Welcome to my March edition of Q & A time where today I’m featuring another Fey Sister, friend and author, Marjorie Mallon. I recently published a review for Marje’s lastest release – Lockdown Innit, and today Marje will share her journey to writing her latest book in prose and poetry here in her second book she felt compelled to write about how Lockdown has affected her personal world.
About Marje:
My alter ego is MJ – Mary Jane from Spiderman. I love superheros!
On the 17th of November I was born, in Lion City: Singapore, (a passionate Scorpio, with the Chinese Zodiac sign a lucky rabbit.) My early childhood was spent in Hong Kong. During my teen years, my parents returned to my father’s birthplace, Edinburgh, where I spent many happy years. As a teenager, I travelled to many far-flung destinations. It’s rumoured that I now live in the Venice of Cambridge, with my six-foot hunk of a Rock God husband. My two enchanted daughters have almost flown the nest, but often return with a cheery smile to greet me.
During the day, I work in an international sixth form with students from around the world. I’m the meet and greet lady who welcomes them to their new college and issues them with late slips when they don’t get to their lessons on time!
I write YA fantasy, paranormal, horror/supernatural short stories, flash fiction and short form poetry. More recently, I have produced and compiled an anthology/compilation set during the early stages of COVID-19 entitled This Is Lockdown. Following on from this, in February 2021 I will be releasing Lockdown Innit, poems about absurdity which will be available in kindle and shortly after release in paperback.
I’ve been blogging for many moons at my blog home Kyrosmagica, which means Crystal Magic. From time to time I write articles celebrating the spiritual realm, inspiration and my love of nature, crystals and all things magical, mystical, and mysterious.
My eclectic blog shares my three loves: reading, writing, and creativity. I adore reading and have written over 150 reviews on my blog: https://mjmallon.com/2015/09/28/a-z-of-my-book-reviews/
Blurb:
Lockdown Innit is a poetry collection of eighteen poems about life’s absurdities and frustrations during lockdown. Wherever you live in this world, this is for you. Expect humour, a dollop of banter and ridiculous rants here and there. Amongst other delights, witness the strange antics of a swan posing by a bin and two statuesque horses appearing like arc deco pieces in a field. Check out the violin player on a tightrope, or the cheeky unmentionables wafting in the lockdown breeze!
Lovely to have you over today Marje. Let’s get down to some Q & A!
Where do your book ideas grow from?
Normally, my book ideas grow from a massive surge of creative energy that I
experience upon wakening. I grab my notepad by my bed and jot down ideas before they vanish! These notes become my initial story idea. From that point, I develop the concept and see how it develops and perhaps transforms.
D.G. – Have to laugh Marje, I do the same – notebooks everywhere, because we never know when inspiration strikes – and forgotten shortly after, lol.
Do events in your daily life inspire your writing ideas?
When I started writing daily life events didn’t inspire my writing as much as they do now. I’m more aware of current affairs, the world around me, how this pandemic has affected people. So, yes, events in my daily life have taken centre stage for the moment and pushed my fantasy writing aside for a while. I’ve written two books inspired by our struggles during this time, the first This Is Lockdown is a compilation of my personal diaries, poetry and flash fiction plus 28 contributions on the topic of ‘isolation’ from the perspective of authors, bloggers and creatives, including your good self, Debby. These contributed pieces include poetry and flash fiction pieces from different parts of the world. The anthology has an international feel, with thoughts not just from the UK, Ireland, Scotland, but from Italy, Australia, USA and Zimbabwe too. Working on the anthology was a wonderful way to connect with the writing community, to bring us together and lift our spirits in a shared goal at this time.
D.G. – I loved that book too Marje, and thrilled to be part of what will undoubtedly become a piece of history in years to come.
What are your writing goals for this year?
I expect that my latest release, a collection of poems about the absurd experiences
I’ve encountered during the pandemic: Lockdown Innit, Poems About Absurdity,
might be the last Covid19 related book that I release. The muse will decide! There are eighteen poems in the collection on all manner of subjects, some absurd serious, some light-hearted absurd. Themes such as: jogging, disregard for others safety, face masks carelessly thrown away, poems written to family members, genuine fears and some pure humorous like Lockdown Breeze, Swan’s Confusion, Horses Like Statues and This Face.Lockdown Innit Poems About Absurdity releases February 26th.
For the poem: This Face, the image was kindly created by fellow poet and author
Sarah Northwood who is starting to introduce graphic skills to her repertoire:
https://www.sarahnorthwood-author.com/
This Face
Here’s my face, I’m in the pink,
A shade lighter here and there,
Black glasses, hint of eyebrows,
Smile of lipstick, small detail of nose,
Black border for my chin and hair.
Sweet perfection, not a hair out of place!
Sweet perfection, without any disgrace!
Could that really be me in there?
I didn’t even brush my hair!
Or wipe the gunk off my specs,
Those eyebrows, freshly tweeked,
My hair bobbed, cut to perfection.
Which angel darling created this?
© M J Mallon
Sarah Northwood’s image also graces my paperback cover, (which I designed
myself,) to be released shortly after the kindle.
My writing goals in 2021 are to complete my YA fantasy – The Curse of Time #2
Golden Healer, my poetry and photography collection Do What You Love, and to
work on an autumn inspired book for release around Halloween, with my Spiritual
Sisters: Debby, Colleen, Adele and Sally. I’m so excited about all my projects, 2021 is going to be some year!
D.G. – I love your determination to plow through this pandemic and not lose your writing mojo like many of us writers have endured. And thrilled to be part of the upcoming ‘Sisters’ book too. ❤
What is the most intrinsic part of being a writer?
That’s an interesting question, one I am pondering about… Perhaps, its akin to being reborn again. For me, my experience has been like that to a degree. My younger self was lacking confidence, unsure who I was supposed to be. Since becoming a writer, I triggered that imaginative spark in my creative brain, embraced fulfillment and became a little crazy – in a good way! Maybe, writers experience the world on a muchdeeper and more profound level and once we do we can’t return to the person we used to be.
D.G. – Experiences do change us Marje. And no, we will not be going back to the world we knew. Let’s hope we’ll all make it a better world.
Do you watch TV? If so what is your favorite show and why?
I tend to be fairly juvenile in my choice of TV! My eldest daughter and I have been
watching episode after episode of the American comedy-drama television series,
Gilmore Girls which I love. The mother daughter vibe is fabulous as is the
wickedness of the grandmother. I’m always so jealous of Lorelei’s (the mum’s) lovely fashion sense. She is the coolest mum out there! She’s kind of wacky, (which I relate to,) speaks so fast (like she’s got an abundance of thoughts whizzing in her brain,) and loves her daughter Rory (I’m so close to my daughters and family too.) The characters are all so wonderfully relatable and the series is addictive.
D.G. – I am so not surprised you connect with that show Marje. I’ve only ever watched a few episodes – long ago when it was on primetime. But no surprise coming from a YA writer. 🙂
Connect with Marje: Links and Social Media
Authors Website:: https://mjmallon.com
Visit my Author Amazon Page for all my books: https://www.amazon.co.uk/M-J-Mallon/e/B074CGNK4L
Twitter: @Marjorie_Mallon
#ABRSC – Authors Bloggers Rainbow Support Club on Facebook :
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1829166787333493/
Goodreads:: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17064826.M_J_Mallon
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/m-j-mallon
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mjmallonauthor/
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DGKayewriter.com 