COVID19 Diaries 22nd April – 25th April #news #author #features #writing #family #tapas #fun

Photo by Sarah Trummer from Pexels

22nd April, 2020

Isolation for Writers

I continue to share my Isolation for Writers posts on my blog. It’s great to feel as if I am doing something to help writers during this crisis. My recent guests have been: Catherine Fearns, who has published three Amazon best-selling crime thrillers with Crooked Cat Books/Darkstroke, and she also writes as a music journalist. https://mjmallon.com/2020/04/22/isolation-for-writers-guest-post-catherine-fearns-crookedcat-crime-thriller-author-isolation-covid19/

What Have I been up to?

I wrote a new poem for my author friend Colleen Chesebro’s poetry challenge. It’s a haiku. You can read it here: https://mjmallon.com/2020/04/23/colleens-2020-weekly-tanka-tuesday-poetry-challenge-no-174-photoprompt-haiga-haiku-tree-nature/

By early afternoon I knew my hubby would be chaffing at the bit if I didn’t do some chores around the house. Window cleaner, that’s my new job role! It pays no cash but keeping my spouse happy counts towards extra brownie points. Of course, I’d much rather be writing… Eldest daughter, Tasha assisted and she’d much rather be reading. Hubby bought a special gizmo to help with the job. A no streak device – I never trust gizmos.

Well, the gizmo worked for a while until it started flashing red – a re-charge. Apparently, the re-charge takes two hours. What to do now… sit in the garden perhaps.

I know what to do… You guessed it… hide from hubby…

23^rd Apri, 2020

We did a yoga video in the morning… it was great.

I had this idea to get mum and dad a treat. A delivery of food so they wouldn’t have to go out and brave the shops. What a joke! I ordered from a company … but there was no mince…

How can you make burgers with no mince?

Later on when Mum started cooking she realised the garlic was missing too… But, she also mentioned it was tasty. Hope mum’s delivery next week has some mince… Hello! Hint Hint…

24^th April, 2020

Isolation For Writers

Today, I featured Jackie Carriera on my blog: https://mjmallon.com/2020/04/24/isolation-for-writers-guest-post-jackie-carreira-writers-authors-isolation-covid19-coping-advice-inspiring/

Jackie is an award winning author, playwright, world citizen and huge movie fan She is also a very generous lady as she kindly sent me two of her books: The Seventh Train and Sleeping Through War, looking forward to reading these.

What Have I Been Up To?

In the morning I joined in author Lizzie Chantree’s writing sprint at 10.30am (to edit my YA romance.) Lizzie’s supportive Facebook group can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/647115202160536/

In the afternoon I braved the supermarket. I had tapas and cocktail ingredients to buy! Lockdown has it’s positives!

25th April, 2020

The highlight of the day came as my hubby David was washing his car with a jet power washer gadget which I’ve never seen before… When did he buy that? An unexpected visitor – what excitement – arrived at our door. It was Gina’s friend Elise who had popped round with a present to thank Gina for the present she’d had for her birthday! How eccentric to give your friend a present when it’s your birthday. Lockdown does that to people. Sweet. The two of them chatted for a while (at a safe distance,) and then Gina came in carrying her present looking much cheerier for having seen her friend for a while. The gift bag contained a lovely goodie bag full of treats. Lucky girl!

Earlier in the day I emailed my mum who’s getting fed up. She is very active for a 78 year old lady. Apparently, she has been doing Spring cleaning and painting but has now had enough of it. I don’t blame her!

I’m a bit worried about the painting… I hope she hasn’t been climbing up ladders!

^{^{The other funny thing about today is I forgot what day it is.}}

^{^{I submitted a 300 word piece to be featured in Writers Write – CoVID-19 Reflections on Quarantine on Saturday 25th and I completely forgot all about it.}}

^{^{Lockdown does that to you, you forget what day of the week it is.}}

I’m pleased to say it was accepted for publication, along with several other excellent entries: https://writersuniteweb.wordpress.com/2020/04/25/reflections-on-a-pandemic/

In the evening, we had the tapas meal which was more tricky than I expected as our bottom oven wasn’t working.

It took forever to make all the little bits and pieces. The predominate ingredient seemed to be CHEESE – cheese balls coated in breadcrumbs, melted cheese Camembert (which my daughter Gina spelt Cannon Bear on the shopping list!) I thought that was kinda cute – she has always struggled with spelling being somewhat dyslexic – and Nachos with cheddar cheese. We also gobbled down home made wedges, sweet peppers filled with rice, chorizo and tomatoes, cold meats, sausages, cucumber strips and olives. All mighty tasty. The only slight disaster was the Camembert which imploded in the oven. It must have been those Cammon Bears getting up to mischief! Still we saved what we could, it wasn’t too bad.

