Today we welcome fellow Pelican Book Group author, Marion Ueckermann back to our blog with something she treasures....
It’s
a little difficult to make out my Tuesday Treasure—that’s because it’s really,
really, really old. In fact, this piece of paper, handwritten in 1891, is
nearly 124 years old. Its shape, no longer square, has an arc to its edges due
to the magic tape holding it all together.
This
is my grandfather, Adam Morrison’s birth certificate. He was born on November
5th, and every year skies across the world are set ablaze with fireworks celebrating
his birth. Joking...but I always thought it pretty cool that he was born on Guy
Fawkes Day.
You’re
probably thinking this is a strange treasure, but I guard this document with my
life. That’s because this birth certificate gives me the right to hold a British
Passport. Yet, I’m the only one of my siblings to have this amazing privilege.
Why, you ask. Because this document alone is not enough to make me, or my
siblings, a British citizen. However, combine this with my own birth
certificate and voila—one British passport.
I
was born in Northern Rhodesia, a British colony at the time of my birth. Two
years later the country got independence from the United Kingdom and in 1964
changed the name to Zambia. My country of birth, combined with my paternal
grandfather being born in the UK—Scotland to be more precise—has allowed me to
be issued with a British passport, classifying me as a British citizen. Although
my siblings can apply for an Ancestral Visa to live and work in the UK for five
years with this birth certificate, they cannot get a British passport.
Oh,
the privileges that have come with this document. But then, as the most widely travelled
in our family, I guess God knew I’d need it the most when he planned my birth
in Zambia.
I
planned a little Zambian birth, too. My novella, Orphaned Hearts, which
released independently this Friday, July 10th, and as part of the SPLASH! boxed
set in June, is set on the banks of the mighty Zambezi River in Zambia. It’s an
amazing place to visit, and you can do so from the comfort of your
armchair...no passport required. So why not sit back, relax, and take a trip to
Africa with me?
Will
his past, or her future, keep their hearts orphaned?
When
his wife dies in childbirth, Zambian conservationist Simon Hartley pours his
life into raising his daughter and his orphan elephants. He has no time, or
desire, to fall in love again. Or so he thinks.
Wanting
to escape English society and postpone an arranged marriage, Lady Abigail Chadwick
heads to Africa for a year to teach the children of the Good Shepherd
Orphanage. Upon her arrival she is left stranded at Livingstone airport…until a
reluctant Simon comes to her rescue.
Now
only fears born of his loss, and secrets of the life she’s tried to leave
behind, can stonewall their romance, budding in the heart of Africa.
Purchase
Links:
I’d love to interact with readers at
any of the following places:
Follow
the tour tomorrow:
Wednesday 15th ~ A Wednesday Wander to the
Sycamore Fig
Marion Ueckermann’s passion for writing was
sparked in 2001 when she moved to Ireland with her husband and two sons. Since
then she has published devotional articles and stories in Winners, The One Year
Devotional of Joy and Laughter, Chicken
Soup for the Soul: Miraculous Messages from Heaven.
Marion
loves writing Contemporary Inspirational Romances set in novel places and has
three Passport to Romance novellas published and contracted through White Rose
Publishing, a Pelican Book Group imprint: her debut novella, Helsinki Sunrise; Oslo Overtures (August 2015); and Glasgow Grace (2016).
She
lives in Pretoria East, South Africa in an empty nest with her husband and
their crazy black Scottie, Wally.
Wow! Hope you enjoyed this Tuesday Treasure as much as I did! See you in a couple of days for Thursday Thoughts and then Saturday Spotlight!
Until later...take care & God Bless!
PamT
12 comments:
Wow, Marion, South Africa! How thrilling. Our exchange student daughter is from Finland so I do have your book tbr. And what a great treasure you have,and on Guy Fawkes Day, too. I can see why the birth certificate is precious to you. Wishing you tons of success for all your books. Hugs and prayers...
Marion, I found your post so interesting because I own a copy of my great-grandfather's birth certificate, dated 1887! So, I can relate to your treasure. Thank you for sharing this fascinating piece of your life.
Many blessings as you write for King Jesus!
MaryAnn Diorio
www.maryanndiorio.com
Wow. What an amazing treasure you have. That is so neat. And what a great setting for a romance. Sounds like a good one!
I often say God works in amazing ways. But He can, He alone is God. Fun tidbit, Marion.
Wow, a very special treasure indeed. Very cool! Your story sounds wonderful. Wishing you the best!
Thanks, ladies, for your thoughts. At first when I read Pam's brief to write about something I treasure, I wondered what would I write about. It very quickly came to me that if my house was burning down, that would probably be the first thing I'd grab to save. And it's been exciting to set a story in the land of my birth. It definitely won't be the last.
Tanya, that's exciting about your exchange student. You might not have followed the blog posts on my first Passport to Romance, Helsinki Sunrise, when I did a blog tour for it's release, but my son married a Finnish girl. You could say they inspired a lot of the writing of that book.
So interesting to read novels set in different parts of the world!
I love the little fluke that you are a British citizen while your siblings aren't. Very interesting! And I agree with the rest, I've never read a romance set in Africa and it sounds intriguing. Best wishes for all your writing endeavors!
Wow, how interesting! Truly a treasure :)
My comment May be duplicated. Silly phone. I just have to respond to your treasure. Travel is my dearest dream but more than that having old wedding licenses, birth announcements, deaths, achievements, and letters is important to me. I'm Scot-Irish-English. I'm happy that Pam invited you to her blog. She's One of my dearest friends.
What a genuine treasure. Just to have your grandfather's birth certificate is exciting, but to have the gifts it brings with it is awesome. Thanks for sharing with us. I love the fact that your stories take place all over the world. Cheers.
Thank you Jacqueline, MJ, Maureen, Winona and Marilyn for your comments. It's so exciting to see how readers actually LOVE stories set in other parts of the world :) (because I love setting my stories in unusual places!)
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