The sale continues, hurry! Grab yourself a bargain!
Thanks to fellow poet Amy Garratt for recommending my poetry book, Shh Purely Poetry along with @ally_author A generation of sunflowers both of which are on .99p offer:
Thank you to Aline P. MORA for mentioning my books amongst fellow fantasy authors:
My YA fantasy Bloodstone, Book 1 The Curse of Time: (mental health rep, female protagonist, coming of age, dark elements, curse, crystal wielding magic, mystery, ya, fantasy.)
My YA fantasy Bloodstone, Book 1 The Curse of Time: (mental health rep, female protagonist, coming of age, dark elements, curse, crystal wielding magic, mystery, ya, fantasy.)
Thank you so much AJ for inviting me to your Sunday Spotlight at AJ’s Book Nook.
1. What are your pet peeves?
• Rude, intolerant and thoughtless people. When I’m in Portugal I attend a tai chi and qigong class in a beautiful park area. On a few occasions, some noisy people sat on the benches, (they don’t participate,) but make as much rumpus as possible while we are trying to be zen!
• People who are aways on their phones. I am a bit addicted but sometimes people don’t even talk to each other anymore. It’s good to unplug sometimes.
• Litter droppers. Pick up your rubbish! Don’t discard it on that beautiful beach.
• How difficult it seems to be to find a saved draft post on Facebook! What a headache that is. Anyone else find this hard?
• Supermarket shopping! I love food but find the constant restocking a pain. Especially if you have to carry bags to your flat/house. Luckily, hubby always helps if he’s around. I’m a dreamer so not so good at doing practical things quickly!
Readers What are your pet peeves?
2. How much time do you spend writing in an average week? It depends on lots of factors, home life, whether I’m busy doing marketing/promotional posts. I am at the moment. It varies a lot!
At the moment, my writing focus is the 3rd book in my YA fantasy The Curse of Time series. I’m working on chapters and development of the storyline, with the help of early readers’ comments on Scribophile: https://www.scribophile.com/authors/m-j-mallon/works which I’ve found helpful. Fellow Next Chapter author Viv Sang also uses Scribophile too. If there are any other authors using Scribophile please let me know.
In The Shadow Dragon Pearl, (provisional title, still to be decided,) book 3, in The Curse of Time series, there are some exciting new characters:
The Dragon Zhezhou, who is based on the dragon chronophage, (there are three magical clock creatures in this series: The grasshopper, the midsummer fly and the dragon, all of which were invented by Dr John C Taylor, OBE, who I had the pleasure of meeting in Cambridge.)
The above images of the grasshopper, dragon and fly chronophage courtesy of Dr. John C. Taylor, OBE. Do find out more about these wonderful feats of inventive engineering beauty at: https://www.johnctaylor.com/
Other new characters are:
Ryder’s chauvinistic father The King of the Shadowlands. His talking dog! The coffin fairies. A talking squirrel and some creepy stone girls, the latter inspired by my visit to Juniper Artland in Edinburgh.
The third book is set partly in the Shadowlands, and in Arthur’s Seat, in Edinburgh! The Scottish girl in me couldn’t resist that!
I included some mysterious detail about Arthur Seat’s coffin fairies, (the discovery of several miniature coffins with dolls inside,) to the storyline. This headline from the following article will no doubt intrigue you:
In 1836, three Scottish boys discovered a strange cache of miniature coffins concealed on a hillside above Edinburgh. Who put them there—and why?
All very fascinating and lends itself to fantasy well.
I’m making good progress with the third book but still have a lot of work to do. My moods shift and my writing mojo varies. Sometimes I’m in the mood for writing poetry, other times short, or long fiction. At the moment my focus is my long fiction.
