchase. I was devestated and got so low about it all, as this was the final blow after an already horrible year with so much stress and worry, not least over my youngest and his upcoming surgery as you know (still waiting for a date). It seems as of this morning, things can be saved, but with the house packed up (and lots more to do) and having had to cancel the removals, we’re in limbo. Just hoping that by the end of the day things will be resolved and we can carry on. Sorry to blurt all this out to you…I felt so bad at having to leave a few comments unanswered and took a few moments to catch up as I miss you and everyone and haven’t even been on FB as I deleted my app as I couldn’t deal with anything for a while, it’s been so stressful. I’ll try to get over there today. Anyway, here’s my massively long message to your sweet, short and heartfelt one which has made my day, thank you so much and I’ll catch up with you as soon as I possible can my friend. Until then, I hope you’re enjoying a lovely summer 🙂 ❤ xxx

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      4. Sorry for the late response Sherry. We’ve been away to Natasha’s graduation in Brighton. Only back today. Had a lovely time, weather was fantastic. Can’t believe three years have flown past so quickly. She is really sad at the prospect of leaving Brighton. Just hope that she will find a job soon. Hope your house move went off as planned, that all sounds so dreadfully stressful. And that your son’s upcoming surgery will not involve a long wait. Take care, so very lovely to hear from you. Like you I have been a bit scarce of FB of late. But, back home now, will try to engage more. All the best for a happy summer. 🙂 ❤ xxx

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      5. Arrrgh…no apologies necessary Marje. I’m the one who should be apologising for my long absence. So glad Natasha’s graduation in Brighton went well even down to the fantastic weather (oh it is beautiful there isn’t it when the sun shines?!). Do hope things are falling in place for her and she soon has a job. Those 3 years do fly by for sure. I’ve been away from all social media getting ready to move house and then it all went horribly wrong on the day of exchange. I’ll try to put up a short post or FB update, not sure what yet. Meanwhile, I’m hiding away as it just got too much for a while…but needed to check in here and get myself out of my pity party. At least I’m back to writing again and have resolved to take this time to crack on big time with my memoir. For a while I couldn’t write at all with so much going on and my not so great mental state. Sill hoping the move will happen – long story – but not for a few weeks, so living in a house semi packed up and taking this opportunity to get the memoir finished at last before I return to anything else as after so long I am back in the flow and am literally terrified of losing it again. I know you will get what I mean, writer to writer! So sorry to have missed your posts and FB updates, I do hope I haven’t missed anything important and you haven’t thought me a bad friend, but I have switched off my social media apps and only come on my laptop for writing and quick catch ups such as now and of course personal admin etc. I do hope all is going well with your upcoming publication, do send me a link to my FB page and I’ll help promote it as best I can. Thanks for asking about V, his surgery is in 6-8 weeks but no date as yet. Thank you so much for keeping in touch Marje. I will return to better FB engagement as soon as I can, but I wanted you to know what’s been going on. Miss you tons! Have a wonderful rest of the summer and we’ll catch up soon. Take care my dear friend… ❤ xxx

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      6. So sorry to hear that it fell through on the day of exchange. How terribly stressful and disappointing for you. So sad for you. Moving house is a total nightmare, been there done that had similiar experiences in the past. Guess what my daughter Natasha has been offered a job in South Korea, teaching English as a Foreign Language. Her dream job she longs to travel and has a fascination with Asian culture, particularly Korean and Japanese. So I’m trying to process that – mixed emotions – excited and happy for her but also sad she will be so faraway for a year! Missing you too Sherri. All the best for the summer months to come. And don’t worry about being scarce on FB, I understand. All the best for V’s surgery. Take care, ❤ xxx

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      7. Thanks Marje, it truly is a total nightmare and as I type this, I’m waiting for ‘the’ call from a 2nd viewing hoping beyond hope they put an offer in on our house so we can press ahead again, but the endless waiting is so stressful. But wow for Natasha, that’s amazing news, you must be so proud, and what a thrill for her! V has a fascination for Japan too and has self taught himself to speak it for many years now. It’s something he hopes to pursue when he is able. I keep encouraging him… It will be an incredible experience for Natasha, but fully understand your bittersweet emotions. Although a year sounds such a long time, it will fly by. Maybe you will be able to go and visit her! Tell her congratulations from me! My good news is I’m writing up a storm with my memoir revisions, using this time as a sort of now or never. I’m reticent to return to FB or anything while I do this during this weird lull of the whole house situation. The hours tick by when I’m writing which really helps. Thanks so much for understanding…I will be back as soon as I can! Great to pop in here and chat with you my friend…and thanks for your kind message for V’s surgery. Will keep you posted, wating for the date. Hope all is going well with you and your upcoming book publication. Great we can keep in touch one way or another!
        Have a great week Marje and catch up with you again very soon….you take care too… ❤ xxx

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      8. Hope you get some good news soon Sherri re: your house move. Yes, Tasha is very excited about her job abroad. So glad you are progressing with your memoir revisions Sherry that’s awesome. I’m currently in Edinburgh on a short visit up to see my mum, dad, brother and mother in law. So excited to be up here, love Edinburgh so much. All seems to be going quite well with the book release, but loads to do, can’t keep up with it all! I’ve even taken to writing a to do list which is very unlike me! Catch up again soon, Marje xxx ❤

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      9. Thanks so much Marje. Still writing, which is good, but also still waiting, which isn’t, although as of this week, it looks as if things might move soon with our original buyer still in the loop…but I daren’t say too much, been burnt too many times! Hoping so much for good news in the next day or so…trying to keep positive. I know you will have been there and back again since you said about going to Edinburgh to see your family, but I hope you had a wonderful time. I’ve been to Edinburgh once and fell in love with it and so hope to go again one of these days with hubby. It’s a most beautiful place isn’t it? And so atmospheric and packed with history. I hope you’re managing to do all those tasks for your upcoming book release. I would be lost without my to do lists, which lately seem to be a daily thing. Crazy time. I’ll try to catch up on FB soon, but I’ve got my family home this weekend for V’s birthday, so won’t be until next week…and will have proper house news again too. But I will catch up with you next week for sure…have a great weekend my friend, not long to go now… thinking of you! 🙂 ❤ xxx

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      10. Hi Sherri thank you for your lovely message. Had a lovely time up in Edinburgh catching up with mum, dad, my brother, mother in law and friends. Only regret too short and I wasn’t up there for the book festival. Sigh. But I did manage to soak in the festival atmosphere went to one show before I had to get back to work! Feeling a bit stressed as there is a lot going on Chez Le Mallon’s getting my daughter ready for her going abroad to work beginning of September. TEFL in South Korea! Have a lovely family time and wishing V a great birthday. ❤ xx

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      11. Ahh…how wonderful! A shame about the book festival…I always seem to miss them too. Yes…a stressful time for you. Thinking of you and hoping all goes off without a hitch, and wishing your daughter all the very best in her new venture. And a special big hug for Mum too…I know too well what it’s like, having waved my chicks off at airports over the years… Thanks Marje, it was a lovely family day with V and he says thanks for your birthday message 🙂 Be in touch soon my friend…and I’ll try to keep calm if you will 😉 🙂 ❤ xxx

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