Thank you so much to Vine Voice Reviewer N. N. Light for this 5+ stars review for Mr. Sagittarius Poetry & Prose.
REVIEW:
Siblings grieving the loss of their brother find magic in nature. William is lost without his twin brother, Harold. He lashes out at his sister without meaning to. She almost leaves but he convinces her to stay. Will they honor Harold’s request, or will nature make sure it’s taken care of? A heartfelt story about the circle of life and death told through poetry, prose, and photographs.
Mr. Sagittarius Poetry & Prose is a beautiful tale about life, death, and nature. There’s magic in the natural world. I feel it each time I walk outside, and this magical feeling is poignantly portrayed in this book. It weaves seamlessly from prose to poems to photos. The prose is crisp, and clean, with a fair share of emotion. The poems are creative and capture the reader’s imagination. The photographs are snapshots of nature and are expressive without words. Together, they present an emotive experience to the reader. Expertly crafted, Mr. Sagittarius Poetry & Prose is a must-read for any nature lover. Highly recommend!
Come share in my excitement! To celebrate the forthcoming release of my new poetry book The Hedge Witch & The Musical Poet, more about that soon… I am offering Mr. Sagittarius Poetry & Prose to you for free (for a limited time,) on kindle: 2nd – 3rd July.
It’s one not to miss! A 5 star read! Available on Amazon Kindle and also free on Amazon Kindle Unlimited and now in paperback: Buying Link: http://mybook.to/MrSagittarius
Blurb
Who Is Mr. Sagittarius?
And what is his connection to twin brothers, Harold and William?
When Harold dies he leaves a simple memorial request
Will his sister Annette honour it?
Or, will the magic of the garden ensure that she does.
A magical story expressed via poetry and prose with photographic images.
Mr. Sagittarius is a collection of poetry, prose and photographic images inspired by the botanical gardens in Cambridge. Photography is in the genes! Both my uncle and grandfather were photographers. My grandfather A.G. Ingram was originally with the photography company Ingram, Gordon & Co in Haddington up until the mid thirties. Then he ventured on his own to form the Scottish Pictorial Press in Edinburgh supplying photos to the press. When war broke out Scottish Pictorial Press became defunct. After the war he started AG Ingram Ltd, Commercial Photographers, at 3 successive locations in Edinburgh, Scotland.
Mr. Sagittarius features a variety of photographs including ones of: trees, a robin and a dragonfly! As well as this there are several stories, and some Halloween poems.
It is dedicated to two amazing ladies: Colleen Chesebro (for her weekly poetry challenges and Charli Mills (flash fiction challenges.) Both ladies have been a source of inspiration and encouragement.
Mr. Sagittarius is a magical celebration of the natural world, a circle of life story with an emphasis on the changing seasons of the year.
Featured at Treasuring Poetry, hosted and reviewed by Robbie Cheadle
THE GOLDEN WEEPING WILLOW (story and poem plus photo of a dragonfly)
GOLDEN WILLOW TREE (poem and photo)
ROBIN: ETHEREE (poem and photo)
LIFE LESSONS FROM BUDDHA (poem)
LIFE LESSONS FROM CATS (poem and photo image via Samantha Murdoch)
MR. FROWNING TREE (poem and photo)
RAINBOW CHILD (story and image of Tourmaline crystal via Samantha Murdoch)
FRIENDS FOR TEA (poem)
THE CANDY CORN MONSTER (Halloween poem)
CANDYFLOSS CRITTER (Halloween poem)
MR GHOST WITH EASE (Halloween poem)
DREAMING AT HALLOWEEN (Halloween poem)
ODE TO LOVE –ETERNAL (Ghost/love poem)
LOVE TAKEN BY DEATH: DIAMANTE (poem)
GHOST: SEPTOLET (Ghost poem)
A FACE ON BARK: ETHEREE (poem)
LOLLIPOP SUNSHINE TREE (poem and photo)
FOR MR. SNOWMAN (poem)
SERENA’S CHRISTMAS BUBBLE MONSTER (humorous story and photo)
BUBBLY SNOWMAN KISSES (poem)
THAT TWINKLE IN HER EYES IS MAGIC (poem)
THE OLD MAN OF SNOW AND THE SNOW SNAKE (story)
MY HEART IS A CAVE (poem)
MR. SAGITTARIUS (story)
MR. SAGITTARIUS DIED THIS DAY IN THIS SNOW DROP GARDEN (poem/prose/photo of snow drops.)
