Hi. Welcome to my blog, Kyrosmagica.

All About Me.

What can I tell you? Well before we start I’d like to suggest that you might want to pull up a comfy chair, sit back and enjoy my blog, Kyrosmagica, which is all about the magic of writing, my love of books, crystals,  laughter, and much, much, more! I’m a wannabe writer who has finished my first middle grade/YA fantasy novel, set in Cambridge, UK.  I’m currently in the process of final edits…  In the meantime, to keep me occupied, and out of mischief, I’m writing a second novel, and blogging, of course, writing book reviews here, and on Goodreads, and Amazon, and in fact anywhere else that will have me!  Being an open minded type of gal, I like to review a wide a range of genres as possible, including YA, Contemporary, Romance, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Asian Literature, Detective, LBGTQ, and from time to time when I’m feeling brave I read dark thriller, or perhaps a horror story..

I have a penchant for travel and have relatives in far flung places, Australia, Malaysia, and Singapore, (my birthplace.) I grew up 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 six foot hunk of a husband, who I met at the tender age of eighteen, who I fondly refer to in this blog as my black sheep. Considering how long we’ve been together I could call him my swan, but I think black sheep kind of suits him, a charming black sheep! His title Black Sheep originated from a family joke, which you can read about in my post Mother in Laws and Black Sheep! With my passion for travel, culture, beautiful beaches, good food, books, theatre, writing, art, photography and humour, I hope to keep you entertained.

My blog is now award free. After blogging for nearly two years I have now made the decision to go award free. The awards were fun and a great way to connect with other bloggers in the early stages. But now writing has taken over and sadly I no longer have the time to dedicate to awards, so I do hope you won’t mind if I take a splash off my award surf board.

Just recently I’ve started getting much more involved with all sorts of blogging challenges, here’s a brief guide to the ones that I like to join in from time to time:

Rachael Ritchey’s fun writing blog battle:http://rachaelritchey.com/blogbattle/

Colleen at Silver Threading’s Writer’s Quote Wednesday: http://silverthreading.com/category/writers-quote-wednesday/

Colleen has a new challenge now, which has replaced the one above:  http://silverthreading.com/2016/03/23/wqwwc-writers-quote-wednesday-writing-challenge-magic/

Ron at Ronovan Writes, Haiku poetry prompt challenge: https://ronovanwrites.wordpress.com/category/haiku-prompt-challenge/

I recently had a go at Trent’s Weekly smile:

https://trentsworldblog.wordpress.com/the-weekly-smile-weeklysmile/

And Diana at Part Time Monster’s Weekend Coffee Share:

http://parttimemonster.com/weekend-coffee-share/

I have been known to enjoy a couple of Bookish memes:

The Friday 56 from Fredas Voice: http://www.fredasvoice.com/2015/07/the-friday-56-with-instagram-56_24.html

and Book Beginnings from Rose City Reader: http://www.rosecityreader.com/2015/07/book-beginning-at-hearth-of-crossed.html

As well as this I have enjoyed taking part in some awesome photography challenges, notably:

http://hughsviewsandnews.com/2016/03/22/hughs-weekly-photo-challenge-week-18-sweet/

https://myredpage.wordpress.com/2015/07/08/photo-101-camera-lucida-introduction/

Check out my photography headers to find out more.

Oh and my biggest challenge and highlight in 2015 was without a doubt going along to the Annual Bloggers Bash on 1st of August, 2015 in London, and chatting to fellow bloggers in person. What an experience!

I shall be going to this year’s Bloggers Bash in June 2016, more about that here:

http://sachablack.co.uk/annual-bloggers-bash/

Here’s my perspective about the bash in 2015 if you’d like to read all about it:

Perhaps you would like to come along this year?

https://kyrosmagica.wordpress.com/2015/08/02/the-bloggers-bash-oh-what-a-day/

These wonderful quotations sum up my raison d’etre:

“There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.”
― Maya Angelou, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
― Maya Angelou

“You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it.”
― Maya Angelou

“You can only become truly accomplished at something you love. Don’t make money your goal. Instead pursue the things you love doing and then do them so well that people can’t take their eyes off of you.”
― Maya Angelou

“Try to be a rainbow in someone’s cloud.”
― Maya Angelou, Letter to My Daughter

Don’t tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass. ~Anton Chekhov

If my doctor told me I had only six minutes to live, I wouldn’t brood. I’d type a little faster. ~Isaac Asimov

It is the writer who might catch the imagination of young people, and plant a seed that will flower and come to fruition.- Isaac Asimov

When you are describing,
A shape, or sound, or tint;
Don’t state the matter plainly,
But put it in a hint;
And learn to look at all things,
With a sort of mental squint.
~Lewis Carroll

If you do not breathe through writing, if you do not cry out in writing, or sing in writing, then don’t write, because our culture has no use for it. ~Anaïs Nin

If I don’t write to empty my mind, I go mad. ~Lord Byron

A good style should show no signs of effort. What is written should seem a happy accident. ~W. Somerset Maugham, Summing Up, 1938

There are three rules for writing. Unfortunately, no one can agree what they are.- Somerset Maugham

Writing is utter solitude, the descent into the cold abyss of oneself. ~Franz Kafka

Writing is both mask and unveiling. ~E.B. White

First, find out what your hero wants, then just follow him!- Ray Bradbury

Begin with an individual, and before you know it you have created a type; begin with a type, and you find you have created – nothing.- F. Scott Fitzgerald

The historian records, but the novelist creates.- E. M. Forster

It’s none of their business that you have to learn to write. Let them think you were born that way.- Ernest Hemingway

Half my life is an act of revision.- John Irving

I try to create sympathy for my characters, then turn the monsters loose.- Stephen King

William Faulkner’s observation: “Always dream and shoot higher than you know you can do. Do not bother just to be better than your contemporaries or predecessors. Try to be better than yourself.”

After all of those inspiring and imaginative quotes what can I possibly add?

I’m loving every minute of this creative journey, please join me.

COME FLY WITH ME

Photo credit –  Silhouette and Dove  http://pixabay.com