Tag: Poetry Challenge

Colleen’s Tanka Tuesday Poetry Challenge No. 72 Breakthrough and Movement

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Sometimes you just have to pinch yourself. Colleen’s prompt words this week express my morning breakthrough in such a wonderful way. I’ve been writing my prologue for Book Two of The Curse of Time and I had a BREAKTHROUGH. The words flowed so effortlessly I wanted to do a happy dance. As I was beetling away writing the prologue I suddenly had an unexpected flash of inspiration. I’m going to start each new chapter – (Puzzle Piece,) with a Cinquian! Bring it on.

Wait a minute, I have no clue how to write a Cinquian. Never fear… Colleen is the Queen Bee of mentoring! She is a fabulous source of inspiration and her blog is full of useful   information, so without further ado, I popped over to read up on how to write a Cinquain.  I discovered there is a reverse Cinquian too. Boy, this is getting exciting! More happy dance! What a morning…

Here is a tiny excerpt (unseen until now!) about Cinquians from the first (unedited,) draft of the prologue of The Curse of Time – Book Two – Golden Healer:

I’m so stressed. My go to when I’m stressed is writing. Poetry. It’s my number one anxiety solution, a bunch of words in a tight format make me feel better. But somehow I don’t feel in the mood for Tanka. There have been too many weird changes for that. I need a new more challenging form of poetic expression. I’ve heard about Cinquian. It’s very formulaic, first line is the title, second line add two adjectives that describe the title, third line stick in three verbs that express action, fourth line are four words that shout out feeling or describe more and the fifth line takes it back to the beginning. Closure. That appeals. The fifth line is a synonym of the first line. Sounds good. If anything will take my mind off my present anxiety this will do it. I feel it in my gut. Cinquain. I like it. It sounds like a cash register. Not that I’m materialistic but I feel a Cinquian coming on. Bring it on!

So to my Cinquain. I’ve used synonyms – Quantum Leap and sign.

Employee Opinion Survey

 

That last line was a struggle. I had one of those ‘can I really do this moments.’ But I like a challenge so I didn’t give up. Then I found the word. Auspicious. Oh, I do like auspicious! I hope it brings me luck. 🙂

Any feedback for this novice Cinquian writer would be gratefully received.

https://colleenchesebro.com/2018/02/20/colleens-weekly-tanka-tuesday-poetry-challenge-no-72-breakthrough-movement-snyonymsonly/

Bye for now you lovely peeps,

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Date for your Diary! My paperback is due for release mid April. The pre-release blog tour begins in April with my #ABRSC club pals, followed by a release tour with Neverland Blog Tours. (Jenny Marston is also a #ABRSC member!) http://neverlandblogtours.weebly.com/

curse of time

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Collaborative blog: https://sistersofthefey.wordpress.com
Twitter: @Marjorie_Mallon and @curseof_time
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Colleen’s Weekly Tanka Poetry Challenge no. 71 Character and Affection

My Tanka is Valentine inspired today. I’ve used devotion for affection and for character I chose mould.

My hubby and I are both creative souls, he loves music so, so much! And of course, I love writing… We met many moons ago. Two many moons to tell you! We began our lives as tender, teenage sweethearts and are still going strong.  Perhaps it is this creativity and passion within us that is our rock. There is room for a huge amount of love in a relationship, for each other and of course for the things that rock our lives – music and writing! Perhaps, one day we will be able to write and play music full-time, now that would be wonderful.

bonnie & Carole

To join in with Colleen’s challenge follow the link:

https://colleenchesebro.com/2018/02/13/colleens-weekly-tanka-tuesday-poetry-challenge-no-71-character-affection-snyonymsonly/

Happy Valentine’s Day!

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Colleen’s Weekly 2018 Tanka Tuesday Challenge No 70 – Destiny and Challenge

 

Such a lovely find,Could be serendipity..Writer, cat lover,Kindred spirits, crystal souls,Art animates fantasy.•%2

Since I have been writing and blogging there have been so many cases of serendipity, discovering like-minded souls who share similar interests. My lovely friend Colleen Chesebro, fellow writer, chief sister, (blog originator,) at The Sisters of the Fey, loves crystals, fairies and all things magical. Colleen helped me enormously with my manuscript The Curse of Time. She went way beyond a beta read and I am so indebted to her for her kindness, helping me achieve my dream to publish my first book.

