Spidey and I apologise for having football hijack the post again, this week, but, come on, who could blame us?
England are playing in their first MAJOR football tournament final, since 1966!
So, you know I am not that interested in sports. But, on Wednesday, I ended up spending 120 minutes of my time (plus injury time) watching the semi final against Denmark, on tenterhooks, along with most of the nation. I actually had a book in my hands, but didn’t read more than a few pages.
Even my colleague who HATES footy with a passion ended up joining in with our WhatsApp group chat, as we second guessed how the match would end.
And, as you all know, it ended in our favour, with a 2-1 win. (Not without scandal, though, as the England team were fined £25K for the behaviour of their fans, jeering during the Danish national anthem, and allegedly pointing a lazer beam in the Danish goalkeeper’s eyes during a penalty. What a shame a team who has done us proud has to bear the scars of a bunch of nooligan fans who are hell bent on causing trouble!)
So, I hyped up my class the next day, because, if you remember, we have England as our class team, in the school sweepstakes. Sure, there are some kids who have no clue what I was going on about, but we have some die hard fans, too, who were so excited!
And on Friday, as we left, I popped on the Three Lions Song and we all sang “It’s Coming Home!” together.
Who knows.
What has made me giggle, though, is that some people have asked the Government for Monday to be a national Holiday, because they fear the amount of people who may not even be in work, or school, due to a late night filled with drinking, shouting at TVs, celebrating (or commiserating) and the inevitable hangovers!
Still, tonight we find out whether it is actualy coming home, or popping off to Italy, instead. But, we are definitely hoping for a positive result, in our favour, of course!
I am delighted to invite my dear friend, and blog sis, Marjorie Mallon, to my blog today to let you all know about the re-release of her first novel, Bloodstone: The Curse Of Time Book 1. It has recently been picked up by a publisher, been given a makeover of sorts, and is back out there, in the book wild, and I, for one, am thrilled for Marje, because she has worked so hard for this! I read it the first time round, and I’ve also had a sneak peak at a very early draft of Book 2. Lots of fun in store for readers!
Let me pass you over to Marje!
Thank you so much Ritu for being part of my impromptu blog tour for my re-release of Bloodstone, The Curse of Time Book 1.
Next Chapter Publishing – YA fantasy The Curse of Time series:
Bloodstone – The Curse of Time Book 1
Genre: YA Fantasy/Paranormal
Fifteen-year-old Amelina Scott lives in Cambridge with her dysfunctional family, a mysterious black cat, and an unusual girl who is imprisoned within the mirrors located in her house.
When an unexpected message arrives inviting her to visit the Crystal Cottage, she sets off on a forbidden path where she encounters Ryder: a charismatic, perplexing stranger.
With the help of a magical paint set and some crystal wizard stones, can Amelina discover the truth about her family?
A unique, imaginative mystery full of magic-wielding and dark elements, Bloodstone is a riveting adventure for anyone interested in fantasy, mythology or the world of the paranormal.
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 that 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 there was 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 on 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.
In my dreamy state, I lifted my head and looked up. All I could see was the strange creature a short distance above me, standing as if he waited, but for what I could not tell. He held a ladder—two long ropes connected by short crosspieces made of skin and bones—which he dangled down. I grimaced, but with no other choice open, I reached out and latched onto the gruesome ladder device. The creature hoisted me out, and we stood side by side, motionless for a second. We exchanged no words. Once again, I felt the ground beneath my feet shudder and crack wide open into a large gash of exploding brown earth. I stepped back, afraid of the black void looming in front of me. I shrieked as I observed the creature as he plummeted into the depths of the earth, the whole time reaching his arms out towards me as he fell.
My alter ego is MJ – Mary Jane from Spiderman. I love superheros!
M J Mallon was born in Lion city Singapore, a passionate Scorpio with the Chinese Zodiac sign of a lucky rabbit. She spent her early childhood in Hong Kong. During her teen years, she returned to her father’s childhood home, Edinburgh where she spent many happy years, entertained and enthralled by her parents’ vivid stories of living and working abroad. Perhaps it was during these formative years that her love of writing began inspired by their vivid storytelling. She counts herself lucky to have travelled to many far-flung destinations and this early wanderlust has fuelled her present desire to emigrate abroad. Until that wondrous moment, it’s rumoured that she lives in the UK, in the Venice of Cambridge with her six-foot hunk of a rock god husband. Her two enchanting daughters have flown the nest but often return with a cheery, heart-warming smile to greet her.
MJ’s writing credits also include a multi-genre approach: paranormal, best-selling horror, supernatural short stories, flash fiction, and poetry. She has worked with some amazing authors and bloggers compiling an anthology/compilation set during the early stages of COVID-19 entitled This Is Lockdown and later she wrote a spin off poetry collection, Lockdown Innit.
