Today’s special guest is writer Neill McKee. We’re chatting about his travel memoir, Guns and Gods in My Genes: A 15,000-mile North American search through four centuries of history, to the Mayflower.
Feel free to visit his other tour stops, too! (Details listed below)
Bio:
Neill McKee is a creative nonfiction writer based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. His first travel memoir, Finding Myself in Borneo, won a bronze medal in the Independent Publishers Book Awards, 2020, as well as other awards. McKee holds a Bachelor’s Degree, from the University of Calgary and a Master’s Degree in Communication from Florida State University. He worked internationally for 45 years, becoming an expert in the field of communication for social change. He directed and produced a number of award-winning documentary films/videos and multimedia initiatives, and has written numerous articles and books in the field of development communication. During his international career, McKee worked for Canadian University Service Overseas (CUSO); Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC); UNICEF; Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland; Academy for Educational Development and FHI 360, Washington, DC. He worked and lived in Malaysia, Bangladesh, Kenya, Uganda, and Russia for a total of 18 years and traveled to over 80 countries on short-term assignments. In 2015, he settled in New Mexico, using his varied experiences, memories, and imagination in creative writing.
Welcome, Neill. Please tell us about your current release.
Guns and God in My Genes takes the reader through 400 years and 15,000 miles of an on-the-road adventure, discovering stories of my Scots-Irish ancestors in Canada, while uncovering their attitudes towards religion and guns. My adventure turns south and west as I follow the trail of my maternal grandfather, a Canadian preacher who married an American woman in Wisconsin, and braved the American Wild West. Much to my surprise, I find my American ancestors were involved in every major conflict on North American soil: the Civil War, the American Revolution, and the French and Indian War. In the last chapters, I discover and document my Pilgrim ancestors who arrived on the Mayflower, landing at Plymouth in 1620, and their Puritan descendants who fought in the early Indian Wars of New England. With the help of professional genealogical research, I track down and tell the stories of the heroes, villains, rascals, as well as, the godly and ordinary folk in my genes, discovering many facts and exposing myths. I also let readers in on a personal struggle: whether to apply for Canadian-United States dual citizenship or remain only a Canadian.
What inspired you to write this book?
During 2013-15, I visited my aging mother in Ontario, traveling from my home in Maryland a few times a year. My dad, who died in 2007, was always interested in old family history but never had the time nor the skills to do much research or writing. I discovered the beginnings of interesting stories in his old files, and I reached out to cousins, one living uncle, and three remaining aunts. I found many leads on both sides of the family and interviewed family members in person, picking up more stories, photos, and records. That’s when I knew I had another book to write. Also, by getting my DNA tested on Ancestry.com, it matched with distant cousins who had additional stories, records, and photos.
Excerpt from Guns and God in My Genes:
Opening of Chapter 1:
The Deer Hunt, November 1961: For my first deer hunt, a boy not quite 16, my father loaned me his old Lee-Enfield .303 rifle. Stationed on a rock in the middle of a field—so quiet, just a sprinkling of snow on the ground—baying hounds awoke me from a daydream. I surveyed the far hillside, saw a deer, aimed, and squeezed the trigger. The animal flinched and then took off. I thought I had missed, but joining Uncle Gerald and the hounds, we followed a dark red trail—so easy to find the doe. Celebrations followed at lunchtime for that first kill of the season: a toast with sweet red wine, laughter, slaps on my back, my father so proud of me. But all seemed much too easy, with four more days to go.
In the afternoon we resumed the hunt. A cold wind had blown in from the north. I sat on a small hill crowned by rock. Again, hounds broke the silence, bushes rustled, hoofs pounded, a startled young buck darted from the woods, leaping up the slope. I fired as he sprung over me, but I missed and cocked the gun. The bullet jammed, then slid in, I swung and pulled the trigger again. The deer dropped close to me—blood gushing from its throat, sputtering, gurgling. Uncle Archie emerged from the woods to shake my hand; his words muffled by those sounds. My stomach churned and I vomited on the ground while Archie shot it in the head. The woods fell silent as we dragged the carcass out.
For me that evening, another toast, more pats on the back. I went out with the gang for the rest of the hunt, but never killed another deer and never fired a gun again.
What exciting story are you working on next?