Carolina Russo who blogs at Yesterday After  (my illustrator,) also has a crystal connection! She makes crystal jewellery and has created two wonderful pieces of art to illustrate my book, which I will be sharing in a special feature on my next blog post on my main blog – https://kyrosmagica.wordpress.com so keep an eye out for that!

And the lovely Samantha Murdoch, who loves cats and crystals kindly emailed me lots of photos of her beautiful black cat Lily to promote my cat character Shadow, as well as an image of the Bloodstone which graces the spine of the paperback.

Lily with Buddha

I would also like to mention, Irene who fashioned this beautiful necklace promoting Colleen’s YA novel The Heart Stone Chronicles – The Swamp Fairy https://colleenchesebro.com/category/the-heart-stone-chronicles/the-swamp-fairy/ which I adore wearing. You can order it and other pieces of Irene’s jewellery via her Etsy shop:

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/480852170/black-silk-necklace-with-silver-wrapped

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My friend Wendy Anne Darling had a magical challenge too, to transform Dr John C Taylor’s brilliant images of the Corpus Christi Clock into a magnificent book cover. She did a fantastic job. Do pop over to Wendy’s blog, and check out her book design service.

Oh, and did I mention that Dr John C Taylor, OBE, inventor of the Corpus Christi Chronopage clock is a keen geologist, loves crystals and of course clocks too…

Such is the power of serendipity! Would you believe it?

I truly believe that The Curse of Time and all these wonderful connections were meant to be.

Have you ever had a similar experience, when everything came together in such a magical and mysterious way?

Do comment I’d love to hear all about it.

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My links:

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Authors Bloggers Rainbow Support Club – Facebook

https://sistersofthefey.wordpress.com/

Twitter: @Marjorie_Mallon and @curseof_time

https://www.instagram.com/mjmallonauthor/

https://www.facebook.com/mjmallonauthor/

To join in with Colleen’s weekly poetry challenge follow the link:

https://colleenchesebro.com/2018/02/06/colleens-weekly-2018-tanka-tuesday-poetry-challenge-no-70-destiny-challenge-synonymnsonly/

Colleen’s Weekly #Tanka Tuesday #Poetry Challenge No. 68, “Myth & Write,” #SynonymsOnly

Goddess of lovers,Born from the tumultuous waves,Intriguing legend,Autograph of mystery,Beautiful Aphrodite.

 

Goddess of lovers,

Born from the tumultuous waves,

Intriguing legend,

Autograph of mystery,

Beautiful Aphrodite.

 

 

An excerpt from my book – The Curse of Time – Book 1 – Bloodstone:

We had arrived at the front of the restaurant by then, and I strained to recapture control of my drifting mind. Ryder held the door, and as I walked inside, I focused on the restaurant’s interior. Aphrodite’s proposed everything I’d expected and much more. The waiter seated us next to an exquisite painting of the waves crashing against the cliffs of Paphos Bay. We slid into our very own private booth.

A snow white Aphrodite statue stood in the centre of the restaurant as a focal point. Her exotic and mysterious image enthralled me. No wonder she deserved the title of the Goddess of Love. The realistic statue captured my attention. I almost expected her to step towards me and crush me with her stone arms in an over-enthusiastic embrace.

Large elaborate fish tanks lined the walls, housing exotic fish, including corals and ferns. I glanced around at the pictures of white doves which dotted the walls.

My eyes travelled to a painted likeness of the Golden Apple of Great Renown. I remembered the Goddess Eris had written ‘for the fairest’ on the side of an apple. Both Zeus’s wife Hera, and his daughter Athena, including Aphrodite claimed they were the fairest. But the Prince of Troy, Paris, couldn’t choose between them. The rest is history. Paris fell in love with Helen, which led to the Trojan War. I had been paying attention in history class after all. I reflected for a moment on what a bitter-sweet and ultimately destructive force love could be.

Ryder edged closer to me in the booth. He brushed a strand of hair away from my face. I could feel his breath on my face. A hot, sweet, intoxicating murmur that caressed. ‘You’re so lovely,’ he said, his voice coaxing me to come even closer.

