by 2 people |
Author now living in Tasmania
I moved to the beautiful Tamar Valley in Northern Tasmania in 2007. In case you're not sure where Tasmania is, its the island hanging off the bottom corner of Australia.
Since I arrived life has blossomed. I've written two new books. In mid 2008 I did a great trip to England via Chile, Peru,the Panama Canal and Boston. My latest novel, THE CONDOR'S FEATHER was published in London in July 2009 and my latest manuscript, FLOATING GOLD has just been accepted for publication in 2010.
Currently I am buy researching my next novel. It's about the life of Tasmanian bushranger Matthew Brady.
As part of my research I have travelled to various parts of Tasmania which are rich in convict history. You can find more about me on my blog or specific Squidoo pages.
I recently was invited to attend a 3-day schools' writers camp in the far south wilderness as Writer-in-Residence. As an author, I am available to gie short talks on writing for adults or children and for inspirational speaking.
Pic: Yours truly taken at Brady's Lookout (is that why I chose to write about Matthew Brady next?) with the Tamar River in the background
FLOATING GOLD by Margaret Muir due for publication May 2010
I was inspired to write this book by several things.I love the Horation Hornblower stories of CS Foester, and the 'Master and Commander' adventures of Patrick O'Brian.
I also love tall ships and the romance of sailing on them.
I love to travel, and I have cruised around the coast of South America and the Antarctic Peninsula.
I read about a lump of raw ambergris which was washed up on a beach in South Australia. It was reputedly worth a million dollars.
The publisher liked it and described it as 'a marvellous story'.
It's a book which will appeal mainly to male readers of nautical fiction.
I hope it will sell well.
My inspiration to write my first sea story
I have stood on the deck of a square rigged ship and witnessed the marine particles shining in the sea.I have sailed on a barquentine on the Indian Ocean and crossed the Atlantic on a clipper.
I have listened to the ship's music: the thrum of wind through rigging and the beat of the bow as it pounds into the swell.
I have tasted the salt.
I have stood in the shadow of Whitby Abbey and have watched the North Sea gnawing at the face of the rugged East Cliff.
I have been subjected to the sea's anger.
THE CONDOR'S FEATHER - my latest book out July 2009
A dramatic adventure story set in Patagonia
A group of English aristocrats have no idea of what awaits them when they embark on a voyage to South America.Heading across the pampas on horseback they are beset by Indians, wild horses, pampas winds and mountain lions not to mention a group of escape convicts whose diabolical deeds are beyond comprehension.
THE CONDOR'S FEATHER is available July 2009.
To order at a BIG discount price and with FREE WORLD-WIDE DELIVERY go to:
THE BOOK DEPOSITORYis an on-line bookshop which not only gives a great discount price but provides FREE POSTAGE to anywhere in world.
Also on-line with discount and free UK postage from www.halebooks.com
My Books
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The Twisting Vine - historical novel and hints on writing a book
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THE TWISTING VINE is a saga set in Yorkshire in 1898 where times of peace and war, grief and joy are linked by the unobtrusive presence of a French Bru doll. If you have an interest in Antique French Fashion dolls or just enjoy a fast moving sto...
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'Sea Dust' - dramatic story set on a tall ship
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In order to escape the clutches of a drunken husband, Emma stows away on a sailing ship bound for Australia. Despite the help of a French sailor, nothing can protect her from the diabolical evil which lurks on board. Set in 1856 in Whitby, Cape Town...
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FLOATING GOLD - tall ship fiction story due 2010
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If you enjoy reading CS Forester's Horatio Hornblower or Jack Aubrey adventures by Patrick O'Brian then you will enjoy this dramatic maritime adventure. Set in 1802, during the fragile Peace of Amiens, Captain Oliver Quintrell rece...
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The Black Thread by Margaret Muir - canal story set 1895
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British canals are steeped in history. Having been superceded by the railways in the late 1800s they fell into disrepair. But today they are modern and attractive and offer a popular and relaxing form of travel. The Black Thread, is my third no...
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The Condor's Feather - the pampas of Patagonia on horseback
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Mobs of wild horses, pampas winds, Tehuelche Indians, and mountain lions are just a few of the problems awaiting this unsuspecting group of English riders. Add to that four escaped convicts whose diabolical deeds defy comprehension..... It's said...
My pet pages - dogs and goats
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Goats - angoras, Boers, cashmeres, dairys and even ferals
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I ran goats of one variety or another for 17 years during which time I wrote numerous magazine articles about them, including many which appeared in the New Zealand 'Goat Farmer' magazine. ANGORAS, BOERS, CASHMERES, DAIRYS and even FE...
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NEWFOUNDLAND DOGS - 'beauty without vanity...'
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He is not trained to be noble and loyal - it is just part of his nature. And few dog breeds can equal the Newfoundland for courage. From the sinking of the Titanic to rescuing Napoleon, to heroism and death in the face of modern warfare; to the classic...
Three billy-goats 'Gruff' - hardly!
Some of my birst angoras goat kids - 1989
If you visit my GOAT lens you'll find a larger version of the Three billy goats 'Gruff'and they are actually tripping across the Troll's bridge..You'll also learn how the fibre from mohair goats is used to make doll's wigs.
See what a South African Boer goats looks like, and decide which breed of goat has the prettiest kids.
The problems faced by some authors
It's been said goats will eat anything!
My advice to any author who keeps goats as a hobby or business - KEEP THE KIDS WELL AWAY FROM YOUR MANUSCRIPT!Goats kids are adorable - they are also inquisitive, playful and can be downright mischevious.
It's not true that goats will eat anything.
And, no, they don't eat washing or tin cans.
They will however eat paper (I mean it's basically a tree in disguise, isn't it?) so don,t ever leave any paper money or valuable manuscripts lying about if you have a goat around.
Photo: M. Muir
Helping kids to write their own stories
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Writers' Camp - in the far south wilderness
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Tasmania is called the 'Island of Inspiration' and what better place to hold a writers' camp than in the south west wilderness forest on the banks of the Esperance River where the only ripples are created by the salmon jumping. It wa...
How I faced the public for the first time - and no-one fell asleep!
Meeting the public face to face - author talks/guest speaker
Like most novelists, I live a fairly insular life and public speaking is not my thing.Recently, I was invited to speak to a group of writers.
It was the sort of affair I have sat through in the past and almost fallen asleep - being bored to tears by an overlong reading.
I didn't want that to happen.
What did I do?
Because SEA DUST commences in Whitby, I took along a cork-board with pics of thriteenth century Whitby Abbey, eleventh century Church and statue of Captain Cook and tall sailing ships.
I only read three short excerts from Sea Dust but interspersed them with Whitby history.
I also spoke of famous characters like Captain Cook who sailed from Whitby, and Bram Stoker's famous character, Count Dracula, whose ship, Demeter, ran aground off Whitby. (He came ashore in the form of a large black dog and was last seen disappearing into the graveyard.)
Being in Australia, the connection with Whitby and Captain Cook and the 'Endeavour' replica, which was built in Fremantle, really held their attention.
And no-one fell asleep!
UPDATE 2009: I've just attended the 2009 Huon Schools' Wilderness workshop which I really enjoyed.
Pic: A great group of participants at the 3-day Huon Schools' Wilderness Camp (southern Tasmania) 2007, where I was Author-in-Residence.
The Day the Scarcrows came to Town
A children's story
I got the idea for this children's story from a Small Farm Field Day where they held a scarecrow competition.I had never seen so many scarecrows!
Though I had a couple of attempts to get the story published, I was unsuccessful.
Maybe one day I will try again.
Photo: Me and a scarecrow at Balingup several years ago. (The scarecrow has the long nose!)
Sailing a square rigger
In the adventurers' wake
Read about the voyage I took across the North Atlantic on a clipper and some of the voyages on the Indian Ocean on the Leeuwin.Do I ever get sea sick? Yes, for about 36 hours everytime I go to sea, but I love it so much I keep on going back.