She’s been blogging for many moons at her blog home Kyrosmagica, (which means Crystal Magic,) where she celebrates the spiritual realm,her love of nature, crystals and all things magical, mystical, and mysterious.
Her eclectic blog shares her love of reading, reviewing books, writing, and photography: https://mjmallon.com/
To always do what you Love, stay true to your heart’s desires, and inspire others to do so too, even if it appears that the odds are stacked against you like black hearted shadows.
Her favourite genre to write is
Fantasy/magical realism because life would be dull unless it is sprinkled with a liberal dash of extraordinarily imaginative magic!
So, Three term weeks, down. Three more to go… I’m not counting days, honest…
Let’s give you a quick recap, along withour weekly drink! Ready?
If we were having chai I’d start, with that thing called school. So, paperwork wise, I think I managed to get pretty much everything done that I had hoped to. Using two evenings of working until 10.30pm, I finished most of the reports, and only have a few little statements to add to several of them, which should be done by Monday this week. Data – we smashed it out. The Good Level Of Development that is looked for by all is extremely low, but considering the lockdowns, and level of need in our year group, it was expected. All kids have made progress, and are ending the year happy, fulfilled little people, and that is all I can expect, especially with the hear we have had.
If we were having chai I’d mention that I had a new pupil start on the Wednesday, less than a month before we break up. It’s never easy for a new student to start, especially one so young, from a different country, who has never experienced school, here, before. Still, he did say that school back home wasn’t as fun as ours, so that was good. Poor thing had to be sent hom, after being unwell, though on his second day, so that was a bit sad. Still, I hope he is better for this week! The rest of the class have been great. We are a hardy bunch, in my class, whereas the other Reception class was dropping like flies! We were secretly worrying that our year group bubble would burst, and so close to the end of term, that is not what you want, or need! We are already getting emotional at the thought of these children aready moving up to Year One, because, quite honestly, we don’t want to lose them, yet!
If we were having chai I’d tell you that there was still cricket, as always. (When is there not, in the summer months, for me?)
If we were having chai I’d let you know that this month, I am taking part in Sacha Black’s month long #WritersOfInstagram challenge on Instagram, so if you’re on there, you’ll see daily posts from me, as I try and post. I am so excited to be a part of her street team for her newest Non-Fiction book all about Side Characters, too!
If we were having chai I’d share that the weather has been very inclement, but not cold. We have had sun and rain, but it is sticky and humid. Still, the garden is getting a good drink! We also had our first visitors to the house, aside from the in-laws, which was lovely! It was Lil Man’s birthday on Tuesday, as I mentioned to you last week, and he is now a fully fledged sixteen year old! So, a friend of his came round with his younger brother and mum, who is a good friend of mine, and we had a lovely catch up.
If we were having chai I couldn’t not mention the Football! Okay, so I don’t watch it, but how exciting that England are in the semi finals!
f we were having chai I’d end by updating you on that kitty, Sonu Singh. He’s happily finding his feet here, in the new houe, and not long ago, I found him sat in a strange place. Somewhere he doesn’t usually sit. So, I looked at him, said “What are you sitting there for?” and got on with putting clothes in the dryer. Then I noticed some little pieces of paper and card around him. Picking them up, I pondered upon where they had come from, when I realised he was sitting on something. The cheeky cat had got into one of the cupboards, and jostled a treat packet out. He’d had a go at opening it, before realising it was fruitless (treatless?), so sat on the evidence! What a naughty kitty! Love that cat, mischief and all!
This week, we have a team building Inset day first, which means a four day week with the kids, and data will be done and dusted. Reports should be gone, see ya, bye bye! Maybe, just maybe, I will be able to chill a little. Oh, Sports Day, too, as well as Hearing and Vision Checks for the whole class, then cricket. There’s always cricket. abnd Lil Man has a dentist appointment. I’m already tired!
And while you’re here, did you sign up for my mailing list? I am in the middle of writing an exclusive Chickpea Curry Lit story for my subscribers, and there will be news, tips and even recipes! You know you want to join… go on! Click the pic below to sign up!
“Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice and most of all, love of what you are doing or learning to do.“
Pele
Many thanks, Spidey, for channelling my surprising football interest this week! Pele is a true football (soccer) legend, and his words can be applied to everything, not just good old footy.
If you live here in the UK, or anywhere in Europe, you can’t miss the fever pitch that the Euro 2021 football tournament has reached, so far.
I am not a footy fan.
Infact, I would go so far as to say I almost ‘hate’ the sport… Well, maybe hate is a rather strong word to use, but it’s not my cup of tea.
No sport is, to be honest. You’d be fooled by some of my posts. Yes I watch cricket. I ferry my son around to all his matches, and I watch them, because it is him playing, but it’s nothing I follow other than his games, and my brother’s when he plays for Finland.
