There’s only one week to go – that’s seven sleeps – until Haven’s Deceit is published by Burning Chair on 21st November. This past month has gone by in an exciting blur. My author copies have come in. ARC reader copies have gone out. I’ve been talking about Haven’s Deceit Read more
With the third instalment of the Haven Chronicles YA fantasy series well on the way, I thought it was time to reintroduce the books so far. Oh, and drop a couple of hints about what you’ll discover in book three too.
There’s a long-standing tradition of romance playing a part in adventure storylines. Whether it’s the chivalry of King Arthur’s court or the love between Rose and the Doctor in Doctor Who, romance is often key to creating a rich and enjoyable plot. Done well, it can provide character depth or Read more
“That was easier than I thought,” said Babs. “Too easy,” said Sheila. “He won’t be a happy chappie,” said Constance. “I don’t think he really does happy,” said Gwen. The Graveyard Tap sat, unsurprisingly, on the border of a graveyard. From there the main road in town led up to Read more
“Expecting someone?” Sally handed out plates of food from the trolley. “Chicken drumsticks?” “That’s for me, dear,” said Babs. “We’re not expecting anyone, no.” “Meat pie?” “Me please,” said Constance. “Here you are. That gentleman by the bar’s been watching you all. Don’t you think he looks dapper? Or maybe Read more
“Here they come. Seven pm on the dot.” Harold, landlord of the Graveyard Tap public house, nodded to the four elderly women as they sauntered in. “They’re not regulars.” Sally finished pulling a pint of ale. “They’re here every Halloween,” he said. “We always reserve the table by the fire Read more
I’m one of those authors who likes to prepare as much as possible before I begin to work on a new novel. One aspect of that preparation is plenty of research. You might think that because I write fantasy stories, the whole concept will be born from my imagination but Read more
Back in 2019, in the run up to the release of Haven Wakes, I wrote a blog post about the inspiration behind the novel. I wrote about magic, the colourful folk I’d grown up with, and literary characters who had stayed with me for years. Now, with a release date Read more
I’ve been so head down in editing Book 2 of the Haven Chronicles that I completely forgot about writing a blog post until today, which unfortunately (or fortunately, in my case) coincided with me taking two hours out of my working day to get my hair done for the first time since Autumn 2020. Now, I’m back at my desk freshly coiff-ed and raring to go. Except…
Today, I’d like to introduce you to M J Mallon, YA author, poet, photographer and book blogger. 1. When did you first call yourself a writer? I’d say I first called myself a writer when I started my blog six years ago. A lot has happened since then: I published Read more