Very useful article – Source – How to Describe Eyes in a Story – 7 Tips – Now Novel reblogged from Colleen at Silver Threading.
Why I May Have Ended Up In Your Spam Folder
Unfortunately it looks like I’ve been taken hostage by the spam monster too. I have been replying to your comments – the one’s I’ve seen – good idea to check your spam folders. Thank you to the bloggers who alerted me to this issue. Thanks to Hugh for this post of what to do if the spam monster gets you, reblogging to spread the word.
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Rigby and Peller Fashion Show – Addenbrooke’s Breast Cancer Appeal
I am so thrilled to be part of the team of lingerie stylists at Rigby and Peller, Cambridge. This is a totally new venture for me. I’ve never worked in lingerie before, in fact in my previous retail job in John Lewis I was ensconced in the menswear department, amongst woolly jumpers, socks, underwear, and other male paraphernalia.
Since joining the company I’ve been impressed by Rigby and Peller’s training programme and their positive attitude and intention to make women feel good about themselves.
So with that in mind I put together the above slide show and this little blog post to tell you all about a very extraordinarily inspiring evening.
The Addenbrooke’s Breast Cancer Appeal Fashion Show was held in the Grand Arcade in Cambridge on the 4th of October. Several retail companies joined in the event including Rigby and Peller. Today I heard the wonderful news that the goal to raise £10,000 for the Addenbrooke’s appeal towards the cost of biopsy equipment for the breast cancer unit has now been met, and is being surpassed!
My manager at Rigby and Peller, Jenny Mason – one of the organisers of the event – has had first hand experience of the devastating effect of cancer, having lost her father to this dreadful disease. Jenny and Natalie Emuss (one of the models,) have worked tirelessly to make the fashion show such an enormous, and memorable success. Much respect to them both.
Here’s my daughter Georgina at the fashion show with her camera at the ready. A big thank you to Jenny Mason for allowing Georgina to take photographs of the event. Georgina is currently studying for three diplomas in Photography, Media Studies and Business Studies.
This was Georgina’s first opportunity to take part in a photographic shoot and what better event to begin with than one that was so charged with emotion. The awesome women modelling lingerie and fashion had us spellbound, as did their husbands and partners. I so admire their bravery and positivity.
Georgina chose four of her favourite images to share with you here: one black and white and three in colour.
What a great start to her photographic studies.
I will leave you with one of our shop windows at Rigby and Peller advocating :
Strength, Courage, Love.
I couldn’t agree more!
Don’t forget to pop into Rigby and Peller to donate your unwanted bras in store this October. Or do what you can to raise money and awareness for breast cancer sufferers.
Links:
Saffron Walden Reporter Brave breast Cancer Models
Addenbrookes Breast Cancer Appeal Fashion Show Facebook Page
To donate:
https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Natalie-Emuss2
Bye for now,
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Independent motion – can you help?
Can you help Sue Vincent’s son Nick follow his dreams? Please do what you can to help this amazing man who has been through so much. Reblog, share, and donate what you can to Nick’s Go Fund Me Campaign.
What would you give to make a dream come true if you woke to find yourself living a nightmare?
What would you feel if you could never again walk on a beach? Or go out alone in the snow…feel the stillness of a wood or cross a field?
And then, you found a way…
In 2009, my son was a successful young man with a bright future… until he was stabbed through the brain in an unprovoked attack and left for dead in an alley.
He was found almost immediately by passers-by who saved his life. By the time we arrived at the hospital, Nick was being prepared for emergency brain surgery. We were allowed to see him, for a few minutes, to say goodbye. He was not expected to survive…
Over the past couple of years, many in the blogging community have come to know my son and know…
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My Kyrosmagica Review of Soulless by Gail Carriger
Goodreads Synopsis:
Alexia Tarabotti is laboring under a great many social tribulations.
First, she has no soul. Second, she’s a spinster whose father is both Italian and dead. Third, she was rudely attacked by a vampire, breaking all standards of social etiquette.
Where to go from there? From bad to worse apparently, for Alexia accidentally kills the vampire–and then the appalling Lord Maccon (loud, messy, gorgeous, and werewolf) is sent by Queen Victoria to investigate.
With unexpected vampires appearing and expected vampires disappearing, everyone seems to believe Alexia responsible. Can she figure out what is actually happening to London’s high society? Will her soulless ability to negate supernatural powers prove useful or just plain embarrassing? Finally, who is the real enemy, and do they have treacle tart?