I didn’t care too much for the Aperol cocktail concoction that the girls insisted upon but they loved it. We dressed up and took some photos by a flowering plant in our garden. It was a great evening which seems odd considering all that is going on in the world. It seems our only way to cope is to try to fill our days as best we can.

During lockdown it’s the little things that mean so much. Family time is precious.

Before I go, perhaps I might suggest a little Lockdown reading:

My poetry, prose and photography book – Mr. Sagittarius

Available for free on kindle unlimited and to buy in kindle and paperback: http://mybook.to/MrSagittarius

I just discovered a new review, thank you Adele <3

Adele Park 5.0 out of 5 stars A poetic journey through life Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 28 April 2020 Verified Purchase Shaped with poems and beautiful pictures this book is a must-read and keep. This novel is the kind you will go back to again and again to dip into and read your favourites. A fantastic book, the author has delivered with engaging characters and beautiful prose. Well done.

My YA Fantasy – The Curse of Time Book 1 Bloodstone.

My Book: myBook.to/TheCurseofTime

Images of Esme The Mirror Girl and The Creature via Carolina Russo: https://yesterdayafter.com/

You can see the images in full on Carolina’s blog: Characters Illustration – A Collaboration with Author MJ Mallon – 1st Stop Blog Tour! #ABRSC

Authors Website: https://mjmallon.com
Authors Amazon Page: https://www.amazon.co.uk/M-J-Mallon/e/B074CGNK4L
Twitter: @Marjorie_Mallon and @curseof_time Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mjmallonauthor/
#ABRSC: Authors Bloggers Rainbow Support Club on Facebook
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17064826.M_J_Mallon BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/m-j-mallon Collaborative Group: https://www.facebook.com/pg/5SpiritualSisters/

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April 30, 2020 5

Isolation for Writers – Guest post: Lynn Fraser #COV1D19 #Isolation #Writers #Anxiety #Concentration #Introspection

Photo by **Peter Fazekas** from **Pexels**

Welcome to Lynn Fraser, my next guest on my new feature – Isolation for Writers.

How do writers, creatives, artists and bookish souls cope with isolation? Is their capacity to cope different from the rest of the population? It’s an interesting question and one that fascinates me.

How is Lynn Fraser coping with this enforced isolation?

Huddled in a circle of light I’m Lynn, writer, reader, mum, drinker of tea.

In many ways, my life in lockdown is not so different in its physical aspects to normal life. I work at home, health issues mean I don’t go out often, and me and mine are not the most sociable types. The main difference is in my head. I am more anxious and introspective.

I feel I’ve become like the ancients, huddled with my little family around the fire in a small circle of light. Awareness of the beasts, that paw and roar in the surrounding darkness, is causing heightened anxiety. When Himself goes to do the weekly supermarket shop, I fret while he’s away as though he’s gone off with his spear into the red of tooth and claw wilderness. Life seems fragile. Chaos rules.

The anxiety has affected my concentration. I’m struggling to read, fiction, in particular. I can’t seem to relax sufficiently to allow myself to be lost in story. Instead, I constantly scroll through news and social media for real life stories that, frankly, only heighten my anxiety. My heart races and I wave my flaming stick at the monsters in the dark.

For the first couple of weeks, I was finding it hard to write as well. This has hifted, but the introspection – looking inwards at my fire – has changed what I’m writing.

Firstly, I’m back to random journal writing – random describes the timing and content. I’m taking my pen for a walk and writing, not to record what’s in my head, but to find out what’s in my head. I’m not writing every day, it’s not a scheduled thing, like Morning Pages. I carry around my notebook and pen and write when I feel I need to.

My handwriting is appalling, so I’m not expecting future historians to be turning to me for an account of life in a time of corona. Secondly, I’m finding writing my official work in progress like wading through waist-high treacle. And, worse, it’s sucking me down. This week I reached the point where, without Lassie arriving with help in the form of a horseman in possession of a handy rope to pull me out (I’m thinking Paul Newman in ‘Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid’, but I digress – I do that a lot just now), I was pretty sure I was going under. The book I’m supposed to be writing is a sequel to my ‘laugh-out-loud’ story about school gates politics and a mum who will do anything for her kids. The wit is dark (think Fay Weldon) but the emphasis is on humour – and I seem to have lost my sense of humour. (I blame the nightly press conferences from Number 10 and the newspaper headlines and the people dying and the people stockpiling loo roll in garden sheds and the fact that I haven’t had a glass of wine since this whole thing started in case it compromises my immune system and home schooling and Himself’s taste in music and having to wash down my shopping with Zoflora – yeah that’s still on the shelves because why would you want anti-viral cleaner when you can get antibacterial – but, yes, you’ve got it, I digress.) I’m struggling to raise a snark, let alone a full on laugh-out-loud. I’ve lost my comedy mojo.

