A Slice of Cake With... M.J. Mallon

This week I am delighted to have a slice of cake with M.J. Mallon.

M.J 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 storytelling began bolstered by these vivid raconteurs. 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 smile.

Her motto is to Do what Your Heart Desires. 

And her favourite genre to write is fantasy/magical realism because life should be sprinkled with a liberal dash of extraordinarily imaginative magic!

Her 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 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 continues to celebrate the spiritual realm, her love of nature, crystals and all things magical, mystical, and mysterious. 

What kind of books do you write?

When I am blending my common ‘ingredients’ I try to incorporate them in an imaginative way as possible! For instance, with my multi-layered teen mystery Bloodstone, short poetic puzzles begin each chapter, and then I explore diverse themes such as mental health, family, vulnerability, entrapment, and twisted fairy tales. Mystery and magic play a crucial part in my writing, and I don’t shy away from difficult topics such as self-harm or mental health, instead, I find new and unusual ways to explore them.   

Strange characters are my bread and butter! If you like strange you’ll love Bloodstone. I just love adding a dollop of WHAT THE HECK, giving the reader a moment to digest.

With my shorter pieces of writing - flash fiction and poetry I take a multi-genre approach. So, with Mr. Sagittarius Poetry and Prose, there’s a mix of diverse poetry and short stories which were conceived as separate unrelated pieces but work astoundingly well as a whole in a framed story. In this short but sweet collection, you will also find my own nature photography, imagine a dragonfly, a robin, and a willow tree! 

During the pandemic, my writing mojo slumped, I couldn’t find the drive and enthusiasm to continue with my novel so instead, I compiled an anthology with many authors, bloggers, and creatives called This Is Lockdown. Later, I also write a short dark humour visual poetry collection entitled Lockdown Innit Poems About Absurdity. 

Halloween is approaching… and yes, I love writing creepy, dark humour stories and have had several of my short stories published in best-selling anthologies. 

Can you describe your writing why?

I write because it has become a crucial part of who I am. When I go for a walk, I see stories in the people that I pass in the street, in cafes, museums and art galleries, the same is true. Writing has changed me in the most remarkable and fundamental way. I write because my readers motivate me to do so, there is nothing better than when someone reads your book and loves it. That is the best feeling ever! 

Share with us your favourite passage from the book you enjoyed writing the most

From Bloodstone…

I felt a chill creep up my spine. When I searched Dad’s face for some clue to his strange behaviour, I reeled back, struck by the sight of a dull emptiness in his eyes. I couldn’t tear my gaze away from his face. I thought I spotted a weird reflection in his eyes, maybe a bug, or something that flashed for a moment and vanished. Whatever it might have been, it lingered momentarily; a blink of an eye and it disappeared. I wasn’t sure what had happened because no answer transpired. Instead, the features on Dad’s face settled into an unfamiliar stony expression. I shivered at his transformation.

Then I noticed the music in the room had begun to jar my nerves, becoming a cacophony of noise. Dad rushed to open the lid on his record player, grabbing the stylus roughly, causing it to scratch the surface of the record. The screeching grated and sent shivers up my arms. 

Dad ended the Charades game by closing the lid of the record player. His face remained grim, and his lips stretched across his mouth in a slash of red. I stayed out of his way and hung back watching, not sure what would happen next. 

‘Are you all right?’ Mum asked, reaching out to touch his shoulder. I detected an edge to her voice, a sharp, unfamiliar sound of worry. Her auburn hair appeared to flatten and lose its shape, forming a mask of uncertainty around her cheerful face. 

My dad’s immediate reply terrified me. The curve of his mouth turned upside down, and his appearance reminded me of a dejected clown with a mouth covered in a frown of smeared make-up. His expression did more than shock me; it triggered a fountain of tears inside. I shook but reached out to touch his arm. ‘Dad, what’s wrong?’ I asked. 

‘Nothing, it’s nothing,’ was all he would say. Mum and I exchanged worried glances. 

The candles on my birthday cake, a homemade chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla ice cream delight, remained unlit. I gazed at the sweet confection as the ice-cream dripped, forming a multi-coloured puddle, a glossy pastel mess, on the plate. 

We should have sung ‘Happy Birthday.’ My voice hung in the air, unanswered. 

The room became hot, yet no fire warmed us. A trickle of perspiration formed on Mum’s lip, a tiny moustache of sweat. She frowned and walked unsteadily toward the fireplace. I shivered as Mum added more logs and then re-lit it. The fire roared in the grate, warming the room. I watched as my dad stared into the distance, with unapproachable glassy eyes. My birthday celebration had crashed and burned, and it hadn’t even struck midnight. This had to be a first. My tears hid just below the surface, ready to erupt. 

Tell us about your latest project

My latest release is the next in The Curse of Time Series – Book 2 Golden Healer. 

Golden Healer continues the story of Amelina, her black cat Shadow and her family and friends. Expect magic, and intrigue from dark and mysterious Ryder, caretaking duties from the creature Eruterac, wisdom from wacky Leanne, (the owner of the magical crystal cottage,) discover the true fate of Esme, (the mirror girl,) and discover news of a terrible rollercoaster… that no one ever wants to have the misfortune to ride! 

And this story would not be as enthralling without the Grasshopper of The Corpus Christi Chronophage clock, or the curious antics of the midsummer fly. 

The audiobook of Bloodstone is out now. M.J can offer free audiobook codes to US and UK readers who are willing to review the audiobook, contact her on marjma2014@gmail.com for further information.

What is your favourite cake?

What just one! Oh, no… Black forest gateaux it’s the chocolate and black cherry combo…I fall for it every time! 

You can connect with M.J. here:

Blog: https://mjmallon.com/
Website: https://mjmallon.com
Authors Amazon Page: https://www.amazon.co.uk/M-J-Mallon/e/B074CGNK4L
Twitter: @Marjorie_Mallon
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/

Join me next week when I will be having a slice of cake with Keith Guernesy. 

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Claire Buss is a multi-genre author and poet, completely addicted to cake. Find out more about her books on her website clairebuss.co.uk. Join the discussion in her Facebook group Buss's Book Stop. Never miss out on future posts by following me.