Hale authors join together on Blog

In the last week a group of authors, published by Robert Hale Ltd in London, got together to produce a regular Blog, and to communicate via a Yahoo forum.
Though the writers come from far and wide – UK and Europe, New Zealand, Australia and USA – they are united in a common goal, namely to promote their books and learn from in each other in such areas as publicity and promotion.
Writing is a very solitary business, therefore there is a certain camaraderie in being able to contact fellow authors who reside within the same publishing house.
You can find the Hale Authors blog at http://www.haleauthors.blogspot.com
If you are a Hale author and would like to join the Yahoo group and blog go to: haleauthors@yahoo.com

Photo 2008: Author in the grounds of the old Seaman's Hospital at Greenwich. The building was designed by Sir Christopher Wren. It now houses the National Maritime Museum.
I visited Greenwich last year and used this location in one of my novels

THE BLACK THREAD by Margaret Muir now in large print

This month sees the publication of the Ulverscroft large print edition of my third novel THE BLACK THREAD (HaleBooks 2007).
This dramatic story is set against a background of the Yorkshire Woollen Mills and the towns of Leeds and Saltaire.
Much of the drama revolves around a journey on a working barge on the Leeds Liverpool Canal.
The year is 1895.
The cover on this edition is quite different to the artwork on the Hale publication.
Unfortunatley the picture depicts modern day narrowboats not 19th century shortboats.
But it does indicate it is a canal story.
Photo: Ulverscroft cover - THE BLACK THREAD

Finding Neverland

I found the ending to this movie one of the most touching I have ever seen.
FINDING NEVERLAND tells of the life of playwright, JM Barrie, and his relationship with the boys on whom he based his classic fairytale PETER PAN.
As a girl, I remember being taken to the Grand Theatre in Leeds (a setting not unlike that depicted in the movie), to see the pantomime PETER PAN.
That is a long time ago, but I can still remember marvelling at Peter Pan and the boys ‘flying’.
And who can forget 'Nana' the family's faithful Newfoundland dog who was the children's nannie.
Johnny Depp, who stars as Barrie, plays an excellent part as the writerly Scotsman – but then I happen to be a Johnny Depp fan.
This actor is a genius on the screen in whatever role he plays.
Worth watching for whatever reason.
Photo MM: No ticking crocodiles in my garden, but I do have several Bennett’s wallabies ranging in height from 8 inches to 2 feet tall who visit every night

Defining Never Never Land

In the movie, FINDING NEVERLAND, a few definitions of the place Neverland are suggested.
Some see Never Land (as it was called in the play) as a magical place – somewhere to escape to.
Others see it as a place you go to when you die but never return from.
I see Neverland as the alternative world which writers create and transport their readers to.
In the writer’s mind, Neverland is as vivid as the place they live in.
It may be thousands of miles away, and set in a totally different era, but the writer can see it, smell it, touch it; feel the emotions of its people; their fear, joy, happiness; hear their laughter.
And the wonderful thing is that it costs nothing to go there.
Neverland is truly is a wonderful place.

Wishing on a star! Photo: From SEA LIFE IN FOCUS by Douglas P Wilson:
Larva of long armed starfish metamorphosing.

Newfoundland dogs on stage and screen

JM Barrie was probably the first writer, (certainly the best known), to make the Newfoundland dog breed famous on stage. In his play, PETER PAN (and subsequent Disney presentation), the Darling children’s nanny, Nana, is a large Newfoundland dog.
Other famous Newfoundlands include:
Boatswain - Lord Byron’s dog was portrayed neither on stage nor screen but is best remembered for the words which appear on his epitaph:
‘Beauty without Vanity, Strength without Insolence, Courage without Ferocity, and all the Virtues of Man, without his Vices’.
York was the Newfoundland who accompanied Lewis and Clark on their trek across America.
Pilot is the name Charlotte Bronte gave to the Newfoundland who belonged to Rochester in her classic novel, JANE EYRE.
In my latest novel, THE CONDOR’S FEATHER, due July 2009, I have created two Newfoundland dogs – Bella and Byron.
Byron is black while Bella would be classed as a Landseer as she has four white feet.
Not only are they faithful pets of their aristocratic owner but they have the search and rescue abilities of so many of their kind.
In the story, this pair of Newfoundlands travels with their mistress on her equestrian trek across the wilds of Patagonia in 1885.
The dogs appear throughout the story and I believe their presence adds to the book’s emotional impact in parts.

