…Marjorie Mallon… poet and authoress extraordinaire… come, be entranced…

…I’m delighted, and more than a tad intrigued by the upcoming launch of THE CURSE OF TIME – BOOK ONE – BLOODSTONE from the pen of Author and poet, Marjorie Mallon… read on and yeez’ll see why…  but first, here’s m’Lady, Marjorie to elaborate:

Thank you to Seumas Gallacher for inviting me to guest post on his blog today to celebrate the release of my debut novel The Curse of Time #1 Bloodstone – A middle grade/YA fantasy set in Cambridge, UK. The kindle copy launches on Amazon, Saturday 26^th August and I’ll be having an online party to celebrate on my blog, Facebook and social media.

I’d like to share with you two of my passions: my debut book and my love of poetry.

I started writing poetry several years ago encouraged by author Ronovan Writes poetry challenge https://ronovanwrites.com/category/haiku-prompt-challenge/. I’m indebted to Ronovan for reminding me just how much I love reading and writing poetry! His challenges rekindled my love of poetry. Since then I have written numerous haiku and Tanka. More recently, I’ve participated in my lovely friend Colleen Chesebro’s – https://colleenchesebro.com/- weekly poetry challenge. I’ve become such a fan of the haiku and Tanka form that I decided to add numerous pieces of micro poetry to my novel. Each chapter or puzzle piece as I call them begins with a short piece of poetry or a Tanka poem followed by prose.

I’ve penned several additional pieces of poetry (not included in the novel) with my book launch in mind.

There are four in particular that I’ve selected for this post, I hope you enjoy!

The first two explore themes in the novel that fascinate me: secrets, confessions, mirrors, a curse, and of course the principal theme of the novel, a subject that continues to intrigue me – time.

These last two poems hint at light and shadows, power, hypnotism and alluring eyes, all of which play an important part in The Curse of Time.

There is a mysterious and handsome male lead protagonist in the novel that may or may not be plagued by smoke.

Or, it could all be a confusing smoke screen! I advise you to read the book to find out more and if you like/love The Curse of Time (and I hope you do!) please tap away on your keyboard, mobile phone or device and write a review on sites such as Goodreads and Amazon, etc. Reviews are like magical gold dust to authors, they don’t have to be long, time consuming or elaborate. In fact like my dear friends the haiku and Tanka a few well-chosen words can mean so much.

Photography credit: My daughter Georgina Mallon.

Male model: J English.

…and now, to the book launch:

On Amelina Scott’s thirteenth birthday, her father disappears under mysterious circumstances. Saddened by this traumatic event, she pieces together details of a curse that has stricken the heart and soul of her family.

Amelina longs for someone to confide in. Her once carefree mother has become angry and despondent. One day a strange black cat and a young girl, named Esme appear. Immediately, Esme becomes the sister Amelina never had. The only catch is that Esme must remain a prisoner, living within the mirrors of Amelina’s house.

Dreams and a puzzling invitation convince Amelina the answer to her family’s troubles lies within the walls of the illusive Crystal Cottage. Undaunted by her mother’s warnings, Amelina searches for the cottage on an isolated Cambridgeshire pathway where she encounters a charismatic young man, named Ryder. At the right moment, he steps out of the shadows, rescuing her from the unwanted attention of two male troublemakers.

With the help of an enchanted paint set, Amelina meets the eccentric owner of the cottage, Leanne, who instructs her in the art of crystal magic. In time, she earns the right to use three wizard stones. The first awakens her spirit to discover a time of legends, and later, leads her to the Bloodstone, the supreme cleansing crystal which has the power to restore the balance of time. Will Amelina find the power to set her family free?

THE CURSE OF TIME – BOOK ONE – BLOODSTONE is a YA/middle grade fantasy set in Cambridge, England exploring various themes/aspects: Light, darkness, time, shadows, a curse, magic, deception, crystals, art, poetry, friendships, teen relationships, eating disorders, self-harm, anxiety, depression, family, puzzles, mystery, a black cat, music, a mix of sadness, counterbalanced by a touch of humour.

…m’Lady, Marjorie is a debut author who has been blogging for three years: https://mjmallon.com. Her interests include writing, photography, poetry, and alternative therapies. She writes Fantasy YA, middle grade fiction and micro poetry – haiku and tanka. She loves to read and has written over 100 reviews: