Màiri Campbell ~ Seanachaidh
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A little insight into the Author

24/6/2013

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I got bit by the writing bug when I was only ten years old. The local Book Mobile (who remembers those) was having a poetry contest. My poem on wolves was one of poems chosen for publishing in their magazine back in 1979. I remember being so proud of myself for that and continued to write poems off and on throughout the years since then. 

I think my love of books and just reading in general helped to fuel my desire to express myself with the written word. I find it easier to express what it is that I am trying to tell someone if I can write it down.

Amongst the many books that I have read I too, like many, got pulled into the world of Harry Potter. And like many this also lead to getting involved in other things about that world. One of which was a online role playing site. Being on that site and a couple of others just let my creativity fly for writing. 

One of those sites was generated by a good friend of mine, Jamie, and she would on occasion set up writing challenges. Whether it was poetry or a short story they would all have regulations covering them such as word count within a certain parameter as well as it needing to include particular items. I chose to try one of her challenges and thus my short story of Life Begins Anew was born. It has had a few different rewrites since it was first shared and hopefully only getting better each time.

Many years ago a good friend who is like a sister to me told me about a dream that she had. It was about a book and she went on to tell me a bit about the story-line  My response was that it sounded interesting and where was this book. I was at first aghast when she told me it wasn’t written yet and that I was the one that had written it. When the shock of her statement wore off I started laughing and remember telling her ‘it was your dream you write it’. She politely yet firmly told me it didn’t work that way, Jann I will always be thankful to you for giving me the idea of Bewitched.

I kicked around the idea that she had given me for quite a while before I seriously took to heart what she had told me. Once I did the words just poured out of me and I was very lucky that the job I had at that time let me do pretty much whatever I wanted in my down time at the office. Within a few months I had 14.5 chapters written in a rough format and most of it had been written while I was sitting in my office at work.

I got to a interesting point in the story when my muse decided to go on hiatus and abandon me. In the hopes of getting it to come back I emailed what I had to another friend of mine, Nicole, who was going to college and her major was in English. She was the perfect person to send it to for getting it edited and like all of my friends I knew that she would not sugar coat anything. If there was something that she didn't like or something that didn't work she would not hesitate to tell me.

When I got my manuscript back from her it had the effect of bringing my muse back for a while then like for many people life got in the way. It’s been years since I last working on this piece and am very thrilled to be working on it again. I am lucky now to be in a very happy marriage to an incredible man that is supportive of my doing what makes me happy. It helps that he read part of my story and really wants to see how it ends too. 

Since starting back on reworking my novel again I have joined a local writing group, the Skagit Valley Writer’s League, and this experience has so far been amazing. The support and feedback that one gets from a group of others that have the same goal of writing and honest wants not only themselves but you as well to succeed is just what I needed. I hope that when it is completed and printed that you all enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Bless be.

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Winning image for Angel in Stone

17/6/2013

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I wanted to thank all of you that commented and messaged me about the image that you liked best in regards to the cover image for Angel in Stone.

It was a very close race at first between 1,2 and 4 then it was neck and neck for a while between 2 and 4.

But in the end there can be only one like the saying was in the Highland series. And that one turned out to be #2 by 2 votes. lol

Here is what the cover will look like... or very similar to this. :)
Picture
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Making New Friends

10/6/2013

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While on Facebook the other night I started chatting with a very nice gentleman. We were both on the same group page for Clan Campbell and started chatting.

His name is Gary A. Campbell and we both have a love for our Scottish heritage, though by blood I am a Donald, and we are both writers.

Gary lives in Detroit, Michigan and has a very interesting sounding book available for purchase. The title of the book is Half Past Ted. The title alone had me curious and I just had to go check it out. This is the description that is posted about it…

Ted’s good at taking lives, but he’s not very good at living his own. He “owns” a castle in Scotland, drinks too much, and seems to hate the human race. Ted’s The Grim Reaper, and he’s tired of his job. One day he tells the boss – God - that he’s going on strike, daring Him to do something about it. “Let ‘em pile up,” Ted tells God.

But God has other plans for Ted, and so does the devil. The devil wagers God that he can get Ted to commit murder, and thus win his eternal soul. Lethe has no idea where she’s from, who she is, or how she landed on planet Earth. But she gets assigned to keep tabs on Ted, and she learns early on why Ted is all alone in this world.