Photo: Typical black Newfoundland – Smoky from Wikipedia

Charlotte Bronte and me and a tree

Over the past three days I re-read Charlotte Bronte's, JANE EYRE.
A great read.
It's years since I read it and I'd forgotton much of the detail, including the part where the chestnut tree is rent in two by a storm.
In my book THE TWISTING VINE I featured a chestnut tree which is struck by lightening, and although the scenario is quite different to Bronte's, the tree in my story also carries considerable significance.
I could have sworn the chestnut tree idea was mine but no doubt it was a latent memory in my subconscious.
I guess everything a writer writes comes from things they have seen, read or experienced at some time in their life.
Photo: Candles on a horsechestnut tree - Putney 20008

My resolutions for 2009

Why should I resolve to be any different than I seem to be.
The way I am is where I’m at. As far as I’m concerned, that’s that!

I could resolve to change my ways to have less sleep and longer days,
To count the kilojoules I eat, to cut out sweets and eat less meat,

To take up running round the block - rejuvenate my body clock.
But why resolve to make the change, I feel we all fall in the range

- of life’s three score years and ten. And as I ponder with my pen
I know I’m on the downhill run, so what the heck, I’ll make it fun.

I’ve come this far with habits bad, but really, do I feel too sad
One resolution I will make - a promise that I will not brake:

I, Margaret Muir, resolve this year
To change absolutely nothing here!

Photo taken half an hour ago - the last of the proteas in the garden

Christmas haiku by Margaret Muir

Prayers congregate
in vaulted ceilings
as candles cry

Christmas reminds me
I am alone
The precious gift of life
returned to sender

Verses by M Muir
Photo: M Muir - domed ceiling in St Peter's Basilica, Vatican City

Greeting from Marg in Tassie

Well it's that time again!
Whatever happened to 2008? It seems to have slipped by so quickly.
After trying to remember what I had done, I got out my diary to remind me - just goes to prove I’m getting old.
After flicking through the pages, I realised, it had been quite a good year.
Here are some of the highlights.
Re Travel:
In April I travelled to the UK but cruised half way via Chile, Peru, Panama Canal, and North America to London.
I've just returned from a trip to New Zealand and as I had never been I enjoyed seeing the cities and Fiordland.
Re Writing:
I delivered one manuscript in May and wrote another novel in June.
In September, I heard that THE CONDOR'S FEATHER had been accepted by Hale Books for publication in 2009.
Family:This month, Mum celebrated her 98th birthday. I was not able to be there but I rang her first thing in the morning and sang Happy Birthday to her. She didn't seem to object to my lousy voice!
Re 2009:
I have no plans for the future but that is how I prefer it to be.
I love the beautiful Tamar Valley in Tasmania where I have now been living for almost 18 months.
Time certainly flies.
For Christmas 2008, I wish you joy and peace.
Good health and happiness and a prosperous year in 2009.
Marg

Hornblower and Aubrey reflections of Admiral Lord Cochrane

Having just re-read Memoirs of a Fighting Captain – the autobiography of Admiral Lord Thomas Cochrane, I am truly blown away by this British naval officer’s exploits, the number of his victories (in just one period of 13 months he took 50 ships) and above all his faultless courage.
Readers of Patrick O’Brian’s stories of Captain Jack Aubrey (depicted in the movie – Master and Commander), and the stories of Horatio Hornblower of CS Forester (TV drama series), see their daring naval exploits as rip-roaring tall tales of adventure.
But in fact many of the colourful events and setting depicted in those famous fiction novels were pirated/borrowed from the real life adventures of Cochrane.
For example: CS Forester used Cochrane as his inspiration in Hornblower and the Hotspur and A Ship of the Line,
Patrick O’Brian drew on Cochrane in Master and Commander, The Reverse of the Medal and Blue at the Mizzen.
It is thought by some that Cochrane was the bravest naval commander who ever lived and, in my opinion, he leaves Horatio Nelson’s life story as disappointing second in many regards.
Cochrane was an inspiration to the British seaman and to the South American countries which placed their trust in him to secure their independence from Spain.
Photo: M. Muir - Stained glass window of Lord Thomas Cochrane – Maritime Museum, Valparaiso, Chile – the old Naval AcademyIn the same museum is a pair of Cochrane’s pistols which to me appeared enormously bulky and heavy.