Occasionally, I write cute advent stories for my blog. Like this one I wrote about Chalkie The Dog in Tavira Portugal last Christmas. https://mjmallon.com/category/advent-story/
3. What is your perfect style of house & why?
I used to have a large family house in Cambridge, UK. Nowadays we travel a lot so we have a small flat in Edinburgh, (where my mum, dad, and brother, live.) When we’re abroad, we find somewhere (mainly Portugal.) We downsized massively and got rid of so much clutter. It’s a painful process but liberating too!
We put loads of our possessions in storage but had to donate, give away or get rid of so much stuff. My eldest daughter got most of my furniture as she had an unfurnished flat. In the end, we hardly kept anything. So, if you’re contemplating the same, rethink just how much you need to put into expensive storage
I’d prefer a house with enough space for hubby & I and my two daughters to visit. And a small garden. At the moment, we’re here for a spell in a villa in Portugal, which has that, (some beautiful roses & a fruit tree,) and a lovely pool too.
The fruit is called Nêspera/Loquat, some detail from Destination Eat Drink:
“The small, orange skinned, pear shaped fruit are delicious picked straight off the tree. I peel the skin, cut them in half and scoop out the seeds with a spoon. They’re juicy, slightly sweet and slightly tart. People often say it tastes a little like a peach or apricot. I say it tastes a bit like an acidic pear. Perhaps this is why the it’s called Nêspera, since the Portuguese word for Pear is Pera.”
I love them!
The pace of life here in Portugal is different from city life in Edinburgh/Cambridge. I enjoy my cultural fix/writing activities/poetry open mics when I am back in Edinburgh. Though there is one poetry/music event in the autumn in Tavira which I’ve been lucky to participate in, too.
4. How do you decide on the cover images for your books?
I publish my novels with Next Chapter and leave the finer nuances to them. The cover images are stunning.
For my self published poetry books it varies. I prefer to create them using images I’ve taken. I enjoy creating covers & graphics. Sometimes I pay for images on canva. As I did with my poetry collection – Shh Purely Poetry.
One of my favourites, The Hedge Witch & The Musical Poet was created and formatted for me by poet, author and cover designer, the lovely Colleen Chesebro. https://colleenchesebro.org/about-2/
5. Which continents have you visited & do you have a favourite?
Currently, Europe as it’s not too far to travel to and has lots to offer. Favourite places to visit: Portugal & Spain. Recently we took a short trip away to Jerez La Frontera, Cadiz & Seville. We visited the zoological botanical gardens in Jerez and enjoyed a day sightseeing in Cadiz. We walk everywhere! I also love Majorca and the balearic islands.
Other than that I love Edinburgh. So much to do there, culturally, lots of poetry events to go to, or participate in. A fantastic city for authors.
Thank you to AJ for inviting me to takeover her Facebook page: AJ’s Book Nook. THE AUTHOR Takeover is now over, giveaway revealed. But do join the group. One of my favourites on FB: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1629584244023081
Delighted to be playing a part in this new anthology of cricket writing devised by Alex Pearl. It’s in aid of Surrey County Cricket Club Charity Foundation.
My uncle was a whizz at Cricket but sadly that sporty gene missed me.
I must admit I was a little bit stumped what to write when Alex approached me. So, I wrote a cheeky poem.
“In this beautifully curated anthology, authors and writers who might never normally do so are given free rein to train their gaze on this most full-bodied of sporting muses.
What results is a reminder that truly nothing in life cannot be improved with a generous dollop of cricket.”Daniel Norcross.
This eclectic collection of short stories, reminiscences, essays, and poems will appeal to anyone with a soft spot for the noblest of summer games.
Besides being entertained and amused by this compilation, the reader will discover some interesting and little-known cricketing facts such as Adolf Hitler’s view of the game.
Alongside a Foreword penned by Daniel Norcross, contributors to this attractive addition to the rich canon of cricket writing include:
● John Corcut ● Bud Craig ● Judith Cutler ● Jessica Davis ● Geoffrey Dean ● Robert Deighton ● Isabelle Duncan● Laura E. Goodin ● Pete Langman ● Ben Macintyre● M. J. Mallon ● Jonathan Margolis ● Sean O’Leary ● Ann Parker ● Alex Pearl ● David Pearl ● Hugh Salmon ● Paul Stewart ● Sarah Traynor ● David Whittle ● Peter Wise● David Alan Woods
All authors’ royalties are being donated to Surrey County Cricket Club’s charity foundation.
