Rukia Publishing featured author Margaret Daly
Author of
Dùsgadh: Essence of Life
Sapphire & Me: A Beautiful Friendship
Follow Margaret on Twitter and Facebook for more details
Let's find out more about Margaret Daly, Mom, Author, Freelancer, and Published Poet as she joins Sarah Jane Butfield at Rukia Publishing to talk about her writing life.
Welcome Margaret,
Thank you for joining me today to talk about your work and writing life.
To start with can you tell us how long have you been a writer, how you came to writing and how do you come up with your stories/plots?
This should be the easiest question to answer, but honestly it isn’t. I was very young, about Eight years old I think when I first started to write short stories. Mostly about horses, what little girl doesn’t love horses? I would tell tall tales about my escapades with my pony, Lightning.
I dabbled with poetry through high school and then into adulthood, if you can call Twenty-three adult hood. I was able to get a few of my poems published but I have since lost touch with where, and which poems they were.
I recently, well this past year, started writing again. First, I penned a poem that was recognized in a poetry contest and hence forth was published. My next step was a novel, or so it turned out, a novella.
You see a friend of mine wrote a book and I read it. It was a terrific story, from there on out it was all or nothing. John Parson’s gave me the inspiration I needed to relight my flame and reconnect with myself. I looked at my husband and told him, “That’s it, I’m writing a book.” His reply was, “I wish you would, you’ve been talking about it for six years.”
The rest is history. I sat down and started typing, I wanted to write about my life, but I didn’t want to. I decided to pick a point in my life that was pivotal and twist it into a fantasy story. So I did, now I have a published Novella. The first book in a trilogy based on my real life experiences and struggles. The story isn’t true by any means, I just took parts of my life and embellished them---a lot.
What are the best and the worst aspects of writing?
The best aspects of writing are I get to let it all out. What I mean by this is, I get to say whatever is going through my mind as I type. In a sense it’s therapeutic for me. I get to experience what I write about, and in my crazy life I need to be able to escape. Writing gives me the freedom to do that.
It’s not that there really is a “worst aspect” for me when it comes to writing. I find it most difficult on the days in which I’m home and everyone else is out doing things. I make a commitment and I have to stick to it, otherwise I won’t get any writing done at all.
What inspires you to write?
Most days it’s silence that inspires me. Those little moments in time each day where all is peaceful and images pop into your mind. The days where you can sit outside and listen to the birds and you trail off in your mind on a journey. When you hear an alarm go off, most car alarms don’t help but the emergency sirens set my mind into a flurry of emotions. So I guess in a way, tragedy kick starts my mind for my current series.
How did you conduct your research for - Dusgadh: Essence of Life?
Dusgadh: Essence of Life wasn’t the first title I chose for my debut. My first bit of research was looking for a unique name. It was difficult. Since the story was about an awakening, I looked for words that meant the same. This is actually a great story! My hope was to not only find a unique name but a name that meant something to me.
I typed in awakening and hit the search button in Google. I looked through synonyms in the dictionary and then I did another search. I went on Amazon and typed in every word I had found and considered. None of the words were suitable for me that is until I saw the word Dusgadh. It felt familiar to me in a weird kind of way, so I clicked on it. Well it took me to Joy Dunlop, she is a Scottish-Gaelic singer. Her debut album was entitled Dusgadh: Awakening.
Well, that’s not unique really is it? Well to me it was, you see my maiden name is Dunlop. Although I’m not related to Joy, not that I know of anyway, I took it as I sign. I searched Amazon again for Dusgadh, and the only thing that came up was Joy. So the title is Unique, there isn’t another book with the title and it actually means awakening.
Other than the title, I only had to look into some Gaelic spellings and meanings and pinpoint clothing eras.
What are 3 of your favorite lines/quotes from your new release?
These are only three of my favorite, this book is filled with graphic scenes and depictions of characters.
“Leave your bag-o-witchcraft in the car Ember, we don’t want to scare people. Not just yet, anyway.”
“You can’t be saved from yourself. You should know better, Ember.”
“A dark fog etched in, enveloping my body and mind before it closed in all around me, and with a final tug my vision went black.”
What would your friends say is your best quality?
