I am absolutely thrilled with blue tick influencer, and professional reviewer – N. N. Night’s review of my latest book.
N. N. Lights Review:
A creative approach to poetry and prose I thoroughly enjoyed. MJ Mallon uses her imagination to reflect on life using conversations with the three Fates as a vehicle. I’m familiar with the multiple myths about the Fates (three sisters who guide mortals using the past, present, and future) but never have I read such a tender depiction.
The poems are beautiful and easy to understand. Each poem conveys a moment, an emotion, an experience, which relate to life. Themes detailing a life filled with beauty and love are evident and allow the reader time to ponder.
The prose illustrating conversations with the three Fates is, by far, my favorite part. The writing is imaginative, creative, and flows without effort. The dialogue speaks to the heart of the matter, the reason for everything (both good and bad): live a life well lived.
The writing itself is emotive and has a meditative quality to it. MJ Mallon chooses words like an artist chooses paint colors before creating a masterpiece. Each word by itself doesn’t mean much but when put together transforms the reader. It’s an artform and one I admire.
If you’re looking to make a change in your life or want to escape for a short time for reflection, pick up this book. A delightful, inspiring collection of poems and prose.
This is a beautiful and personal account through poetry, prose and photographs, of the emotional highs and lows of the poet’s life. The poet is accompanied on her walk down memory lane by the three sisters of fate, the Morai: Clotho, Lachesis and Atropos with whom she engages in conversation about the particular moments in time highlighted by the poems.
While the poems are personal, their themes are universal which makes them relatable to the reader and facilitates emotional engagement with the particular set of circumstances detailed in the various syllabic poems. The poems are accompanied by beautiful photographs, many of which are nature orientated. I particularly liked the Botanical Gardens Cambridge UK.
One of my favourite poems in the collection is My Daughters. Perhaps this one appeals so much to me because my own sons are standing on the cusp of adulthood and will soon be flying the nest. This is a short extract:
“Now the drama’s nearly over. I tremble. Expecting the next crisis to come rippling around the lake. The waters swaying. It’s stiller now. They’re wiser.”
This is a book that is best savoured slowly over a glass of wine.
Thank you so much to Lizzie Chantree for this lovely post on her awesome blog celebrating my book launch of Do What You Love which is a little book of poetry, photography and flash fiction.
Lizzie is a wonderful author, and kindness itself. She does much for the writing community. Do follow her blog and facebook group.
In the celebratory release blog from Lizzie I share a poetic excerpt about a little fellow, Zog, who I looked after one day. He was the cutest dog. Pop over to Lizzie’s to read the blog at source.
It’s launch day for Do What You Love and today I am featured by two lovely blogging author friends, Ritu and Adele!
This is from Ritu… who is chatting to me over a book and brew… and sharing her review of Do What You Love.
Ritu: I’m back with a second edition! Today, I am thrilled to welcome an old blogging and writing friend who I have met in person. None other than the lovely Marjorie Mallon, one of my blogging sis…
Oh what a lovely book, filled with poetic gems and beautiful prose!
I felt a keen connection to the poems about her daughters and the autumn trees. Autumn is one of my favourite seasons. A lovely book with a personal touch.
I’ve known Adele a long time and Adele and I have collaborated in anthologies together, and Ritu and Adele both contributed to my lockdown project, This Is Lockdown. Even though I have not met Adele in person, I feel as if I know her. I recommend you connect with both of these wonderful authors.
Review Quotes:
The mix of poetry, flash fiction and photography is something M J Mallon does very well. She combines them as part of the journey and the adventure she leads us on. She is a very skilled author and this newest release is a joy to traverse.
I loved how her favourite poem from the collection is about my home from home Edinburgh…
Thank you so much to Linda Hill for this wonderful chat and review about my new book: Do What You Love. Do pop over to her blog to share in with some dim sum, cake and chit chat!
A small and perfectly formed collection about finding your way in life.
Do What You Love is simply lovely. Marjorie Mallon bases her collection on an iterative image of and conversation with the Fates as well as the concept of doing what a person loves and she affords the reader a personal insight into her life and family as she does so. I really recommend reading her author introduction in advance of the rest of the book because it sets the scene so beautifully.
Given that this is a very personal book, I was concerned that it would be too specific to the author. Not a bit of it. There’s a wide range in Do What You Love that encompasses poetry, prose and photography so that there really is something for every reader. I particularly enjoyed the variety of writing style. The first entry, Fragility Of Your Flame, feels very traditional in style, reminiscent of traditional fables and this is continued throughout the collection, giving balance to the shorter entries as the author imagines conversations with the Fates that enable her to reflect on her life and family.
There’s such a range of emotion in Do What You Love. Parents will experience the pain of letting go of their children even whilst they might be immensely proud of them. Marjorie Mallon illustrates love, joy, sadness, pride, the impact of nature on an individual and so much more. Her sense of place and history comes through with just a tweak of her pen and she so celebrates a childlike sense of awe and joy that she helps readers connect (or indeed reconnect) with their own happiness. I especially enjoyed the entries about trees because the author reignited my love of nature.
Do What You Love is a highly personal collection to Marjorie Mallon, but at the same time as giving readers a glimpse into who she is and where she has come from, she gently guides readers to contemplate their own lives, to live more positively and to appreciate each moment. This is such a wonderful message. and a much needed one in today’s world.
Thank you so much to Debby Gies for this wonderful 5 star review of my latest release, Do What You Love.
MJ Mallon has written a heartfelt book with memories, prose, and poetry, incorporated with stories of life, love, family, and nature. In some of her stories, she is in conversation with the fates: Clotho, Lachesis and Atropos, the three Moirai representing the cycle of life – birth, life and death, past, present and future. We will read shared conversations about meeting her husband, her homeland of Scotland, stories about children that grow up and leave the nest, and nostalgic stories of growing up with her parents. There are many beautiful images MJ intersperes amid her stories.
Stories from the heart is what I would classify this book – poignant moments that left indelible imprints on the author and will touch the reader, a reminiscing through life and new adventures. This book is a wonderful slice of life celebrated and spoken by the author through beautiful written words.
Debby Gies
Favorite Quote: Long lasting marriages must be friends…”
Thank you so much to Sally for this wonderful 5 star review. Delighted!
This is a delightful poetic and reflective collection of poetry, photography and flash fiction. In the company of three sisters of fate, the Morai: Clotho, Lachesis and Atropos, the author travels back in time to showcase meaningful moments of love, family, adventure and places close to her heart.
The three mythical sisters allow for interaction and exploration behind the meaning of events, meetings and connections to nature. This makes the collection very intimate and also heart-warming as the reader is reminded of their own special moments in life.
As with other collections by Marjorie Mallon nature is a key element to the narrative with flowers and trees in particular receiving their moment in the spotlight.
Family is also given the prominence it deserves, with parents and childhood memories celebrated. The love and pride for the achievements of daughters are touched by the sorrow of an inevitable parting of ways, despite the knowledge that both have inherited strength and talent that will enable them to thrive.
This is a gentle recollection of exotic places, nature, family, memories and excitement for new adventures in the sun of Portugal. The reader is left with a sense of hope and a reminder of their own lives and moments they treasure. Recommended.
Do What You Love Fragility of Your Flame Poems, Photography & Flash Fiction is a personal poetry collection celebrating how the fates may have a part in all that we do.
With special poems and short reflective moments inspired by family, flowers and nature, love, scrumptious morsels, places I’ve visited, lived and intend to live in, the friendships and hopes I have for the future.
The overarching theme is to live a life well lived… And to do what you love.
Thank you to the kindness of the writing community, to fellow authors, and bloggers who kindly featured me and/or reviewed around the time of the release.
A small and perfectly formed collection about finding your way in life.
Do What You Love is simply lovely. Marjorie Mallon bases her collection on an iterative image of and conversation with the Fates as well as the concept of doing what a person loves and she affords the reader a personal insight into her life and family as she does so. I really recommend reading her author introduction in advance of the rest of the book because it sets the scene so beautifully.