Ethel Leak (nee Ettershank) is 98 today!

Happy Birthday, Mum!
Today is my mother’s birthday.
She was born in Leeds, Yorkshire in 1910.
For the last few years she has resided at a Methodist local preacher’s home in Woodhall Spa, Lincolnshire.
I visited her in May this year and hope to be back in England again in two years time to celebrate her 100th birthday.

Utzon's dream of sails on Sydney Harbour lives on

A couple of weeks ago I gazed at the Sydney Opera house from the porthole window of a cruise ship.
Sadly, a few days ago, the Danish architect, Jorn Utzon, who designed the magnificent iconic structure, died at his home in Copenhagen.
He was 90.
Utzon created the winning design entry for an opera house to be built on Bennelong point at Sydney Cove.
Construction began in 1959 and the building was finished and opened by Queen Elizabeth 11 in 1972.
But Utzon never returned to Australia to see his building completed.
Today the Opera House is regarded as one of the most remarkable and recognisable buildings in the world.
One of the latter day wonders of the world.
Photos: M Muir - view from a window

Sailing to NZ with Celebrity Millennium

Once again, by booking at the last minute through http://www.VacationstoGo.com, I was able to get a great deal on a 9 day cruise around the islands of New Zealand.
Boarding the ship berthed between the Opera House, The Rocks and the Sydney Harbour Bridge was indeed a thrill.

The 'Sounds' which Cook refused to enter

Sailing in Endeavour, James Cook surveyed the coastline of New Zealand on his first circumnavigation of the globe.
But during that voyage he purposely chose to sail past the fjords of the south island of NZ without entering them.
He was concerned that the unfathomable depths would provide no anchorage, that he might enter the fjords but be unable to turn around, and that the lack of wind within the old glacier valleys could leave his ship becalmed.
Today Milford Sound is visited regularly by cruising ships and Dusky and Doubtful Sounds (well named by Cook) are easily navigated from end to end.
In the cold damp air, I tried to imagine how Cook would have felt seeing the stark coastline for the first time.
Photo: NZ fiordland (Robert Dunn, 2005) in summer
Photo: Milford Sound (M Muir, 2008) – in a less enticing mood

Dunedin - most southerly city

A few years ago I visited the Antarctic Peninsula but the day we spent in Dunedin on the South island of New Zealand felt colder.
I would have liked to have visited the Albatross breeding ground but access was limited as it was nesting time.
Instead I visited the railway station – the most photographed building in the town but was happy to get back to the warmth of the ship.

Christchurch NZ - Antarctic stepping off point

Christchurch is an attractive city set on the leafy Avon River.
With the candles flowering on the chestnut trees, weeping willows touching the crystal clear water and even punts sliding up and down the river, it has a feel of old England.
But being a major port on the South Island of New Zealand, Christchurch is the departure point for Antarctic expeditionary vessels and has been for a long time.
Christchurch museum has a remarkable exhibit which documents Antarctic exploration.
The museum also has an interesting display of rocks including fossilised tree trunks, leaves and branches from vegetation which once grew on the land mass eons ago.
Just goes to show that climate change is not new!

