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 Waltz: Guest Post on Lynn’s Book Blog

On By cherylmahoneyIn Novel NewsLeave a comment

Storyteller Cover 1 - SmallAnother stop today on my blog tour for The Storyteller and Her Sisters!  Today you can head over to Lynn’s Book Blog for a guest post about where the idea for the novel first came from.  You’ve probably heard already that it’s based on “The Shoes That Were Danced to Pieces” from the Brothers Grimm, but there was one line in particular that set me off thinking…

Lynn is another book review blogger–I think I “met” her to during Carl’s awesome seasonal reading challenges.  And I frequently discover that I missed a cool Top Ten Tuesday topic by reading about it on Lynn’s blog!

For today, check out my guest post about Storyteller!  (And I’m pretty delighted by a very nice review Lynn posted too…)

 

Blogging Day 1461, NaNoWriMo Day 1

On By cherylmahoneyIn NaNoWriMo4 Comments

Very, very long-time readers may remember that I launched Tales of the Marvelous on November 1st, 2010–so today marks my 4th Blogging Anniversary!  After more than 1,000 likes and 4,000 comments, I am so happy you all are here, in my book-filled corner of the internet. 😀 I don’t think I’d still be here if I was just talking to myself!  I am perpetually trying to be better at replying to comments, but I read and value every single one.

NaNo Participant-2014Readers of more than two years may remember that in 2011 and 2012, I participated in National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), when a lot of crazy writers set out to write 50,000 words of a novel during the month of November, and talk about it online.  Last year I was publishing a novel in the middle of November, but this year my latest novel (which began as my 2011 NaNo project) has been out in the world for three weeks and I am ready for NaNoWriMo! Continue reading “Blogging Day 1461, NaNoWriMo Day 1” →

Out of the Shadows…

On By cherylmahoneyIn Ruminations2 Comments

lavinia-portraitRIP1Happy Halloween!  Beware of ghosts and ghouls! 🙂

The end of October also marks the end of the Readers Imbibing Peril (R.I.P.) Challenge.  This two-month challenge focuses on horror and mystery…and while I don’t usually consider those my top genres, I always have fun with it!

Here’s the list of what I watched and read from the darker side…

  1. And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
  2. The Invisible Man by H. G. Wells
  3. Rivers of London/Midnight Riot by Ben Aaronovitch
  4. Sherlock Holmes: The Sign of Four by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
  5. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson

Peril on Screen

  1. Jane Eyre (1983 BBC Miniseries)
  2. The Invisible Man (1933)
  3. And Then There Were None (1945)

I seem to have trended towards the classics…which I can’t say really surprises me!  It’s been a fun and shivery fall, and now I’m looking forward to some sci fi for the winter…and I always look forward to fairy tales in the spring!

More immediately, the end of October also means National Novel Writing Month begins tomorrow.  I’m planning to participate for my third year, so come back tomorrow for my launch post, with some sneak peeks at writing plans.

Book Review: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

On By cherylmahoneyIn Reviews, Science Fiction5 Comments

After not enjoying The Invisible Man, it may seem a little odd that I went on to Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. I think I’m determined to find some piece of classic sci-fi/horror that I can like!  And it’s the right time of year, with R.I.P. going on.  Jekyll and Hyde was written by Robert Louis Stevenson, and I always have trouble keeping that in mind—it feels like such a completely different book than Treasure Island. It feels much more like it ought to be part of the canon of H. G. Wells. Unfortunately, that includes some of Wells’ issues!

Jekyll and Hyde is fascinating to read from a historical perspective–because I think it’s a book that’s been ruined by its own success. Do I even have to say “spoiler alert” before mentioning that Jekyll and Hyde are one person? Everyone knows that—and unfortunately that’s the one big mystery of the book! Continue reading “Book Review: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” →

Classic Review: Bloody Jack

On By cherylmahoneyIn Historical Fiction, Reviews, Young Adult2 Comments

I’ve been reading the Bloody Jack series since high school, and recently completed a re”read” of the series by audiobook (highly recommended!)  The final (twelfth!) book in the series will be out next week.  I can’t wait to find out what finally happens to Jacky Faber–and today I’m re-sharing my review of the series!

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The Bloody Jack series follows the adventures of Jacky Faber…sailor, soldier, pirate, fine lady, spy…oh, and Lily of the West.  Among other things.  Set around 1800, it all starts in Bloody Jack, when orphan Mary Faber decides that the way out of the gutter is to sign onto a Royal Navy ship as a Ship’s Boy.  Obviously that second word presents complications, so Mary becomes Jacky and disguises herself as a boy.

Jacky is an incredibly fun character.  She’s endlessly creative with her schemes and ideas, wildly emotive, rarely depressed no matter what life throws at her, fiercely loyal to her friends and endlessly ambitious to better her life and the lives of the people she cares about.  She has dreams of creating a worldwide shipping industry, and despite usually being only one step ahead of a vast number of people chasing her, she also manages to keep chasing those dreams.  Honestly, she’s like a cork–the world keeps trying to push her down, and she just keeps bobbing merrily up again. Continue reading “Classic Review: Bloody Jack” →