My review:
Soulless by Gail Carriger is the first in the five book Parasol Protectorate steampunk series. It’s quite a mixture: a steampunk, Victorian, paranormal romance, fantasy, vampire, werewolf, mystery! In which Miss Alexia Tarabotti, a preternatural who has ‘no soul,’ sets off a chain of events by killing a vampire with her much loved parasol. Highly recommended – really enjoyed this. It had me laughing out loud a lot, generally sniggering in various rooms in our house, and even in public places… I had to stifle my hysterical laughter whilst drinking a cup of tea in Starbucks!
This was my first experience of reading a Steampunk novel, and I have to say it did make me want to read more in this genre.
I enjoyed the characterisation, even the subsidiary characters were well fleshed out and entertaining, but I particularly enjoyed the hilarious love scenes between the strident, confident, Alexia, and Lord Maccon, Earl of Woosley, a Scottish alpha werewolf and head of the B.U.R, (The Bureau of Unnatural Registration.) Lord Akeldama, the fashionable vampire with his male harem, was a positive treat. Equally, I loved Mrs. Loontwill, Alexia’s mother, her two idiotic stepsisters, Evylin and Felicity, and Floote her long suffering butler.
More than anything this novel is full of FUN, and FROLICS. If you want a light-hearted read that will make you laugh and keep you laughing this is the one. If you want a serious read then I suggest you avoid this like the plague!
My rating: 4 stars
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.
Buying Links
Amazon UK Kindle: http://amzn.to/2fblk3F
Amazon UK Paperback: http://amzn.to/2fbNLhO
Amazon UK Hardcover (available 20 Feb 2018): http://amzn.to/2w7jKa1
Authors Website: http://www.gailcarriger.com
Have you read Soulless? Do let me know in the comments below, I’d love to hear what you think of it.
Bye for now, Happy Reading!!!
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Beta Readers, It’s About the Book – Not You
Reblog from RyanLanz – Ashleigh Giannoccaro’s great tips regarding what to look for in a beta reader. Very topical as my manuscript is currently with Colleen Chesboro at Silver Threading for the final edit – I hope!
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#HorrorOctober 2016: Week 1 Round-up — Lipsyy Lost & Found
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.
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Thursday Doors: Christ’s College Cambridge
This is Norm’s short paragraph telling us all about his link up: Thursday Doors is a weekly feature allowing door lovers to come together to admire and share their favorite door photos from around the world. Feel free to join in on the fun by creating your own Thursday Doors post each week and then sharing it, between Thursday morning and Saturday noon (North American eastern time), by using the blue link-up button below.
I was on my lunch break from work. It was such a sunny, pleasant day so rather than going for a coffee and cake I decided to go door hunting!
It didn’t take me long to find this beauty. Isn’t it amusing how there’s a bike propped just outside – that’s so Cambridge!
Isn’t it a stunning door?
Hope you enjoyed my Thursday Doors, do pop over to Norm’s blog to join in the fun:
Norm’s Thursday Doors – Oct 6th
Bye for now, back to my editing!
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The Curse of Time: Pre-Publication News
I am having a bit of a break through in terms of my publishing plans:
First I’ve changed the name of my manuscript from The Krystallos Cottage to The Curse of Time. This has had quite an impact on the general direction of the novel, with more emphasis on the dark side of the story. But the theme of light/darkness, and good/evil, still prevails. I have done some extra research into self harm, anxiety, and schizophrenia as one of my characters self harms.
There are still lots of light-hearted aspects in the crystals, storyline, dialogue, etc. So I do hope that this will have something for everyone.
I have had two beta readers working hard to make my manuscript the best it can be. Graeme Cumming author of Ravens Gathering read through the first draft and my bookworm daughter/budding writer Natasha Mallon, has been reading through the final draft, both have done an amazing job and I can’t thank them enough. So the final beta read is now done and I am in the final stages of editing.
At last, it’s nearly there. There will be lots of work to do…. edits of chapters, removal of one chapter, some extra work on dialogue, a few paragraphs here and there that are unnecessary, and I have been working on three short but hopefully powerful chapters to develop the dark aspect of the story.
At the moment it looks as if it is likely that the finished novel will be aimed at the YA market.