Do get your copy.
Purchase Link:
Other anthologies of Alex Pearl I’ve contributed to:
Blurb I didn’t think my life could get weirder, but I was wrong…
Fifteen-year-old Amelina Scott lives in Cambridge with her dysfunctional family, a mysterious black cat, and an unusual girl who is imprisoned within the mirrors located in her house.
When an unexpected message arrives inviting her to visit the Crystal Cottage, she sets off on a forbidden path where she encounters Ryder: a charismatic, perplexing stranger.
With the help of a magical paint set and some crystal wizard stones, can Amelina discover the truth about her family?A unique, imaginative mystery full of magic-wielding and dark elements, Bloodstone is a riveting adventure for anyone interested in fantasy, mythology or the world of the paranormal.
TRIGGER WARNING: this book contains mention of self-harm, mental health issues and alludes to the potential dangers of sexual attraction, which may trigger younger/sensitive readers.
INSPIRED BY: The World Famous Corpus Christi Chronophage Clock, created by Dr. John C Taylor, OBE, and artist Anya Gallaccio’s Crystal Grotto, in Juniper Artland, Scotland.
‘A smartly plotted YA fantasy adventure with a strong cast of characters.
A RED RIBBONWINNER and highly recommended!’ The Wishing Shelf Book Awards.
A magical invitation, that doesn’t tear up, urges Amelina to go to Crystal Cottage to seek out the hidden secrets of her family.
Amelina Scott knows her family isn’t what you call normal and neither is her house. No one she knows has a girl trapped in the mirrors.
When she receives an invitation to visit Crystal Cottage, she doesn’t know what to make of it. Is it a prank? Is it a trick? She decides to ignore it and throws it in the trash. Only it doesn’t stay in the bin. She tries to cut it up but it doesn’t cut. It sings, it dances, it is somehow alive. She finally decides to travel to the Crystal Cottage to see what happens.
Along the way, she meets Ryder and discovers magic (both light and dark) is all around. She interacts with magical people, beings, and objects while learning the truth of her family.
What happens next will astound you, the reader.
Are you ready for an adventure?
Bloodstone is an imaginative fantasy adventure I enjoyed from start to finish.
From the first page, I connected with Amelina. She’s a delightful heroine. I could relate to her on so many levels. Everything from her curiosity to her reactions to her emotional state rang true.
While it’s tricky these days to write an original fantasy story, M.J. Mallon wrote one of the most original fantasy books I’ve read in a long time. Taking bits from fantasy authors of the past, M.J. Mallon adds her own blend of magical realism and emotional coming of age to make Bloodstone a gem.
The plot moves at a good pace with each chapter starting with a puzzle. What a creative way to keep the reader invested. The world-building is intricate and riveting. The characters are engaging and easy to connect with.
Overall, Bloodstone is a brilliant story and when I finished, I wanted to read it all over again. If you’re a fantasy reader, you need to read Bloodstone. Highly recommend!
Disclaimer: I received a copy from the author in the hopes I’d review it. My thoughts are all my own.My Rating: 5+ stars
A compilation of sensual, love and relationship poems. Quirky, unusual and evocative.
Shh, Purely Poetry is a collection of poetic pieces about love, sensuality and relationships with sections entitled: love as fuel, (food and coffee love,) the summer and winter of love, strangers in love, quirky aspects and nature as sensuality.
Inspired in part by daily prompt poems written for the 365poetrypromptchallenge, observations of places, people and my travels.
Shh Purely Poetry: (sensual, relationship, love poetry) available internationally via Amazon.