I’m loyal and fun to be around. If I am just meeting you, I’m quiet normally or better described as reserved. If I feel someone is trustworthy I will open up a little more with each encounter. I’m not saying I’m unfriendly, I’m actually very friendly. I smile at everyone I see, and try to be respectful of myself, my children and our surrounding.
I believe in paying it forward and hard work, but mostly I strongly believe that family comes first above all else in this world.
Are reader reviews important to you?
Absolutely! I want to hear from my readers. Not just the praise, but everything. Having a reader review my story and give me honest feedback helps me with my direction.
Do you have any blogs/websites?
I do, I do! I have two websites. One is a book promotion blog site. Any author, from any walk of life is welcome to join me here: http://www.dusgadh.weebly.com . My second site is http://www.margaretadaly.weebly.com, this one is for my book, Dusgadh Essence of Life (Book One of The Awakening Series).
What do you do when you don’t write?
This is the easiest question ever! When I’m not writing I’m with my family, and when my kids are asleep, I’m reading!
Tell us about your other books?
Firstly, I’m working on, Book Two of The Awakening Series now. I’m hoping to have it out later this year.
Second, I wrote a Children’s Story with my Seven year old daughter Alexandria entitled “Sapphire & Me”. It’s a beautiful story about a friendship between a little girl and her new found snake. My daughter came up with the idea. We worked through the details of the story and I typed it in. All of the pictures in the book are done by my family, from my eldest niece to my youngest niece with my children in between. This story was a blast to write!
If you could share one thing about yourself that you would like readers to know what would it be?
I’m passionate, compassionate and I like to have fun, but most of all, I get a real fulfillment by helping other people any way I can.
Thank you Rukia visitors for reading about me! If you take anything away from this interview I hope it’s a smile!
Sarah Jane, I would like to thank you so much for all of your support! Go Team Rukia!
No worries Margaret, we are very pleased to have you not only as a featured author at Rukia Publishing but also as a new member on our social media team - Welcome to Team Rukia!
Welcome Margaret,
Thank you for joining me today to talk about your work and writing life.
To start with can you tell us how long have you been a writer, how you came to writing and how do you come up with your stories/plots?
This should be the easiest question to answer, but honestly it isn’t. I was very young, about Eight years old I think when I first started to write short stories. Mostly about horses, what little girl doesn’t love horses? I would tell tall tales about my escapades with my pony, Lightning.
I dabbled with poetry through high school and then into adulthood, if you can call Twenty-three adult hood. I was able to get a few of my poems published but I have since lost touch with where, and which poems they were.
I recently, well this past year, started writing again. First, I penned a poem that was recognized in a poetry contest and hence forth was published. My next step was a novel, or so it turned out, a novella.
You see a friend of mine wrote a book and I read it. It was a terrific story, from there on out it was all or nothing. John Parson’s gave me the inspiration I needed to relight my flame and reconnect with myself. I looked at my husband and told him, “That’s it, I’m writing a book.” His reply was, “I wish you would, you’ve been talking about it for six years.”
The rest is history. I sat down and started typing, I wanted to write about my life, but I didn’t want to. I decided to pick a point in my life that was pivotal and twist it into a fantasy story. So I did, now I have a published Novella. The first book in a trilogy based on my real life experiences and struggles. The story isn’t true by any means, I just took parts of my life and embellished them---a lot.
What are the best and the worst aspects of writing?
The best aspects of writing are I get to let it all out. What I mean by this is, I get to say whatever is going through my mind as I type. In a sense it’s therapeutic for me. I get to experience what I write about, and in my crazy life I need to be able to escape. Writing gives me the freedom to do that.
It’s not that there really is a “worst aspect” for me when it comes to writing. I find it most difficult on the days in which I’m home and everyone else is out doing things. I make a commitment and I have to stick to it, otherwise I won’t get any writing done at all.
What inspires you to write?
Most days it’s silence that inspires me. Those little moments in time each day where all is peaceful and images pop into your mind. The days where you can sit outside and listen to the birds and you trail off in your mind on a journey. When you hear an alarm go off, most car alarms don’t help but the emergency sirens set my mind into a flurry of emotions. So I guess in a way, tragedy kick starts my mind for my current series.
How did you conduct your research for - Dusgadh: Essence of Life?
Dusgadh: Essence of Life wasn’t the first title I chose for my debut. My first bit of research was looking for a unique name. It was difficult. Since the story was about an awakening, I looked for words that meant the same. This is actually a great story! My hope was to not only find a unique name but a name that meant something to me.