Photo: M Muir - STS Leeuwin anchored in the Monte Bello Islands, Indian Ocean.
My tall ship sailings
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SAIL ON A TALL SHIP - live the adventure
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It was a voyage to remember. I joined the replica LADY NELSON as she headed out into the notorious Bass Strait then sailed south to meet four meter swells on Storm Bay. In 1800 the original wooden colonial brig, was the first vessel to sail Bass Stra...
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TALL SHIPS - 'Mary Rose' & 'Victory' to the modern day
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When I visited the Royal Naval Dockyards in Portsmouth I was blown to pieces by the tall (historic) ships I visited. Imagine walking the decks on Nelson's 'Victory' and standing at the very spot on the deck where he fell!! Imagine step...
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Sailing the Atlantic on a Tall Ship
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What a voyage! - Join me as I sail across the North Atlantic following in the wake of the great adventurer's. Pass the Pillars of Hercules. See the house Columbus lived in. Meet King Neptune. Face gale force winds. Take the helm....
Sailing the Southern Ocean 2009
The Lady Nelson
I thought my tall-ship sailing days were over till recently.In April 2009 I signed on with The Lady Nelson to sail around the eastern coast of Tasmania.
The scenery was fantastic - the voyage unforgettable.
You can read about it - go to the link below - Colonial Brig
Cruise around the world with me
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Antarctica - Tierra del Fuego to the Antarctic Peninsula
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It's a blue and white world at the bottom of the globe. And its cold! I was fortunate enough to cruise around a little of it recently, my voyage starting in Valpariso, Chile - sailing down the Chilean Fjords to Tierra del Fuego, across Drake Pass...
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Buenos Aires, Argentina - the tango, the pampas and much more
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A city of seduction. The tango - danced originally by men. The steaks - dinasaur size. The places to visit - unforgettable. The people - past and present. And plenty of pics. THE CONDOR'S FEATHER - an equestrian adventure set in Southern Patagonia in 1885....
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Go Cruising - Pacific Ocean to Caribbean via Panama Canal
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On 23rd April, 2008, I sailed through the Panama Canal from the Pacific Ocean to the Atalntic. It was on a voyage from Santaigo in, Chile, South America to Boston, USA on the cruise ship, Norwegian Dream. As I had written a book set on the Leeds/Live...
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VISIT MY TASMANIA - the island of inspiration
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Two years ago I visited Tasmania for a holiday and fell in love with the place. Two months later I came back to stay. Not only is it a beautiful island, with huge wilderness areas, spectacular scenery and the cleanest air in the world (true), but it...
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Italy, Greek Islands, French Riviera - Cruising the Med
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Join me on a cruise ship sailing around the Mediterranean. Starting with the sights and sounds of Rome, to Florence and Pisa. The French Riviera. Monaco. Scicily then on to the Greek Islands - Santorini, Mykanos. Travelling by cruishe ship is a great...
Matthew Brady - Tasmania's gentleman bushranger - my next book
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Matthew Brady - Tasmania's 'gentleman' bushranger
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Matthew Brady was just 20 when he was transported to Van Diemen's Land. Six years later he was hung from the gallows in Hobart Town. But what was it about Brady which endeared women to him so much that his trial had to be interrupted because of the...
My love of tall ships
Come with me on my blog or squidoo lens to see some of the magnificent tallships I have visited.The Warrior (pictured) is one of three vessels whose home is the Royal Naval Dockyard in Portsmouth.
Nelson's flagship Vicory and Henry' V111's ship Mary Rose are also there.
Read about the SS Great Britain.
Presidente Sarmiento in Buenos Aires
The Lady Nelson in Hobart, Tamania.
And more
Go to the link to my 'Tall Ships' site
Whitby - famous for a Ship, an Adventurer and a Vampire
North Yorkshire fishing port steeped in history
When Count Dracula's ship, the 'Demeter' ran aground at the entrance to Whitby harbour, a large black dog bounded from its deck and ran up the 199 steps to the church of St Mary's located at the top of the East Cliff.The early 12th Century Chruch and the ruined Benedectine Abbey, often shrouded in mist, was an ideal for Bram Stoker's famous work.
