Kyrosmagica Publishing – The Magical Home of Books, Writing, Photography and Inspiration
Merry Christmas everyone!
Wishing you a lovely festive day xxx
Our starter…
Turkey to come. We have been for a nice walk to inverlieth Park in Edinburgh.
Now stuffed! Have eaten turkey and all the trimmings.
Enjoy Christmas and wishing you a very happy 2023! From myself, hubby and my daughters! Hubby is cooking and I didn’t get a chance to steal a photo of him… so one of me in costume!
| Thursday, December 22, 2022, 12:00 AM PST | Friday, December 23, 2022, 11:59 PM PST |
So I do hope you will partake of this offer! It is an inspiring little book, a short read of poetry, flash fiction, and photography. A memoir of sorts with me talking to the fates about my life to date. So, an easy read to enjoy over Christmas!
Do What You Love 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.
float along with me
create clouds of sweetest joy
to do what you love
hold fate’s hand as we venture
near and far on life’s journey
Buy Links Do What You Love:
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0BKLC9DYY/
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/What-You-love-Fragility-Photography-ebook/dp/B0BKLC9DYY/
Amazon Canada: https://www.amazon.ca/What-You-love-Fragility-Photography-ebook/dp/B0BKLC9DYY/
Universal Link: https://books2read.com/u/mqXJq8
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.
A highly recommended book for you.
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 wonderful, uplifting collection of poems, short fiction pieces and pictures.
The three fates of Greek myth and their imagined interaction with the author is a great way to hold this selection of musings together.
The overriding message is joy, hope and love. And the celebration of a life well lived.
There are some beautiful descriptions, from the Hibiscus flower to the loss of a sock, the memories of life and the poems span the globe.
I particularly liked the set of poems about the trees and the reminiscences of times spent by the sea.
Recommended for anyone who likes to be taken on a journey through the eyes of another.
Highly 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.
Colleen’s Coffee Klatch: MJ Mallon, “Do What You Love,” #NewRelease
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.
https://lizziechantree.com/2022/11/25/mjmallon/embed/#?secret=V1m5XiNc3c#?secret=jMv36S8Waq
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.
Add the book to your TBR: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/63114445-do-what-you-love
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:
Other poetry/flash fiction collections:
The Hedge Witch And The Musical Poet
https://books2read.com/u/mv1OeV
Mr. Sagittarius Poetry and Prose
http://mybook.to/MrSagittarius
Anthology – This Is Lockdown, (poetry, diaries and flash fiction – kindle)
http://mybook.to/Thisislockdown
Poetry during Lockdown – Lockdown Innit
Happy Christmas hope you have a lovely day. It’s lovely to have my daughters home for Christmas.
And I had good news this morning…
The creative process of Book 2 Golden Healer, The Curse of Time has begun! Just received the cover image and it looks ace! What a great Christmas present! Cover reveal to come in 2022! So exciting. Excuse the multiple exclamation marks, so excited. Happy Christmas everyone.
Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Here’s hoping for a brighter, covid free year. And what a year it has been for so many. Personally, I have had many worries about my elderly parents and my MIL who I haven’t seen for months…
My daughter Natasha and I had an interesting philosophical discussion this morning about whether 2020 is a wasted year? And whether we should all refuse to age this year. Her birthday is on Christmas day and she is turning 25 and would much rather remain 24. Of course, that idea does have its appeal! I’m all for staying young but in many ways, 2020 is not a wasted year as it has taught us many invaluable lessons.
A tragic lesson, sadly. One that has made us all reevaluate our lives and to consider what really matters… Family, friends, loved ones, walks in nature, the simple moments that make us smile, these are the aspects of life that we must treasure.
It has been a year in which the world has suffered.
But the human race is resilient. We do what we can to cheer our spirits up…
During this time, I have relied heavily on my writing community to keep me occupied, and distracted. So, with that in mind, I created my first anthology/compilation entitled This Is Lockdown.
It originally came out in a kindle version with my personal diaries – 20th July 2020.
I’ve just finished creating the paperback of This Is Lockdown... which is available to buy and review on Amazon. So, if you can, please do consider reading and leaving a review of the paperback which includes contributions from 28 wonderful international authors, and creatives.
PLEASE NOTE – The paperback does not include my personal COVID diaries originally published on the kindle. These are currently only available to read on the kindle version of This Is Lockdown.
Blurb:
An anthology and compilation of short stories, flash fiction, contributions from the ‘isolation writers,’ plus poetry written during the time of lockdown in the UK.
“A Piece of Living History!”
This anthology and compilation is for everyone, wherever you live in the world. We are all experiencing the impact of COVID19 and lockdown. As writers, bloggers and creatives we express our thoughts and opinions in writing: in heartfelt poetry, pieces on isolation and the impact of COVID19 and the ‘new normal.’ There are twenty eight talented contributors, including the creative NHS Mask Making Fundraising Team of Jane Horwood and Melissa Santiago Val. The contributors come from as far afield as Australia, Canada, USA and Zimbabwe, or closer to my current home in England – in Ireland, Scotland and Italy.
It is as Willow Willers, a contributor said, ‘A piece of living history.’
This extraordinary and unexpected time period will be shared with future generations one day. Compiling and editing this anthology has given me a purpose over the period of Lockdown and for that I am grateful. The book showcases several authors and their thoughts on what it is like to experience ‘isolation’ as a writer.
In the final part of the book I include my latest short story idea: a YA romance and various short pieces of poetry, and flash fiction inspired by the pandemic.