I typed in awakening and hit the search button in Google. I looked through synonyms in the dictionary and then I did another search. I went on Amazon and typed in every word I had found and considered. None of the words were suitable for me that is until I saw the word Dusgadh. It felt familiar to me in a weird kind of way, so I clicked on it. Well it took me to Joy Dunlop, she is a Scottish-Gaelic singer. Her debut album was entitled Dusgadh: Awakening.
Well, that’s not unique really is it? Well to me it was, you see my maiden name is Dunlop. Although I’m not related to Joy, not that I know of anyway, I took it as I sign. I searched Amazon again for Dusgadh, and the only thing that came up was Joy. So the title is Unique, there isn’t another book with the title and it actually means awakening.
Other than the title, I only had to look into some Gaelic spellings and meanings and pinpoint clothing eras.
What are 3 of your favorite lines/quotes from your new release?
These are only three of my favorite, this book is filled with graphic scenes and depictions of characters.
“Leave your bag-o-witchcraft in the car Ember, we don’t want to scare people. Not just yet, anyway.”
“You can’t be saved from yourself. You should know better, Ember.”
“A dark fog etched in, enveloping my body and mind before it closed in all around me, and with a final tug my vision went black.”
What would your friends say is your best quality?
I’m loyal and fun to be around. If I am just meeting you, I’m quiet normally or better described as reserved. If I feel someone is trustworthy I will open up a little more with each encounter. I’m not saying I’m unfriendly, I’m actually very friendly. I smile at everyone I see, and try to be respectful of myself, my children and our surrounding.
I believe in paying it forward and hard work, but mostly I strongly believe that family comes first above all else in this world.
Are reader reviews important to you?
Absolutely! I want to hear from my readers. Not just the praise, but everything. Having a reader review my story and give me honest feedback helps me with my direction.
Do you have any blogs/websites?
I do, I do! I have two websites. One is a book promotion blog site. Any author, from any walk of life is welcome to join me here: http://www.dusgadh.weebly.com . My second site is http://www.margaretadaly.weebly.com, this one is for my book, Dusgadh Essence of Life (Book One of The Awakening Series).
What do you do when you don’t write?
This is the easiest question ever! When I’m not writing I’m with my family, and when my kids are asleep, I’m reading!
Tell us about your other books?
Firstly, I’m working on, Book Two of The Awakening Series now. I’m hoping to have it out later this year.
Second, I wrote a Children’s Story with my Seven year old daughter Alexandria entitled “Sapphire & Me”. It’s a beautiful story about a friendship between a little girl and her new found snake. My daughter came up with the idea. We worked through the details of the story and I typed it in. All of the pictures in the book are done by my family, from my eldest niece to my youngest niece with my children in between. This story was a blast to write!
If you could share one thing about yourself that you would like readers to know what would it be?
I’m passionate, compassionate and I like to have fun, but most of all, I get a real fulfillment by helping other people any way I can.
Thank you Rukia visitors for reading about me! If you take anything away from this interview I hope it’s a smile!
Sarah Jane, I would like to thank you so much for all of your support! Go Team Rukia!
No worries Margaret, we are very pleased to have you not only as a featured author at Rukia Publishing but also as a new member on our social media team - Welcome to Team Rukia!
Books by Margaret Daly
"Ember Malloch has no idea her life is about to get turned upside down. Besides the fact that she sees the dead on occasion, she lives an ordinary mundane life.
Her sister warned her not to provoke the spirits, but Ember has a mind of her
own and she defies Becky at every turn. Now, her life as she knows it will be
changed forever, as an unbridled strength is unleashed upon her.
She will have an awakening like no other as she learns her past, and discovers
who she is…"
Get your copy on Amazon
Her sister warned her not to provoke the spirits, but Ember has a mind of her
own and she defies Becky at every turn. Now, her life as she knows it will be
changed forever, as an unbridled strength is unleashed upon her.
She will have an awakening like no other as she learns her past, and discovers
who she is…"
Get your copy on Amazon
A fun story for children. A little girl meets her new best friend, Sapphire the snake. They spend the day together, learning about each other and planning a grand adventure.
Get your copy on Amazon
Get your copy on Amazon
