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).

Blog Banquet: Interview on Lynn’s Book Blog

On By cherylmahoneyIn Novel NewsLeave a comment

PFF Orange Grove Cover - SmallToday is our second course in my “blog banquet” for The People the Fairies Forget!  Today you’re invited to Lynn’s Book Blog for an interview with questions ranging from the writing process to pitfalls of publishing to what to expect from this new book (and beyond).

Lynn is another book review blogger who I “met” during Carl’s awesome seasonal reading challenges.  More than one book she’s reviewed has landed on my To Be Read list, and I always enjoy her Top Ten Tuesday posts too.

For today, check out my interview about The People the Fairies Forget!

Blog Hop: A Belated Bookish Halloween

On By cherylmahoneyIn Blog Hop1 Comment

book blogger hopThis was actually the Book Blogger Hop question a couple weeks ago, the same Friday my novel came out, but I was a little busy that day… 🙂  So I’m posting it this week instead leading up to Halloween, because I like the question!

You’re having a costume party with the theme “Book Characters.” Who would you go as?

September, from the Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland series! I actually did dress up as September one Halloween, in her orange dress, green coat (which I still have and still think of as the Coat of the Green Wind) and autumn leaves in my hair—because of the scene when September turns into an autumn tree. Absolutely no one recognized the costume, but I had fun with it!

I might also like to be Beauty from Rose-Daughter, if I could come up with something fun with roses—fake ones twined around my arms, perhaps.

I’ve also thought about being Susan, Death’s granddaughter from Discworld. I’d just need the right wig (white with a black streak), a dramatic black cloak, and a fireplace poker.

The challenge, I discovered when I was trying to come up with a bookish costume and landed on September, is that too many of my favorite characters simply don’t have distinctive enough appearances! Short of finding armor (and a red wig), I wouldn’t know how to dress up as Alanna from the Song of the Lioness.

Have you ever dressed up in a bookish costume? Or is there one you’d love to try?

Book Review: A String in the Harp

On By cherylmahoneyIn Fantasy, Reviews4 Comments

A String in the Harp by Nancy Bond was a rare case where I bought a book unread—unheard of, in fact, before finding it on the shelf. But it was at my library’s warehouse sale, and either I got it in a brown bag with a lot of other books, or I bought it for a dollar—I can’t remember anymore—so I was willing to risk it. The Newbery Honor medal and the Welsh setting seemed like good signs. And happily, it turned out to be well-worth the price!

The story is about an American family spending a year in Wales. Coping with their mother’s recent death, all three children—15 year old Jen, 10 year old Peter and 8 year old Becky—are all grieving in their own ways. Their father has retreated into his work, and Peter in particular is withdrawing from the family, angry and rebellious and fiercely hating this cold country his father took them to. Then Peter finds an ancient harp key, and through it begins to have visions of the ancient bard Taliesen, exploring Welsh history through his life. It’s not immediately clear whether this magic will draw Peter back towards his family, or only farther away.

This book had me engaged at the first glimpse of Wales—and the odd part is, I have no idea why! I’ve never been to Wales (apart from one train ride to and from the Doctor Who Experience, which doesn’t really count), I’ve never been especially interested in Wales, and the characters, initially, hate the place! And yet somehow, I immediately felt an incredible wistfulness for Wales. Continue reading “Book Review: A String in the Harp” →

Blog Banquet: Guest Post on The Bookworm Chronicles

On By cherylmahoneyIn Novel NewsLeave a comment

PFF Orange Grove Cover - SmallToday is our first stop (first course?) in my Blog Banquet book tour for The People the Fairies Forget.  Today you’re invited over to The Bookworm Chronicles, where hostess Jessica blogs.

Jessica posts frequent book reviews, and is a dedicated responder to comments from lovely readers!  She frequently participates in the Tough Traveling meme, looking at fantasy tropes.  So for my guest post, I wrote a bit about the fantasy/fairy tale tropes I made use of in my novel–characters especially.

Head over to The Bookworm Chronicles to read the post and find out more about my Sleeping Beauty, Prince Charming and Fairy Godmother. 🙂

Book Review: Tom’s Midnight Garden

On By cherylmahoneyIn Fantasy, Juvenile, Reviews3 Comments

After reading the time-travel Four Seasons of Lucy McKenzie, it made me want to go back to reread a very similar, classic time-travel story, Tom’s Midnight Garden by Philippa Pierce.  And maybe it’s just because I read it when I was a kid, or maybe it’s the style, but I found it to be delightful.

The story begins when Tom is sent away for the summer to his aunt and uncle’s house because his brother has the measles.  Tom misses his brother and hates his exile…until one night he hears the old grandfather clock downstairs striking thirteen.  Venturing downstairs and out the back door, Tom finds a wonderful garden, not at all like the dingy yard and crowded subdivision he knows surrounds his relatives’ house.  He visits the garden every night, where time seems to run differently and it’s always summer.  There he makes friends with a little girl named Hatty, and they explore the garden together.

This is in some ways a quiet book–there’s no big conflict, no huge obstacles to overcome, and no particular plot even.  It’s just a story about a boy who finds–and then fears losing–a magical place, and makes a dear friend along the way.  But the whole book is so whimsical and light and charming that I didn’t mind at all that there was nothing bigger at stake. Continue reading “Book Review: Tom’s Midnight Garden” →