So, finally (I may digress but I have not totally lost my way), I’m writing something different, differently. I have a story that has been sneaking around the back corridors of my head for a while. It’s about a woman who finds herself and home in the place from which she ran away. It’s about true self and re-learning to trust and believe; it’s introspective. And there are witches. I’m releasing my hold on real,out there life and letting my imagination take control.

Things I miss:
My friends and the accompanying chat, wine/tea (and occasional bad singing)
Tea in a cafe
The sea (trip to the coast in May cancelled)
Having the house to myself
Taking life/flour for granted.
Things I’m grateful for:
My menfolk (and cats) with whom I huddle in the light
The people out there working to keep us safe and take care of us
Social media to keep me connected
My garden and my writing shed
To still be here
The words.

If you can still accept distraction, my novel is called ‘The Busy Mum’s Guide To Getting Away With It’, it’s digitally published by Orion and you can find it on Amazon, currently at the bargain price of 99p. https://amzn.to/2Y4B7ZB

You can find me on Twitter as @LynnAFraser and on Instagram (expect cat pictures) as @lynnfraserwriter.

It’s been lovely getting to know you Lynn. Thank you so much for being my guest on this new series. Witch stories… that really got my attention, as did The Busy Mum’s Guide To Getting Away With It! What a title…

Wishing you happy writing days, health and happiness.

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April 29, 2020 3

Magic of Trees: Purpurea – #SpiritualSisters – #Trees #MagicalConnections #Nature

In my last Magic of Trees post I introduced you to The Dawn Redwood: https://mjmallon.com/2020/04/25/magic-of-trees-dawn-redwood-magical-connections-spiritualsisters-trees-magic-nature-lockdown-reading-books/

Today come and join me, take a seat on the tiny bench and let’s wander in the Cambridge University Botanic Garden…

The gardens are home to one of the most magnificent tree collections in the East of England. I am most fortunate to be able to spend time there during my lunch breaks from work, (except now we are on Lockdown in Cambridge.)

I would like to share with you a Champion Tree of Britain and Ireland.

(Owen 2003) lists Cambridge University Botanic Garden amongst the top 15 gardens in Britain and Ireland with 21 champions and I have a treat for you.

Meet… 20190121_134842 (2)

Catalpa erubescens Carrie`re ‘Purpurea’ (Bignoniaceae).

The above photo gives you some indication of this trees mighty bark.

This magnificent tree is situated in the Rock Garden.

20190121_134830

If you stand under it’s branches it becomes eerie and imposing …. Giving a sense of its mysterious darkness…

20190121_135924 (3)

From a distance you are struck by its cheeky, twisty bark – (its light side) – that dances and twirls in unity with the branches above.

20190121_134740

Trees truly have a remarkable energy. A short spell spent with them during my busy day helps me to relax and recharge for the rest of the day.

A fascinating article about trees: The Guardian ‘Places of sanctuary, opportunity, menace and death.’

In the meantime remember to visit a forest, (lockdown permitting!) spend time in your garden, and hug a tree for me!

Do comment below about any nature walks you have enjoyed recently.

A reading suggestion… I hope you might like it:

Mr. Sagittarius is a collection of poetry, prose and photographic images inspired by the botanical gardens in Cambridge. Photography is in the genes! Both my uncle and grandfather were photographers. My grandfather A.G. Ingram was originally with the photography company Ingram, Gordon & Co in Haddington up until the mid thirties. Then he ventured on his own to form the Scottish Pictorial Press in Edinburgh supplying photos to the press. When war broke out Scottish Pictorial Press became defunct. After the war he started AG Ingram Ltd, Commercial Photographers, at 3 successive locations in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Available for free on kindle unlimited and to buy in kindle and paperback: http://mybook.to/MrSagittarius

https://www.facebook.com/5SpiritualSisters/

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April 28, 2020 6

Isolation for Writers Guest Post – Sharon Marchisello #Coronavirus #COVID19 #Writers #Isolation

Photo by **Abdullah Ghatasheh** from **Pexels**

Welcome to Sharon Marchisello my next guest on my new feature – Isolation For Writers.

How is Sharon coping with this enforced isolation?

Here’s her answer:

Thoughts About Isolation

I’m supposed to be on a cruise right now. But instead of lounging on our balcony, scanning the waves for dolphins and watching the sun sink below the horizon as the ship glides across the Atlantic, we’re watching the sun set behind the pine trees in our own backyard. First-world suffering, I know. We’re healthy and have plenty to eat; we even have enough toilet paper. We live in a community with an extensive network of golf-cart paths, and these remain open so residents have access to fresh air and exercise.