Exactly what is the big deal with book reviews?Currently, the reader’s attention is constantly being competed with via a wide range of printed or electronic format works. In this vast context, there may be no way to overstate how powerful, effective, and essential book reviews are – for both the reader and the author. Through these assessments, the readers are given a flavour of the narrative in front of them, additionally serving as gateways to the world of good books. On the other hand, the writers regard reviews as crucial for discoverability, marketing, and boosting their book sales.This little book of personal thoughts is more of a guide than a forensic approach.
My Review
Find Your Next Best Read!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 14 January 2025
The Booklet of First Hand Reads by Dan Costinas.
It’s somewhat unusual reviewing a book of book recommendations but that’s what I’ll try to do!
Dan loves reading. That’s obvious and his favourite reads are eclectic in taste ranging from:
1. The Bard William Shakespeare himself.
2. Poetry
3. Gothic literary masterpieces & Bestsellers
4. Engaging Travel & Expatriate tales
5. Crime & Thrillers, Psychological Fiction, Murder Mystery Puzzle Book
The Mess of US in currently on preorder and releases February 14th, Buy Link below.
Book overview
“Dear World, so, obviously we made a mess of it. Inevitably. Otherwise I wouldn’t be writing to you again, would I?”What do you do when the man who beat your boyfriend into a coma is about to be released from prison? What do you do when that man is your boyfriend’s older brother who wants to make amends?Now a couple, Lou and Joe are struggling to get over the traumatic events of two years ago. When Joe’s brother Leon is released from prison, they must decide if either of them are able to forgive and forget what he did.Meanwhile, an unexpected pregnancy throws their lives into chaos and when tragedy reawakens Lou’s self-destructive tendencies, she faces losing everything they have built. Can she fight her body image demons once again? Can either of them trust Leon? As Joe and Lou try to decide whether bad people can truly change, they are about to have one mess of a summer.
MyReview
The Mess Of Us
I had the pleasure of reading this brilliant tale twice as an early reader. This is the sequel to The Mess of Me which I loved too.
This is a moving young adult story written in a diary style to their baby whilst eighteen-year-old Lou is pregnant with Joe’s baby.
Lou hates putting on weight. She discovers she is pregnant and the family rally around to support the young couple. I loved the emotionally moving scenes with Lou supporting Joe when he is reunited with his vicious brother. And how Joe came to terms with grief and how Lou grew up in the process. She began to understand the reasons why Joe’s druggie brother believed in the way he did. And, surprisingly, he entrusts her with a secret she must keep.
The friends grow up, life changes.
Lou and Joe are both so likeable you just want to give them both a warm hug. Especially Joe! He’s a rare kind of boy.
Lou’s friend Marianne is the opposite. She is about as toxic as you can get! But she has a vulnerability too which was always there.
There is a softening, compassionate edge to this story which doesn’t excuse villians but reveals they can be damaged too.
Highly recommended for YA readers and anyone who loves stories about growing up.
My rating 4 🌟
Chantelle Atkins was born and raised in Dorset, England and still resides there now with her husband, four children, and multiple pets.
She is addicted to reading, writing, and music and writes for both the young adult and adult genres.
Her fiction is described as gritty, edgy and compelling. Her debut Young Adult novel The Mess Of Me deals with eating disorders, self-harm, fractured families and first love.
Her second novel, The Boy With The Thorn In His Side follows the musical journey of a young boy attempting to escape his brutal home life and has now been developed into a 5 book series.
She is also the author of This Is Nowhere and award-winning dystopian, The Tree Of Rebels, plus a collection of short stories related to her novels called Bird People and Other Stories.
The award-winning Elliot Pie’s Guide To Human Nature was released in October 2018.
A Song For Bill Robinson was the first in YA trilogy titled Holds End, followed by Emily’s Baby and The Search For Summer. Recently, she has co-authored the Fortune’s Well YA trilogy with Sim Alec Sansford. The Day The Earth Turned YA series is her latest release before this.