I couldn’t resist his advances and snuggled closer to his side. He cupped my face in his hands, and leaned in towards me, planting a lingering kiss on my cheek. I closed my eyes and leaned back allowing his lips to brush my neck. My skin tingled with a strange heat where he’d left a trail of kisses. I longed for more. He ran a finger over the top of my lip. It was such a thrill, I trembled and my breath caught in my throat. I could hardly breathe. Catching my breath at long last, I inhaled him, my lungs filling with his heady aroma…

© M J Mallon 2018.

To join in the poetry challenge follow the link to Colleen’s blog:

https://colleenchesebro.com/2018/01/23/colleens-weekly-tanka-tuesday-poetry-challenge-no-68-myth-write-synonymsonly/

My social media links:

Our new collaborative blog – The Sisters of the Fey is a blogging collaboration between authors D. G. Kaye, Wendy Anne Darling, Marjorie Mallon, Belinda Miller, Annette Rochelle Aben, Colleen Chesebro, Adele Marie Park, and Tina Frisco to share all things magical.

https://sistersofthefey.wordpress.com/

 

Our Author Blogger Rainbow Support Club on Facebook:

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Authors/Bloggers Rainbow Support Club on Facebook
Twitter: @Marjorie_Mallon and @curseof_time

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Colleen’s Weekly #Tanka Tuesday #Poetry Challenge No. 66: DESTINATION & GUIDE (#SynonymsOnly)

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The party begins,

The prompt words this week are destination, and guide. I chose to use the synonyms haven and guiding spirit.  I created the above Tanka which leads to a short, but oh so relevant excerpt…

 

An excerpt from my YA/Paranormal Fantasy the Curse of Time – Book 1 – Bloodstone.

A hazy image materialised into a multitude of glistening sparks which transformed into a vibrantly glowing object. I heard the pounding hearts from each of us becoming louder and more distinct as we gazed at the object. The sparks coalesced, no longer separate entities they’d joined to form a spirit or a ghostly apparition. The specter sparkled like a million candle lights, speaking to each of us, in a wisp of a voice that drifted like the wind.

The spirit addressed me, knowing I possessed the gift to understand the crystals. ‘You have called me forth to open your heart to the truth. You must accept who you are and not be afraid. Embrace your true self. Encourage others to do the same. Then you will be a truly magical person, able to rekindle your family’s happiness. Beware those who want what you possess.’

The spirit turned and pointed at Joselyn. ‘Joselyn, you must move on from your past and accept the challenges of the future. Don’t be fearful. Your confidence will grow the more you follow your dreams.’

The phantom floated above us on invisible currents and pointed at Ilaria. ‘Ilaria, you have no more to fear from the children who taunted you. Your laughter protects you from their wickedness. Heed my words and use your skill wisely.’

Jade was last, and the spirit hovered near her face. ‘Jade, you possess the skill and craft of working with animals. You must cherish and nurture it. Be faithful to your friends, and most of all, beware of those who may lead you astray.’

When the spirit finished speaking, the ghostly form drifted toward the candles and hovered above them. Slowly, the flames were extinguished one after the other, and we found ourselves sitting in total darkness. The phantom had vanished. No one spoke. We were shocked into a stunned silence. Ilaria switched on the light, and with one glance, we all knew things between us would never be the same again. That night signalled the beginning of our own personal voyages toward self-discovery.

© M J Mallon 2017/2018

https://colleenchesebro.com/2018/01/09/colleens-weekly-tanka-tuesday-poetry-challenge-no-66-destination-guide-synonymsonly/

Hope you enjoyed the Tanka and excerpt.

Bye for now,

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My social media links:

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Authors Bloggers Rainbow Support Club on Facebook

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Twitter: @Marjorie_Mallon and @curseof_time

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Colleen’s Weekly #Poetry Tuesday Challenge: EERIE & COSTUME

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This week the prompt words are eerie and costume but there’s a catch, Colleen has asked us to use synonyms.

To join in Colleen’s challenge follow the link:    https://colleenchesebro.com/2017/10/24/colleens-weekly-poetry-tuesday-challenge-eerie-costume/

Here is a relevant passage from my novel The Curse of Time – Book 1 – Bloodstone to set the tone for the poetry.