Social distancing on the golf course (4 players, 4 carts)

Another positive: we’re getting our house painted. We’ve been trying for several years to accomplish this task, but the contractors are always so busy. No one calls you back. In the past, we’ve even had painters come over and give us an estimate, schedule a date to get started, and then never show up. But now, they’re hungry for work. People are losing their jobs and putting off discretionary expenses—like home projects. Contractors are happy to negotiate with anyone who can still afford their services.

I’ve been retired since 2015, and like many writers, I’m an introvert, so staying home every day staring at my computer is normal. State-imposed isolation is almost welcome—it’s a good excuse to not have to go anywhere. What has changed about my life is my participation in extracurricular writer and volunteer activities, which used to occupy a lot of my time. I’m on the board of directors for the Fayette Humane Society; our meetings now take place on Zoom. We’ve canceled our public pet adoptions and fundraising events. Neither my book club nor my critique group has met for two months. My husband and I both are Master Gardener volunteers; our projects are all on hold, and our homeowner enrichment classes and team meetings now take place on Zoom. So, I’m saving travel time but I’m not sure I’m getting much more accomplished writing-wise or around the house. And in an online meeting, I don’t feel as connected as I do when we meet face to face.

I write a personal finance blog, Countdown to Financial Fitness (https://sharonmarchisello.blogspot.com/) to promote my nonfiction book Live Well, Grow Wealth.

When I started the blog at the end of 2015, I thought I’d publish once a week. That quickly changed to biweekly. Then a little less often than biweekly; soon it was more like monthly. And then it was just whenever I felt I had something to say. Since the pandemic started, I’ve been posting much more frequently; there’s a lot to say now. The economic fallout from this global pandemic might prove worse than the health crisis. Many of the principles I write about in my book—building an emergency fund, allocating investments among different asset types, conserving resources, looking for opportunities whether the market is up or down—are relevant now more than ever.

My publisher released my latest novel, Secrets of the Galapagos, just before the pandemic.

The usual occasions for connecting with new readers–conferences, signings in bookstores, talks in libraries—have all been canceled or postponed. Amazon has designated selling books as nonessential. I haven’t even held a launch party yet. Again, a selfish inconvenience. People are dying, families can’t pay their bills, and I’m fretting about lost book sales.

Social Distancing on a beach with a sea lion

Here are the buy links for the Secrets of The Galapagos:

https://www.sunburypressstore.com/Secrets-of-the-Galapagos-9781620063675.htm

https://www.amazon.com/Secrets-Galapagos-Sharon-Marchisello-ebook/dp/B0844PJLQN

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/48732897-secrets-of-the-galapagos

My emotions during this surreal period have been mixed. On one hand, I feel a heartwarming sense of solidarity with people all over the world who are experiencing the same fears and isolation, trying to adjust to the ever-changing norms of social distancing and personal protection. On the other hand, I’m frustrated by the constant bickering and politicizing of the crisis, the conflicting messages we get from leadership and the media. We’re making this up as we go along, acting on the best information we have at the time. It’s easy to be a Monday-morning quarterback, sit home and criticize the authorities for what they should or shouldn’t have done, for overreacting or for not acting soon or decisively enough. We could get through this crisis better if everyone would cut each other some slack and come together. One can only hope…

BIO:
Sharon Marchisello is the author of two mysteries published by Sunbury Press: Going Home (2014) and Secrets of the Galapagos (2019).

Going Home is a whodunit inspired by her mother’s battle with Alzheimer’s disease, which prompted her to wonder what it would be like to interview a witness or a suspect who couldn’t rely on her memory. Secrets of the Galapagos is a mystery with a touch of romance set on a luxury cruise ship exploring the Galapagos islands.
Her other publications include travel articles, corporate training manuals, short stories, book reviews, the blog Countdown to Financial Fitness, and a nonfiction book about personal finance, Live Well, Grow Wealth. She earned a Masters in Professional Writing from the University of Southern California and is an active member of Sisters in Crime. Retired from a 27-year career with Delta Air Lines, she now lives in Georgia and does volunteer work for the Fayette Humane Society.

Website or blog: https://smarchisello.wordpress.com/

http://sharonmarchisello.blogspot.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SLMarchisello/

https://www.facebook.com/Live-Well-Grow-Wealth-494073360780648/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SLMarchisello

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/slmarchisello/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/Sharon_Marchisello

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharonmarchisello/

Thank you so much to Sharon for sharing her thoughts on isolation, along with her diverse interests and publications, including her new book: Secrets of The Galapagos which I am pleased to share here.

I wish Sharon much success, good luck, health and happiness.