Sunflower Tanka, edited by Robbie Cheadle & Colleen M. Chesebro, is an annual anthology of contemporary tanka, tanka prose, & experimental tanka from a broad mix of new and established poetic voices from across the world.
Our theme, “Into the Light,” draws inspiration from the way a young sunflower bud constantly turns to face the sun. Poets delved into the realms of death, love, and the natural world, capturing their human experiences in the timeless form of syllabic poetry.
Contributors to the first edition of the Sunflower Tanka: Suzanne Brace, Yvette Calleiro, Kay Castenada, Luanne Castle, Robbie Cheadle, Colleen M. Chesebro, E.A. Colquitt, Melissa Davilio, Destiny, Tamiko Dooley, Lisa Fox, Cindy Georgakas, Chris Hall, Franci Hoffman, Marsha Ingrao, Jude Itakali, JulesPaige, Kenneth, MJ Mallon, Brenda Marie, Selma Martin, Michelle Ayon Navajas, Lisa Nelson, D. Wallace Peach, Freya Pickard, Dawn Pisturino, Gwen M. Plano, Jennifer Russo, Aishwarya Saby, Reena Saxena, Merril D. Smith, Nicole Smith, Ivor Steven, Ben Tonkin, Trilce Marsh Vazquez, Cheryl Wood.
Book Review
Sunflower Tanka (Anthology)
This is a beautiful collection of tanka, tanka prose, garland tanka, tanka puente and rensaku, (if you are unfamiliar, Robbie Cheadle’s The Buffalo, & Jacaranda Blue, and Kay Castenada’s three rensaku, are all fantastic.)
Sunflower Tanka is lovingly edited by Colleen Chesebro and Robbie Cheadle with the theme ‘into the light.’ I loved all the different interpretations, how meaningful and different they all were.
I am honoured to have three off my tanka poems included.
This review relates to all of the other lovely poems
They are all favourites but here are some of my choices to highlight:
Lisa Fox with her tanka prose about creating sourdough from scratch and eating the finished product with peanut butter really made me smile.
Chris Hall, her tanka poems about the seasons, spring, early summer, late summer, autumn and winter are sublime.
Luanne Castle’s Lesson (Tanka prose,) about her care of her baby grandson. And a hummingbird, sharing, ‘our duties of protection.’
Brenda Marie with her wonderful soul inspired Tanka.
Melissa Davilio’s lovely tanka about a rainbow uplifting her downcast mood.
Reena Saxena’s amusing double tanka about the brevity of haiku extended by ‘two more lines of wisdom.’
I enjoyed Lisa Smith Nelson’s tanka, (Sweater Weather,) tanka puente, and tanka prose, Driving Blind.)
Colleen Chesebro’s tankas celebrating moonlight, an owl and nocturnal insects.
Moving tanka prose from Marsha Ingrao about her cancer treatment which ends on a hopeful note. And from D. Wallace Peach (My Mother’s Death,) a touchingly written personal tanka prose. Merril D. Smith’s April 2020 tanka prose during covid about loss, sadness, light and love remembered. And from Robbie Cheadle a truly relatable poem about growing older through the generations, (Family Gathering.)
Selma Martin’s visual tanka begins by taking you on an eagle’s wing. How poetry can really move you!
Sunflower Tanka’s international flavour made it even more interesting for me with poets from the US, UK, Japan, Philippines, Uganda, Mexico, South Africa, Scotland/Portugal, Australia, Italy and India.
Keen poetry enthusiasts will be delighted to be gifted this anthology. What a pleasure to dip into the pages whenever you fill the need to bask into the light!
Robbie Cheadle is a gifted artist, the gorgeous cover and interior formatted by Colleen Chesebro depicts Robbie’s favourite flower, the Sunflower.
She’s an avid supporter of her writing community on her blog on by organizing and sponsoring a weekly syllabic poetry challenge, called #TankaTuesday, where participants experiment with traditional and current forms of Japanese and American syllabic poetry.
M J Mallon YA Author and Poet 