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 Hop: So Many Books – Where Was the Time?

On By cherylmahoneyIn Blog Hop3 Comments

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Today’s Book Blogger Hop question is:   Do you look at your shelves and stacks of books and wonder how you have ever read so many books?

I don’t wonder precisely that, but I guess I do wonder similar things.  I get most of my books from the library, so I know that the books on my own personal shelves (700 or so) are only a fraction of the total books I’ve read.  I’ve read daily for as long as I can remember, so the total number doesn’t feel shockingly high to me.  Or maybe it’s just that I’ve done enough math to get used to the idea.

Since I feel like I rarely buy books, I do sometimes wonder how I amassed as many as I own!  Some I’ve had for twenty years, though, and there have been some notable trips to library book sales that brought home a dozen books, so I guess it’s added up over time.

I also sometimes wonder how I would ever have time to reread all the books I own, if I wanted to, because there are so many other new books in the world.  I feel vaguely as though I reread most beloved books every several years, but mathematically, it would probably take me five years of nothing but rereading to get through my collection…so, yeah, there are some books I’ve owned and not reread for a long time!  But perhaps someday – that’s why I bought them, after all.

Does it sometimes surprise you how many books you’ve read, or how many you own?

Blog Hop: Support Your Local Library

On By cherylmahoneyIn Blog Hop2 Comments

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Today’s Book Blogger Hop question is:  How often do you visit your local library?

For years and years I had a weekly library habit – often visiting the library every Saturday morning.  Then my life got busier in the past few years and my reading reduced somewhat, and it became more of an every-few-weeks thing.

Then a pandemic happened.  I stocked up on books a few days before the libraries were closed, because I figured that was coming, and for a couple months there were no library visits at all.  Now I’m back to something more like normalcy, at least with frequency – I visit every few weeks for “curbside pickup.”  In fact, that’s on my to-do list for this afternoon…

How about you?  Do you visit your local library often?  Has it changed over time?

New Release: Overture

On By cherylmahoneyIn Novel News1 Comment

I’m excited to share that I have a new release out!  This is a much smaller scale one than my usual book releases, which is why you’ve heard less about it…but maybe you’ve seen previous posts about the short stories I was writing as a prequel to my Phantom series?

You can now get your copy of Overture: A Phantom Prequel Collection!  Here’s a bit from the “back” of the book:

Before he was the Phantom of the Opera, Erik was an architect building the Opera Garnier, determined to make it his final work. Before she danced at the Opera, Meg Giry danced with her little sister, both dreaming of entering the ballet. Before she sang soprano onstage, Christine Daae was a girl on the beach with a red scarf, hoping to meet Raoul de Chagny. This collection of short stories explores the lives of the characters from the Phantom of the Opera before their most famous story occurred, and shares the dreams that finally brought them to the Opera Garnier.

Since this is short, it’s only available digitally.  You have two options to get your copy!

You can buy it on Amazon for just $0.99. Or you can download it on BookFunnel for free by signing up for my newsletter.  The choice is yours!

Either way, I hope you will enjoy this glimpse into the earlier lives of the characters.  I had a lot of fun writing it.  And don’t forget, Nocturne is already out, and the sequel, Accompaniment, is currently on pre-order!

Friday Face-Off: Lights, Camera…

On By cherylmahoneyIn Ruminations1 Comment

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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: Action – a cover that depicts action of some sort

I don’t know how many books I read that put action at the center – I like talking and character growth best, but a little excitement can be welcome too!  And then I thought of Edgar Rice Burroughs, whose books almost never have any character growth to speak of, but lots and lots of action.  I looked up covers for my favorite, A Fighting Man of Mars (which happens to be a rare example where the hero really does go through some growth, and there’s a very cool heroine besides).

There’s certainly no lack of action here, plus wild costumes and a hint of a strange landscape in the background.

Continue reading “Friday Face-Off: Lights, Camera…” →

Video Review: The Original Star Wars Trilogy

On By cherylmahoneyIn Science Fiction2 Comments

Happy Monday!  I recently signed up for Disney+ so that I could watch Hamilton for the Fourth of July (excellent, by the way!)  Before my month-service expired, I decided it was the ideal time to re-watch the original Star Wars trilogy after too many years.  And then I made a video review!