But, this weekend, we had England in the Quarter Finals. I have seen the England flags hanging from so many houses and businesses. We have aschool sweepstake going, for each class (not financial, just to support!) and my class was handed England as their team. So, I also have a vested interest in this tournament. For the class, obviously!
Aside from wanting our class to be the winning class, I realised how important the idea of it ‘Coming Home’ is, right now, to the whole nation. We have all had a sh!tshow of a year and a half, haven’t we? The whole world. And the handling of this pandemic has left many with no faith in anyone political. But Sports seems to be the way to go, to get morale up, spirits high, and happiness flowing.
I went to pick up a takeaway last night, just as the match started, and as I pulled up to park, it was outside a pub. a huge cheer welcomed me into my parking space, and initially, I thought I was being applauded for my (not so) fabulous parking. Then I noticed the marquee in the car park, and the large screen, and the fans going wild. A goal scored, four minutes into the match.
Just that one positive start, lifted the mood around the area. Smiles passed round as freely as the pints were flowing. Other customers waiting for their food were exchanging excited banter. People were communicating in a away that has been lacking, recently, what with social distancing and masks. Okay, so there was still distance, but there were smiles (it was outside, so no masks needed!), and positive exchanges.
I watched a little but I’m afraid the gargantuan task of ironing oer a weeks worth of laundry was calling me, so, after the first half, I melted slightly, in the warm temperatures, as I pressed umpteen shirts and cricket whites, while listening to the fantastic Sacha Black and Dan Willcocks on the Rebel Author Podcast. I had my ear tuned to the reactions of the two footy fans watching downstairs.
And I heard that the match was going well.
Very well.
Lil Man had predicted a 3 – 0 win, and he wasn’t wrong, until they surpassed his expectations and finished with a 4 – 0 score.
Go on, England!!!!!
Semi finals, here we come! (I suppose I’d better be more excited with the kids in my class, now that our team have a real chance of coming out on top!
So… tell me, are you following the Euro Matches this year?
What a thrill to be able to help spread the word about a fabulous book!
I was asked to be a part of the blog tour for Geraldine Verne’s Red Suitcase, the second novel by Jane Riley, and after reading the blurb, I jumped at the chance!
Here’s the Blurb
His dying wish was to set her free. So why does she feel so trapped?
Jack had two dying wishes: that his wife scatter his ashes somewhere ‘exotic’, and that she not give up on life once he was gone. He intended to spur her on to new adventures, but despite clinging to her red suitcase, Geraldine Verne hasn’t left the house for three months.
It takes an accident for Geri to accept help from her friends, but when Meals on Wheels arrive she is mortified. Yet heartbroken volunteer Lottie brings with her more than cottage pie and custard. Like Geri, she too is struggling to cut loose.
As a gloriously unlikely friendship blossoms, Geraldine begins to feel a long-lost spark of life and a newfound confidence. Perhaps what both women needed most, after all, was each other.
I was thrilled to be asked to read an arc of Jane Riley’s second, book, not least because the blurb hooked me right away. The grief of losing someone is intense, and we all deal with that grief in different ways. Geraldine Verne, or Geri to her friends, is floundering. She is lost without her soulmate, Jack. Upon his passing and subsequent cremation, she finds herself unable to let go of his ashes, and rather than display the urn on her mantlepiece, as some do, she finds solace in wrapping Jack up in special mementoes and placing him in a red suitcase they used to travel with, using it as both a physical and emotional crutch. An accident forces her to rethink her ideas, as she is suddenly in need of help. More help than ashes and a wheelie suitcase can provide her. My heart went out to Geri. A woman in her later years, with nothing more than her husband’s remains, and his collection of butterflies as her support. The way she shut everyone out, in order to wallow in her grief, really hit home with me. But I loved the way her saviour came in the form of a Meals on Wheels volunteer, and now, despite their age difference, and background, they actually helped one another accept the way their lives were going to be. Grief can hit us duer to the loss of a loved one, who has passed away, as well as one who has left us and our life, whilst still living theirs, and this book explores that whole topic in a very sensitive, yet entertailing way.
Hi, I’m Jane Riley!
I was born and raised in New Zealand. After graduating from Auckland University with a Bachelor of Arts degree, majoring in French and English literature, I headed to Europe to practise my French, got waylaid in Germany and ended up in Australia.
I have had a varied career in public relations, publishing, freelancing as a writer and editor, and launching an online e-commerce business, which involved writing a design blog interviewing makers and creators. When The Likely Resolutions of Oliver Clock was published, I achieved my dream of becoming a full-time author.
I live in Sydney with my husband, an energetic but scared-of-heights Australian cattle dog-staffy cross, and two daughters old enough to not be living at home anymore. I volunteer as an English language tutor for the Adult Migrant English Program, am learning the piano and teaching myself Italian.
But I Smile Anyway... 