James Cook sailed on his first ship from Whitby as an ordinary seaman. It was called the 'Free-love'. But in 1768, Captain James Cook sailed away on the Whitby ship 'Endeavour', on his voyages of discovery to New Zealand, the coast of Australia, and the South Sea Islands. It was credit to the craftmen of Whitby that his ship withstood the voyage.
For a thousand years, Whitby fishermen followed the shoals of herring. They caught whales and seals, even polar bears and built solid ships. At one time, the small fishing harbour was one of the busiest ports in England.
Having grow up in Yorkshire, I visited the town on many occasions. I have climbed the 199 steps and wandered through the graveyard on the cliff, now crumbling into the sea. And I have stood on the East Cliff and gazed at the sea.
Whitby is special to me and it is where my novel SEA DUST begins.
Photo: St Mary's Church (early 12th century), Whitby.
Unusual railways - funicular, Abt, cable and a chain ferry
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Funicular, Abt, chain ferry, cable cars and other unusual railways
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Funicular railways date back to 1515 but were most popular in late 1800s. The Abt rack and pinion railway system was built to combat very steep inclines. The underwater Chain ferry pulled a vehicular ferry across a river. Around the world...
Canal Story - The Black Thread
Now in Large Print only (2009)
I remember the Leeds and Liverpool canal as a girl.At that time it was a filthy, polluted waterway.
My third novel, THE BLACK THREAD was published in 2007.
Now re-printed in large print.
The story is set in the 1890s in the dark days of the canals around the time they started to decline.
It's wonderful to see the state of the canals today and the restoration work which has been done to them.
Photo: Large Print cover (Ulverscroft edition).
For more details go to the LINK above in MY BOOKS
The Twisting Vine - by Margaret Muir
Now only available in Large Print
This is the large print edition published by Ulverscroft.It is available at your library or from www.Ulverscoft.com or www.Amazon.co.uk
For more information go the the LINK in MY BOOKS above
THE TWISTING VINE - by Margaret Muir
See LINKPublished in England by Hale Books August 2006,
THE TWISTING VINE is only available in UK libraries or in Large print (see above)
However for Australian readers I have a handful of signed copies of this original hardback on hand.
Contact me if you want to purchase a copy.
To read more about the book - the story and the inspiration behind it go to the LINK in MY BOOKS above.
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Photo: Original harback cover - now sold out (see Large Print Below)
SEA DUST - by Margaret Muir (only available in Large Print)
The first edition (hardback) of Sea Dust published by Hale Books, London, sold out soon after publication.SEA DUST (Ulverscroft) Large Print edition is available at local libraries or can be purches from www.ulverscoft.com or www.Amazon.co.uk
SEA DUST - now only available in large print
SEA DUST, my first novel was published by Hale Books, London, December 2005.This first hardback edition SOLD OUT soon after publication but did not go to paperback.
However SEA DUST went on to LARGE PRINT and is available in UK libraries and bookshops.
It can also be ordered from www.amazon.co.uk or www.ulverscroft.com
Photo: Original hardback cover - this was my favourite
My Website and blog
- Margaret Muir - author - website
- Mainly books and writing - fairly static site but there is a CONTACT ME page
- Margaret Muir - author - blogspot
- Variety is the spice of life!
Leave me a message
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Reply
- qlcoach qlcoach Jun 5, 2009 @ 9:25 pm
- Beautiful lens here! Thanks for joining our Book Readers Club. I posted your lens towards the end of the page. I am an author too. I hope you will visit my new lens about emotional healing. Please let me know what you think. Sincerely: Gary Eby, author and therapist.
by throughglasseyes
Hi, my name's Margaret Muir. I'm an author and I live in Tasmania (Au). I enjoy writing and have had four novels published. I also love tall ships and...
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