Social Media Links

Authors Website: https://mjmallon.com
Twitter: @Marjorie_Mallon and @curseof_time
#ABRSC: Authors Bloggers Rainbow Support Club on Facebook
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17064826.M_J_Mallon

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mjmallonauthor/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mjmallonauthor/

Book Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/m-j-mallon

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April 27, 2020 25

Reflections on a Pandemic

I am a featured author on COVID-19 Reflections on Quarantine in Writers Unite. #COVID19 #Coronavirus #Quarantine #Writers

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April 26, 2020 2

Isolation for Writers – Guest post: Willow Willers #COV1D19 #Isolation #Writers #Poetry

Photo by **Mikechie Esparagoza**from **Pexels**

Hi Willow. Welcome!

I’m so happy that Willow can join me today. She is an old blogging friend, who I have met in person at several blogging bashes. An old friend in the logging world is referred to as a Blogging Sister!

So welcome Sis! When I mentioned my Writer’s In Isolation series I knew Willow would come up with something really fantastic and she has.

How is Willow coping with this enforced isolation?

Here is Willow’s answer:

I really don’t know if writers, creatives, artists and bookish souls cope any better or worse than the rest of the population. In fact, I don’t think I am coping all that well. I seem to be busier now than ever I was before Covid19 reared its ugly head. I really find it hard to find time – to sit down and work on my blog – and the family even though they are not living at home, they take up most of my time. If it has taught me anything, it has taught me that my blogging time must be managed, as it helps me, so it must have its place.

Marje: Indeed it should Willow. I am so glad that blogging has helped you and continues to help you cope with your current situation. It’s tough and I know you have had your share of problems. The poem which I’d like to feature today originally appeared on your blog in February and it is eerily true to life at the moment.

Willow: “I had no idea then how close to the truth it was, though I do hope the outcome is better than the one I predicted.”

Here’s Willow’s Poem:

The planet was struggling it’s true

From space it was no longer blue

It was suffering from millennia of wars and abuse

People pleaded for change, no use.

Most people tried to help Earth

They knew the planets worth.

Then came the plague

No respecter of king or knave

It cut through the ranks and top brass

No preference for age or class

It sent weak, old or young to the grave.

It emptied the streets and Malls,

Pubs, clubs and church halls.

It stopped the planes and the trains

The fat cats lost their profits and gains.

Huge nations brought to their knees

As scientists search for the keys

To the elusive cure to rid all of the bain.

Just when it could not get worse

Hate joined fear with a curse.

The people turn on each other

Neighbour, husband, wife, sister, brother.

Empty shops, no fuel they could not stand

Then all civilian movement was banned

The crops and animals died on the land.

Drones flew over head, all was scanned.

Mother Nature watched with a tear

Chaos in weeks, rebellion, extinction within a year.

*****

https://willowdot21.wordpress.com/2020/02/25/the-plague/

Bio – Willow Willers

I am the mum of three boys all now grown and flown to live their own lives. Luckily they do keep in touch and visit often. I now have two beautiful grandsons.

When I started this blog I had not long come home from hospital after an accident in which I broke my back, for the second time. I was in hospital for a month and had three operations.

It has taken me a long time to recover, I am still recovering but every day my body is getting stronger. It has taken a huge toll on me mentally I had to retire early on health grounds, I had to come to terms with finding out people I thought were friends were not. I had to make a new life for myself. Things I could do easily have become difficult.

Writing poetry and prose has helped me a great deal. I have made so many wonderful friends through blogging I think it has definitely saved my life.

Marje: You have been through so much Willow. Bless you. You’re such a resilient, and amazing person.

Willow continues to amaze me – here are just some of her wonderful blog posts to give you a tiny flavour of who she is:

For the series What Day is It Anyway? – This is part of LindaGHill’s #WDIIA :

https://willowdot21.wordpress.com/2020/04/23/what-day-is-it-anyway-monday-20th-through-to-thursday-23rd-april-2020/

Photo prompts and various other blog link ups:

https://willowdot21.wordpress.com/2020/04/20/thursday-photo-prompt-otherworldly-writephoto/

Song Lyric Sunday, Familiar Places.

https://willowdot21.wordpress.com/2020/04/20/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-april-18-2020/

Willow loves to share fabulous song videos on her blog. Here’s James Blunt… singing his beautiful heart out.

Thank you so much for being my beautiful guest Willow.

What a great poem, and a fantastic music video too. Thank you for sharing these with us.

Willow has been a great friend to me – beta reading, reviewing, encouraging, and sharing my blog tour posts like crazy! She’s a truly supportive person and has a wonderful blog.

So this is a Thank You to her for all the wonderful things she does.

Do pop over to say hello.