The list of contributors, bloggers and authors are:
Richard Dee, (Sci Fi , Steampunk, Amateur Detective author,) Catherine Fearns, (Amazon Bestselling Author of Police Procedural/Mysteries and Music Journalist,) Lynn Fraser, (Author,) Jackie Carreira, (Writer, musician, designer and aspiring philosopher,) Willow Willers, (Poet and writer,) Sharon Marchisello, (Murder Mystery, Financial non-fiction,) Fi Phillips , (Author, Copy Writer) Jeannie Wycherley, (dark stories, suspense, horror,) Chantelle Atkins, (urban fiction, teen/YA,) Tracie Barton-Barrett, (Speaker/author,) Peter Taylor- Gooby, (Crime, Love Stories, Political Fiction,) Ritu Bhathal, (Chick Lit romance, poet,) Alice May , (Author, Artist and Speaker,) Miriam Owen, (Blogger and Doctoral Researcher,) Drew Neary and Ceri Williams (Ghost Horror, Supernatural,) Katherine Mezzacappa, (author name: Katie Hutton,) (Historical Fiction/Romance,) Sally Cronin, (huge supporter of indie community/blogger/author) Debby Gies (D G Kaye), (Memoirist/NonFiction,) Adele Marie Park, (Fantasy, horror, urban fantasy,) Marian Wood, (blogger, poet and writer.) Samantha Murdoch, (Writer, Blogger,) Beaton Mabaso (Blogger, African Storyteller,) Frank Prem (Poet, Author,) Anne Goodwin (Author, Book Blogger) Sherri Matthews (Writer, Photographer, Blogger,) and two contributors Jane Horwood and Melissa Santiago-Val who raised £40,000 for the NHS with their mask making enterprise which became a new charity: Sew Positive.
More about the mental health charity Sew Positive here: https://www.birketts.co.uk/insights/latest-news/birketts-supports-sewing-charity-tailored-to-boost/
Before I go, in case you might have missed these recent book reviews.
I received this lovely review for my poetry, prose and photography book Mr. Sagittarius from fellow fantasy author Diana Peach:
I didn’t know what to expect when I opened this book, and must have been in just the right mood, because it was charming and poignant and very sweet. The book offers a glimpse of three elderly siblings -William, Harold, and Annette – one already passed on at the books opening. The intermittent visits with these characters, a paragraph or two here and there, form the thread that holds the book’s narrative together. The memories and grief are touching, and it isn’t long before Annette is on her own.
Between the story’s visits with the siblings are loosely related sections of prose and syllabic poetry. Some pieces touch on the seasons. Others are fantastical tales about bubble monsters and snow snakes. Most of them are about nature and flowers which are tied to the garden bench where the siblings enjoyed their days. I especially enjoyed a chain cinquain titled That Twinkle in her Eye is Magic. This book is less than an hour’s read, and I recommend it to readers who enjoy a fanciful and touching foray into poetry and short prose selections.
Here are four of the recent reviews I’ve written for books that I’ve read under my new review moniker – MJ Reviews… for Natalie Ducey, Ruchira Khanna, Didi Oviatt and Jacquie Biggar. All of which are recommended reading and in a range of genres.
So, stay safe and well. Happy reading and writing! And…
A very happy Christmas and a joyful New Year to all my dear friends. I will be busy over the next few days, eating, drinking and spending time with family and I expect you will be too. Enjoy!
I’ll be back with some scheduled posts after Christmas on the Sisters of the Fey blog about:
On my author blog I will be continuing with book reviews and the like and hopefully some poetry, short stories/flash fiction – time permitting.
EXCITING NEWS!!! I am making progress – The Curse of Time – Book two – Golden Healer – my YA fantasy series, is now standing at around 70,000 words.
In case you missed it I shared a fun, jokey Christmas cake recipe over on Solveig’s blog for her 4th Advent calendar.
Here is the link: https://solveigwerner.com/2018/12/22/magical-boozy-nutty-christmas-cake-by-marjorie-mallone-advent-2018-day-22/
Merry Christmas to you all. Keep smiling, writing, creating. Each day is a new, exciting adventure.
Much love,
My Christmas offer. The Curse of Time Book One – Bloodstone:
Buy Book: myBook.to/TheCurseofTime
I’m a contributing author in the Plaisted Publishing House Ghostly Writes Anthology 2018 with my story Ghostly Goodbye.
Available on Amazon, Apple, Nook, Kobo, Scribd, 24S, Playster, Indigo, Angus & Robertson, Mondadori Store:
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/
![WP_20151225_001[1]](https://i0.wp.com/mjmallon.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/wp_20151225_0011.jpg?ssl=1)
This is a lovely Christmas wreath that my sister in law Lorraine Mallon made for me, and below is the table top arrangement that she made too. Isn’t it lovely? She’s branching out into creative endeavours, and this is a small sample of the sort of thing she hopes to do in terms of floral arrangement, and well as this she intends to make jewellery, and paint too. So good luck to her, I wish her all the very best.
![WP_20151224_006[1]](https://i0.wp.com/mjmallon.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/wp_20151224_00611.jpg?ssl=1)
My daughter also had a go at some floral vase arrangement too:
![WP_20151224_005[1]](https://i0.wp.com/mjmallon.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/wp_20151224_0051.jpg?ssl=1)
I finished work at 6pm on Christmas Eve so I have been super busy, retail is such hard work! I’m now looking forward to two days off to rest my weary bones. My husband is cooking, (luckily he loves to cook!) so Lorraine and I are going to be sous chefs peeling the spuds.
Hope you have a wonderful Christmas with friends and family.
All the best for 2016.
Bye for now, this is what I’d like to be doing….. you can dream …. No snow here, and no hot tub, sigh….!!
Love Marje @ Kyrosmagica xxx