Wellington - the private cable car city

I liked Wellington – it's an interesting place.
I particularly liked the old public cable car – it reminded me of the funicular railways in Valparaiso, Chile, which I rode on earlier this year.
But what surprised me was that many folk who live in houses perched on tops of the steep hills, have their own private funicular railway or cable car. Apart from climbing hundreds of steps this is often the only way of accessing their property.
Wellington also has an excellent maritime museum and actual film footage of the wreck of the passenger ferry ‘Wahine’ which was a reminder of how rough the waters of Cook Strait can be and why Wellington has been dubbed the ‘Windy city’.
Photo: from the Observatory looking down over Wellington

White Island - submarine volcano

Near the top of the North Island, White Island out of the ocean like a sore thumb. It is quite some distance from the mainland.
But as it puffs smoke from its sulphurous caldera it’s hard to believe that the tip of this volcanic island is like the tip of an iceberg which grows from the sea bed.
Having blown its top, what remains of the island resembles the cracked rim of an empty cup.
As the ship sailed around it, I watched the smoke breathing from below the earths crust and smelled the yellow sulphurous smoke which colours the rock and ash.
New Zealand is definitely in the Ring of Fire.
Photos: M Muir

Tauranga, NZ - resort

Last stop for the cruise ship before Auckland.
It’s a nice town. Very clean and tidy with excellent beaches.
With its warm climate and plenty of sunshine, I gather it’s a haven for retirees and holidaymakers.
Photo: from the beach at Tauranga and the land of the long white cloud

Auckland - ringed by volcanoes

Fortunately the volcanos in and around the city appear dormant. The ancient craters are now green and lush and great places for kids to play.
Today the most impressive structure is the Auckland tower (the highest structure in the Southern Hemisphere).
Despite my fear of heights – and the glass floor in the lift – I survived a trip to the top.
The brave folk who do a controlled bungy jump from the top must be mad!
Photo: Marg and great-nephews. In background the grassy crater of an old volcano. In the far distance the Auckland tower

Hale to publish 'The Condor's Feather'

Today I signed the contract with Robert Hale Ltd, London to publish my fourth historical fiction novel - The Condor's Feather.
This is an equestrian adventure set in Patagonia (South America) in 1885.
I was inspired to write this adventure following a visit to the region a couple of years ago and also after reading of the adventure undertaken by a young aristocrat, Lady Florence Dixie, in 1881.
I would expect to see The Condor's Feather published in hardback mid 2009.
Photo: The rugged coast of Patagonia from the Strait of Magellan

Newsfoundland dogs feature in novel

A pair of black Newfoundlands feature in my latest novel, The Condor's Feather.
I named them Byron and Bella, after Lord Byron and his wife.
Lord Byron's beloved dog which came from Newfoundland was called Boatswain.
When Boatswain died in 1814 Lord Byron had him buried in the grounds of his home at Newstead Abbey.
I chose Newfoundlands to include in my novel because of their size, strength and endurance particulalry in the water.
Did you know they have webbed feet?

Photo: Fiction author Karen Mercury with her 'bronze' Newfoundland, Ishmael.
You can find out about Karen's books at http://www.Karenmercury.com

Panama Canal Transit

For anyone interested in canals, I have set up a Squidoo site purely about the Panama Canal transit passage.
You can find it at http://www.squidoo.com/panamacanaltransit
The rest of my trip is outlined in the following posts.

Photo: 23 April 2008 - Leaving the Gatun Lake lock at the end of the day's transit

Touched by the spirit of South America

Maté – Flamenco – and the language
Like the guanaco and llamas which run free in the Andes, South America has a free spirit of its own. It draws you back.
This was my second visit.
But when I returned home, I was still caught in its spell.
So I ordered some maté - it’s the traditional drink which is passed around in a gourd and drunk through a silver straw.
Basically it’s a green leafy drink - like tea, but less caffeine than coffee or tea.
The drink in the photo is quite different. It’s made from Coca leaves (the basic ingredient for cocaine), it's a stimulant and given to tourists to combat altitude sickness in the Andes.

I signed up to learn the Fandango – a lot of foot stamping and heel tapping.
I’m also enrolled in conversational Spanish – the South American version is not very different to that spoken in Spain. In fact in the Barcelona region, the Spaniards speak Catalan and not Spanish!
And I have pulled out an old poncho which I’ve had for a long time.
In the freezing Tasmanian mornings, I don’t feel out of place.
Photo: Guanaco in the Andean foothills (Chile)
Photo: Coca leaf tea - and yes, I did get a touch of altitude sickness

Back home & Writing with a Vengeance

Sorry about the long gap with no blog entries.
I was away for 6 weeks travelling to UK via South America
Then when I came back it was head down and bum up writing.
Pleased to say after eight weeks of blood sweat and tears, I have just sent off another manuscript – THE CONDOR’S FEATHER but more on that later.
Below is my trip: Clockwise around the world.
I have included a couple of pics from each port.
I think I took about 1000 photos
Photo: Andean Condor in Punta Arenas (Photo 2004)
Did you know they have a 12 foot wingspan?

