Callum McLaughlin's Blog, page 64
September 16, 2015
Three for One! | Excerpt Week
It’s excerpt week again over at The Write Stuff, where writers are encouraged to share snippets of their work and readers can hopefully find their next read. It’s a great community for book lovers and definitely worth heading over for a look.
Originally posted on The Write Stuff:
The cover art for my three books.
With some friendly nudging from Marcia I’m finally getting round to adding my voice to another great excerpt week. I have three works available – two novels and a poetry collection – and thought I’d share a quick snippet from each.
Let’s start with a poem from Seeking Solace, entitled Goodbye.
Goodbye Mr Tiger,
your eyes they burned so bright.
I’ll think of all their golden charm
when I close my own at night.
Goodbye Mr Elephant,
so mighty, the ground it shook.
I’ll keep alive your memory
when I read my storybook.
Goodbye Mr Leopard,
so stealthy and so shy.
I wish it didn’t end this way,
I wish you did not die.
Goodbye Mother Nature,
so generous, so pure.
I don’t blame you for leaving us,
we’re sick and there’s no cure.
Goodbye fellow human,
I guess I’ll be alone.
When…
View original 401 more words
September 14, 2015
Beware
Beware the hungry beast that skulks within the shadows
Targeting passers-by with poison-dipped arrows.
She does not seek their company; thrives when she’s alone
It’s their hearts she wants to claim, to stitch into her own.
Lifting her spine to the moon in angles grotesque
Vertebrae by vertebrae, she stands statuesque.
Bewitching their eyes to lull them to sleep
To feed their warmth to her void, that chasm so deep.
For though she lives in darkness, in fear of the light
It’s those innocent onlookers that fed her to the night.
September 11, 2015
Patchwork Heart
Each time I stumble
through the valley of ashes,
another fragment lost,
I pick up the pieces
of my broken heart
and patch it up with poetry.
Have I strength for another verse?
Stitched, glued, battered, bruised,
a dusty patchwork effigy
to take up the mantle,
its seams stretched to breaking point
by each intruder’s hands
until it unravels
and spills from my chest.
Lulled to gentle sleep
with promises of pardon,
my silent tears of knowing
it must fight for me again.
September 8, 2015
How I Read | Book Tag
Oh, books!
The ‘how I read’ book tag has been kicking about for a while and I always love hearing about people’s bookish thoughts and opinions so thought I’d get involved and invite anyone else to do so as well, if the fancy takes you.
How do you find out about new books to read?
I love just going into a book shop and looking through the displays because you never know what gems you will uncover at random. In terms of specific recommendations though, most tend to come from watching booktubers these days. There are several whose videos I enjoy but I have a particular love for Jen Campbell.
How did you get into reading?
I wish there was a real defining experience or moment in time I could pinpoint but the truth is I have simply loved reading for as long as I can remember. It most likely comes from being read to by my mum from a very young age. Also, between my uncle (who is a writer) and my grandparents (particularly my gran, who always loved to read) I was always spoiled with gorgeous books as gifts, so came to appreciate their beauty as a physical object as well.
How has your taste in books changed as you’ve gotten older?
If anything it has expanded and become broader and broader as I’ve got older. I don’t even have a favourite genre – I simple love a good story and beautiful writing.
How often do you buy books?
It might seem a stretch to say ‘all the time’ but it wouldn’t be far from the truth. In fact, just take yesterday as an example. I went into town and bought 5 books from a book shop then came home to a delivery of another 4 I had ordered online… It’s an addiction but one I’m happy to live with.
How did you get into BookTubing / book blogging
They say you should blog about what you love and literature is definitely my first love. It’s wonderful to connect with fellow readers and writers to swap stories, recommendations and ideas.
How do you react when you don’t like the end of a book?
It depends really. If the ending is different to what I personally wanted but is still well written and in-keeping with the rest of the story, then that’s absolutely fine. It’s incredibly frustrating when a good book simply has a poor ending though and that’s always a little harder to take.
How often have you taken a sneaky look at the back page of a book to see if it’s a happy ending?
Never! Have I been tempted? Sure, but that’s another story ;)
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Thanks for reading. As I said, please feel free to do this tag if you wish.
