Authorpreneur Dashboard – Nicola McDonagh
Marauders of the Missing Mummies
Children's Books
Cleo Dalby isn’t your average twelve year old. She can hear the dead. Especially where she and her archaeologist mother are crawling - deeper into the depths of an ancient Egyptian pyramid. Sent there by the curator of the British Museum to discover the whereabouts of the remains of Imhotep and Hor, their plans are disrupted when they stumble upon a master criminal Erica Van Clutch, who has beaten them to the tomb and has more sinister plans for the missing mummies. What should have been an exciting adventure soon turns into a nightmare when Cleo discovers that not only are the mummies cursed, but she is too. When the evil Erica Van Clutch and her apprentice, Hannah Kush, steal the mummies, Cleo and her mother seek the help of Curator Blench and his nephew and protégé, Simon, to find Imhotep and Hor, before the curse is unleashed. Cleo becomes possessed by the God of chaos, Seth, and unwittingly releases him into the world. Now she, Simon and Kush, must journey to Duat, the dark land of dreams and mythology to retrieve the magical Book of the Dead. Once in this realm, they face fearsome trials, gruesome monsters, and possession by demons and other gods. If they survive they must then have their hearts weighed by Osiris, before being deemed worthy enough to summon Ma-at the goddess of order, to bring down Seth and deliver mankind from darkness and destruction. But, Van Clutch sabotages their mission. She strikes a bargain with Seth to gain eternal life and plots to stop Cleo and the others by sending her mother and Curator Blench into limbo. Time is running out for Cleo and her friends and Mrs Dalby begins to vanish into nothingness. As the clock ticks and Cleo begins to disappear into non-existence along with her mother, she is given a taste of fruit from the Tree of Life. Although restored, she becomes intoxicated with the surge of energy she feels and wants more of the fruit’s magical properties. Despite her quest to bring back the Book of the Dead and rescue those most dear to her, Cleo is torn between a hunger for power and the love she has for her mother. Will she turn her back on her family? Or will she overcome the pull of evil and help save the world from being plunged into chaos and despair?
Rough-Cut Book Bubbles from Marauders of the Missing Mummies
Creating tension and introducing back story
In this scene I wanted to show more of Cleo's relationship with her mother, and give some background information to add credibility to Cleo's character. Hopefully by doing this I will have created a reason for Cleo to be on such a dangerous expedition with her mother. But, I also needed to keep the pace going by introducing some kind of threat - Cleo's mother leaves her alone whilst she goes off into the darkness to find the secret room where the mummies are hidden. This is Cleo at her most vulnerable and scared. I hope that I have created a believable scene here. I would welcome any comments to help me improve. Thanks:)
Cleo hears voices
This is the opening chapter of my book for 10 year olds upwards. A supernatural, fantasy, action adventure. It started life many years ago as a play for children to perform - and indeed they did, many times. I stumbled across it a couple of years ago and liked the characters, then a few months back I decided to make it into a novel I've always been fascinated by Ancient Egyptian myths, culture and religion, so loved doing the research for the book. In this section I wanted to evoke a sense of dread and uneasiness, and also to introduce my leading character, Cleo. I'd be interested to know if she is an interesting character. Also, is it a good beginning? Does it make you want to read on?
Glimmer and other stories
Literature & Fiction
Glimmer is a collection of seven compelling and darkly humorous stories that deal with obsession, loss, redemption and hope. In these tales of mysterious liaisons, supernatural intrigue, deathly hauntings and disturbing fixations, characters reveal hidden secrets, forbidden urges, untold yearnings and skills in necromancy. 'I was found in a plastic bag inside a dustbin. Dried blood and faeces stuck to my newborn flesh. Dumped by some teenage girl, too scared to say that she had given birth to a premature baby. Or so the story goes. It’s a pack of lies of course. I fell from the sky.' Rousseau’s Suburban Jungle takes us into the world of Esther, who loses herself in the wild and colourful paintings of Henri Rousseau to escape the blandness of her existence. In The Reclaimed Merman a suicidal man is saved from a watery grave after he meets an eccentric woman on the beach. When the legendary artist Earnest Thirk dies, a grieving fan decides to honour his secret last wish. And in the Award Winning tale Glimmer, a young man reflects upon his life as he waits for messages from the stars.