Stay safe and well everyone.

Collaborative Group: https://www.facebook.com/pg/5SpiritualSisters/

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April 26, 2020 16

Magic of Trees: Dawn Redwood #Magical #Connections #SpiritualSisters #Trees #Magic #Nature #Lockdown #Reading #Books

I love trees! I swear trees have magic. I live on the edge of a park in Cambridge surrounded by an incredible vista of trees and as a child I was no stranger to the mysterious aspect of the woods which were just a short walk away.

I’m going to share with you various trees which I have photographed some time ago. They have all captured my attention and are special and meaningful to me. I promise a diverse range, and a few giggles along the way.

What better choice to begin with, than this magnificent tree – a deciduous conifer, the Dawn Redwood, Metasequoia glyptostroboides, native to Lichuan county in Hubei province, China.

Local villagers refer to the original tree from which most others derive as Shui-sa, or “water fir”, which is part of a local shrine. Since its rediscovery in 1944, the dawn redwood has become a popular ornamental.
Strawberry Fields is a landscaped section in New York City’s Central Park dedicated to Beatle John Lennon. At the northern end of the lawns are three dawn redwood trees. The trees drop their needles each fall and regrow them each spring, a symbol of eternal renewal. The trees are expected to reach a height of 36 metres (118 ft), making them visible from great distances. Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metasequoia

Even the name itself – Dawn Redwood – conjures up spell-binding magic. I discovered the redwood and many other beautiful trees on my lunchtime walks in the Botanical Gardens in Cambridge.

I think you will agree it is a wondrous tree. I love the warm, inviting orange colour in the bark and the beautiful, ferny foliage which was a delicate coppery shade when I photographed it in the autumn.

There is a distinct feeling of energy about this tree. It calls you to come and touch its bark.

I discovered this blog:

https://www.thespruce.com/dawn-redwood-growing-profile-3269307

And was interested to see what they had to say about Dawn Redwood.

Just some of the words that were mentioned to describe this tree:

Renewal

Awakening

Joyous

Mother Earth

Primal Wisdom

A living fossil

Dates from prehistoric times

Endangered

No wonder the Dawn Redwood captured my attention! I hope it will fascinate you too!

***

I love to write about nature – My poetry, prose and photography collection Mr. Sagittarius is a light-hearted, magical story about fictional characters, twin brothers Harold and William, their sister Annette and the sibling’s connection to the beautiful botanical gardens in Cambridge.

Moreover, it celebrates many aspects of day-to-day life including: sibling relationships, beauty, nature, the seasons of the year, love and ultimately magic.

I love spending time in nature taking photos – my favourite photos in this collection are the robin, trees and the dragonfly that grace this little book.

Photography is in my genes – Both my uncle and grandfather were photographers. My grandfather A.G. Ingram was originally with the photography company Ingram, Gordon & Co in Haddington up until the mid thirties. Then he ventured on his own to form the Scottish Pictorial Press in Edinburgh supplying photos to the press. When war broke out Scottish Pictorial Press became defunct. After the war he started AG Ingram Ltd, Commercial Photographers, at three successive locations in Edinburgh, Scotland.

The photographic images in the book are all my own, apart from two images by Alex Marlowe – a talented photographer.

To purchase on Amazon follow the link below:

Available for free on kindle unlimited and to buy in kindle and paperback: http://mybook.to/MrSagittarius

Thank you for entering my worlds. I hope they bring you a touch of magic. And thank you to all the kind people who read and review my work. I appreciate you.

Please do comment, I’d love to hear about your favourite magical trees and your favourite books!

Some Tree Enthusiast links:

https://www.treehugger.com/health/iceland-recommends-hugging-trees-instead-people/

Facebook Group – I Love Trees: https://www.facebook.com/groups/127351843985408/

Keep safe – find a tree to hug this Saturday!

Hugs,

We are the Spiritual Sisters (formerly known as The Sisters of The Fey):

Adele Marie Park Author: Firefly465

Annette Rochelle Aben Author & Personal Blog: Annette Rochelle Aben

Colleen M. Chesebro Author & Personal Blog: Word Craft ~ Prose & Poetry colleenchesebro.com

Debby Gies (aka, D. G. Kaye) Author & Personal Blog: https://dgkayewriter.com/

Marjorie (MJ) Mallon YA/Paranormal Author: mjmallon.com

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April 25, 2020 6

Isolation for Writers: Guest Post – Jackie Carreira #Writers #Authors #Isolation #COVID19 #Coping #Advice #Inspiring

Photo by **Artem Beliaikin** from **Pexels**

Welcome to Jackie Carreira, my next guest on my new feature – isolation for writers, creatives, artists and book bloggers. How do writers, creatives, artists and bookish souls cope with isolation? Is their capacity to cope different from the rest of the population? It’s an interesting question and one that fascinates me.

