Looking for more from Sean McLachlan? He also hangs out on the Midlist Writer blog, where he talks about writing, adventure travel, caving, and everything else he gets up to. He also reproduces all the posts from Civil War Horror, so drop on by!

Monday, January 28, 2013

Please allow me to reintroduce myself

Today I'm participating in the Please Allow Me to Reintroduce Myself blogfest. This is a chance for bloggers to tell a little about themselves.

Hmm. . .where to start? I'm a Canadian who hasn't lived in Canada for decades. Instead I've lived in the U.S., Denmark, Bulgaria, England, and most presently Santander in the north of Spain. I spent ten years working as an archaeologist before becoming a full-time writer. Coolest thing excavated: the city gate at Tel Gezer, Israel, commissioned by King Solomon.

Besides writing and archaeology, I love to travel, and one of my writing jobs is for the Gadling travel blog. Scroll all the way to the bottom of this blog to see a map of where I've been. This photo, courtesy Leo Stolpe, shows yours truly atop a burnt out tank in Somaliland.

Other interests: silent films, B-movies, hiking, and caving. I'm also happily married and the proud father of a seven-year-old boy. It's a school holiday today in Santander so most of the people in this blogfest are going to have to wait until tomorrow for comments. The parents among you will understand!

34 comments:

  1. Aloha Sean,

    Jaysus, your name sounds more Oirish than mine, so you *so* have to go back to the Oul' Sod and find your scattered roots - especially with the travelling bug you obviously have :)

    Enjoy the day with your little man :) Buen suerte (if I'm saying that right :)

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  2. Pleased to meet you, I live in England, but have travelled to Ireland North and Southern. Lived in Spain where my son lives and have visited the US and Canada. Enjoyed your post very much.
    Yvonne.

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  3. Wow, great photo you've got posted. And I bet your 10 years as an archaeologist is a wealth of inspiration for your writing. Last summer I went canyoning in Spain at Monte Perdido, it's a beautiful country. Glad you participated in the blogfest, it's great to meet you!

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  4. When I was a kid I wanted to be an archeologist. I love digging up my neighbors yards (when they're not home) and looking for stuff in the ground.

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  5. Oh, archeology is very cool! I've always had an interest in that, too. In fact one of my favorite books is James Michener's The Source, which is an archeological dig (maybe in Egypt) where he tells the story both from the top and the bottom of this site where this city has been built over the top of itself multiple times over the centuries.

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    1. I've read The Source. It takes place in Israel but strangely I didn't read it while digging there. Instead I read it a few years later while digging in Bulgaria!

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  6. Nice to meet a fellow traveler. I've been to Denmark. Typically not a destination for many americans. I was on a student trip, but it is in my top 10 places I've been. Mainly because of the people.

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  7. What a life! Enjoy your day with your son.

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  8. Hi, Sean,
    Nice to meet you. I took a look at your map. It's a dream of mine to do some travelling in the future.

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  9. Great to meet you Sean.
    You're well travelled and I can imagine the wealth of experiences that you've accumulated!

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  10. A job where you get paid to travel and write sounds like a dream come true. Nice to meet you.

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  11. Hi, Sean,

    Nice to meet you. What a fascinating life... Travel, archeology, and writer... Impressive.

    Great idea showing the map. I traveled a lot too. LOVE IT, but there are so many more places I would like to visit.

    Enjoy the day with your son!

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  12. Cool that you were an archeologist. Ancient history really fascinates me, especially Sumer. I've read a lot about it, even started teaching myself cunieform. Have a wonderful holiday!

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  13. Wow, that's amazing. I bet you always find inspiration as you try to find the story behind archaeological pieces. Nice to meet you.

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  14. Hi Sean, nice to meet you.

    I'm so jealous of your archeological digs. They sound Indiana Jones cool. Although I haven't set down roots in as many countries as you have, I've come close. In a few months I'm dragging my whole family back to SE Asia where they can do some temple touring at Angkor Wat. And most likely I'll blog about it.

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  15. Nice to meet a fellow Canadian. I'd like to visit a lot of places but living there is a different level of commitment. Do you think you'll stay where you are now or do you just take things as they come?

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    1. Not sure. The Spanish economy is pretty bad so I wouldn't rule out a move.

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  16. What a fascinating life you've led and are continuing to lead. I'm a Canadian who grew up in various countries around the world, but I've been back in my homeland for a long time now. Nice to meet you, Sean.

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  17. Archaeology is an amazing thing to do. To me history is all about people and that helps you get a better idea of how they lived which must be really inspiring for fiction! Nice to meet you.

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  18. You are certainly well-traveled! Hope today was fun with your son. And I want that tank.

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  19. Have fun on your school holiday! Archeology, travel, and writing - sounds wonderful!

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  20. Hi, your Civil War Horror caught my attention. My great granddad was a Union surgeon during the war. Was at Gettysburg and other terrible battles.

    Your archeology work sounds very interesting. It's the hunt for past lives that I find fascinating as an historian. Good luck with your writerly life.

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    1. Do you have any family anecdotes about him? I'd love to have you as a guest blogger!

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  21. Excellent photo. I'm a little jealous. In my next lifetime I think I might want to be an archeologist. Nice meeting you!

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  22. So, looks like you've had and still got a full life. :) Great to meet you. You're living my dream, being a full-time writer.

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  23. This really is a re-introduction! I followed your post during last years A to Z Challenge!! Nice to re-meet you again! :)

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  24. Wow, I'm blown away! I bet tons of details from your former job as an archeologist come in handy and show through your writing. Israel is on the top of my "places to visit" list, so I'm totes jealous, but happy you've been on so many adventures. It's great meeting you! I hope to see more of you around the blogosphere. :)

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  25. i'm sure your archeaology background has come in handy with writing...great pic, just DON'T SHOOT!

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  26. Civil War horrors stories sound very interesting.
    I absolutely love traveling too. Don't do near enough though.

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  27. I LOVE to travel. Love it! I went to Italy three years ago and this May I'll be going to Paris. I would love to live in Europe for a little while...

    Very cool blog. So nice to meet you :)

    Sam
    Writing Through College

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  28. Hi Sean .. good to see the synopsis of your present life - Santander must be a fascinating place to be living .. I really need to spend some time in Spain at some stage.

    Your Civil War horror stories sound very interesting .. while the travel I know throws out many an interesting post - just wish for more time .. to explore your blog and see your take on life, bearing in mind your background ..

    Hope the public holiday was a happy one for the family ... Cheers for now - Hilary

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