Kyrosmagica Publishing – The Magical Home of Books, Writing, Poetry, Photography and Inspiration
Author: 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.
Sarah Brentyn is doing a very special flash fiction prompt in aid of hurricane relief. She has kindly offered to donate a $1 for each flash story up to a maximum $50. Join in by 15th October and share on social media.
Harvey, Irma, Maria… These hurricanes have hit hard, leaving massive damage in their wakes. Here’s how you can help:
1. Write a piece of flash fiction in 50 words or less with the theme: Help
(This can be any sort of assistance, support, encouragement, or a story of someone or something that needs help. You do not need to use the prompt word. Be creative! It can be 50 words, 15 words…even a six-word story. Anything goes provided it is prose up to 50 words. It doesn’t have to be sunshine and rainbows but keep it PG and friendly.)
2. Add a new post on your blog with your flash fiction and the hashtag #Flash4Storms in the title
3. Link to this post
4. Leave a comment here with a link to your post so I know you’ve participated
5. Help spread the word on social media with the hashtags:
It is my great pleasure to welcome John Howell to my blog. John’s book Circumstances of Childhood is available to purchase today, October 1st which happens to be my brother’s birthday! So, with that in mind I decided to post this today.
Shipping on October 1st. Priced at $0.99 for the introduction.
This is a different story for John. It is in the Family Life genre and tells the story of brotherly love, riches to rags, redemption and a little paranormal thrown in. Normally John writes thrillers but this time he has stepped into a different place. This book was written with love for the story and the hope it will be an enjoyable read.
Here is the blurb:
When a former pro football star and broadcaster, now a Wall Street maven is accused of insider trading, will he be able to prove his innocence and expose those who are guilty?
Greg and his boyhood pal dreamed of big success in professional football and then later in business. Greg was the only one to live the dream. Now the founder of an investment fund Greg is faced with a routine audit finding by the SEC. The audit points to irregularities and all the tracks lead to Greg. The justice department hits him with an indictment of 23 counts of fraud, money laundering, and insider trading. His firm goes bust, and Greg is on his own.
His best friend knows he is innocent but has been ordered under penalty of eternal damnation not to help.
If you enjoy stories of inspiration, riches to rags, redemption, brotherly love, and a little of the paranormal, Circumstance of Childhood will keep you riveted.
Here is an excerpt.
I look down at my drink and wonder what will happen tomorrow. My daughter Constance wants to come and visit. She lives in New York, and before all hell broke loose, we didn’t see each other often. I missed her so much, and it seemed as if I had to beg her even to talk on the phone. Now, it’s like she wants to be here every weekend. It’s only an hour’s flight by the shuttle or three by train, so she can come when she wants. I just can’t figure out why she got so clingy. I have my troubles, but it doesn’t have anything to do with her. No use in asking her husband either. Though a nice enough guy, I always wonder if he has someplace important to go when I visit. He never sits still and stays busy on the phone or at the computer. He makes a good living, but it seems a person could take an hour to sit and talk. I’d looked forward to some kind of relationship when he and Constance got married. It’ll never happen with him.
When I take another pull at my drink, I notice the burn feels less. It happens every time. First sip initiation, I call it. It’s like the first puff of a cigarette, hits hard then, after, nothing. I decide to let Constance pretty much have the agenda tomorrow. She and I have not had a chance to talk about anything deep for a while. It could just be that she blames me for her mother running off with that guy with the house on the Hudson. He has a title, and the old gal couldn’t resist, but I think the daughter always felt I should have done something. Her mother’s sleeping with another guy and what the hell can I do about that?
I’ll just go with the flow. If she wants to go out, we will. If she wants to stay in, we can do that too. I better think about getting some food in the house. Of course, we can always order take out. I need to move on to my drink and let this go. Tomorrow will be what it is. I remember the day she was born. I looked down at her in my arms and promised I would do anything for her. I love her more than life itself, and I hope we can somehow get to the root of whatever’s wrong. She sounded strange on the phone this morning, and I feel helpless to do anything about it. I hope she opens up when she gets here.
For some reason, I feel tired. Perhaps I’ll go ahead and finish my drink. Maybe I’ll just go home and forget the burger. First, though, I’ll just shut my eyes for a minute. My hands feel good when I put my head down.