How is award winning author, playwright, world citizen and huge movie fan Jackie Carreira coping with this enforced isolation?

Is she taking a leap of faith?

AN AUTHOR IN ISOLATION – Jackie Carreira

The day the lockdown began in the UK, I posted a comment on Twitter. It said: “I’m a writer. I self-isolate for a living!” In retrospect, that might have been a little trite; even unhelpful to those who are genuinely struggling with isolation, but the statement is true in essence. I’m used to spending days, even weeks sometimes, barely leaving the house. I even enjoy it.

What has changed? The answer is: Everything – but it took me a while to notice. For the first few days, I carried on working on a new novel as well as a couple of precious magazine commissions, but very soon found that I couldn’t write anymore. The planned projects, and even some new ideas, were still up there in my head, but I couldn’t get them out. It was impossible to focus and I didn’t understand why.

My husband is an actor. I’m used to him being at home when he’s ‘resting’ so it hasn’t been difficult having him around all the time since the theatres closed. We’re an unusual married couple, though. We actually enjoy each other’s company for extended periods of time! We have no children so the schools being closed made no difference, and earning an insecure living from the arts, we know how to be frugal and make cutbacks when needed. When most of our income vanished at the end of March, we turned the heating down to 15 degrees, put a big jumper on, and stopped throwing away that last piece of bread in the packet. On the upside, we’re saving a fortune in petrol and socialising, and every day I’m grateful that our lives are not tougher.

So, why couldn’t I write? I couldn’t work out what I was doing with all the extra hours, because I certainly wasn’t using them to sleep. I didn’t spend them cleaning the house either! However, I was speaking to people online and on the phone more, and that was an unexpected bonus. Friends I hadn’t spoken to for years were suddenly back in my life. The excuse of being too busy was gone and it was wonderful to reconnect.

Then a couple of weeks ago, on the first sunny day in ages, I had a breakthrough…

“That’s it!” I thought. “We’re all connected.” Somehow, we all know it but we so rarely get a chance to feel it. In these strange times, with planes grounded and factories closed and the streets eerily quiet, I was able to feel it in a new way. I knew that I had no personal reason to feel as anxious as those who are in far worse situations, and I wasn’t being overwhelmed by the extra responsibility that others now had, but we’re all connected because we’re all part of the human tribe. And, possibly for the first time in history, just about everyone on the planet is going through the same thing at the same time. It’s extraordinary. Maybe some of what I was feeling didn’t belong to me at all. I was simply picking it up from this human web that we’re all sitting on.

Armed with this thought, and being fortunate enough to have a garden, I took a new pad and a fresh cup of coffee and went outside. Perhaps all I had to do was START. After all, that was the only thing I wasn’t doing. I’m a huge movie fan and never tire of watching my favourites over and over. I remembered a scene in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade… if you haven’t seen it, there’s a spoiler coming up! Near the end of the film, Indiana Jones is faced with a seemingly insurmountable obstacle. He’s on one side of a huge chasm, too wide to jump. He must get to the other side to reach the Holy Grail and save his father’s life, but it looks impossible. Suddenly, he understands that it’s a leap of faith. He has to believe or all is lost. So, he closes his eyes, puts out a foot, and takes a big step onto…a bridge made of the same stone as the chasm! It’s totally solid. He leans over and looks from a different angle, realising that the bridge had been there the whole time. He just couldn’t see it from where he first stood. (A dramatic analogy, I must admit, but then I do also write plays for a living!)

Back in the garden, I took my own small leap of faith, hoping that something might come out if I just start. I put the pen to the paper and began writing anything that came into my head. It was just rough notes at first, then the notes turned into prose, then a whole chapter…and before I knew it, I was a writer again. It was such a relief. I’ve since been in contact with other writers to ask how it’s been for them. Some had been writing more, most had been writing less, for a few it had been business as usual. Interestingly, I discovered that many of those who had started off writing less after the lockdown had also had some kind of breakthrough around the exact same time that I did. Did I cause it, or did they? It doesn’t matter. We truly are all connected. I wasn’t alone.

You might be wondering how on earth this helps anyone who’s not a writer. Well, writing isn’t just my job, it’s what I love to do the most. And spending time doing what I love is the best coping mechanism I have. I would recommend it to anybody struggling with this lockdown, not knowing how to lift themselves out of the fog of it all. Switch off the news for a while and pick up something connected to what you love to do: a pen, a baking tray, a trowel, a paintbrush, a book to read to a child, a phone to call your best friend. Whatever it is, just take a leap of faith – find a way to start and then do as much of it as you can, when you can. Inspire yourself and you can inspire another. We truly are all connected. Put a tiny piece of what you love onto that web. It already has enough of everything else.

