Kyrosmagica Publishing – The Magical Home of Books, Writing, Photography and Inspiration
Here’s my entry for Colleen’s weekly poetry challenge.
It’s been ages since I’ve been able to take part due to long working hours, etc, but seeing as it is nearly Halloween I couldn’t resist! For Haunt I chose lair, and for spell I decided upon trick.
Hope you enjoyed my Tanka….
THIS IS THE PRE-ORDER LINK…WE ARE HOPING THE BOOK WILL BE FREE VIA AMAZON WITH IN A WEEK OF PUBLICATION.
MEANWHILE IT WILL BE FREE ON THE 31ST OCTOBER ON NOOK, KOBO, APPLE, TOLINO etc.
This second installment of The Box Under the Bed series, Dark Visions, is filled with strange and creepy stories sure to keep your heart racing. Enter into a dark world of the macabre, the mystical and the malevolent, featuring 33 spine tingling tales that just may keep you up at night. Edited and compiled by Amazon bestselling author Dan Alatorre, this anthology of horror stories brings together the minds and pens of twenty seven authors:
34 stories by 27 authors. A few bestselling authors on that list, and quite a few prize winning authors.
Prologue: Now Comes Death, part one
1. The Corner Shop – Dan Alatorre
2. The Stranger – Allison Maruska
3. The Right Time To Move On – Jenifer Ruff
4. Devil’s Hollow – Adele Marie Park
5. Where The Black Tree Grows – MD Walker
6. The Storm – J A Allen
7. The Bloody Dogwood Tree – Dabney Farmer
8. Ghosts Of Tupelo – Sharon Cathcart
9. Cabin 5 – Heather Kindt
10. Bella And Button – Allison Maruska
11. Doll’s Play – Bonnie Lyons
12. Spirit Lake – Sharon Connell
13. Ice Cream – Geoff LePard
14. A Glimpse Of The Monster – Anne Marie Andrus
15. A Best Selling Lie – Christine Valentor
16. Normal Things – BA Helberg
17. Roadkill – Ernesto San Giacomo
18. Behind The Leather Apron – Alana Turner
19. Clicking And Clacking – Nick Vossen
20. The Haunting Of William – Robbie Cheadle
21. Where The Power Hides – Anne Marie Andrus
22. Nightmare Man – Betty Valentine
23. The Willow Tree – Robbie Cheadle
24. The Changeling – Christine Valentor
25. What If – Geoff LePard
26. Swimming – Frank Parker
27. The Call – Juliet Nubel
28. La Garconniere – Bonnie Lyons
29. Lucifer’s Revenge – Christine Valentor
30. The Nightmare – Lori Micken
31. Who Am I – Chuck Jackson
32. The Documentary – Ellen Best
33. The Doctor’s Walk – Betty Valentine
34. Excavation Murder – Victoria Clapton#
Epilogue: Now Comes Death, part two
My review of the first installment of The Box Under the Bed can be read here: https://mjmallon.com/2017/12/09/my-abrsc-review-of-the-box-under-the-bed-anthology/
Book Review
I received an ARC from Dan Alatorre in return for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
This is a fantastic compilation of horror and ghost stories and I would definitely recommend picking up a copy to get you in the mood for Halloween.
I enjoyed all the stories very much but my personal favourites were:
The Corner Shop by Dan Alatorre (The ending is just so foul.. but in a good way!)
The Right Time To Move On by Jennifer Ruff. (Oh my!)
Devils’s Hollow by Adele Marie Park. Horror absolute, fantastic story.
The Bloody Dogwood Tree by Dabney Farmer – Loved the black humour in this.
The Haunting of William by Robbie Cheadle. Oh!! What a tale!
What If by Geoff Le Pard. If you’re a writer you will relate and love this so much!
Ice Cream by Geoff Le Pard. This author should be locked up. What an macabre imagination.
Ghosts of Tupedo by Sharon E. Cathcart. This is a bit different, (think Elvis Presley) and that’s why I enjoyed it so much.
The poetry prologue and epilogue were a lovely touch and both excellent.
My rating 5 stars – highly recommended.
Social Media Links
Authors Website: https://mjmallon.com
Collaborative Blog: https://sistersofthefey.wordpress.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/
Tumblr: http://mjmallonauthor.tumblr.com/
This is for all of you have come under the threat of the spam monster. It has been quite a problem recently for several bloggers, our well intentioned comments not appearing on blogs…. So I wrote this little poem with that and Halloween in mind.
The Spam Monster
It’s all hallows eve,
You’ve no time for a pet peeve,
The wretched spam monster making curds,
Of your well thought out words.
