May 30, 2023
I was delighted to be invited to be highlighted on Kate’s Instagram’s Sunday Spotlight. If you missed it here is the link. https://www.instagram.com/farawayinalovestory/ Flick through the pages and read the interview.
The prequel to this series will be published later this year. Malgraf’s Dawning follows the life (and creation) of the evil witch in the series.
May 2, 2023
There are several celebratory days this week! So let’s get started.
2nd May – Harry Potter Day (May 2 was the day of the Battle of Hogwarts in the Harry Potter series) This series is a global phenomenon not only with the books but the movies as well.
4th – 10th May – Children’s Book Week (also celebrated in November) You might know I have written a couple of children’s books.
4th May – Intergalactic Star Wars Day (“May the Fourth be with you.”) Once again these movies are of global recognition and there are numerous memes celebrating the Fourth.
My favourite is Darth Vader – you might say bad boy vibes!
Whose is your favourite character in the movies?
6th May – Free Comic Book Day
I was not allowed comics when I was young, so I would always grab my friends comics when I was playing at their houses. They were a novelty for me.
Today there are multiple movies highlighting many of the characters first created in comics. And there doesn’t seem to be an end to them either.
In today’s market good quality issues can fetch remarkable amounts of money! Such as Amazing Fantasy (1961) No 15 is valued at $355,000. So, if you hoarded old comics best go and look now.
Did you have a favourite comic book?
April 25, 2023
We all know the importance of reading to our children. Not only does it build a parental connection with them and give them their first introduction into letters and words, but also how they can become part of a story’s characters world with their imagination. In a world flooded with visual images and games that do the work for them, a book is a treasure for their mind. This week we celebrate: National Tell a Story Day on 27th April.
Can you remember the first story you fell in love with?
I loved Hiawatha, Wind in the Willows, and Grimm’s Fairy Tales.
We also celebrate this week the end of poetry month with Poem in Your Pocket Day on 30th April.
As many of you know poetry isn’t my thing, however I do indulge on occasion and have submitted a couple for my writing groups annual poetry challenge this year. If my poems are approved they will be included in an anthology later this year.
Do you have a favourite poem?
When I was young I remember my mother reciting these two. The Owl and the Pussycat by Edward Lear and Jabberwocky by Lewis Carroll. When I grew older this one was recited in my English class. I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud by William Wordsworth.
April 13, 2023
They Hide
Short Stories to Tell in The Dark
Who are we if not for the monsters that we keep?
They Hide: Short Stories to Tell in the Dark collects thirteen chilling tales that weave through the shadows, exploring the nature of fear, powerlessness, and control.
– A series of murders in a New England colony
– An untamed beast in pre-revolutionary France
– A mysterious stranger who invades 18th-century Ireland
– A traveling circus that takes more than the price of admission
– A gathering of the Dark, telling tales on the longest night of the year, and more.
More from Francesca:
The Black Cat Chronicles Comic Book Series:
Bio:
Francesca Maria writes dark fiction surrounded by cats near the Pacific Ocean. She is the creator of the BLACK CAT CHRONICLES comic book series and her short story collection, THEY HIDE: SHORT STORIES TO TELL IN THE DARK will be out from Brigid’s Gate Press in 2023. You can find her at francescamaria.com and on Twitter @Writer_of_Weird
April 4, 2023
We have three literary celebrations this week and they all have children in mind. The first is International Children’s Book Day. As we are all acutely aware, reading is the foundation of all learning and is, therefore, the most important skill for every child.
4/2 – International Children’s Book Day (Founded 1967)
4/2 – Hans Christian Anderson’s Birthday (1805-1875)
Andersen was a prolific writer and wrote two hundred and ten fairy tales in all, which were published over the course of his life. The tales were translated across Europe, then made their way around the world, making him the best-known Scandinavian writer of his age.
His most famous stories are: The Emperor’s New Clothes, The Little Mermaid, The Nightingale” “The Steadfast Tin Soldier, The Red Shoes, The Princess and the Pea, The Snow Queen, The Ugly Duckling, The Little Match Girl, and Thumbelina. I think most children know these stories, I certainly remember having them read to me initially and then reading them for myself later on. There is an inherent magic to these stories that makes them timeless.
4/4 – National School Librarian Day.
To honor all school librarians, who serve young students in the local school libraries. These heroes of the school system ensure children find the joy of a story and encourage them to read.
Mandy Eve-Barnett's Blog for Readers & Writers 