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Archive for the ‘Author Interviews’ Category

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MEET THE AUTHOR: MARGARET MUIR


MEET MARGARET MUIR: Novelist and children's book author

MARGARET MUIR: Novelist & Children’s Book Author

 

 

 

“There is an edge to Margaret’s writing that is terrific. Rarely do I see such confidence on the page.” —Glyn Parry

 

 

Welcome to 4writersandreaders, Margaret. It’s a pleasure to have you with us today. To begin, tell us a little about yourself and your lifestyle.

MARGARET rcd more pix 3d feb 2011 006

I was born in England but moved to Australia in 1970. I now live on the island of Tasmania—it is called the island of inspiration and home to many creative people. I live alone in a beautiful location overlooking the Tamar Valley and find that the peace and quiet suits my lifestyle.

How long have you been writing and what type of writing do you do?

I have been writing in one form or another for fifteen years but the type, genre and target readership have varied considerably over the years.

In the late 1990s, I was made redundant and decided it was time to do the things I had always wanted to, namely, sail on a tall ship, farm goats and write a book. Though they were very different pursuits they all contributed to my writing career.

MARGARET at seaGoat farming was first and with it the role as editor of a goat newsletter. I also wrote articles for various magazines. Because I enjoyed writing, I wanted to improve and undertook a course in freelance journalism. From there I studied Writing for Children, however, I soon discovered that competition for publication of children’s books via a traditional publisher was huge and I had no success. About this time I sailed on my first tall ship.

But, I still wanted to succeed as a writer and enrolled at University. I completed the course in 2004 and my first historical novel was published in 2005. At the time, I thought I was very fortunate to be accepted by a London publishing house and wrote four historical novels under their umbrella, but I slowly realized that writing for a small publisher is very constricting—I had no control over my work—and the royalties returned very little financial reward.

MC Muir Cover 2As a result, in 2009, I self-published my first nautical fiction novel. The series has been well accepted and, a few weeks ago, I released Book 4 – The Unfortunate Isles. Visit M. C. Muir at Amazon.com to take a look inside the novel.

Yet, despite a growing readership, my wish to publish children’s stories had never left me. Having mastered the art of self-publishing adult books, I recently discovered it was possible to add illustrations to e-books and I decided I could apply them to children’s stories. After resurrecting the stories that had been gathering dust for a decade or more, I revised them and added pictures. Because I lack artistic talent and could not afford to commission an artist to illustrate my work, I used photo images purchased from Bigstock Photos. In early February, I released my first children’s book—The Bear that had No Fur—containing three short stories.

Slide1 resized for KindleWindmills and worms resize for KDP

Children’s books from Margaret Muir

FREE March 5th & 6th!

What is the title of your latest book and what prompted you to write it?

Grandma’s Windmills and Wild Worms is the latest book. It reflects the times I took my grandson to the Royal Easter Show. Like Bette’s “Amazing Matilda” the story carries an informative message for young children. It introduces them to various forms of wind power. Wild Worms is about recycling household waste, but when things get out of hand a fantasy solution comes into play.

What do you do besides write, Margaret?

Apart from books, I write a blog on various topics and once a year I take a long holiday—usually a cruise. I love the sea and enjoy visiting exotic locations. Often the inspiration for future stories comes from my travels.

How can readers get a copy of your books?

My books are all published as e-books and available on Amazon. I write my children’s books and English historical fiction under my full name but write my nautical fiction (for a male readership) under the by-line M.C. Muir.

What’s next for author Margaret Muir?

I have a few more children’s stories to share, then I would like to publish a collection of goat articles. After that I will write Book 5 in my nautical fiction series and that will take care of 2015.

In conclusion, I would like to extend a big thank you to Bette, not only for inviting me to appear on her blog, but for encouraging me to participate in the wonderful world of writing for children.

It’s been a pleasure having you stop by for a visit, Margaret. I’ve taken a ‘Look Inside’ your novels on Amazon and have added them to my “Want to Read” list. Your children’s stories are not only fun to read with little ones, they’re perfect for teaching character building lessons and for structuring a child’s awareness about the importance of taking care of the environment as well.

Margaret and I would love to hear from you and invite you to leave a comment below. You’re also invited to find out more about Margaret (M.C. Muir) and her books:

Children’s Books by Margaret Muir
(FREE on Amazon March 5th & 6th only):

Written

on 03/05/2015

Aside

MEET THE AUTHOR: Kathleen Andrews Davis


Kathleen Davis, author of the EMERSON'S ATTIC series.

MEET Kathleen Andrews Dave, author of the EMERSON’S ATTIC series, middle-grade fiction. Kathleen began writing stories so that she could leave her grandchildren a legacy.

