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Marjorie Mallon – Poetic Inspiration #TheCurseOfTime #BlogTour #Author

25 Aug 2017 41 Comments

by Ritu in Blog Tours, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: #BlogTour, Author, Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, M J Mallon, Marjorie Mallon, New Release, The Curse Of Time, YA Fiction

Hello there Peeps!

Today I am host to a wonderful blogger who I count as a friend too, especially after having endured the London Underground with her after the Bloggers Bash this year!

Marjorie Mallon!

The purpose of this post is actually that I am supporting her on a Blog Tour for her first book release! Yay!

I asked Marjorie what inspired her writing, and to answer, Marje (that’s what us friends call her!) has penned a poem!

Ritu at But I Smile Anyway,
Asked me ‘What inspires you?’
I scratched my head and replied…..
‘Everything!”
‘Everything?’ She repeated.
‘Yes.’
‘What’s everything?’ She asked.
So I said,
‘The sun, the moon and the stars,
Sunsets, Crystals, Cats, Shadows,
Art, Puzzles, Mysteries,
Books, Music, Film, Sculptures,
People, Photography and chit chat.’
‘What kind of chit chat,’ she enquired?
‘The kind that keeps me listening!”
‘Are your ears big?’ she said.
I laughed, grinned and nodded.
She stared at me wide eyed,
So I confessed, ‘My ears eavesdrop.’
‘Blame your lugs,’ she replied.
‘Yes, my lugs are criminals,’ I agreed.
‘Where do your rapscallion ears eavesdrop?’
‘On the bus, on the train, anywhere.’
‘Even at the bloggers bash?’ she cried, in shock.
‘No! Never there! Bloggers code,’ I replied.
Ha ha, she giggled. ‘Mum’s the word!’
Lol, I tweeted.
‘So that’s it? Inspiration’s end?’ she asked, unsure.
‘No, never!’ I cried, aghast.
‘This is only a beginning and a middle.
Inspiration never stops,
It just grows and bloody grows!’
Retweet, hashtag, Retweet, hashtag.
‘Inspiration bloody grows!’

Isn’t that just a perfect poem? It’s true! Inspiration really does sprout from everywhere!

And now, for the main event…

Marjorie has penned her first book!

The Curse Of Time

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The Blurb

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?

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.

Now, tell me, doesn’t that sound like an amazing book to get a hold of?

Well, luckily for you I have the link for you to pre-order! (I already ordered mine!)

http://amzn.to/2tRPqmn or click here!

The Curse Of Time is available on August 26th… as in tomorrow!!!!!

And I know you would like to know a little more about our lovely featured author, so here you are!

Marjorie or M.J. Mallon!

I am a debut author who has been blogging for three years – https://mjmallon.com. My interests include writing, photography, poetry, and alternative therapies. I write Fantasy YA, and middle-grade fiction as well as micropoetry – haiku and tanka. I love to read and have written over 100 reviews: https://mjmallon.com/2015/09/28/a-z-of-my-book-reviews/

My alter ego is MJ – Mary Jane from Spiderman. I love superheros! I was born on the 17th of November in Lion City: Singapore, (a passionate Scorpio, with the Chinese Zodiac sign a lucky rabbit,) second child and only daughter to my proud parents Paula and Ronald.

I grew up in a mountainous court in the Peak District in Hong Kong with my elder brother Donald. My parents dragged me away from my exotic childhood and my much loved dog Topsy to the frozen wastelands of Scotland. In bonnie Edinburgh I mastered Scottish country dancing, and a whole new Och Aye lingo.

As a teenager I travelled to many far-flung destinations to visit my abacus wielding wayfarer dad. It’s rumoured that I now live in the Venice of Cambridge, with my six foot hunk of a Rock God husband, and my two enchanted daughters.

After such an upbringing my author’s mind has taken total leave of its senses!

When I’m not writing, I eat exotic delicacies while belly dancing, or surf to the far reaches of the moon. To chill out, I practise Tai Chi. If the mood takes me I snorkel with mermaids, or sign up for idyllic holidays with the Chinese Unicorn, whose magnificent voice sings like a thousand wind chimes.

What’s not to like Peeps? And the best thing? This is Book One! So that means there is sure to be more fabulousness to come! So, go, get ordering!!!! Watch out for a review on here soon enough!

Beneath The Apple Blossom – Kate Frost #BookReview

11 Aug 2017 10 Comments

by Ritu in Reviews, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: Beneath the Apple Blossom, Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Book Review, Family, Kate Frost, Loss, miscarriage, Support, Trying to concieve

Another week of the holidays done, another book read.