I sensed a change in the dream when a strange creature appeared. His body and features fused together with rotten flesh, matted mud, skin, and protruding bones. The creature did not speak. His silent presence terrified me, and I shivered.
The beast stood motionless and pointed a bony finger at the ground. Fear clenched at my heart. A flood of messages bombarded my brain. Warning signals went off suggesting a multitude of horrible intentions that the creature may have in store for me.
A tremor shook my body, and my teeth chattered. My ears rang with the sound of the earth cracking below my feet. It meant that I had left it too late to run. My eyes fell downwards as the world tilted on its axis, and the realisation came to me that the only way out was via a slide which suddenly appeared at my feet.
With one glance, I could tell the slide had a definite beginning but no visible end. I placed a tentative step onto the slide. The minute I touched it I knew no time for fear. I swallowed hard and plunged into the darkness, sliding into oblivion. Every emotion I possessed had compressed into mere seconds – a momentary adrenalin rush. Sensations continued like the aftermath of the wildest rollercoaster ride. Fuelled by fear, it sent my senses reeling, the ultimate blood pounding, stomach churning thrill.
I slipped down the slide and landed onto a stone floor, yet it cushioned my landing, like a silky feather down quilt. No longer afraid of the shadows, I felt welcomed, at home. With wide-eyed astonishment, I took in the magnificent interior of the Crystal Cottage. Gems, in a myriad of welcoming shades, purple Amethyst, white Quartz, red Jade, blue Topaz, covered the walls. A riot of colours reflected in the facets of the crystals which welcomed me with their brightness. This magnificent display promised more, luminous lights twinkled and burst forth from each separate gem in a firework-like extravaganza. I gasped. My breath caught in my throat, and I glanced down at my hands. They were sparkling as if they had touched an enormous glitter ball. A crystalline light bounced off the walls of the cottage, finding a resting place on my face. The brilliant light caressed me.
My heart filled with wonder at this miraculous event and I wished the exquisiteness of the moment would last forever. I willed this spectacle to carry on, and on, but the glowing display tapered off. The colours became darker, and glimmers of the crystals’ bright lights darkened to a menacing black, then lightened to a grey, washed-out colour, before turning a muddy brown.
In horror, I could feel the skin on my face puckering like an orange peel stripped of all moisture. My body shivered, and I shook. I stirred in my sleep, suspended in the haze of the dream. I struggled to remain, not wanting to leave the beauty and comfort of the Crystal Cottage. So, I remained, floating in the abyss, fearful but longing to find out more.

© M J Mallon 2017. All Rights Reserved

 

The Creature

The Creature 

His ensemble reeks,

Of graves, and forgotten things,

An unearthly vibe,

Matted hair, and worms for flesh,

Beside such crystal splendour.

 

Oh how I love the creature! Love all my characters! Hope you enjoyed the passage and the tanka. If you’d like to read more or buy a copy of The Curse of Time – book 1 – Bloodstone here’s the link:

 

 

I am currently working hard on the paperback and hope that it will be ready for launch by the end of November/beginning of December.

Wish me luck!

Bye for now,

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My social media links:

Authors/Bloggers Rainbow Support Club

Twitter: @Marjorie_Mallon  and @curseof_time

Instagram

Facebook

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Fellow Administrators of our Authors Bloggers Rainbow Support Club #ABRSC on Facebook, myself, my good friends Colleen Chesebro and Debby Gies. Click on Colleen’s and Debby’s photos to be directed to their awesome blogs. These ladies rock!

https://mjmallon.com
https://colleenchesebro.com/
http://dgkayewriter.com/

 

 

 

Colleen’s Weekly Poetry Tuesday Challenge No. 54: GHOST & HAUNT

 

 

I dream in colour,

But now everything is dark,

Where has the light gone?

Oh, cruel leafy canopy?

No green meadow, just blue thoughts.

 

A spectre haunts me,

Through the trees he drifts slowly,

I hear no weeping,

Just a tall, grey wall of sighs,

Twigs snap, and nothing changes.

© M J Mallon 2017.

Oh dear, that was sad and depressing! …. Why am I always drawn to writing such misery?  Don’t answer that!