 

 

“When an adult can read a young person’s book and find it entertaining, adventurous and cool, you know you have found a treasure.”
— Sandra F. Geimer

 

Welcome, Kathleen. I’m so excited to have you as a guest author at 4writersandreaders today to share your writer’s journey and tell us more about your fantastic middle-grade fiction series, EMERSON’S ATTIC. I’ve just finished reading The Blue Velvet and I loved it.

First, tell us a little about yourself.

I’m a wife, mother, grandmother, author and now a blogger. I came to writing late in life after a long and varied working career. I was a math and science student so it never dawned on me that I would be interested in writing. I remember breaking into a cold sweat every time I entered my English class in high school.

I’m not one of those people who can say they were born to write. I was always a big reader but never thought about writing until I became a grandmother and decided I wanted to leave my grandchildren a legacy. I can’t leave them a million dollars but I can leave them a million words. After much thought, the light bulb came on and I realized I had been writing for the last 17 years. It was commercial writing, everything from inter-company memos to developing marketing materials. My favorite assignment was as managing editor for an in-house newspaper that required, writing, photography, and layout. If I liked business writing, surely I would like creative writing.

I always believed an author had to be possessed with the unquenchable thirst to write and to have something vital to say, I had neither. After weeks of thinking about what I would write, I saw a hat on television, not an inspiring or significant hat, just a woman’s hat. That was the spark that ignited me, finally! Old hat led to old trunk, trunk led to attic, attic led to memories and a story.  And so, Emerson’s Attic was born. In my first book, Emerson’s Attic, The Blue Velvet, I wove a story about a time-traveling, 14-year-old with some of my real family history to share with our grandchildren when they were older.

Emerson's Attic KATHLEEN DAVIS

My husband and I are empty-nesters with two beautiful daughters, two wonderful grandchildren and two Godchildren. We live in the mountains in Central Pennsylvania, five minutes from a beautiful lake and surrounded by beautiful forest. We’re greeted every day by wildlife of some sort; whitetail deer, wild turkey, a rare fox, and I’ve even had a too-close-for-comfort encounter with a very large black bear.

How long have you been writing and what type of writing do you normally do?  

I have only been doing creative writing for about three years.  My favorite genre is middle-grade; hence, my Emerson’s Attic series. That age was one of my favorite growing up and I find it very easy to write about. I have also completed an adult manuscript and am working very slowly on a second. The characters in the first adult novel invaded my brain and refused to be ignored.  It’s a story about mature, smart women who are drawn into a 50-year-old mystery. I love these characters and loved writing the book. The second idea for an adult novel took me totally by surprise and I find this one a challenge with subject matter I never thought I would be interested in writing about.

Can you give us a brief synopsis of the EMERSON’S ATTIC series?

The Emerson’s Attic series is about a 14-year-old girl who unwillingly becomes a time traveler. The first book, The Blue Velvet, lays the groundwork with family history and takes “Emerson” back to Victorian England. She is guided through time by her grandfather in her dreams. There’s a purpose for her journey which she figures out only after she returns home.

EASmokeandMirrors Front Cover KATHLEEN DAVIS

In the second book, Smoke and Mirrors, Emerson’s best friend, Sarah, inadvertently joins her and they land in a 1905 Circus. When I did the research I was amazed at how interesting Circus trains were. There’s lots of fun and action in this book.

The third book takes Emerson to yet another location and a new adventure. I hope to keep writing this series until I can no longer hold a pen or more realistically, type!

What prompted you to write….

I wanted to leave something for our grandchildren that they will remember long after I’m gone.

Do you have a favorite line from the book?  

Not really. I like Emerson’s thoughts and realizations as she adjusts to each new situation.

Who is your favorite character and why?  

It has to be Emerson, the main character, because she is smart and brave. However, I really enjoy making up the other characters, each with their own distinct personality.

What was the hardest part about writing your book? 

The last chapter was probably the hardest. I wanted to end it with a mystery that the reader had to figure out on their own, however, teacher friends and my editor said I needed to tie up loose ends because readers at this age would probably not get it. I resisted at first but once it was done I had to admit they were right.

Do you do anything besides write?  

Yes, I still work part-time doing medical transcription (more time at the keyboard), I teach knitting, and coordinate a local charity project called Warm-Up America. I have tons of interests in addition to writing and find it hard to squeeze everything in.

How can our readers get copies of the EMERSON’S ATTIC series?  Amazon.com or ask your favorite bookstore to order it.

What’s next for Kathleen Andrews Davis?   More Emerson’s Attic, more blogging, and anything else that comes my way.

Readers are invited to visit author Kathleen Andrews Davis at her  website and her blog

It’s been wonderful having you visit today, Kathleen. I can’t wait to read more of the Emerson’s Attic series.

~ Bette A. Stevens, Maine Author/Illustrator

Written

on 02/18/2015

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