He insidiously turns your comments into mush,
Sweeps them all away with a hot-wired brush,
He’s all wires and circuitry,
His gadgetry puts you into purgatory.
But, don’t fret, don’t worry, help is at hand,
The Happiness Engineers Askimet band,
Party together, they’ll help you out.
No need to storm, stamp, and shout!
Stick your perky pumpkin by your computer,
Light it with a ferocious candle to neuter,
That bloody spam monster with his big hooter,
Mr snooty, snotty, snooper.
© Marjorie Mallon 2016 – aka, Kyrosmagica. All Rights Reserved.
If you need any help with this problem Hugh has written a great post how to contact the Askimet engineers – here’s the link: Hughs Views And News: What To Do If your Comments Are Ending Up in Spam Folders
Bye for now,
Hope you liked the silly poem!
It’s been a busy first week of bloody blogging so here’s a handy summary in case you missed anything. Wouldn’t want that would we!? (Titles link to the posts) Horror October Week 1 (1st – 7th) Welcome to Horror October 2016 Flash Fiction Battle – Vote Now Review: Revisiting An English Ghost Story Review: […]
via #HorrorOctober 2016: Week 1 Round-up — Lipsyy Lost & Found
Reblog via Lipsyy, sadly I am too busy doing final edits, and have just started a new job, so will be mainly sharing reblogs of my favourite posts in October.
![caxton-gibbet[1]](https://i0.wp.com/mjmallon.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/caxton-gibbet1.jpg?ssl=1)
I’m joining in the Spooktacular Capturing History Challenge from Ed Mooney.
Here’s a link to Ed’s blog:
https://edmooneyphoto.wordpress.com/2015/10/01/spooktacular-2015/
As I’m blogging this on a Monday, this is my entry for Rachel Thompson’s #MondayBlogs too: https://twitter.com/RachelintheOC. Rachel blogs at Bad Red Head Media. http://badredheadmedia.com/
I really wanted to join in this challenge this month as I am doing a spooky stuff and nonsense theme on my blog leading up to Halloween. By the way, today, Monday the 26th of October is the last day to submit your photos to Ed. So if you want to join in get cracking, and email him, super pronto!!!
I was originally going to take one of those Ghost tours in Cambridge, which I still fancy doing, but then it struck me the perfect idea to post about for this Spooktacular would be the history behind the Caxton Gibbett Inn in Cambridgeshire, particularly as it features briefly in my manuscript! This place is or shall I say was about as creepy, and unlucky, cursed if you ask me, as it gets.
The inn was located between Cambridge and St. Neots. It is no longer standing as it burnt down in mysterious circumstances, in March 2009, when it had been trading as a Chinese restaurant, The Yim Wah House. In fact I had been there a few times for meals, as I have some friends who live out that way so I’m so glad it didn’t burn down when I was in there munching my spring rolls! Apparently fifty firefighters had their job cut out trying to stop the blaze. Anyway the Yim Wah has now relocated, I don’t blame them! Would you want to stay in residence there after that? Shudders. No brainer. The Yim Wah is now situated in the centre of Cambridge, good move!
The legend of the original inn is interesting Halloween fare. Apparently three travellers were murdered by the landlord, (who intended to steal from them.) He disposed of their poor unfortunate bodies down the pub’s well. The original gallows stood on Caxton Common, the replica gibbet was thought to have been made from the timber of a nearby cottage.
Punishment was a very public affair in those days, the murderer was hung alive in an iron gibbet from the gallows and death under these circumstances followed due to starvation, dehydration or exposure. Apparently thereafter the inn was haunted by mysterious footsteps that stopped at the well! Creepy , Ghoulish stuff or what? !! Enough to make you choke on your spring roll! Sounds like that land may be cursed, and it is now the home of fast food restaurants. Well, on the bright side at least with fast food you’re in and out quick, surely nothing too terrible can happen to you in such a short timescale! My advice is don’t hang about and chat too much, get out of their fast!
So not exactly good joss. Perhaps not history as such, maybe more of a legend, but it does seem to me to be an area of Cambridgeshire with a creepy predisposition, and a gallows, so beware!
The story of the inn captured my interest so much that it features briefly in my manuscript Krystallos.
Here’s a short excerpt:
Amelina spoke in a hushed spooky whisper. “Talking of ghost stories did you see that Chinese restaurant that burnt down at Caxton Gibbett? Its burnt out shell creeps me out every time I go pass it, the original inn on that site, also burnt down in the 1920’s.”
“The George Inn, yes, bit of a weird coincidence isn’t it?” said Ilaria her voice rising with excitement.