Lethe, a French nanny named Helene, and a little goth girl, Alyssa, all combine to make Ted’s life a lot more interesting - even if they almost drive him crazy in the process. Ted’s life is about to become much more complicated, whether he likes it or not.

17th century Scotland holds the key to Ted’s past, and present-day Detroit his potential future. Ted may be in over his head, but he plows through life like only Death can.


Now I don’t know about all of you but I love stories along these lines. They are usually very fun to read and loaded with laughs. From this little description I am thinking that this one will be the same way and can’t wait for my copy to get here so I can find out for myself.

If you are interested in learning more about Gary A. Campbell you can visit his website HERE. If you would like to obtain your own copy of his story then you can get a paperback copy by visiting CREATESPACE or if you have a Kindle and prefer to carry many books in one slim form you can go to AMAZON.

Gary, as I told you the other night it was a pleasure to be able to chat with you. I wish you many blessing with your book and for all the ones to come in the future.

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An Amazing Opportunity

8/6/2013

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Recently I received an autobiography about a gentleman named David Callender Campbell. It appears to have been written by his wife Ragnhild.  This man had an amazing life from what I have found so far.  Here is a bit of the information:

David Callender Campbell was born on January 29, 1891, the son of William Howard Campbell, and educated at Foyle College, Londonderry, and Edinburgh University. During the First World War he was a civilian internee in Hungary, where he had  gone as a tutor. He entered the Colonial Service in 1919 and served in the Provincial Administration of Tanganyika for 17 years, becoming Assistant Chief Secretary in 1933. Three years later he was appointed Deputy Chief Secretary, Uganda. He left East Africa in 1942, having given loyal and devoted service there for nine years, and took up the appointment of Colonial Secretary, Gibraltar.  Campbell had barely time to become accustomed to his new post. In August of that year he was transferred to Malta as Acting Lieutenant-Governor, and for three periods (March-July, 1946, June-September, 1949, and June-September, 1951) was the officer administering the Government of Malta.

In June, 1952, he returned to Northern Ireland to devote himself to imperial politics and at the by-election in Belfast South in November of that year he was returned to the House of Commons at Westminster. He was made a C.M.G. in 1944, knighted in 1945, received a K.B.E. in 1950, and made P.C. in the New Year Honours this year. 

Sir David Campbell, P.C., K.B.E., C.M.G., Ulster Unionist Member of Parliament for Belfast South since 1952, died in Battle Hospital, Reading. He was 72. He had had a distinguished career in the Colonial Service and was Lieutenant-Governor of Malta from 1943 to 1952. In 1955 he was elected Chairman of the Ulster Unionist group in the House of Commons.

He married Ragnhild Gregersen, of Budapest, November 29, 1919. They had no children.

It would be wonderful to find some sort of family members for this gentleman.  The fact that they did not have children makes it even harder.  So glad that there will be a seminar regarding copyright law in a couple of weekends that I will be attending.  Need to find out what I can or cannot do with this wonderful treasure that was given to me.



I have managed to find some family members for this gentleman and hope to learn more about him through them.

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Sneak Peek @ Angel in Stone

5/6/2013

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The wind howled as the lightening danced to the song of thunder. Rain poured from the dark clouds driving man and beast to seek what shelter they could. A lone man made his way carefully along the paths of the cemetery that he cared for.

He knew he had to get back to the maintenance shed but his ability to see where he drove was hindered by the driving rain. The last thing he wanted was to drive off the path and over someone’s grave. Swearing he stomped on the brakes as lightening struck the pavement in front of his truck.

“Maybe just a little faster,” he muttered.

As he followed the path around a slight bend he heard what sounded like the boom of a cannon off to his right. Slamming on the brakes once again, he looked around, eyes bulging. He inched the truck forward as he peered through the torrent of rain.

Finally, he saw it. Off to his right. He stopped the truck and dropped his head to rest on the steering wheel.

“Shit. Shit. Shit.”

Raising his head for one last troubled look he continued along the path, his current goal… safety.

Lightning flashed in the sky as he drove away; throwing into stark relief the view the man had only glimpsed.

A five foot angel statue lay upon the ground, her left wing torn from her body. She lay looking up at the heavens while her wing was buried beneath the branch shorn from a nearby tree.

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    Màiri Campbell lives in WA with her husband and their three dogs

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