Author: cherylmahoney

I'm a book review blogger and writer. I have published four novels, The Wanderers; The Storyteller and Her Sisters; and The People the Fairies Forget; and The Lioness and the Spellspinners. All can be found on Amazon as an ebook and paperback. In my day job, I'm a Marketing Specialist. Find me on Twitter (@MarvelousTales) and GoodReads (MarvelousTales).

Dawn Melody Count-Down: 2 Days

On By cherylmahoneyIn Novel NewsLeave a comment

It’s almost here!  Dawn Melody, the final book in my Guardian of the Opera trilogy, will be out this Friday, December 4th!  I’m counting down this week with a new quote each day.

The Phantom has been on a character arc throughout the trilogy of very slowly letting a little more of the world into his life – or of venturing out into the world.  That doesn’t mean he’s comfortable with it, or always responds positively when Meg suggests ideas!

Catch up on the story by reading Book One, Nocturne, Book Two, Accompaniment, and the special prequel short story collection, Overture.  And get your copy of Dawn Melody on December 4th!

Dawn Melody Count-Down: 3 Days

On By cherylmahoneyIn Novel NewsLeave a comment

It’s almost here!  Dawn Melody, the final book in my Guardian of the Opera trilogy, will be out this Friday, December 4th!  I’m counting down this week with a new quote each day.

One of the major themes of the trilogy is being seen by others – “seen” in the mostly metaphorical sense of being recognized, known and accepted for who you really are.  Although with a hero with a facial deformity, literally being seen is a complicated thing for him too!  Erik asks Meg about this at one point in the third book, quoted below – but you’ll have to read the book for more context and how she responds!  I think it’s a nice moment between them.

Catch up on the story by reading Book One, Nocturne, Book Two, Accompaniment, and the special prequel short story collection, Overture.  And get your copy of Dawn Melody on December 4th!

Dawn Melody Count-Down: 4 Days

On By cherylmahoneyIn Novel News1 Comment

It’s almost here!  Dawn Melody, the final book in my Guardian of the Opera trilogy, will be out this Friday, December 4th!  I’m counting down this week with a new quote each day.

This is the third book in the series and my personal favorite, as the tension rises and character arcs reach conclusions.  Meg has been on a path towards claiming her own identity all throughout the series, and to feel less like a supporting character in her own life…but there’s perhaps still a few doubts to overcome before the story is over.

Catch up on the story by reading Book One, Nocturne, Book Two, Accompaniment, and the special prequel short story collection, Overture.  And get your copy of Dawn Melody on December 4th!

Friday Face-Off: In the Jungle

On By cherylmahoneyIn Ruminations1 Comment

FFO.jpg

It’s time again for the Friday Face-Off meme, created by Books by Proxy, with weekly topics hosted by Lynn’s Book Blog.  The idea is to put up different covers for one book, and select a favorite.

This week’s theme is: None of the Jungle People like being disturbed.

With this theme, I immediately thought of a recent biography I read of Henry Stanley, African explorer of “Dr. Livingstone, I presume” fame – although, alas for disillusion, he probably didn’t really say his most famous quote.  That was part of the fascination of the biography though, exploring how and why Stanley fictionalized parts of his very extraordinary life.  Much of the excitement took place in the jungles, and while some were friendly, many were not.  There are only a few different covers for the book.

As a cover study I find this rather interesting, in that all three covers did variations on design using the same image.  It’s interesting to see how different things can be done with the same base.  My favorite is the first one.  It’s the easiest title to read, and I like how it focuses in on Stanley – which represents the focus of the book well!

2020 Reading Challenges – Three-Quarters Update

On By cherylmahoneyIn Phantom Challenge, Ruminations1 Comment

Welcome to another reading update from the very weird 2020!  I hope you are staying safe and well, and enjoying many great books.  I’m still staying home and reading a lot.  That’s good for my overarching goal of the year, to read more, aiming for 125 books.  I’m at 104 books so far, putting me well on target.

Here’s my monthly totals:

January: 14 books
February: 11 books
March: 7 books
April: 12 books
May: 9 books
June: 9 books
July: 11 books
August: 14 books
September: 10 books
October: 7 books (so far)

Now onto the specific challenges…

The Phantom of the Opera Reading & Viewing Challenge
Host: Tales of the Marvelous
Goal: Lon Chaney Level

I posted the update for this challenge last week (share your updates if you have them!) and I’m on track for my goal.  Just to need to watch a Phantom movie still…

Continue reading “2020 Reading Challenges – Three-Quarters Update” →