“The place was cursed. The landlord was hanged and gibbeted for murdering his guests as they slept. The room where they were killed was always intensely cold,” said Amelina, as a cold shiver ran down her spine.
“God that’s creepy, talk about gruesome,” said Joselyn, “Thanks, I’ll not sleep a wink tonight.”
“Me neither. Maybe when we’re wide awake some fit dead guy could return from his eternal slumber for a chat. Hopefully a famous rock or pop star,” joked Ilaria.
“Now that would be cool. You know I had this amazing dream once that all the rock stars came bursting out of my posters and had a party in my house. It was a bit freaky as some of them were dead. They were rocking out until the early hours,” said Amelina as she demonstrated her favourite rock hero pose playing air guitar to the girls.
Ilaria, Joselyn and Jade looked at Amelina with wide eyed astonishment.
“God you’re crazy, Amelina, I can’t believe the things you say or do. The air guitar was awesome,” remarked Jade.
Ilaria and Joselyn laughed.
© Marjorie Mallon 2015 – aka, Kyrosmagica. All Rights Reserved.
Hope you enjoyed my Spooktacular post, I enjoyed taking part, I’ve been planning this for ages, this baby has been waiting part finished in my draft folder and I nearly forgot to join in, that’s just typical of me. Scatty, or Loopy depends on how you take me!
Links:
http://www.cprs.co.uk/caxton.html
Bye for now, hope you enjoyed this Spooktacular story.
I’m hiding under the covers tonight just in case!
Marje @ Kyrosmagica xx
This week for Colleen’s Writer’s quote Wednesday I am celebrating Halloween quotes. Colleen is doing a flit, not by witch’s broom, I hasten to add, she’s packing up and going house hunting in Colorado. So here’s hoping all goes well for her and that her move is a big success. So let’s cast a spell for a successful trip. In the meantime, Ronovan, from his blog Ronovan Writes, and Mel, from her blog, Melissa Barker-Simpson are going to post occasionally for her while she is away. More details about that here: http://silverthreading.com/2015/10/03/inside-silvers-brain-the-great-move/
Here’s the link to her open invitation to join Writer’s Quote Wednesday: http://silverthreading.com/2015/10/07/writers-quote-wednesday-audrey-hepburn/
‘Tis now the very witching time of night,
When churchyards yawn and hell itself breathes out
Contagion to this world.
~William Shakespeare
“Tis the night—the night
Of the grave’s delight,
And the warlocks are at their play;
Ye think that without,
The wild winds shout,
But no, it is they—it is they!”
― Arthur Cleveland Coxe, Halloween: A Romaunt
Nobody moved.
Everybody sat in the dark cellar, suspended in the suddenly frozen task of this October game; the wind blew outside, banging the house, the smell of pumpkins and apples filled the room with smell of the objects in their fingers while one boy cried, “I’ll go upstairs and look!” and he ran upstairs hopefully and out around the house, four times around the house, calling, “Marion, Marion, Marion!” over and over and at last coming slowly down the stairs into the waiting breathing cellar and saying to the darkness, “I can’t find her.”
Then… some idiot turned on the lights.
(“The October Game”)”
― Ray Bradbury, Long After Midnight
Hold on, man. We don’t go anywhere with “scary,” “spooky,” “haunted,” or “forbidden” in the title.
~From Scooby-Doo.
Where there is no imagination there is no horror.
-Arthur Conan Doyle,Sr.
Everyone is a moon and has a dark side which he never shows to anybody.
– Mark Twain
In Girl World, Halloween is the one day a year when a girl can dress up like a total slut and no other girls can say anything else about it.
-from “Mean Girls”
When witches go riding,
and black cats are seen,
the moon laughs and whispers,
‘tis near Halloween.
~Author Unknown
From ghoulies and ghosties
And long-leggedy beasties
And things that go bump in the night,
Good Lord, deliver us!
~Scottish Saying
Shadows of a thousand years rise again unseen,
Voices whisper in the trees, “Tonight is Halloween!”
~Dexter Kozen
Being in a band you can wear whatever you want — it’s like an excuse for Halloween everyday.
~Gwen Stefani
Links:
https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/halloween
http://www.quotegarden.com/halloween.html
http://www.e-junkie.info/2011/10/collection-of-funny-spooky-halloween.html#sthash.SpiEbduU.dpuf
Hope you liked my Halloween quotes. Have you any favourite Halloween quotes too?
Bye for now,
Marje @ Kyrosmagica xx
Source: Black Cats & Jack-o-Lanterns
Wonderful illustrated Halloween themed artwork from Ryan Connors.
This October I’m doing a lead up to Halloween theme with lots of spooky, scary, and fun posts. As well as this I will be doing some reblogs (which don’t necessarily need to be autumn/Halloween themed but are helpful advice to authors/bloggers, writers.)