Booking a cheap cruise on the Internet

When my Tibet holiday was cancelled (due to riots and closed border), I checked what Vacations to Go had to offer. Visit: hppt://www.vacationstogo.com
They have the most fantastic last minute deals on cruises if you search for ones which are less than 90 days from departure.
I was lucky.
Departing only 9 days later was an 18 cruise from Santiago (Chile), sailing via Peru, the Panama Canal, Costa Rica, Key West - Florida, to Boston (USA).
The last minute price was - $399 US (about the same $AU).
I emailed the company in Huston, Texas.
I could upgrade to a stateroom with a window for $449 – Wow!!
Only trouble was that was double occupancy price, so as I was travelling alone I had to pay double.
But I reckon for 18 days cruising on a luxury ship from South America to the USA via Panama, it was the bargain of a lifetime.
I can recommend Vacations to Go for the cruise component to anyone especially if you live in the US or UK.
The number of cheap Caribbean and Mediterranean voyages available is amazing.
One thing to remember – never pay the full brochure price for a cruise!!!
Photo: My stateroom for 18 days on the Norwegian Dream

Santiago to Valparaiso by bus

After flying into Santiago (Chile), I took a local bus to one of the city’s bus terminals.
As I could speak no Spanish and they could speak no English I did have some problems but I managed to get a connecting coach to take me to Vina del Mar near Valparaiso on the coast – 3 hours drive away.
The cost about $7. The taxis or tourist coaches charge you about $100.
I’d booked a room in a modest hotel in the seaside resort over the Internet. When I arrived they didn’t have my booking.
Again there was some language difficulty but I managed and found everyone most helpful.
I spent two nights there.
From Vina del Mar there was a local bus to Valparaiso about 5 miles away.
Cost about $1.
Photo: Apartments on seafront at Vina del Mar

Ascensors (funicular railways) in Chile

My second novel, The Twisting Vine ends in Valparaiso and I mention the Ascensor Artillería in Valparaiso.
It was built in 1893 and is still in constant use.
I saw it when I was in Chile 3 years earlier.
This time I had to ride on it.
It travels up from the busy streets of the port to the Old Custom House which is now the Naval Academy and a wonderful Maritime Museum.
From the top of the cliff you can see across the whole bay.
Photo: Ascensor Artillería built in 1893

Chile's National Maritime Museum, Valparaiso

The National Maritime Museum at Valpariso in Chile is perched at the top of one of the many ascensors in Valparaiso. Its position offers a fantastic view over the harbour.
If you love ships and history – this is the place. I spend three hours there and could have easily spent three days. My only regret is that I couldn't speak Spanish.
Much of the museum's exhibits reach back to the days of the Spanish Conquistadors, but there are also many later artefacts e.g. a pair of pistols owned by Lord Cochrane, and models including this magnificent recreation of the 'Esmeralda'.
Lord Cochrane captured the first 'Esmeralda', a wooden frigate, in 1820 off Calleo, Peru.

Photo: Model of the ship, Esmeralda (I think this is the second 'Esmeralda' sunk in the Battle of Iquiqui in 1879, Chile, but there were eventually 6 ships which bore the same name) - Maritime Museum in Valparaiso. Please advise if I have got it wrong.)
 Note the copper bottom.

Norwegian Dream - cruise ship

I joined the ship in Valparaiso.
It’s not big by today’s standards – about 50,000 tons. But it has all the usual – 6 restaurants, 2 swimming pools, casino etc.
The guest capacity was 1700 but I am not sure if it was fully booked.
It’s a reasonable ship though not as classy as some I have been on but it was heading to the US to do one final season in the Caribbean. Then it was to be sold to Asia to become a floating casino.
Photo: Norwegian Dream in Florida