Greetings humans, half-breeds, and everything in between. A while
back, I had the pleasure to interview a wonderful author named, McCollonough Ceili. A good time was
truly had by all and here’s how it went down.
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| Image provided by author. |
Hi there McCollonough! It’s
so awesome to have you here at the ECS Blog. Don’t worry about the darkness,
your eyes will adjust.
So tell me, who is McCollonough Ceili?
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| GoodReads |
I am an Irish/American who discovered a love
for writing when asked by my American mother to pen my autobiography Noria, Since then I have
not been able to stop writing, which has resulted in the publication of several
books for all ages. Wow, you’ve written an autobiography as well
write fiction books for all ages; I’m very impressed. I can’t imagine trying to
write about myself, I’m just not that interesting.
So whacha got for me today?
I have a book that started out as a dream, from there it went to a selfguided tour of the history of Ocean lifeguarding, nnd finally ended with the book, “What Happened in Hallandale”. Some of
the things you read in said book really happened, others did not. The main reason I wrote this
book was so that I would stop dreaming about these character.  |
| Amazon |
“Dive into a dreamlike world of love, courage, magic, and death. Twelve-year-old Piper
can travel to the world of angels and, she learns, through time. Rushing back to the past
to correct a terrible tragedy, she learns that there are things you can change – and things
you cannot. This tale of love that transcends death, courage that transcends time, and the
power of compassion will break your heart and heal it, and then leave you still longing
for more.” - Summer Foovay, Editor
Small world, I think. I wrote my book for the
same reason. I needed to stop dreaming about those characters. Dreams are
powerful things…I love the description your editor offers. It pulls you right
in.
So who’s starring is this 2 dimensional script
read of “What Happened in Hallandale”?
Piper, a magical child
from the modern world is telling the story of what happened when she ventured
to 1940s Hallandale Beach Florida. Ms. Piper went to Hallandale to try and stop a
terrible mistake, though in order to do this she must break into an ancient Irish tomb and steal a spell.
Oh, so this is a time travel book. I really
like time travel stories. I like seeing how people from different times react
to the changes.
Past, present, future, is there a rhyme or
reason to your writing?
I write whenever and wherever I feel inspired,
which basically means that I carry a pad and pen with me always. I also have
recording program on my cell phone so I can speak aloud thoughts that come to
me during a time when I should not be writing; example: when driving the car. I
get most of my ideas from dreams that I have had and the world around me. I
spend a lot of the week jotting down ideas, then come the weekend I put them
together into a chapter or two.
I am currently working on the sequel to “What
Happened in Hallandale”, titled “Awakening the Truth”
That phone app sounds clever; I need to look
into that. Glad to hear you’re extending your story into a series; series are
fun.
What author(s) has most influenced your
writing? Why or how?
I am inspired by a lot of different writers, though when it came to writing “What Happened in
Hallandale” I was inspired by the “Real Laurie” Real Laurie is the women for whom the
character Lorraine was based on. She was a woman who had to change her name from Lori to
Laurie jus so she could get into medical school. She lived in a time when women were not
supposed to become doctors. I was also inspired by actress Nancy Valen whom I feel looks a
lot like Laurie. Valen played on the American show Baywatch. Every Time I would see Ms. Valen as Captain Thomas a memory of stories told to me about the real Laurie would come to the surface of my soul. It got so intense that I would find myself watching the show with the sound off and writing most of what became “What Happened in Hallandale” In fact she even inspired the title of the book, the “real” part of my story happened in another place in Hallandale. I discovered that name when I was reading about Ms. Valen.
I hope you won’t take this as an insult since
she’s not Irish, but I get a Joan of Arc feeling from this Real Laurie
character. I’m liking this story more and more; you just keep adding layers to
it.
Whose brain are you just itching to scratch?
Okay this is a tough
question. I guess I would have to say Mr.Dick Van Patten, I believe that we younger ones can
learn so much from those of his generation, plus I love the light in his eyes,
there be a wise soul beneath them.Good man and a good show, Eight is Enough.