Given that this is a very personal book, I was concerned that it would be too specific to the author. Not a bit of it. There’s a wide range in Do What You Love that encompasses poetry, prose and photography so that there really is something for every reader. I particularly enjoyed the variety of writing style. The first entry, Fragility Of Your Flame, feels very traditional in style, reminiscent of traditional fables and this is continued throughout the collection, giving balance to the shorter entries as the author imagines conversations with the Fates that enable her to reflect on her life and family.
There’s such a range of emotion in Do What You Love. Parents will experience the pain of letting go of their children even whilst they might be immensely proud of them. Marjorie Mallon illustrates love, joy, sadness, pride, the impact of nature on an individual and so much more. Her sense of place and history comes through with just a tweak of her pen and she so celebrates a childlike sense of awe and joy that she helps readers connect (or indeed reconnect) with their own happiness. I especially enjoyed the entries about trees because the author reignited my love of nature.
Do What You Love is a highly personal collection to Marjorie Mallon, but at the same time as giving readers a glimpse into who she is and where she has come from, she gently guides readers to contemplate their own lives, to live more positively and to appreciate each moment. This is such a wonderful message. and a much needed one in today’s world.
MJ Mallon has written a heartfelt book with memories, prose, and poetry, incorporated with stories of life, love, family, and nature. In some of her stories, she is in conversation with the fates: Clotho, Lachesis and Atropos, the three Moirai representing the cycle of life – birth, life and death, past, present and future. We will read shared conversations about meeting her husband, her homeland of Scotland, stories about children that grow up and leave the nest, and nostalgic stories of growing up with her parents. There are many beautiful images MJ intersperes amid her stories.
Stories from the heart is what I would classify this book – poignant moments that left indelible imprints on the author and will touch the reader, a reminiscing through life and new adventures. This book is a wonderful slice of life celebrated and spoken by the author through beautiful written words.
Favorite Quote: Long lasting marriages must be friends…”
“Do What You Love” is a beautiful collection of words and photos that invite the reader into Ms. Mallon’s life. It is connected uniquely through the three sisters of fate: past, present, and future, and their insights. Whether it’s a trip abroad or down memory lane, it found a way to tug at my heart or engage me in her experiences. It is a wonderful way to share reality and engage others with flowing words and mythical beings. A quick but satisfying read that I can easily recommend to any poetry, prose, or memoir fan.
This is a beautiful and personal account through poetry, prose and photographs, of the emotional highs and lows of the poet’s life. The poet is accompanied on her walk down memory lane by the three sisters of fate, the Morai: Clotho, Lachesis and Atropos with whom she engages in conversation about the particular moments in time highlighted by the poems.
While the poems are personal, their themes are universal which makes them relatable to the reader and facilitates emotional engagement with the particular set of circumstances detailed in the various syllabic poems. The poems are accompanied by beautiful photographs, many of which are nature orientated. I particularly liked the Botanical Gardens Cambridge UK.
One of my favourite poems in the collection is My Daughters. Perhaps this one appeals so much to me because my own sons are standing on the cusp of adulthood and will soon be flying the nest. This is a short extract:
“Now the drama’s nearly over. I tremble. Expecting the next crisis to come rippling around the lake. The waters swaying. It’s stiller now. They’re wiser.”
This is a book that is best savoured slowly over a glass of wine.
As other reviewers have said, this is an overwhelmingly sweet and positive collection that will not fail to make you smile during these tough times. A well written and thought provoking collection of poetry, flash fiction and photography, this is an inviting read and can be read quickly in one sitting. I loved the conversations with the Fates, as the author reflects on stages of her life. There was a lot I could relate to in this book, and as with her other works, I appreciate the author’s love and appreciation of nature. A wonderful, heart-warming collection
‘Do What You Love’ is a little memoir that captures beautiful moments of life, giving an insight into the author’s experiences, hopes and adventures. A delightful concoction of poetry, photography and flash fiction, imagination and reality merge here to share the stories of her life in a succinct manner.
With the symbol of hibiscus flower, Marje introduces herself as a giggling and carefree child whose mentor is Lachesis – the goddess of future. How creative! It is her innovative style of writing that would capture your heart, as all three “sisters of fate” – Clotho, Lachesis and Atropos remain close to her and offer her friendly advice at each step of life.