September 5, 2015
The Last Dance
I see you searching faces
in a vault of chaos
craving moments of clarity.
How can your tired eyes
fathom a grandson grown too tall?
I see you slowly sinking,
drowned not by water
but by stubborn pride.
How can I save a soul
that won’t accept saving?
I see you locked in sorrow,
the prison of a frail body
and messages unsent.
How can we understand
why a mind betrays its host?
I see you seek the hand of Death,
a cold comfort
to banish storms of questions.
How can you call on answers
when logic’s lost at sea?
I see you cradling photographs,
the spark of a devotion
nourished for seven absent years.
You’ll dance upon the other side
with your beloved stranger.
September 2, 2015
Siblings of the Sea
This swarm of Earth intruders,
determined to cut the crust
and bleed her for all she’s worth,
they are the siblings of the sea;
sun-kissed sons and dew-flecked daughters
still the apples of a mother’s eye,
gifted with unseen graces
taken into lustful lungs.
Yet when all is said and done
and breaths are chased away
in endless sleep,
she welcomes them into her bosom,
cradled in softest pine
lovingly crafted in mere millennia,
ready to carry them home.
August 30, 2015
August in Books
books, books, books!
August is almost at an end and that means it’s time for another reading update. Thankfully it’s been another productive month in which I managed to get through 12 books (6 novels, 3 short story collections, a poetry collection and 2 graphic novels).
It was an interesting selection, with a lot of variety in terms of genres and styles. Highlights were probably Kirsty Logan’s collection, The Rental Heart and other Fairy Tales, (Logan is fast becoming one of my favourite writers) and A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin (yes, my quest to catch up with that mammoth series has officially begun).
In total, I have now read 77 books this year so far, meaning that failing some kind of unmitigated disaster, I should hit my 80 book target at some point within September, so that’s a nice feeling :)
As always, I’m excited to see what the next month has in store in terms of reading, but in other book related news, my own one, The Vessel, picked up a wonderful 5* review on Amazon earlier today.
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What was your favourite read in August?
August 27, 2015
August 25, 2015
Indie Book Haul | Part 4
Support Indie Authors
As an author in my own right, I know the struggle of getting noticed by would-be readers. As such, every now and then I like to do a little ‘haul’ of some of the indie books I’ve read in recent months. You can click each author’s name if you want to check out their blog or website for more information on them or their work.
The Silent Balance: A Collection of Waka Poetry – A collection of beautiful, short poems written in the form of traditional Japanese verse. They are easy to read yet bursting with depth. (As a lovely side note, all profits from this book go to an LGBT support group set up by the poet’s brother.)
Nothing But The Rain – Another of Weston’s wonderful poetry collections; this one feels both personal and whimsical at times but always brings pause for thought.
Procession of Eternity – Having previously read a beta version of this sequel to The Soul, I was more than happy to re-visit these fascinating characters and Carrillo’s vivid imagery once the final version was released.
The Fallen – The first book in a new series, The Fallen is a fun, fast read packed with excitement and lovable characters within an interesting world.
Summer Magic – A highly unique collection of poetry, Summer Magic first features a selection of poems from the perspective of one of the characters from her novel that are filled with nostalgic charm. We then get a much more personal selection of poems from Meara’s own heart.
Dark Fey: The Reviled – A charming fantasy read that feels in many ways like a traditional fairy tale and is ultimately a tale of good vs evil.
Gina Briganti & Melissa Barker-Simpson
Changing Worlds – This is a double novella anthology, with both authors offering us a glimpse into worlds they have created in their own works. The two tales themselves both have a fantastical feel and feature a likable heroine.
August 23, 2015
The Unseen
Deep within the labyrinth of my bones
there lives a sordid being,
he gazes from my eyes
and whispers twisted lies
to taint the things I’m seeing.
To cut him from my flesh
is an impossibility,
like holding back a flood
or cleansing one’s own blood,
he’s my reality.
A dance within my lungs
to the beat of my own heart,
I feel his icy grip
it crackles like a whip;
stings like a poison dart.
If I granted him his wish
I would surely be undone,
but only I can see
how he slowly tortures me
in battles yet un-won.