LOVE (story)
Wonderful 5 star review for Mr. Sagittarius poetry and prose from author D. L. Finn
“Mr. Sagittarius” is a wonderful collection of poetry, prose, and pictures weaved into a magical story. The book focuses on three older siblings. The male twins have developed a special relationship, making their sister feeling left out. When one twin passes, that leaves the brother and sister to grieve. The stories have powerful images that move the narrative along and sometimes veer off into the unknown for a quick visit. We are led through picturesque scenery and whimsical moments, which include an unusual bubble bath, a rainbow hat, and an ice cave. The poetry was beautiful and powerful, and the photos captured nature brilliantly. A quick read that I found relaxing and endearing. A perfect escape in unsettled times that I recommend.
by M.J. Mallon (Goodreads Author) Robbie Cheadle‘s 5 star review May 09, 2021 Mr Sagittarius is a beautiful collection of poems and short stories, set in the lovely gardens of Cambridge and linked by the visits and experiences of a family of twin brothers and their younger sister.
The story starts with William visiting the weeping willow tree in the garden, a place that was special to his twin brother, Harold, who has recently passed away. William sees Harold’s spirit in a dragonfly that he chats to and finds solace in their one-sided communication.
Image from Mr. Sagittarius Poetry & Prose.
This is a few lines from a poem about the dragonfly: “Ancient, sweet fellow Sacred magic bestower, Change tumbling on fragile wings.”
When William returns home, he has an altercation with his sister, Annette. During their spat Annette reveals that she has always felt left out and overlooked by her twin brothers. This revelation leads to William and Annette becoming closer and visiting the garden together. Not long after, William passes on and Annette is left alone. She visits the garden and communicates with the spirits of both her brothers over the course of the rest of her long life.
The visits of the siblings to the garden are captured in lovely verse. This is an example I really enjoyed: “I dream in colour But now everything is dark Where has the light gone? Oh, cruel leafy canopy, No green meadow, just blue thoughts.”
My favourite of the short stories was The Old Man of Snow and The Snow Snake. This is a story about making good choices in life and rejecting greed. I enjoyed the tale and the descriptive writing.
Mr Sagittarius is a gorgeous book full of delightfully depictive poems and short stories and decorated with striking photographs. This is a book that lovers of poetry, mystery, and wonder will love.
Also, many thanks to Sally Cronin for a wonderful feature review shout out recently too for Mr. Sagittarius.
“A magical book filled with prose, poetry and photographs all linking back to twin brothers, William and Harold. A fascination with the botanical gardens, and regular visits to the bench under the Golden weeping willow, spark poetic memorise and introduce magical creatures. I have to say, I loved the Bubble Monster! The author, MJ, Mallon, has weaved a mystical tale using her poetry and story-telling, to produce a lovely short read that can be dipped into whenever you want.”
“Mr. Sagittarius is the tale of two very different brothers and their only sister, told in poetry and prose inspired by the natural beauty of the botanical gardens in Cambridge, Edinburgh, and Montreal. The accompanying photographs compliment the story adding to the beauty of the author’s words.
We begin with William, who is mourning the loss of his brother Harold. However, he isn’t the only one feeling the pain of bereavement. Annette, the sister, also laments Harold’s passing. This loss forces the two remaining members of the family to come to grips with their grief in a most extraordinary way.
This is a charming poetic journey inspired by the author’s chance meeting with a dragonfly and a robin, sure to delight all readers. Yet, there is more than one magical tale spilling from this collection. By the time you reach the finale, Mr. Sagittarius reveals the wisdom of a life richly lived.”
“Set against the beautiful back drop of the botanical gardens in Cambridge, prose and verse tell the story of people who find solace and joy in the weeping willow tree and dragonflies and in the wonders of the orchids in the hot house. Twin brothers have a favourite bench where they watch the world go by, and their sister Annette reflects on her life after their loss… Other characters make their appearances sharing the magic of the natural world, including young Aurora who collects rainbows and semi-precious stones.
The author takes us through the seasons with poems reflecting the festivals such as Halloween and Christmas, with ghosts and snowmen and a Christmas Bubble Monster. Finally we meet Mr. Sagittarius who shares the loves of his long life….