“Hey, Greg,” Jerry says. I barely hear him. “What’s the matter? You taking a nap? Greg?” I can feel him shake me, but I have no interest in waking up. His voice gets further away, and I think he says, “Oh, my God, Sophie, call 911, quick.” Now the room goes silent.
Author Bio.
John began his writing as a full-time occupation after an extensive business career. His specialty is thriller fiction novels, but John also writes poetry and short stories. His first book, My GRL, introduces the exciting adventures of the book’s central character, John J. Cannon. The second Cannon novel, His Revenge, continues the adventure, while the final book in the trilogy, Our Justice, launched in September 2016. The latest Circumstances of Childhood a family life story is available as of October 1st, 2017. All books are available on Amazon in paperback and Kindle editions.
John lives in Port Aransas, Texas with his wife and their spoiled rescue pets.
Today, I have some wonderful news for you, my kindle book is on promotional offer. The kindle countdown deal starts today. So hurry, get the best price reduction today!!!
“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)
And my first 5 star review on Amazon!!!!
This special offer is to celebrate my wedding anniversary this week. Hubby and I were married on the 26th of September many moons ago!
Here are some old photos of us in our prime!
A bit blurry I know, but they were taken a long time ago. It was our first skiing holiday together in Verbier, Switzerland. My husband is a keen skiier and is always happiest if he is about to launch himself at full throttle down a ski slope. I’d rather pat a horse! I didn’t have much luck with skiiing, but I am determined, I persevered and went for years. I stopped skiing after I fell off the edge of a pathway and had to be rescued by my ski instructor. But my husband still goes every year and loves it.
I so admire those who ski and participate in adventurous pursuits. I love the majesty and beauty of the mountains and I must confess I find a man in ski gear mighty handsome !
To order your kindle copy of The Curse of Time click the links below to be directed to Amazon. Go on I dare you!!!!
Sometimes it just feels like something is missing. Or like everything is missing and you just have no idea why you are here and what you should be doing. Everyone feels things differently so whatever you are feeling, it is important. Your body or mind may be trying to tell you something. Maybe there is something physical going on that is causing you to feel this way. Or it could be that you are depressed or anxious about something. This commonly happens to people after the loss of a job or the end of a relationship. It may just be that you are bored and need a new hobby or something.
What Is Wrong with Me?
You may be able to figure this out on your own just by thinking about what is going on in your life. Another way to determine why you have these feelings is to start a journal. Sometimes, the only way to figure it out is to talk to someone. A friend or family member may be able to help you figure out what is going on with you. However, many of us would rather not burden our loved ones with these kinds of things. Often, our friends and family members are biased and just tell us what they think we want to hear. Therefore, it is sometimes better to talk to a stranger than to talk to a loved one.
Journaling 101
Writing in a journal has been around for hundreds of years. People have been writing their feelings down for centuries so you know there must be a good reason. It is helpful to get your feelings down on paper, not just to express your emotions but to look back at your emotions over a period of time. For example, this feeling of emptiness may be able to be figured out by looking at what has been triggering the feeling in the past. When you find the triggers, you should be able to figure out how to avoid them. You can write down your:
Concerns
Ideas
Feelings
Thoughts
Interactions with other people
Disappointments
Accomplishments
Pictures
Drawings
Whatever you want
Online Therapy
Talking to a therapist or psychologist online is an excellent way to figure out what is making you feel empty. There are different options for online therapy such as Skype, Facetime, chatting, or instant messenger. Either way, you are able to record these conversations and play them back at a later time to see what may be going on with you. Of course, the therapists are experienced in these situations and many are licensed to treat your specific issues. They can help you determine what you can do to make this empty feeling go away. Many of these websites offer their availability 24 hours a day, 7 days a week so you can write down your thoughts and feelings as soon as you feel them. So, what are you waiting for? Take a chance and you can feel better today.
