tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137112852024-03-09T00:51:27.052+11:00Tales of a Yank DownunderMy name is Maureen McMahon. I'm an author. I was born and raised in Michigan USA but by a quirk of fate I now live in Victoria Australia. Come share my ups and downs, successes and disasters, wit, idiocy and observations as I muddle through life here in the Downunder. Welcome one and all!Maureen McMahonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00263807024655711765noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13711285.post-43999844157322891792016-08-24T20:44:00.012+10:002023-02-24T14:29:56.389+11:00Return of the Gulls - mystery, suspense, romance, paranormal
My novel, Return of the Gulls, is out now! Here's a bit about it:
RETURN OF THE GULLS, Book 1 of Stacey Christian and Peter Mansfield paranormal super sleuths series by Maureen McMahon:
Stacey Christian unexpectedly runs into her ex-boyfriend, Peter Mansfield, while touring Ireland. They join forces to help solve the puzzles surrounding Faoilenn Màrrach – Gull Castle.
Stacy travels to Maureen McMahonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00263807024655711765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13711285.post-19064703712763963162013-01-07T12:12:00.000+11:002013-01-07T12:12:05.005+11:00The Life of Pi Review
Went to see The Life of Pi yesterday. Have had one fun time
trying to see it. The first day we went, All the features were sold out because
of the heat. The second time (yesterday) we got there and just prior to buying
our tickets I realized I'd forgotten my glasses. Great! So, back home to fetch
glasses and then back to go to the later showing. Finally!
Really enjoyed the movie. Ang Lee Maureen McMahonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00263807024655711765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13711285.post-84353350865891055622011-04-30T17:31:00.000+10:002011-04-30T17:31:46.800+10:00Excerpt from "Joey"This week I'd like to share an excerpt from one of the stories included in my anthology of short fiction. I hope you enjoy it - and if you wish to read the rest, pick up a copy in either paperback or digital download by clicking here.
JOEYbyMaureen McMahon
I first met Joey Conroy two years ago. I was takingMaureen McMahonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00263807024655711765noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13711285.post-73960684312865968192011-04-22T20:17:00.000+10:002011-04-22T20:17:00.477+10:00KILLER KARMA - INVASION OF THE ARACHNIDSI don’t know if I fully believe in Karma, but I'm not about to take any chances. If we get back everything we give, then it’s best to avoid causing pain, death or injury to any living things. Does killing insects count, too? And what about germs and micro-organisms? Algae on the pool? I’ll try not to worry about the death of germs, micro-organisms and algae, but insects surely Maureen McMahonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00263807024655711765noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13711285.post-14370285850178879422011-04-14T12:53:00.000+10:002011-04-14T12:53:07.787+10:00Sinking Into The Murky BlogBlog, blog, blog…Okay, so sue me, I’m not all that sure about blogs. Who knows whose going to read them? What if your blog attracts a cult of crazed mass-murderers? Or suicide prone individuals who need just that one word to push them over the edge? It’s dangerous, in my opinion. That said, I’ll do my best… and with determination not to encourage murder or personal mutilation.
It’s not easy Maureen McMahonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00263807024655711765noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13711285.post-49419393430843488582007-01-23T09:13:00.000+11:002007-01-23T09:14:01.736+11:00HOLIDAY TRADITIONS?We all have holiday traditions, some universal, some personal. Some years ago I started a tradition of painting an egg each Christmas – to give a picture-image of what happened in that particular year. Some are more creative than others – like the one with all eight of our very first chickens, or the one with our first protea bush.The tradition of making a New Year’s resolution is universal. Maureen McMahonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00263807024655711765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13711285.post-1162198023441965832006-10-30T19:46:00.000+11:002006-10-30T19:47:03.453+11:00Skinker, Slinker, Shrinker and KingMy favourite cat, Sibyl, is a skinker. That’s right, skinker. Unlike our other three cats, she doesn’t stalk birds or rabbits or mice or rats. No, she spends her entire day with her nose firmly embedded in the dirt searching for skinks. I’m forever finding skink tails here and there – minus the skink. Sometimes we find the skink under the mat in the laundry – of course, by then, it’s too late. Maureen McMahonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00263807024655711765noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13711285.post-1161645815217806812006-10-24T09:23:00.000+10:002006-10-24T09:23:35.230+10:00Our Planet in PerilAt the moment we’re experiencing the worst drought we’ve ever had. We’ve been short of rain for over ten years, but now it’s becoming an emergency situation. The reservoirs here in Victoria are less than a third full. We live in a country renown for its dry climate, but, until now, there’s always been water to sprinkle our gardens, wash our cars, shower, do laundry. In some areas they’re trying Maureen McMahonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00263807024655711765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13711285.post-1159175485807104872006-09-25T19:11:00.000+10:002006-09-25T19:11:25.820+10:00Cat People and Dog PeopleAre you a cat person, or a dog person? Why is it cat people can be dog people, but dog people rarely want anything to do with cats? Cats are independent. Dog people call cats ‘sneaky.’ They don’t like the idea cats can figure out how to get up on the kitchen counter while you’re not looking and make off with the entire fish you were preparing for dinner. They also don’t like the fact cats are Maureen McMahonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00263807024655711765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13711285.post-1158622310306203602006-09-19T09:30:00.000+10:002006-09-19T09:31:50.316+10:00MotherhoodMothers down through the years have been lauded, applauded, pedestalled, crowned, sung of, painted, poemed and enshrined all in an attempt to show we recognize the enormity of their influence and responsibility. There is no pre-requisite for motherhood. One does not have to pass exams, or be of a certain ethnic background, religion, financial status or temperament. The only requirements for Maureen McMahonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00263807024655711765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13711285.post-1157950263209429832006-09-11T14:50:00.000+10:002006-09-11T14:51:03.220+10:00Australia in OzThe weather here is still pretty cold, even though it’s now officially Spring. I’ve lived in Australia for 24 years, and have become somewhat used to the odd switch in seasons. But Christmas is still not right. For 30 years I lived in Michigan, and winters were fraught with snow-drifts, ice, blizzards, freezing winds, road salt and all the other hazards of a northern climate. The perfect Maureen McMahonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00263807024655711765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13711285.post-1157412198793865542006-09-05T09:22:00.000+10:002006-09-05T09:23:18.806+10:00Racism, Intolerance and Prejudice - Alive and ThrivingLast week I received one of those emails sent from one group of people to another that end up finding their way all around the globe. This one was in regard to a postage stamp the USPS is purportedly going to introduce. It had a Muslim symbol and the word “Greeting” at the bottom. The email ranted and raved in huge red letters – saying this stamp must not be allowed. It said that Muslims had Maureen McMahonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00263807024655711765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13711285.post-1156739136136312082006-08-28T14:24:00.000+10:002006-09-01T10:43:02.763+10:00THE TRIALS OF MENOPAUSEI’m going to talk about menopause, so all you men out there can go: “Eeeeuw!” and run away, or maybe you can stay and learn a thing or two about what your wife or partner is experiencing, or may experience.Prior to menopause I can’t say I was a perfect, happy-go-lucky person, but I was tough, resilient, enjoyed life, had no qualms about trying new things, could eat, drink, dance until the wee Maureen McMahonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00263807024655711765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13711285.post-1156305097601575082006-08-23T13:51:00.000+10:002006-08-23T13:53:18.790+10:00Lost SmilesLost Smiles by Maureen McMahon When do children stop being children? When do we put away our sandcastles, skipping ropes and giggles? When exactly do we change from ‘being’ a child to having an ‘inner’ child?I remember lying in long grass, the sun warm on brown limbs, the coolness of the earth against my back, my older brother next to me as we watched in awed amazement as the cotton ball clouds Maureen McMahonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00263807024655711765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13711285.post-1124179393992471472005-08-16T18:03:00.003+10:002011-04-14T12:45:27.139+10:00Four times troubleIt seems that things come in multiples when they're bad. Feeling ill...like I had a flu...so went to the dr. and he did blood tests. Turns out my thyroid hormones are off the chart. My pulse was up to 150 bpm. So now am on meds to keep the pulse down and the BP down, but it doesn't work all that well because I still get terribly out of breath just doing the least little thing.
I always thought Maureen McMahonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00263807024655711765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13711285.post-1119102212416601642005-06-18T23:26:00.000+10:002005-06-18T23:55:25.240+10:00A Bright Winter DayIt was sunny today. Certainly not warm, but sunny. Winters in Victoria are very different than winters in Michigan. The gum trees keep their bluey-green leaves throughout, and the grass and weeds grow lusher, probably due to the increase in rainfall.In summer, the lawn can become a dustbowl very quickly once the hot northerlies start to blow. In winter, however, the wind most often comes from theMaureen McMahonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00263807024655711765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13711285.post-1118894384379925862005-06-16T13:47:00.000+10:002005-06-18T23:52:30.750+10:00Getting olderWhat is it about getting older? I don't feel any different in my brain than I did when I was in my 20s, but my stupid body keeps finding ways to torment me. Menopause has not been kind. I developed BMS (burning mouth syndrome) last year, and after trying to find someone who cared or could help for nearly 8 months, finally came across a lovely dental professional/doctor in Melbourne who prescribedMaureen McMahonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00263807024655711765noreply@blogger.com0