This is a delightful read with wonderful photographs to enhance the words, and you will find yourself returning to certain passages to read again and enjoy. I am sure you will find your own favourites and I was hard pushed to select just one, but the Etheree: A Face on Bark struck a chord with me.” Author Sally Cronin.
“This is a short book of poetry and prose about aging siblings and the wisdom of Nature. Mallon’s prose reads like fairy tales, and her poetry reads like magic. The stories and poems are loosely linked, episodic snapshots of the sibling’s lives. It’s an upbeat, happy read.” A Happy Read – Priscilla Bettis, author.
“What a magical Web is woven here by author Marjorie Mallon. A tale of two brothers and a sister, botanical gardens, magical creatures and a bench under a Golden Willow Tree. This delightful mix can be either read in one go or enjoyed as momentary fix. I truly cannot recommend Mr Sagittarius enough there is something for everyone inside it’s pages. I shall say no more apart from urge you to read this book and be totally charmed by it.” Willow Willers.
“I absolutely adore this book and will be sharing it with my 18 year old daughter. I enjoyed the different styles of poetry and prose mixed together with photography. It flowed beautifully. An uplifting, magical, sweet gem of a book.”
This was a charming and whimsical read. The author, Mallon, takes us into a magical world in her prose in a tale about 2 siblings, Annette and William, both aging and dealing in their own ways with the grief and some resentments of their departed brother Harold, twin to William. They open up to each other on a bench under the Golden Weeping Willow tree where nature reveals messages.
Mallon did a wonderful job projecting the imagery as the story interconnects with intermittent poetry taking place in the magical botanical gardens, and beautiful photographs added to complement the story.
This is a short upbeat read with great descriptions and an engaging story.
5.0 out of 5 stars A poetic journey through life. Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 28 April 2020 Verified PurchaseShaped with poems and beautiful pictures this book is a must-read and keep. This novel is the kind you will go back to again and again to dip into and read your favourites. A fantastic book, the author has delivered with engaging characters and beautiful prose. Well done. Adele Marie Park.
Kyrosmagica Publishing is an ethical publisher based in Cambridge, UK who specialises in fiction, fantasy, magical realism and poetry. My publishing aims are to support the writing community and to encourage and foster a love of reading and the written word.
Thank you to Willow for this lovely blog tour post/author interview for Mr. Sagittarius. It is the last day of my tour and who better to share a cuppa with? Willow has been such a support throughout the whole tour. Can’t thank her enough.
First of all, a big thank you to Colleen for encouraging me to write poetry with her Tanka Tuesday prompts.
Without this encouragement I doubt I would be producing a poetry/prose book.
Also, if I hadn’t joined my current employ who offer free Botanical Gardens passes I doubt I would be either!
A combination of influences and prompts: writing, poetry and photography have helped me create Mr. Sagittarius – Poetry and Prose. This collection celebrates the wonder and the magic of the natural world and the circle of life represented by the enigma of twin brothers Harold and William. Who are they really?
The book is a mix of poetry, short stories and my photography plus I hope to add a couple of images generously donated via friend and blogger: Samantha Murdoch’s son Alex Marlowe.
I’d like to extend a huge thank you to Rachael Ritchey for producing such a wonderful ebook cover so quickly. I’m thrilled with the result and look forward to working with her to produce the paperback in due course.
So here is my Tanka:
Hey, what’s happening?
My new book project that’s what!
Poetry and Prose
Mr. Sagittarius
So loves the natural world.
I will be releasing the book as soon. It is my intention to donate my royalties from the first month’s sale of the ebook to the Australian bush crisis.
So with that in mind, please let me know below if you’d like to part of my blog tour. The more the merrier!
If you could reblog and share this post widely I would be so grateful!
Unique Selling Point: Unique, Imaginative, ‘Charming, enchanting and richly layered this is purely delightful.’
“This delightful book will appeal to teens and young adults who love stories filled with magical crystals, dark family curses, and mysteries waiting to be solved around every corner. Each chapter leads you on a journey of discovery where Amelina earns the right to use three wizard stones to reset the balance of time and finally break the curse that holds her family hostage. A captivating tale!” – Colleen M. Chesebro (Editor)