In the meantime I’m busy writing my author bio and my blurb…
As well as this I’ve won an month’s advertising in Jenny At Neverland’s blog in November and I’ve decided that would be the ideal time to get everything ready for publishing. Fingers crossed! So, perhaps I may get this book out in time for Christmas….
More news, I’ve contacted the inventor of the Corpus Chronopage, Dr John Taylor OBE, to ask for permission to use an image of this celebrated local clock and tourist attraction on my book cover. My manuscript has been approved by his publicist Tina Fotherby at Famous Publicity. This is great news – now I know that my book cover is going to be pretty striking.
So now I’m getting some ideas together regarding cover photography and Wendy Anne Darling is going to knock it all together for me: https://wendyannedarling.wordpress.com/bookxeedo-book-covers
How exciting!
I am considering the possibility of a domain name for this blog too. I’m fond of Kyrosmagica but wonder whether my author name should appear in my domain. If anyone has any advice do let me know.
Here are some more photos of The Corpus Chronograph courtesy of John C Taylor OBE.
The first is of Dr John C Taylor and his magnificent invention.
![Dr%20Taylor%20and%20the%20Corpus%20clock%20(1)[1]](https://mjmallon.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/dr20taylor20and20the20corpus20clock2011.jpg?w=660)
This one is the Grasshopper with his shadow… pretty cool! Especially as one of the themes in my book is shadows…
The Corpus Chronophage at dusk
The scary grasshopper in all his close-up glory! EEK!
Do let me know what you think of the Corpus Chronopage images. I am absolutely thrilled with them… So one of these with the right dpi (not all pass the level of dpi required for a book cover,) will be gracing my front and back cover. Decisions, decisions!
Bye for now.
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Ronovan Writes Haiku Challenge: Magic And Stars
It has been an age since I have written any haiku. Sigh!
Recently Denis at haiku hound commented on one of my posts, but added – where are your haiku? Good point Denis – his comment prompted me to write this post! Thanks so much for the encouragement. 🙂
Denis is a keen haiku poet, photographer and also has some stunning afghan hounds – do check out his blog: Haiku Hound – Afghan Hounds
I have really missed joining in with Ronovan’s weekly challenge. Unfortunately I have just been so busy job hunting, editing my manuscript, etc, etc.
Good news – I now have a new job… More about that soon. It’s a bit of a secret. Kyrosmagica likes secrets but all will be revealed soon. But one things for certain I doubt that you will guess what my new job is, as it is quite unusual.
This weeks prompt really caught my attention… Magic and stars. Kyrosmagica is all about the magical moments in life whether it’s simply reading a book, walking and observing the beauty all around us or engaging in creative endeavours. Kyrosmagica also tries to reflect on the deeper aspects of life – you can’t have light without a touch of darkness… But today, I’m feeling lighthearted so let’s celebrate love with Ronovan’s beautiful prompt words magic and stars!
My haiku is inspired by my recent visit to Tavira, in the Portugese Algarve. To find out more about Tavira do visit this excellent website: Tavira Uncovered. In this quaint town there is a bridge dedicated to love! All along the bridge padlocks are attached, with the names of partners, husbands, wives, and lovers!
This particularly bright pink padlock caught my eye. I do hope that Stefan and Claudia are still together!
Magical Fireworks Explode
Stars twinkle brightly,
Magical fireworks explode,
When I’m near to you.
Stars padlocked our love,
In magical Tavira,
Love you forever.
The key’s ours alone,
No one else can break the bond,
Magic star of love.
This bridge links our love,
A magical star glistens,
On this pink full heart.
© Marjorie Mallon 2016 – aka, Kyrosmagica. All Rights Reserved.
Tavira is such a lovely quaint place to visit, with an oldie world charm, so with that in mind here are some of my photos to tempt you:
Two views from either side of the lovers!!! bridge ….
My daughter looking tiny amongst the quaint old buildings!
There are some lovely churches in Tavira:
Of course when love hits the mark it’s truly magical, and so is Tavira. If you’d like to see my other Portugal post do visit here: Portugal Missing You
I hope you liked my haiku. Do join in with Ronovan’s challenge.
Here’s the link to find out more: Ronovan Writes Haiku Challenge – Magic and Stars
Oh and see if you can guess what my new job is…
Bye for now, much love. Happy Sunday!
M J Mallon YA Author and Poet 