12 Things you (probably) didn’t know about…

Author M. J. Mallon

Before I let you get off to the interview and fun facts, I’ve got to announce that The Curse of Time by M. J. Mallon is now available in ebook and paperback! Woot woot!

MJ Mallon is an author and blogger whose 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: https://mjmallon.com/2015/09/28/a-z-of-my-book-reviews/

The Curse of Time: Bloodstone is her debut novel and book one in the Curse of Time series:

Fifteen-year-old Amelina Scott lives in Cambridge with her dysfunctional family, a mysterious black cat, and an unusual girl who’s 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 pathway where she encounters Ryder, a charismatic, but perplexing stranger.

With the help of a magical paint set, and some crystal wizard stones she discovers the truth about a shocking curse that has destroyed her family’s happiness.

So, now that your curiosity has been piqued, here are

Twelve things you probably didn’t know about author M. J. Mallon

My first job was… a hairdresser. I always wanted to do something creative so I learnt the basics – how to cut, colour and style hair. But, a client of mine tempted me with his curly, luscious locks. I asked him out on a date. It was a big mistake. He dumped me late at night in the city centre in Edinburgh and left me stranded. My pride was hurt, but I never dated a guy with curly hair ever again. I packed away my hairdressing kit and went to University. I found a special guy who played a mean guitar, had dead straight hair, and walked miles to be with me.

I collect… crystals. I have a beautiful onyx egg that I found in an antique shop in Stamford, which you can see surrounded by some of my favourite crystals.

I love Amethysts too and keep one beside my bed at night.

To find out more about my interest in crystals do pop over to our collaborative blog ,The Sisters of The Fey to see the Bloodstone.

photo credit Alex Marlowe via Samantha Murdoch. https://sistersofthefey.wordpress.com/2018/01/29/the-magnificent-bloodstone-crystal/

And the mighty Obsidian!

https://sistersofthefey.wordpress.com/2018/03/07/obsidian-fire-water-and-earth/

Read about Anya Gallaccio’s inspiring crystal grotto -THE LIGHT POURS OUT OF ME at Juniper Artland in Scotland on my author blog: https://mjmallon.com/2014/06/15/jupiter-artland-the-light-pours-out-of-me/

When I hear someone sneeze on an airplane, I’m (1) glad I’m not sitting next to them and (2) glad it’s not me. My sneezes are famous; you can hear them all the way down the street.… It is so embarrassing!

If I wasn’t an author, I would love to be a therapist. I worked for a time as an aromatherapist/reflexologist. It changed me in such a permanent, good way. It made me the person I am today.

My favorite word is… freedom. I wish I had …. Freedom to write, freedom to create, freedom to travel, and freedom to do all the things I would love to do. …

The single best piece of writing advice I have ever given is read, read, and read. Devour all the genres; they are your writer’s bible. …

The best thing about discovering new writers is having that connection to their work. When you read amazing passages you want to cry because you love their writing style so much. It’s an overwhelming feeling. If I ever get a chance to meet my writing heroes in person I’m sure I would just melt.

The hardest part of publishing is editing and formatting. Both are equally as demonic. Prepare to have a headache for several days. But the good news is at least the formatting will get easier in subsequent books. …

I find inspiration everywhere. I love visiting art galleries, museums, taking walks, listening to conversations, going to festivals. I even had a black cat muse who became a character Shadow in my book. I had to find a black cat supermodel to pose for him and I did via my blogging friend Samantha Murdoch: https://samanthamurdochblog.wordpress.com/

This is Samantha’s gorgeous cat Lily

I have always wanted to travel more. In the future I would love to tour around, taking photographs of all the wonders of the world. I’d love to feast on delicacies and enjoy the culture, beauty and splendour of many different nations.

The worst thing about being a writer is not having someone to do your washing, ironing, cooking, cleaning and go to work for you. If I had that special someone just think how many novels I could write!

I have met the inventor of The Corpus Christi Chronopage clock – Dr John C Taylor, OBE who kindly gave me permission to use his images in my book. http://www.johnctaylor.com/the-chronophage/

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Thanks for taking the time to get to know M. J. Mallon a little better, and don’t forget to check out her debut YA fantasy novel,

The Curse of Time: Bloodstone!

Now I know you want to connect with MJ!

Here’s all the great ways to do it:

• Author’s Website: https://mjmallon.com
• Collaborative blog: https://sistersofthefey.wordpress.com
• Twitter: @Marjorie_Mallon and @curseof_time
• Facebook Authors/Bloggers Support Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1829166787333493/
• Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17064826.M_J_Mallon
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mjmallonauthor/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mjmallonauthor/
• Tumblr: http://mjmallonauthor.tumblr.com/