Here are some of my Halloween themed posts that you might have missed:
I’ve just finished reading Frozen Charlotte by Alex Bell – part of the #redeyereadealong on Goodreads. Highly recommended 4.5 stars. Keep an eye out for my review. After this I’ll be reading the rest of the red eye titles too! So plenty to keep me occupied…
Details of the readalong below:
https://mjmallon.com/2015/09/30/read-eye-readalong-frozen-charlotte/
My short story entry for #BlogBattle:
Blood Moon A Rip of A Ride. Link below if you’d like to read my entry.
https://kyrosmagica.wordpress.com/2015/09/29/blog-battle-blood-moon-a-rip-of-a-ride/
and I’ve written some haiku Halloween poetry for Ronovan Writes Haiku Poetry Prompt Challenge:
https://mjmallon.com/2015/10/03/ronovan-writes-haiku-poetry-prompt-challenge-64-tide-and-flesh/
Other Bloggers Posts
As well as this I’ve been nosy checking out other bloggers posts about Halloween/Autumn and thought it would be nice to share them with you, here are a few gems:
First up is this wonderfully spooky cat café in Japan, this really caught my eye:
http://katzenworld.co.uk/2015/03/09/cat-travel-tenmaruochi-cat-cafe-part-1/
Fellow #Blog Battler author Rawls E. has a welcome to autumn post, celebrating autumn, October, pumpkins, spooky Haunted houses, hayrides, and cemeteries:
https://rawlse.wordpress.com/2015/10/01/welcome-to-autumn-celebrate/comment-page-1/#comment-1991
Then we’re off to find some scary books to read, Ramona Wray has some great suggestions:
http://www.mybookishlife.com/scary-stories-yes-please/
As does Lipsy, check out these Horror October posts:
https://lipsyy.wordpress.com/2015/10/01/welcome-to-horror-october-2015/
And Paranormal, Sci Fi and Fantasy suggestions from Nonnie Jones at Rave Reviews.:
https://ravereviewsbynonniejules.wordpress.com/book-club-selections-for-review/sci-fy-fantasy/
What about a party? That’s always fun, paranormal author Kirsten Weiss is holding a witch’s tea party on 31st October:
https://parayournormal.wordpress.com/2015/09/23/witchs-teablog-party/
Fancy visiting some literary horror houses? Look no further, Flavorwire, opens up its doors to Stephen King, (spider webbed gated front with bats!!) Edgar Allen Poe’s red brick house with eerie basement, H.P. Lovecraft, Neil Gaiman (with a phenomenal library!) Ray Bradbury, Anne Rice, Clive Barker, Shirley Jackson.
http://flavorwire.com/540894/visit-these-real-life-literary-horror-houses/
These were posted quite a while ago but are excellent Halloween posts by Donna Parker the lady with the strange sounding blog name that I can’t spell:
http://yadadarcyyada.com/2013/10/30/jerry-seinfeld-Halloween/
http://yadadarcyyada.com/2014/10/29/welcome-to-my-nightmare/
http://yadadarcyyada.com/2014/10/28/bewitched-bothered-and-bewildered/
http://yadadarcyyada.com/2014/10/20/hide-and-shriek-with-the-addams-family/
Let’s end this on a cute note. What about some Halloween fun spooky lunch notes?
http://nerdinthebrain.com/2015/09/29/halloween-fun-spooky-lunch-notes/comment-page-1/#comment-13541
and Colleen from Silver Threading’s wonderful post about autumn:
http://silverthreading.com/2015/09/23/go-ahead-fall-into-autumn-bewow/
Annika Perry featured one of my favourite poems about autumn, John Keats Ode to autumn, and has had some wonderful posts just recently, so do check out her blog:
https://annikaperry.wordpress.com/2015/09/26/ode-to-autumn/
Sarah Vernon from First night Design has some Halloween playing cards, greeting cards, ipad covers, and more items for sale : https://firstnightdesign.wordpress.com/2013/09/15/so-i-have-a-number-of-faults-said-the-skeleton/
Irene from Irene Design does a wonderful range of jewellery, this caught my eye for Halloween.
http://irenedesign2011.com/2015/09/27/skull-key-leather/
Hope you enjoyed all these Autumnal and Halloween inspired posts, I may be doing more of these so if you’d like to feature, and share the Halloween love do get in contact.
Thanks.
Bye for now,
Marje @ Kyrosmagica xx
Just finished uploading all these fun images from Pixabay, and the door slammed shut upstairs. I’m all by myself in the house. Creepy! Happy Halloween!