A while back (possibly even a year back), I read an interview with an author called Kate Frost. Her then newly released book, Beneath The Apple Blossom, looked to be something that would be of interest to me.

The Blurb:

Four women, linked by blood ties, friendship, betrayal, loss and hope, struggle with the choices they’ve made and the hand that life’s dealt them.

All Pippa’s ever wanted is marriage and kids, but at thirty-four and about to embark on IVF, her dream of having a family is far from certain. Her younger sister Georgie has the opposite problem, juggling her career, her lover, a young daughter and a husband who wants baby number two.

Pippa’s best friend Sienna has a successful career in the film world, and despite her boyfriend pressurising her to settle down, a baby is the last thing she wants. Happily married Connie shares the trauma of fertility treatment with Pippa, but underestimates the impact being unable to conceive will have on her and her marriage.

As their lives collide in a way they could never have predicted, will any of them get to see their hopes realised?
…

As I read it I was amazed at how emotional it made me feel. I remembered the time when we were struggling. The anacronyms like 2ww and BFN and BFP flooded back, as I remembered the wonderful forum I had joined when we were struggling with conceiving, and after, for the support of others in the same situation.

It’s true though, not every woman wants to be a mother. And not everyone can make a good one either.

But the pain that accidental pregnancies can cause to others, I’ve experienced that too, while we were in the midst of our own journey. Hearing about someone talking about a baby that wasn’t expected or wanted, was like a knife being plunged into my womb, and twisted. Yes

Yes.

It felt that extreme.

Yet when there were others who were expecting, and it was a much longed for baby, I was overjoyed for the parents-to-be.

Deep down I knew that one day, our turn would come. And it did, twice, with two angel babies in between.

Beneath the Apple Blossom: The Hopeful Years Book 1 by [Frost, Kate]

My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

My reviews on Amazon and Goodreads:

What a great book!
Having been through fertility struggles of my own, it was amazing how I related to a lot of the issues faced by 2 of the main characters in this book.
It’s very true, that as much as some women crave to be mothers, there are those that really don’t feel it’s for them, and this book explored both sides of the same coin.
The realistic writing brought back some painful memories for me, but also that sense of camaraderie that I too felt in a very special online forum that I had also joined while trying to conceive.

Buy it on Amazon here.

A Hundred Hands by Dianne Noble – #Book Review

03 Aug 2017 14 Comments

by Ritu in Reviews, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: A Hundred Hands, Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Book Review, Dianne Noble, India, Kolkata

Along with writing, I have been reading as much as I can, and the next book on my Kindle was one I had downloaded a while ago, from a recommendation via a blog interview with the author Dianne Noble. I actually can’t remember who posted the interview, but it was touching enough to make me want to get the book!

Reading

The blurb:

When Polly’s husband is jailed for paedophilia, she flees the village where her grandmother raised her and travels to India where she stays with her friend, Amanda.

Polly is appalled by the poverty, and what her husband had done, and her guilt drives her to help the street children of Kolkata. It’s while working she meets other volunteers, Liam and Finlay. Her days are divided between teaching the children and helping with their health needs. But when Liam’s successor refuses to let Polly continue working, she’s devastated to think the children will feel she’s abandoned them.

After a health scare of her own, she discovers her friend, Amanda, is pregnant. Amanda leaves India to have her child. At this time Polly and Finlay fall in love and work together helping the children. Tragedy strikes when one child is found beaten and another dead. Polly feels history repeating itself when Finlay becomes emotionally attached to a young girl.

Can Polly recover from her broken heart and continue to help the children, or will she give up and return home?

A Hundred Hands by [Noble, Dianne]

My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

My reviews on Amazon and Goodreads:

What a great book! Dianne Noble has really captured the essence of the sights and smells of the real India. Not the splendour of the Taj Mahal, the high-end hustle and bustle of Mumbai, but the reality of life for many slum dwellers and their children.
I was truly touched, reading the story of Polly, who escaped to India, following the arrest of her husband for paedophilia. It’s an emotional story, showing the changes that helping those who most need it, can change you and your outlook on life. I thoroughly recommend this book.

Tightrope Walker by Shaun Hume – #BookReview #BookBlogger #MondayBlogs

31 Jul 2017 10 Comments

by Ritu in Reviews, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Book Review, Shaun Hume, Tightrope Walker

A while ago I was contacted by an author, Shaun Hume, asking me if I would be interested in reading one of his books. Ewan Pendle and the White Wraith. (Read my review here!)

It wasn’t a genre that I would pick myself, but as a recent convert to YA fiction, thanks to Shelley Wilson, I thought I’d give it a go!

