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.

Book Review: The Magisters by Jack Eason #Bookreview

Synopsis:

The Magisters is a science fiction story with a difference. Apart from chronicling the ultimate change of life for a select few individuals, it questions all accepted ideas by closeminded academics that leave no room for alternative thinking by some among their number. It is about a woman born ten years after the Romans left Britannia forever and a man born in the twentieth century. Add to that everything that is currently environmentally wrong with our planet today. Now read on…

My review

The engaging story makes the reader wonder. What if our ancient monuments were resurrected, what would the outcome be? And what would happen if a modern day man could meet a beautiful woman from a previous time period? This, and many other questions are answered, some with a political/environmental slant.

Certain lines in the novella made me wish we could be the ones wielding an other worldly Science Fiction power over our Politicians! Now, wouldn’t that be great!

I believe this is book one and there is more to come. #highlyrecommended #reading – 5 stars.

Author Profile on Goodreads;

Jack Eason lived in New Zealand for forty-two years until 2000 when he returned to his birthplace in England. As far as he is concerned he will always consider himself to be a Kiwi. After military service in the 1960’s, he travelled the world, visiting exotic lands and making many friends. Now retired,he is content to write and travel via the Internet. Besides writing novels and short stories. Some of his short stories and numerous articles appear in the No: 1 online E-zine “Angie’s DIARY”. His literary interests include science fiction, history, both ancient and modern, and humorous tales like those written by his fellow writer Derek Haines, such as “HAL”. He lives in retirement in his home town surrounded by his favourite books, ranging from historical fact to science fiction. His literary icons are J.R.R Tolkien, George Orwell, Arthur C Clarke and John Wyndham.

He also contributes to his blog “Have We Had Help” at: http://havewehadhelp.wordpress.com/ along with articles and short stories to “Angie’s Diary at: http://angiesdiary.com/.
You can also find some of his short stories under the ‘writings’ button at his goodreads author page: http://www.goodreads.com/jackeason

http://mybook.to/TheCurseofTime

Unique Selling Point: Unique, Imaginative, ‘Charming, enchanting and richly layered this is purely delightful.’

“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)

Donation to a Bushfire Appeal

Frank’s bushfires appeal #Australian #bushfire #appeal

Frank Prem Poetry

I’ve thought hard about how I can provide some personal encouragement for folk to make donations.

It seems to me that the best I can do is offer something that, perhaps, only I can do, which is record myself reading my own poems and making them available to anyone that makes a donation.

With that in mind I have made some mp3 files – eight in all – of my own reading of poems from the current set of bushfire poems, which is still being written, so they’re quite fresh in content and context.

If you make a donation, let me know and I can email a link to allow you to listen the poems.

Write to me using the email address: FrankPrem03@gmail.com

If you decide to make a donation, please feel free to donate to whatever bushfire related charity appeals to you – there are lists of them around…

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The Australian Fires: Where You Can Donate

Suzie is sharing ways to donate to help the Australian disaster fund. #Australian #fires #disaster #fund

Suzie Speaks

I’ve watched in horror over the last few weeks as the fires in Australia have ravaged the country. With 24 people and 500 MILLION animals dead, millions of hectares of land burned and more than 1400 homes destroyed, I’ve been reduced to tears as the pictures of the devastation have been shared across the news and social media. Like the fires across the Amazon Rainforests and California there’s a feeling of helplessness, particularly in the fact that it is happening literally on the other side of the world.

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Happy New Year – 2020 News: #Writing #Sequel #Poetry #Prose

Happy New Year!!!

After many moons I ‘m finally making progress on the second in my YA Fantasy series The Curse of Time Book 2 Golden Healer.

It has been a long haul BUT I can begin to see encouraging flickers of light at the end of a very long, arduous tunnel.

Writing a sequel is so hard! No, scratch that, it’s TORTURE.

Why?