Hope you like my Tanka’s (even if they’re sad,) and the contrasting photos I took of the trees.

To join in with Colleen’s challenge follow the link: https://colleenchesebro.com/2017/10/10/colleens-weekly-poetry-tuesday-challenge-no-54-ghost-haunt/

Bye for now, time for a smiley Sunday face! It had to be done!

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My social media links:
Authors/Bloggers Rainbow Support Club
Twitter: @Marjorie_Mallon  @curseof_time
Instagram
Facebook

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Fellow Administrators of our Authors Bloggers Rainbow Support Club #ABRSC on Facebook, myself, my good friends Colleen Chesebro and Debby Gies. Click on Colleen’s and Debby’s photos to be directed to their awesome blogs. These ladies rock!

 

https://mjmallon.com
https://colleenchesebro.com/
http://dgkayewriter.com/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Colleen’s Weekly #Poetry Challenge # 45 – #Haiku #Haibun or #Tanka: Hate & Pride

Colleen’s prompt words this week for her poetry challenge are hate and pride.

It brings to mind a conversation I had with my daughter about the Pride Festival in Brighton this August. My daughter has recently left Brighton (having completed her University degree)  and missed Pride but some of her friends were at the event and were shocked at some idiots (only a few thank goodness) who’d come along to cause trouble and disharmony.  I just can’t understand this kind of mentality. What is wrong with people? Love is love, that’s my view. People are people, whatever their sexual orientation, religion,  or colour of their skin.

Fortunately, the event was enjoyed by a huge amount of people and this kind of stupid behaviour wasn’t at large.

 

 

TANKA (3)

 

To join in Colleen’s poetry challenge: https://colleenchesebro.com/2017/08/08/colleens-weekly-poetry-challenge-45-haiku-haibun-or-tanka-hate-pride/

Have a lovely Sunday. xxx

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Authors/Bloggers Rainbow Support Club on Facebook

Twitter: @curseof_time

Instagram

Facebook

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Fellow Administrators of our Authors Bloggers Rainbow Support Club #ABRSC on Facebook, myself, my good friends Colleen Chesebro and Debby Gies. Click on Colleen’s and Debby’s photos to be directed to their awesome blogs. These ladies rock!

 

https://mjmallon.com
https://colleenchesebro.com/
http://dgkayewriter.com/

 

My link to my kindle book on Amazon:

 

 

Colleen’s Weekly #Poetry Challenge # 38 – FAIRY & MAGIC

Today, my husband and I had a grisly conversation about death… not exactly a cheery morning chit chat but I thought if I have to go one day and no doubt I will…. this is how I’d like to imagine it… Not some black, bleak, meaningless end.  No, I’d like a supernatural being to visit me. No vampires please unless you are so handsome and your final bite is worth it! Perhaps a magnificent unicorn to carry me far away on some incredible adventure, or a mermaid to take me swimming in some exotic land… Wait a minute…. What about many supernatural beings, (except zombies – they don’t rock my boat!) plus the delicate kindness of the fairies to see me off?…. Now, that sounds perfect!

Continue reading Colleen’s Weekly #Poetry Challenge # 38 – FAIRY & MAGIC

Colleen’s Weekly #Poetry Challenge # 37 – SMOKE & VEIL #Tanka #micropoetry

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The prompt words this week are smoke and veil. They fit in beautifully with a particular character in my book : Book 1 – The Curse of Time – The Bloodstone which I am currently formatting with a planned release date to be confirmed this August…

The particular character I have in mind looks a bit like the young man in the photo below…. I shall be doing a character interview post soon.

Photo courtesy of my keen photographer daughter Georgina. Thank you to  J. English, (media studies, drama student,) for agreeing to be our model!

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Tanka Tuesday (4)

 

To enter Colleen’s weekly challenge follow the link:

https://colleenchesebro.com/2017/06/13/colleens-weekly-poetry-challenge-37-smoke-veil/

#Tanka, #micropoetry, #poetry, #5lines,

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If you’d like to join my Facebook Club – Authors/Bloggers Rainbow Support Club please get in touch. Administrators: myself, Colleen, and Debby Gies .

Here are my links:

My New Facebook club : Rainbow Support Club/

Twitter: @marjorie_mallon and @curseof_time

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