Book Bubbles from Glimmer and other stories
Earnest Thirk - how to describe a work of art with
The problem I faced when writing this short story was how to describe a visual image using words. How could I possibly convey the beauty and complexity of, in this case, a stained glass window? I decided to use similes, to evoke mental images that I hoped would help the reader form a picture of the stained glass artwork. I began by looking at the window my husband made a few years ago. I squinted and let the design alter through my half closed eyes. The colours began to merge and I quickly wrote down what I saw, or rather, what I felt when the pattern changed. I hope that I have succeeded in conveying the beauty and texture of the work of art by the mysterious Earnest Thirk. I also wanted to introduce the characters via their love of his art. Trying to give a sense of mystery and intrigue along the way. I hope I have.
On the Eighth Day - Is this weird enough?
With this short story I wanted to create a sense of strangeness and a spooky atmosphere. The subject matter is odd and I didn't want to give too much away so that when the reader realises who the narrator is, it comes as a gruesome surprise. I intentionally used a rather Gothic style as it is a supernatural horror story, but I wonder if I have done enough with the descriptions to get the horror element across. When you read this section, does it convey enough about the character and the space she finds herself in? I would love to hear any comments.
Katy thinks she has found a haven
In this excerpt from Scarecrow, the frightened and lost child is forced by hunger to enter the cottage of the man who found her hiding in his shed. I wanted to create a sense of foreboding and duality in this piece. The descriptions are from Katy's viewpoint, intending to highlight her vulnerability in what could be a life threatening situation. The old man is at once friendly yet odd, contributing to the uneasiness Katy and the reader feels at this point. The dialogue I used was intended to show her personality as stubborn as well as fragile. The initial short sentences give an idea of how their relationship could develop. He does say some quite disturbing things and Katy responds cautiously at first. I hope that I have managed to produce a sense of discomfort and unease.
Inside the beach hut
The strange woman the man has met on the beach, takes him to her cabin on the seashore. It is here that we get to see who she is and what kind of weird art she makes. The scene reinforces the woman's eccentricity and shows how vulnerable and uneasy the man feels in the presence of this rather domineering female.
Tuesday
In this section, the main character experiences luxury and tenderness, a thing she has never known. Her life before she met Adam, was harsh and often abusive, now she is bathing in the pleasures of the flesh. She is flattered and thrilled by all the attention she is getting, but will it last?
Daub
This is a ghost story from my short story collection 'Glimmer and other stories'. One of seven tales that explore themes such as obsession, trust, hope, acceptance and love. They range from supernatural, humour, romance stories, to explorations into the subconscious mind. In this tale called 'Daub', a young woman visits her parent's house and is haunted by those who once lived there.
Opening passage of Glimmer
What is it like to be inside the head of someone else? Someone who cannot communicate? In 'Glimmer' I tried to create an inner world. Here are the thoughts and dreams and emotions of someone that cannot be heard, but can still hear and feel.
Esther's love of Rousseau
This short extract shows the main character Esther, and her passion for painting. I wanted to show the readers Esther's love of art. At how it is an integral part of her life, and now that she is no longer allowed to paint, the extent that loss has hurt her. I also wanted to give an insight into Esther's relationship with her husband and how the lack of colour is slowly breaking her down. Cue for Esther to change and break free!
The Reclaimed Merman
In this story I wanted to show how two random people could meet. At how that chance encounter could save a life and unite two lonely people. I suppose it is my attempt at a love story, albeit a weird and unusual one. Once again, I chose to play with the narrative style, to give it a fantastical/reality feel in order to heighten the sense of disorientation and oddness. I wanted to bring humour into a humourless scenario; that of a man so sad and desperate, that he wants to die, but is saved by an eccentric artist who is not quite what she seems. I'm not much for happy endings, but I decided to have a go at just that for this bitter/sweet tale.
On the Eighth Day
This is a supernatural tale of love at any cost. I wanted to write a story from a weird viewpoint and in a diary form. My intention was to give the narrative an old-world style to create an unsettling atmosphere. Necromancy and the desire to live forever do battle with a woman's need to be loved for who she is, rather than what she appears to be.
Scarecrow
This is a story of a young girl trying to escape from an unknown threat. The girl runs through fields in a torn and blood stained party dress. She stumbles upon a run down cottage and thinks she has found a haven when the old man invites her to stay.
