Maureen McMahon

AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY:

MAUREEN McMAHON

Maureen was born in Niles, Michigan. She studied English and creative writing, first at Niles High School and later at Western Michigan University. She earned an English Major/Creative Writing Emphasis from WMU and obtained teaching certification.

Fascinated with her mother's country of birth, Maureen traveled to Australia in 1981 where she now resides with her husband and a menagerie of pets. Her two children are now grown.

Maureen's two suspense novels, SHADOWS IN THE MIST and RETURN OF THE GULLS are likened in writing style to Mary Stewart and Barbara Michaels.

The sequel to RETURN OF THE GULLS, a novella entitled GHOSTS OF AULD LANG SYNE, is included in a six author anthology entitled ENCHANTED HOLIDAYS.

Maureen's award winning short fiction is published in an anthology entitled A NIGHTINGALE IN THE SYCAMORE.

Maureen was named by Western Michigan University as one of eleven noteworthy alumni in 2001 for her creative writing achievements.

Maureen's website, Moonspinners Writer's Page, has recently been voted one of the '101 Best Sites, 2006' by Writer's Digest Magazine. Moonspinners Writer's Page is dedicated to assisting creative writers and her Ask The Experts page, run in partnership with Fran Silverman, provides over 100 authors and experts who have volunteered to answer any marketing queries.

Maureen is co-director of BooksWeLove.net (http://www.bookswelove.net) and co-moderator of Australia/New Zealand (ANZ) Authors. She is a member of the Victorian Writer's Centre and the Australian Society of Authors (ASA). She has freelanced for many magazines and was staff writer for Australian Runner Magazine for several years.

Maureen is a certified instructor and teaches creative writing at various venues, including Writer's Online Workshops: http://www.writersonlineworkshops.com.

Visit Moonspinners Writer's Page: http://www.maureenmcmahon.com or Maureen's Books We Love page at: http://www.bookswelove.net/mcmahon.html

Shivers and Screams Visions and Dreams

Cox, Delisi, Grover, Hopper, McMahon, Torres

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Some of the best and brightest names in the e-publishing field gathered together for your Halloween frightful fun! In this thrilling anthology, spooky hauntings, time-travelling spirits, alien invasions and Satanic cults await! Then, there's a few recipes you can whip up in your kitchen for dessert!

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Despite the flasher, the marching band and Uncle Frank's unexpected dousing in the duck pond, could it still be The Perfect Wedding? Is old Emaline really as forgetful as she seems, or is she fully aware of the Legacy she will be leaving behind? When bigoted George Barker refuses to accept his new Jewish neighbor, what is the catalyst that triggers The Battle Of Bell Boulevard? What fate awaits such Star Crossed lovers as the iguana and the mermaid? Will Bridgette ever overcome her weight problem -- And what tragedy of fate is in store for her? What arrangement will The Devil and Beano McDuff come to in order to win Shady Grove Rest Home's beanbag tossing championship? Read these stories and many more in A Nightingale In The Sycamore. Humor, intrigue, romance, inspiration ... author Maureen McMahon provides it all in this fine collection of short fiction.

'Neath Hallowed Halls and Ivied Walls  (Part of the Shivers and Screams Visions and Dreams Anthology)

Stacey Christian and Peter Mansfield come together again to attend the funeral of their beloved Harvard history professor, Bertram Donelson. Stacey's emotional stint as a reporter in Afghanistan, and Peter's exhausting high-profile business takeover, make them even more vulnerable to the chemistry that's always been between them.

Little do they know their old Alma Mater holds an evil and deadly secret that will propel them into a whirlwind of ghostly, shocking and even deadly experiences. Will this adventure be enough to finally bring their love to fruition?

~~*~~

An eclectic blend of prose and poetry, A Nightingale in the Sycamore surprised me, touched me, entertained me and made me smile. It was, all in all, a serendipitous discovery -- you know, finding something unexpectedly wonderful in the process of looking for something else. Patricia Lucas White, Crescent Blues Book Views

An Exclusive Interview with Maureen McMahon

Where do you live?