With a pang in her heart and tears of pride in her eyes, the empty nester also shares the story of her successful daughters and is reassured by Atropos that they have to take their own path. So relatable! It is fascinating to watch the poet conversing with “sisters of fate” and the moments we cherish come alive through her poems.
Marjorie sent me her wonderful new book to read. When I say wonderful I mean it is a book full of wonder. Marjorie takes us on a journey through her life from when she was a small child up to now where she is on verge of yet another life adventure.
In this little book of delights Marjorie introduces us to the three sisters of fate who basically are in charge of spinning out life, measuring the length of life and the ending of life. I won’t tell you anymore about them Marjorie will introduce them to you and then you can eavesdrop on their conversation and their jokes.
I really enjoyed this very personal book by Marjorie, her past, present and her future, her family and her friends . The magic she finds in the every day, her love of insects, creatures and trees her love of life. Don’t be put off by the word personal, this book is so welcoming. I strongly recommend it to you all.
Oh what a lovely book, filled with poetic gems and beautiful prose! I enjoy reading MJ Mallon’s poetic fiction, where she ties poetry with prose, and have read several of her previous books written similarly. Do What You Love is almost autobiographical in a sense that she has taken her memories and written them in poetic form, and the fictional, almost fantastical element is where she meets the three sisters of fate through her journey of reminiscences, and they talk about her different memories. It’s not linear, but no conversation ever is, is it? Memories jump from the more recent to the older ones as they come tumbling into your mind. I felt a keen connection to the poems about her daughters, and the autumn trees. Autumn is one of my favourite seasons. A lovely book with a personal touch.
I’ve read this author’s work before: young adult novels, poetry and flash fiction, and I love her imaginative handling of the magical, the phantasmagorical and surreal. This short book is no exception to the quality of MJ Mallon’s output. I found her exploration of her past life captivating.
We may consider that the inclusion of often very personal material in a compilation of this sort would make it difficult for the outside reader to find a way in. This is not true at all of MJ Mallon’s poetry and prose: in many places, I related so much to what she writes, especially about a daughter ‘flying the nest’ to a faraway country. I particularly loved the device MJ Mallon uses to draw all this together: she presents it as a conversation with Atropos, one of the three Fates in Greek mythology: the Morai.
Atropos presides over the past. I thought this worked extremely well as a central metaphor. It had me googling the three Fates, and reading all about them: Clotho, who spins the threads of life, guardian of the present; Lachesis, who measures the length of life with her measuring rod, and is guardian of the future: and Atropos, who is the guardian of fate and destiny, and who chooses the manner of death by snipping the threads of an individual’s life.
MJ Mallon has had a fascinating and varied life experience: born in Singapore, she spent her childhood in Hong Kong and her teens in Edinburgh. She now lives in Cambridge. Every culture she has lived in, I believe, has influenced her imagination, her interests and her approach as a writer. In this book, we find a compilation of words and images which draw us in: poignant, sensitive, delicate, playful, as she opens up for us her past and present relationships, the places she has loved and spent time in, and her thoughts and feelings about it all.
This is a delightful poetic and reflective collection of poetry, photography and flash fiction. In the company of three sisters of fate, the Morai: Clotho, Lachesis and Atropos, the author travels back in time to showcase meaningful moments of love, family, adventure and places close to her heart.
The three mythical sisters allow for interaction and exploration behind the meaning of events, meetings and connections to nature. This makes the collection very intimate and also heart-warming as the reader is reminded of their own special moments in life.
As with other collections by Marjorie Mallon nature is a key element to the narrative with flowers and trees in particular receiving their moment in the spotlight.
Family is also given the prominence it deserves, with parents and childhood memories celebrated. The love and pride for the achievements of daughters are touched by the sorrow of an inevitable parting of ways, despite the knowledge that both have inherited strength and talent that will enable them to thrive.
This is a gentle recollection of exotic places, nature, family, memories and excitement for new adventures in the sun of Portugal. The reader is left with a sense of hope and a reminder of their own lives and moments they treasure. Recommended.
