A Bowl of Irish Stew | www.junemolloy.com
Writing

Charity Book: A Bowl of Irish Stew

June

I am delighted to be involved in this wonderful charity project in aid of Pieta House (Ireland). Pieta House helps people in suicidal distress or engaging in self-harm and those in need of suicide bereavement counselling. Since first opening their doors in 2006, Pieta House has helped over 30,000 people and has subsequently established twelve more centres across Ireland. In 2015, they launched a pilot program in Queens, New York. In 2017, this became a permanent centre and changed its name to Solace House. Continue reading “Charity Book: A Bowl of Irish Stew” →

Word of the Day | www.junemolloy.com
Word of the Day

Ado

June

Starting today, I am running a new Word of the Day series here on the blog. Most of the words will come from my book, Guardian of Giria, although I will occasionally include other words I find interesting or which I notice people sometimes misspell or don’t understand, such as today’s word, Ado. Many of the words will have more than one meaning, but for the sake of simplicity I will only include one definition, based on a particular use within the story. The words will be posted each morning, Monday to Friday. Continue reading “Ado” →

Sparkling Spider's Web | www.junemolloy.com
Wild Lithuania

Sparkling Webs

June

There is something soothing about September. After the build-up of spring and the crescendo of summer, things are slowly starting to wind down. The ouch is gone out of the sun but it is still warm enough to be outside, sometimes even in shorts and a t-shirt. The evenings are noticeably shorter but there is still enough light to walk the dog after dinner. By 9 pm it is fully dark, perfect for settling down with a good book or a movie without the guilty feeling that you should be doing something more “constructive”. Continue reading “Sparkling Webs” →

Common Cranes (Grus Grus) | www.junemolloy.com
Wild Lithuania

Cranes in the Mist

June

It appears our area is a congregation site for common cranes (grus grus) – thousands of them gather each autumn in the fields around our village, getting ready for the long flight south. They are a little skittish, so getting close can be tricky, but they are a magnificent sight to behold.
Continue reading “Cranes in the Mist” →

Hoopoe (Upupa epops) | www.junemolloy.com
Wild Lithuania

Hoopoe (Kukutis)

June

It was very misty this morning and I didn’t have a great sleep last night, so when I saw this guy on the garden fence I was certain I was seeing things. Unfortunately, he flew off before I could grab my binoculars. But later, when I went out to the bin, I spotted him again and managed to grab my camera before he flew off. I think this is the most beautiful bird I have ever seen “in the flesh”! Continue reading “Hoopoe (Kukutis)” →

Are Animal Books Waning in Popularity? | www.junemolloy.com
Writing

Are Animal Books Waning in Popularity?

June

‘How could books about wizards, werewolves, hobbits and fairies be desirable, but books about real-life animals not be? Have the animal books that I loved so much in my youth died a death?’

My guest post for Mairead Hearne of the wonderful Swirl and Thread. Continue reading “Are Animal Books Waning in Popularity?” →

Tauragė Vegetable Market | www.junemolloy.com
Food

Tauragė Vegetable Market

June

“I think you should drive,” Arūnas said.

“No, no – I’ll walk. It’s just around the corner,” I replied. The weather was sweltering and I had just stepped out of my non-air-conditioned, sauna of a car – I had no desire to get back in. Besides, the market really was just around the corner. I was still on the phone to Arūnas when I got there. It was a four-minute march, tops. Continue reading “Tauragė Vegetable Market” →

Free Books for Schools & Libraries | www.junemolloy.com
Guardian of Giria

FREE BOOKS for Schools & Libraries!

June

Today, I am delighted to announce my new “Free Books for Schools & Libraries” initiative.

Schools & libraries in Ireland and Lithuania can now apply for a free Paperback copy of Guardian of Giria. Teachers and librarians internationally can also apply for a free Kindle copy of the book. Continue reading “FREE BOOKS for Schools & Libraries!” →

Guardian of Giria Characters | www.guardianofgiria.com
Guardian of Giria

Characters in Guardian of Giria

June

Giria Wood is a large forest with a healthy population of animal families, many of whom feature in the story. Some are main characters and others are just family members who are mentioned once or twice. Together, they make quite a cast of characters. Continue reading “Characters in Guardian of Giria” →

Red Deer Stags | www.guardianofgiria.com
Wild Lithuania

Red Deer Antlers: Annual Regrowth

June

A red deer stag with a massive crown of antlers is a very impressive sight. And indeed, that is part of their function – to make the stag look more impressive to the ladies. It takes a lot of testosterone to grow those antlers and it takes a lot of food to nourish them, so large antlers are a good indication of the virility and strength of the male. Unfortunately for the stags, they lose their antlers every year and then grow a new set. And while they’re between sets of antlers, they look just like the girls!
Continue reading “Red Deer Antlers: Annual Regrowth” →