I come from a country that was created at midnight When I almost died it was just after midday. .When the Taliban took control of the Swat Valley in Pakistan. one girl spoke out. Malala Yousafzai refused to be silenced and fought for her right to an education.On Tuesday. October 9. 2012. when she was fifteen. she almost paid the ultimate price. She was shot in the head at point-blank range while riding the bus home from school. and few expected her to survive.Instead. Malalas miraculous recovery has taken her on an extraordinary journey from a remote valley in northern Pakistan to the halls of the United Nations in New York. At sixteen. she became a global symbol of peaceful protest and the youngest nominee ever for the Nobel…
I don’t tend to read memoirs so this is rare for me. Perhaps, I picked this up because of circumstance. I was with my daughter in Topping and Company bookshop in Ely when I chanced upon this book. My daughter Natasha had been looking for travel guides as she’d just accepted a graduate teaching job in South Korea teaching English As A Foreign Language. This got me thinking about the power of education. If she had no education, she couldn’t have hoped to get such a job. With little or no education, her chances of travel and a good job would be limited. How powerful education is in shaping our future and our response to other people. Education helps us reach our goals and broadens our outlook, experience and enjoyment of life. That is why I bought this book. Education should be at the forefront of all we do. Education is the bedrock. Education is liberating. Education rocks.
My review
I Am Malala is a book that everyone should read regardless of their gender, age, or religion. It is informative, moving, and inspiring. Malala’s bravery shines through and there are wonderful examples of her selflessness. I cried in several places; I smiled too. I loved the special bond between Malala and her father, (especially touching and rare given some of the anecdotes that illustrate how women are treated as second class citizens with no voice, education or power.) I enjoyed reading about her family, her fights with her brothers and how her mother grew stronger and more confident too. More than anything I loved the message about education – how it should be available to all regardless of gender. I loved the bravery of this fifteen-year-old to stand up for what she believed in even if that meant risking such terrible danger.
Malala is an extraordinary young woman and an amazing role model, I am so glad I picked this biography up.
Goodreads Bio:
Malala Yousafzai is a Pakistani activist for female education and the youngest-ever Nobel Prize laureate. She is known for human rights advocacy, especially education of women in her native Swat Valley in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, northwest Pakistan, where the local Taliban had at times banned girls from attending school. Her advocacy has since grown into an international movement.
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.
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!
It’s my wedding anniversary on Tuesday and my hubby has a special surprise planned. I don’t know what it is and that makes it more exciting!
To celebrate I’m having a Kindle Countdown deal the weekend after my anniversary, so keep an eye out for that. It starts 29th of September with a price drop to 0.99 pence for a day! Then next day it goes up by one pound, and another pound the next day until it is back to where it started!
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!
The Authors Bloggers Rainbow Support Club #ABRSC has gone from strength to strength. I founded this Facebook group on 26th of February 2017 nearly six months ago, (goodness how time flies.)
Some informative information via Belinda Miller https://belindamiller.me/: I spend a lot of time on marketing my children’s books. One thing I do is produce videos. Since I have worked with some fabulous illustrators, I have blessed with an abundance of illustrations. Two of my favorite apps are: Animoto and Ripl. Check them out. There’s another app, Lumyer, that can be used to enhance, add elements to cover art. I use that, too. Hope this gives you some great ideas! PSA — very addictive.
Also, I have linked our group to three other Facebook groups which I’d recommend joining too:
The Bloggers Bash founded by Sacha Black. The Bloggers Bash is an annual event bringing together authors and bloggers. This event is held in London and grows in popularity every year. I’ve been three years in a row and highly recommend it.
To give you an indication of the benefits of joining The Author Helper. Here is one example. Recently, I enquired about international sales and setting up international author pages. I had help from:
Drue Hoffman said that – France, Japan & Germany also have Author Central pages and put up a graphic which suggested that the UK and the UK are the biggies in the e-book market.
Also there was a recent discussion kicked off by Colleen Chesebro about collaborations, which I am a big fan of. This became an on-line brainstorming session!!! Many #ABRSC got involved in this particular topic and we hope to have a Xmas collaborative event with this in mind. So stay tuned!
There are so many lovely bloggers and authors who participate in #ABRSC. Sadly, I haven’t mentioned them all due to time constraints but please take this as a huge thank you to each and every one of you for helping make #ABRSC such a fun, engaging place to share ideas, and help each other.
If you’d like to join the #ABRSC please do. Comment below. Let me know if you have any questions about the club, add your links to posts of interest, chat, come say hello.
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!
FGM is shocking and must be stopped and condemned. No young woman should ever have to suffer such barbarity and mutilation. Please share this serious post via Lucinda Clarke to raise awareness.
M J Mallon YA Author and Poet 