My memory isn’t as good as it used to be. I realised that I’d forgotten some of the minutiae of book one. Sequential aspects, patterns of speech and the like.
Writing a novel isn’t for the faint-hearted. It’s around 80,000 and that’s a lot of words.
Structuring the bloody thing… ugh… when will I ever learn to plot?
Working full-time whilst trying to wrangle it into shape. Masochist.
My imagined final copy is never the final version. Betas read it and you realise you must do more work. The slog is real. It seems interminable. And then SCBWI (Society of Children’s Writers and Book Illustrators) conference goers read parts of it too and have more suggestions for you too.
Then there’s the dreaded B word: Boredom. Yes, it gets to the point were you are so fed up looking at your once treasured words.
Followed by the dreaded D word: Doubt. Who wants to read the bloody thing anyway? It’s such a crock of… miserable… you get the picture.
And the dreaded E word: Experience. I will no longer be a debut. This will be my second novel. Perhaps people will expect more from me? EEK.

Help…

That’s when point 9 comes trotting along before no. 10 to restore my sanity.

9. Stop beating myself with my notebook, pen, keyboard whatever. Take a break. BREAK? What do writers do when they long for a break? Rest… NO. OF COURSE NOT. In my case, I decided to write a poetry and prose book.

I told you I’m a masochist!

10. So, now I have a poetry collection to finish and edit too. Double TORTURE. Only joking, this poetry collection seems easy in comparison to the novel. OR IS IT?

It’s called Mr. Sagitarrius – Poetry, and Prose. It includes various short form poetry, short fiction and my photography images of the natural world: trees, a robin, a dragonfly, plus a couple of images via a young photographer Alex Murdoch – son of Sam Murdoch – who has a lovely blog about cats and crystals: https://samanthamurdochblog.wordpress.com/

Hope you like the title. Please let me know your thoughts…

Titles are interesting, aren’t they? I nearly called it The Magic Golden Willow Tree – Poetry and Prose but decided that was too wordy.

I don’t have a cover yet so…. Image via pixabay – Monfocus.

Here’s the blurb… or what might become the blurb….

Two twin brothers Harold and William love the magic of the natural world.

When Harold dies he leaves a simple memorial request.

Will his brother William and his sister Annette honour it?

Or, will the garden work its magic to ensure that they do.

A magical story expressed via an original compilation of poetry and prose

with photographic images.

Now, it is possible that this usurper poetry book might come out before The Curse of Time Book 2.

Oh. A race is on, which one will win?

In the meantime, if you haven’t read the first in the series, now’s the time… HURRY! And if you do I’d love some more reviews. I’m creeping up to 20 on Amazon UK. Can you get me from 18 to 20?

Buy Book: myBook.to/TheCurseofTime

Unique Selling Point: Unique, Imaginative, ‘Charming, enchanting and richly layered this is purely delightful.’

“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)

Happy New Year!!!

Wishing you all much health, happiness and joy in 2020.

I have a good feeling about the coming year and I expect it will be much better than 2019. It’s been a wonderful break over the holiday period spent with my hubby and two daughters. I have many exciting things to look forward to in 2020 including the forthcoming release of two books: My YA fantasy: The Curse of Time Book 2 Golden Healer (which has and continues to be such hard work and a definite challenge) phew! And a book of poetry and prose which I am currently working on. Title to be revealed soon!

Happy New Year and Happy Creating! Xxx

#BookReview: Space Dust by Eloise De Sousa #Picturebook

We’re going on a trip to the stars in Big Ox’s canoe.
Watch fire bears roar on Venus,
as pepper pot trees grow on the moon.
As Big Ox steers us to the planets
using his absolute favourite spoon,
Little one sits wondering if mum will come home soon.

Review

A very cute picture book that will make both the adult and the child smile. Lovely simple illustrations by the author which are colourful and fun. A recommendation for parents, carers and grandparents to read to their little ones.

Received a copy of the book from the author but my opinions are my own and unbiased.

Rating: 5 stars.

I featured Eloise Space Dust Blog Tour here: https://atomic-temporary-67364188.wpcomstaging.com/2019/10/04/eloise-de-sousas-space-dust-blog-tour/

Authors website: http://eloisedesousa.wordpress.com

Amazon Buying Link below.

Hope you all had a very Merry Christmas and are getting a chance to read and relax over the holidays! I’ve added a new contact form below so please do leave a comment so I can see it works!

Many thanks.