I surprised myself. This Harry Potter-esque book made me want to go and read more of this type of fiction! (Sequel out, tentatively in October 2018!). Last week Shaun reached out to me with regards to another of his books, Tightrope Walker. It is another YA book, but different to Ewan Pendle’s story.

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The official Blurb…

Hetta is a Tightrope Walker. A leader of armies. She has been one all her life. But Hetta has just turned thirteen, and there has never been a thirteen year old Tightrope Walker. Ever. Is she too old to do her duty? Is she too old to walk upon the field of battle and survive?

My Amazon and Goodreads review – ⭐⭐⭐⭐

This isn’t the usual type of fiction I read, but having really, and surprisingly, enjoyed Hume’s other book Ewan Pendle and the White Wraith, I wanted to give it a go.
Hetta is a girl with a lot of power for a child so young, having been blessed with a skill as a Tightrope Walker. No really knowing what she is able to do, she has been drawn into many battles, leading her army to victory.
What I liked about this was that we still don’t really know what she is, and the end of the story leaves you dangling, waiting to see what she finds out about her powers.
Lots of emotive language used to describe events and a cliff hanger ending to whet your appetite for the next instalment!

Get it on Amazon here!

The Girl On The Train – Book And Movie Review

25 Jun 2017 23 Comments

by Ritu in Reviews, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Book Review, Film Review, Paula Hawkins, The Girl On The Train

A few weeks back, I was lamenting over having started to read American Pastoral. I had seen a trailer for the film, and really wanted to read the book before watching the movie. On the same day I saw that trailer, I saw the ad for The Girl On The Train.

I’m not one for thrillers, or mysteries.. leave me with romcoms and children’s films, or good old Bollywood and I am much more comfortable! As I advance in years, I have come to realise that it is well worth stretching both my reading and movie genres, as I have been missing out on many amazing books and films, having been trapped in my own self imposed entertainment bubble!

Now, after the struggle of reading American Pastoral (you can read about my thoughts on that one here!) I have yet to watch the film… And The Girl On The Train was waiting for me on my Kindle.

Was it going to be an utter disappointment, like American Pastoral? Should I even chance it? I had plenty of fluffy light reads to switch to instead, but no, I felt I should give it a go!

Image result for the girl on the train book

My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

So, what’s it about?

Well, it is the first novel of this genre by author Paula Hawkins, who was initially a Romantic Comedy writer publishing under the pen name, Amy Silver. not getting much success with the Chick Lit, she tried her had to psychological thillers and came up with this!

It’s a story told in the first person, from the view point of three different women. All connected by a thread which isn’t revealed until the end.

Rachel Watson is a divorced alcoholic who travels on trains everyday, to kill time hiding her unemployment from her flat mate. She begins to conjour up stories for certain people she sees regularly from the train, not realising that these strangers will soon become embedded in her own life.

Anna is Rachel’s ex husband Tom’s new partner. Having had an affair with Rachel’s husband, she ends up moving in with him, and they have a child, but she can’t shake the ghost of this es-wife from her life. Convinced that Rachel is deluded and a danger to her and her child, she is always on tenterhooks if she sees her.

Megan is the third woman. An outwardly beautiful person with what seems to be a perfect life. She is the one who Rachel sees from the train, with her husband Scott, regularly. Megan’s life is not so perfect, and there are many secrets she is hiding.

The twists start when Megan is missing, and then the resulting investigations, and Rachel’s thoughts that she can help Megan’s husband with what she witnessed on the train.

I don’t want to go any further with this story as I will spoil it for you!

But… what did I think?

Initially, I found it a little hard to get into, as the moving between three characters was a little confusing. But as the story progressed, I found myself second guessing everything, and needing to read on to see what happened!

But I have to say I did enjoy it, and it made me eager to watch the film too!

Image result for the girl on the train film My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

As with all book to film conversions, there were a few key elements missing, but they didn’t distract from the film at all. If, like me, you had read the book first, then you would find it a little annoying, but looking at the film as a stand alone piece it was very well done.

I was a little disappointed that the film was set in the US when it was actually written as having been in London! The principle character or Rachel was still English but the rest were Americanised!

Emily Blunt, as the main protagonist, really gets into the role of the almost permanently sozzled Rachel, and her confusions, then gradual realisations. She carries this film singlehandedly.

Image result for the girl on the train

There is a lot of to-ing and fro-ing, as in the book with the time frames, jumping from one characters viewpoint to another, and going back and forth in time, but it keeps you on your toes!

And I did enjoy it.

If you haven’t read the book, watch it if you like to be kept in suspense. If you have already read the book, be prepared for the changes, and if you can keep that in mind, you should enjoy the film too!

Oh, and another surprise was realising that one of the actors was from That 70’s Show!

Then and now! Image result for cathy the girl on the train