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).

Pre-Order The Storyteller and Her Sisters!

On By cherylmahoneyIn Novel News1 Comment

Storyteller Cover 1 - SmallI have, of course, told you that my next novel will be out soon…but you can buy it now!  Well, pre-order, at least. 🙂

Storyteller is now listed on Amazon and you can pre-order a Kindle copy today.  Don’t have a Kindle?  It should be available for pre-order on Smashwords within the next week.

All ebooks will be delivered and the paperback will go on sale on October 10th.

And if you’re still on the fence about buying, might I suggest checking out the excerpt now available on Goodreads?  You can download the first three chapters…but I make no promises that it won’t leave you waiting anxiously for October 10th and Chapter Four!

Movie Review: The Giver

On By cherylmahoneyIn Reviews6 Comments

The_Giver_posterI was twelve when I first read The Giver by Lois Lowry, and then reread it again recently when the fourth book in the quartet came out. It’s one of my favorite dystopias, so I was intrigued—and alarmed!—by the movie version. I went to see it mostly out of curiosity, and while it wasn’t perfect, I was pleasantly surprised by how well it was done.

The book and the movie both tell the story of Jonas, who lives in a community where all of life is carefully ordered and arranged by a ruling council of elders. When Jonas comes of age, he is assigned the role of Receiver, to receive the memories of a time before the community. Jonas’ time with the old Receiver, now dubbed the Giver, and the memories he receives, open his eyes (almost literally) to the world around him. Continue reading “Movie Review: The Giver” →

Fall Reading and R.I.P.

On By cherylmahoneyIn Ruminations2 Comments

lavinia-portraitRIP1It’s still hot where I live, but Autumn will soon be upon us…and that means it’s time for the Readers Imbibing Peril (R.I.P.) Challenge.  This is another seasonal/genre-focused reading challenge hosted by Carl of Stainless Steel Droppings.  In keeping with crackling leaves and dusky breezes, this challenge focuses on horror and mystery and stories that make you shiver!

I am very late signing up this year…  The challenge began September 1st, and I only just realized it.  I get distracted for a week and see what happens!  In my defense, although I love all of Carl’s challenges, this one is a distant third.  The spring Once Upon a Time challenge?  Yeah, I may be guilty of checking for the sign-up post multiple times a day as the date approaches… 😉

Even if this one is not quite so beautifully-aligned with my favorite genres, I still always enjoy a walk on the darker side with this challenge.  And I may have been subconsciously preparing for this after all!  I just completed an Agatha Christie audiobook (finished September 3rd) and then began a listen to The Invisible Man, which strikes me as horror.  So you can expect those two reviews soon, and I also just put a Sherlock Holmes novel on reserve at the library, because I always like to get some Holmes in during this challenge.

Beyond that?  The Invisible Man has put me in the mood for old classic horror films, so I may be hunting down a few of those…  And beyond that?  I think I’ll just see how the wind blows!

Book Review: The Whizz Pop Chocolate Shop

On By cherylmahoneyIn Juvenile, Reviews2 Comments

The Whizz Pop Chocolate Shop by Kate Saunders is a middle grade novel about magical chocolate—but it reminded me more of cotton candy, light and fluffy and insubstantial,

When Oz and Lily, eleven-year-old twins, and their family move into an abandoned chocolate factory, Lily is delighted to meet Demerara, a magical cat. Demerara tells them about the history of the chocolate factory, founded by three brothers who combined chocolate and magic. One of the brothers, by virtue of an immortality chocolate, is still alive and intent on stealing secrets his brothers left behind, to sell to a terrorist group. Demerara also happens to be a secret agent for the MI6, the British secret service, and needs Oz, Lily and their neighbor Caydon to use their latent magical ability to help on a secret mission.

This really is a cotton candy book, fun and entertaining with no real substance or depth. I don’t think it would have wide appeal for adults, but I can easily imagine middle grade readers loving it. Continue reading “Book Review: The Whizz Pop Chocolate Shop” →

Imaginary Illustrations #1

On By cherylmahoneyIn Novel News3 Comments

“What is the use of a book, thought Alice, without pictures or conversations?'”
– Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

My books have lots and lots of conversations–but no pictures.  I’ve been thinking about more ways to share bits and pieces of my novels on my blog, so this is the first post of what I plan to be a series: sharing a quote, with a picture that captures the spirit of the words…or that just seemed like fun!  Think of them as the illustrations the book might have had.

This first one comes from The Wanderers, and from Jasper’s firm belief that a wandering adventurer needs rules to survive–so he has a numbered list.

Good Fairies