Victoria, Australia -- originally from Michigan.

Where can fans write to you?

maureen@maureenmcmahon.com

What inspired you to write your book?

The stories in "A Nightingale In The Sycamore" were inspired by many things. Some were based on actual incidents that happened to myself or others; some were purely products of a vivid imagination. Many of the stories were triggered by "What ifs?". I'd consider a habit or situation that in itself was quite mundane and uneventful, then I'd think: "What if thus and so happened...?" This produced some very interesting scenarios!

What's an average day like for a writer?

Since publication, it's imperative that I first spend a number of hours each day replying to correspondence as well as working on promotion. After that, I try to write a minimum of an hour creatively. Sometimes that writing seems totally uninteresting, but the habit of writing, I believe, is important, whether it be work on a novel, short story, letter, or interview questions. Ideally, I like to do more, but any type of creative writing keeps the creative energies alive and fresh.

Tell us about your family.

I have a wonderfully helpful husband who, on his days off, looks after the house and chores allowing me more time to write. My children, a son eighteen and daughter sixteen, are a joy and very supportive, and have become my closest friends. I don't think I could have accomplished what I have without them.

My mother and brothers and sister live in the U.S. and add their support from a distance. My father, who died not too long ago, encouraged me immensely and I often still feel him near, egging me on.

Family and friends are very important to a writer for keeping that vital self-confidance alive and well.

Do you have any pets?

I have had cats all my life. When I moved to Australia, I had to leave Willy, a white cat -- my first -- behind with my U.S. family. He and I were very close but he was too old to suffer the quarantine and subsequent flight to Australia.

About four years ago, I was surprised to have a sulphur crested cockatoo fly down and alight on my shoulder. His mannerisms and possessiveness have convinced me that he is Willy, my cat, come back in another form. He was dubbed Willy, too, and continues to demonstrate many of Willy the cat's idiosyncrasies. I suppose it's Divine Justice considering the birds he terrorized as a feline!

Besides Willy the cockie, we have two labradors, two cats and a dozen "chooks".

What are your hobbies?

I enjoy doing artwork, song-writing, playing the piano and guitar and dog breeding, when I'm not writing.

What do you enjoy doing for leisure?

My husband and I love to fish when we get the time. We are also trying to establish a protea plantation on our small acreage. This along with my work with EPPRO, reading, walking and preventing my children from winning too regularly at Nintendo games, keeps me happy and on my toes.

Who's your favorite author?

My favorite author is Mary Stewart. When I first decided that I wanted to become a published author, I had a lot of doubts about my ability to set my novels in interesting locales. Mary Stewart inspired me with her exotic settings and knowledge of all the essential details, right down to the flora indigenous to every place she chose.

I sent her a letter asking how she was able to research such settings. I never really expected a personal reply, and was shocked when the two page, hand-written letter arrived. She was very supportive of my ambitions and gave me a piece of advice that, despite its simplicity, I have found to be invaluable. She said,“Write what you know.” She had, she said, traveled to each and every one of those exotic locales, and she knew all about the flora because she had once worked in a nursery.

Second to Mary Stewart as my favorite author is Barbara Michaels.

What's your favorite book?

I'm afraid I don't have a favorite book. I tend to go through "phases" -- liking a particular style or genre and devouring everything of that ilk, then moving on to something different.

Past favorites have been:

There are, of course, many, many more -- too many to list here, and each in its time was my favorite.

What's your favorite kind of music?

Crowded House and Cat Stevens

What's your favorite place to visit?

Apollo Bay, Victoria, Australia. It is the setting for my next novel, Apollo Moon, and is one of the most beautiful places on earth.

What place, that you haven't visited yet, would you like to visit?

Again, there is not one place...I would like to visit Greece, Ireland and many parts of the U.S. and Australia that I have not yet been able to see.

Anything else you'd like to tell us?

Without readers, novels, stories or poetry cannot live. I want to thank everyone who has ever found pleasure in the written word for bringing light, life and validation to another human being.

   

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