Stay safe. Stay well.

Jackie’s books:

A SHORT BIOG:
Jackie Carreira is an award-winning novelist, playwright, musician, designer, and co-founder of QuirkHouse Theatre Company. She has twice been a winner of the Kenneth Branagh Award for New Writing. Originally a council-house-kid from Hackney, East London, she now lives a million miles away in Suffolk, England, with an actor, two cats, and more books than she can read in four lifetimes. She is currently working on her third novel (due for release in 2021, if a virus doesn’t get her first!) and is a proud patron of Halesworth Library.

‘Photo courtesy of Andy Abbott’

Media Links:

www.jackiecarreira.co.uk

Facebook: @JackieCarreiraWriter

Twitter: @JCarreiraWriter

Artistic Director at QuirkHouse Theatre Company

www.quirkhousetheatreco.com

BUYING LINKS:

What a fascinating interview with Jackie. Her thoughts mirror my own in so many ways.

I am so glad I started this series on Isolation during COVID19, it has given me focus and a sense of purpose to help promote and share fellow writers and authors during this time. And I am discovering new authors to read! Awesome, smiling.

I will be continuing with the series until my YA fantasy is ready to complete. It is currently with final beta readers.

Stay safe and well.

Keep writing and creating. x

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April 24, 2020 6

Colleen’s 2020 Weekly #Tanka Tuesday #Poetry Challenge No. 174 #PhotoPrompt #Haiga #Haiku #Tree #Nature

This week’s photo prompt from Colleen is an excellent one. It’s so evocative. Who can this young girl be? And what might her plight be? She looks desperately sad, so I decided to write a poetic haiga in her honour.

Abandoned, she slumps down

A blade of grass caresses skin

Her pregnant bump hides.

***

The tree waits

Nature together

Babe in utero.

***

Daughter

Accepted

By tree.

The haiku poem was inspired by the photo of the girl resting by a tree, looking melancholy, a blade of grass reaches upwards towards her chin. It made me wonder what was making the woman so sad.

As it’s a haiku with a tight syllabic count there’s an immediate need to express her plight, so I decided upon an unwanted pregnancy – a girl sitting in nature – leaning against a tree – a symbol of life giving. The tree and nature (the grass,) will not judge her as others might – Daughter accepted by tree. Is the baby the daughter, or is the pregnant woman? Or are all females daughters of nature?

Yes, my mind does work in strange ways and this is only heightened during lockdown.

Via Colleen’s Blog: The HAIGA IN ENGLISH: 5/7/5, 3/5/3, 2/3/2 syllable structure. Haiga is called observational poetry because it contains an image with either a Haiku or Senryu written on it or near it. There are a few hard and fast rules for creating Haiga. The Haiku is the most important part and must standalone.

To join in with Colleen’s weekly prompts: https://colleenchesebro.com/2020/04/21/colleens-2020-weekly-tanka-tuesday-poetry-challenge-no-174-photoprompt/

And might I suggest some poetic reading? A lovely, heart-warming and magical read suitable for lockdown…

Mr. Sagittarius is a collection of poetry, prose and photographic images inspired by the beautiful botanical gardens in Cambridge.

It’s a light-hearted, magical story about two fictional characters, twin brothers Harold and William, their sister Annette and the sibling’s connection to the beautiful botanical gardens in Cambridge.

Moreover, it celebrates many aspects of day to day life including: humour, sibling relationships, beauty, nature, the seasons of the year, love and ultimately magic.

I love spending time in nature taking photos – my favourite photos in this collection are the robin, trees and the dragonfly that grace this little book.

The photographic images in the book are all my own, apart from two images kindly given by Alex Marlowe – a talented photographer.

To buy this book, please visit Amazon, click on the link below:

Available for free on kindle unlimited and to buy in kindle and paperback: http://mybook.to/MrSagittarius

I’m thrilled to announce I am included amongst some wonderful poets in Colleen Chesebro’s poetry book store with my poetry, prose and photography collection Mr. Sagittarius: https://colleenchesebro.com/poetry-books-for-sale/

Thank you for entering my worlds. I hope they bring you a touch of magic. And thank you to all the kind people who read and review my work. I appreciate you.

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.co.uk/M-J-Mallon/e/B074CGNK4L/

Social Media Links

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mjmallonauthor/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mjmallonauthor/

Book Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/m-j-mallon

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April 23, 2020 16

An important article from The New York Times that may save your life

An important article from NY Times that might save your life plus what to look for tips from Linda Hill whose son often suffers from pneumonia. #Coronavirus #COVID19

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April 22, 2020 6