Who is so you and why?
No one that I know of,
oh wait my American mom thinks I look like the woman who plays on Bones.
Temperance Brennan. I but I honestly don’t see it. You may not look like the actress who plays Temperance, but maybe you just have
Bones vibe about you…but I can kinda see a resemblance.
What’s your ideal reading spot for your next
highly anticipated read?
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| GoodReads |
I am at my wee desk in the kitchen of my home, I
can hear the washing machine, I just finished eating an orange. The book that
is currently on my nightstand is “Dear America Hear mySorrow”
the diary of Angela Denoto, New York City, 1909. It is hardback and I am
excited to read it, because it is one of the few books from the Dear America series
that I have yet to read. My ideal spot is my bed! That sounds lovely. It has everything that
reading should be: comfort, excitement, anticipation, and your referred reading
medium.
What was your favorite book or story, pre-teen
years?
The Dear America
series was my favorite book series back then along with all of the books
written by BettyRen Wright. I love those type of stories so much but
have yet to write one like them me self. Wow, you read Dear America as a kid and are
still reading it now. That’s dedication and it very pure, honest, and
nice....Now this is where the questions get a little kooky; are you ready? :-) Yes.Alright then, here we go.
If you could only watch ne movie for the rest
of your life, what would it be?
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| IMDB |
“TheSecret of Ron Inish” It is one of my favorite movies, and not
just because it is Irish.
Well okay maybe that has something to do with it. Besides being set in Ireland it is just a great
movie about the power of a child’s determination to find her brother. I haven’t heard of this film. This poster
looks interesting and like discovering new movies to watch.
What makes you geek out?
I am a total fan of
the show NCIS!! I love it and watched it back when I lived where there was American
cable. I watch so much of the reruns that NCIS characters would visit me in my
dreams. The only thing of theirs I won’t watch are the interviews of the
staff, for me seeing the real people kills the magic that comes from the
characters they portray. I’ve caught that show a few times; it’s not a
bad show at all, but I think was jaded by Law & Order type shows a long
time ago, even though I sometimes find myself half way through a Law & Order:
Criminal Intent wondering how I got there. :/
So what’s testing your patience right now?
I am desperately
awaiting the arrival of the newest CD from Celtic Woman!! They started performing together the same year I came to America so I
feel a very strong connection to them and the music they create.I’ve heard of this group and have seen some of
their clips on youtube. They are very talented and entertaining.
When the soundtrack of your life is playing in
your head, what songs express your glee and what songs bring out your rage?
There are lots of
songs that I hear and think, oh that fits what I am writing about or going
through. The most current one would be Clarity <=watch & listen, by Zedd; another is Celine Dion. I almost always find that one or more of her songs make me think of
stories I am writing. I look toward my tried and true playlists for
inspiration also, but it’s pretty cool when something new comes along that
inspires you too.
What’s the most fun experience you’ve ever
had, to date?
Another hard one, I would have to say learning
how to bodyboard in the Atlantic Ocean. Yeah, that is fun. I spend more under the
water than riding the waves, but it’s always a good time.
Not that you can see into the future, but in
your opinion, what does the future hold?
In five years I will
be living in a condo in Nashville, TN but traveling to many many different
places all over the United States. I will also be spending one month a
year at the beach. Which beach that will be depends on which one I feel like
going to. Sounds good to me. I hope it happens just as
you’ve described it.
Ok humans, half-breeds, and everything in
between, that’s all for today. Be sure to follow this blog to see who will be
visiting next time. For more from McCollonough Ceili, check out these great
links:
Blog: NorianGirl
Amazon Author Central: Mccollonough Ceili
Facebooks: Mccollonough Ceili
Twitter: @noriangirl
LinkedIn: Mccollonough Ceili
Purchase links for “What Happened in
Hallandale”: Amazon
Thank you for taking the time to read this post. Click below to share
your Reactions and more. See you next
time, Toi Thomas. #cursescanbebroken