This is a delightful poetic and reflective collection of poetry, photography and flash fiction. In the company of three sisters of fate, the Morai: Clotho, Lachesis and Atropos, the author travels back in time to showcase meaningful moments of love, family, adventure and places close to her heart.
The three mythical sisters allow for interaction and exploration behind the meaning of events, meetings and connections to nature. This makes the collection very intimate and also heart-warming as the reader is reminded of their own special moments in life.
As with other collections by Marjorie Mallon nature is a key element to the narrative with flowers and trees in particular receiving their moment in the spotlight.
Family is also given the prominence it deserves, with parents and childhood memories celebrated. The love and pride for the achievements of daughters are touched by the sorrow of an inevitable parting of ways, despite the knowledge that both have inherited strength and talent that will enable them to thrive.
This is a gentle recollection of exotic places, nature, family, memories and excitement for new adventures in the sun of Portugal. The reader is left with a sense of hope and a reminder of their own lives and moments they treasure. Recommended.
M J Mallon’s new release is a wonderful mix of poetry, photography and flash fiction which leads us on a journey of discovery with the author.
The three fates advise and help our author through all phases of her life. Offering advice, sympathy and love these otherworldly beings are as much a part of the journey as they guide the young Marjorie and advise the older one.
Through each epoch of her life, we stand beside them, witnessing every decision and happiness with the author.
The mix of poetry, flash fiction and photography is something M J Mallon does very well. She combines them as part of the journey and the adventure she leads us on. She is a very skilled author and this newest release is a joy to traverse.
And Do What You Love is also available in paperback with full colour photography.
I am thrilled to say that two of my poetry collections, (Mr. Sagittarius Poetry and Prose and Lockdown Innit,) have been requested by prestigious libraries in the UK: The British Library, The Bodleian Library Oxford University, the Cambridge University Library, National Library of Scotland, National Library of Wales and Trinity College Dublin for Legal Deposit.
The cover of the paperback and kindle have been designed by Colleen Chesebro who has a new service for authors which I can highly recommend. Colleen also designed the interior and cover of The Hedge Witch And The Musical Poet. Link to her portfolio:
Poetry also features in my highly acclaimed YA Fantasy series. Each chapter begins with a short poem. The Curse of Time Book 1 Bloodstone and Book 2 Golden Healer are published by Next Chapter Publishing.
Thank you so much to S. C. Skillman for this wonderful 5 star review of my latest poetry, flash fiction and photography book Do What You Love which is currently on preorder on Amazon.
Releases 25th November.
REVIEW:
I have read this author’s work before: young adult novels, poetry and flash fiction, and I love her imaginative handling of the magical, the phantasmagorical and surreal. This short book is no exception to the quality of MJ Mallon’s output. I found her exploration of her past life captivating.
We may consider that the inclusion of often very personal material in a compilation of this sort would make it difficult for the outside reader to find a way in. This is not true at all of MJ Mallon’s poetry and prose: in many places, I related so much to what she writes, especially about a daughter ‘flying the nest’ to a faraway country. I particularly loved the device MJ Mallon uses to draw all this together: she presents it as a conversation with Atropos, one of the three Fates in Greek mythology: the Morai.
Atropos presides over the past. I thought this worked extremely well as a central metaphor. It had me googling the three Fates, and reading all about them: Clotho, who spins the threads of life, guardian of the present; Lachesis, who measures the length of life with her measuring rod, and is guardian of the future: and Atropos, who is the guardian of fate and destiny, and who chooses the manner of death by snipping the threads of an individual’s life.
MJ Mallon has had a fascinating and varied life experience: born in Singapore, she spent her childhood in Hong Kong and her teens in Edinburgh. She now lives in Cambridge. Every culture she has lived in, I believe, has influenced her imagination, her interests and her approach as a writer. In this book, we find a compilation of words and images which draw us in: poignant, sensitive, delicate, playful, as she opens up for us her past and present relationships, the places she has loved and spent time in, and her thoughts and feelings about it all.
Welcome to Writing Through the Soul to Heal the Soul. Where you will learn everything you need to know to heal your soul through writing! Thanks for stopping by.
M J Mallon YA Author and Poet 