Since 2015, I have been working on another title as well, a prequel to my Borneo memoir, the manuscript of which is presently out for review and I expect it to be released later this year: Kid on the Go! Memoir of my life before Borneo is Neill McKee’s third work in creative nonfiction. It is a prequel to his first work in the genre, the award-winning Finding Myself in Borneo: Sojourns in Sabah. In this short book, McKee takes readers on a journey through his childhood, early adolescence, and teenage years, while growing up in the small industrially-polluted town of Elmira in Southern Ontario, Canada—now infamous as one of the centers for production of Agent Orange during the Vietnam War. Each chapter is set to a different theme on how he learned to keep “on the go” to escape the smells coming from the town’s chemical factory and other pollutants, including manure from surrounding farms. McKee’s vivid descriptions, dialog, and self-drawn illustrations, provide much humor and poignant moments in his stories of growing up in a loving family. In a way, the book is a travel memoir through both mental and physical space—a study of a young boy’s learning to observe and avoid dangers; to cope with death in the family; to fish, hunt, play cowboys; to learn the value of work and how to build and repair “escape” vehicles. The memoir explores his experiences with exploding hormones, his first attraction to girls, dealing with bullying, how he rebelled against religion and authority and survived the conformist teenager “rock & roll” culture of the early 1960s, coming out the other side with the help of influential teachers and mentors. After finally leaving his hometown, McKee describes his rather directionless but intensely searching years at university. Except for an emotional and revealing postscript, the story ends when he departs to become a volunteer teacher on the Island of Borneo—truly a “kid on the go!”
When did you first consider yourself a writer?
I started writing technical books on communication during my career, but it wasn’t until I retired from filmmaking and multimedia production that I studied creative nonfiction. When my first travel memoir came out in early 2019, I became a creative writer.
Do you write full-time? If so, what’s your work day like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?
Now I am a full-time writer. I work from about 9am to noon, take a break for lunch and sometimes a brief nap, then work until 4:30 or 5pm, normally seven days a week with Covid-19 lockdown. I research, write, communicate and promote during that time. I try to do the writing in the morning, when I am fresh.
What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
I’m a plodder. I tend to work a little too much. I get carried away in the creation process and forget to take breaks. I have never really experienced burnout or writers’ block, so far. I often write to classical music. It adds drama!
As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
Actually, I didn’t really know. I was a dreamer and a wanderer. I knew I wanted to travel to more verdant places, like Africa so I could escape the stinks of our home town. For a while, I thought I’d become an engineer and work in my dad’s company. But then in senior high school and I had an awakening to philosophy and thinks like Zen Buddhism. I thought I’d become a psychologist in university, but then brew disinterested. Finally, I decided I wanted to go to the Far East, and I found myself in Borneo as a volunteer teacher. There I became a filmmaker.
Anything additional you want to share with the readers?
It was a lot of hard work to switch gears and become a creative nonfiction memoir writer in my 70s, but it’s a lot of fun and it gave me a new outlook on life. It was like recreating myself for the last few decades, and leaving some kind of mark for my whole life’s efforts. I wake up each morning energized.
Links:
Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | Twitter | Buy link
Thanks for being here today.
BLOG TOUR DATES:
February 15th @ The Muffin
What goes better in the morning than a muffin? Grab your coffee and join us as we talk to author Neill McKee and celebrate the launch of his blog tour for his travel memoir, Guns and Gods in My Genes. You can also enter to win a copy of the book yourself! https://muffin.wow-womenonwriting.com
February 17th @ Choices
Join Madeline today as she spotlights Neill McKee’s travel memoir Guns and Gods in My Genes. http://madelinesharples.com/
February 20th @ Bring on Lemons
Turn lemons into lemonade by visiting Crystal’s blog today, where you can read her honest review of Neill McKees insightful memoir, Guns and Gods in My Genes. http://bringonlemons.blogspot.com/
February 22nd @ CloudsGirls27 Reads Books
Join Melissa as she reads Neill McKee’s memoir Guns and Gods in My Genes. https://bookreviewsbycloudsgirl27.home.blog/
February 24th @ Author Anthony Avina’s Blog
Come by Anthony’s blog today where he interviews author Neill McKee about his memoir Guns and Gods in My Genes. https://authoranthonyavinablog.com/
February 25th @ What is That Book About
Michelle spotlights Neill McKee’s book Guns and Gods in My Genes. https://www.whatisthatbookabout.com/
February 26th here!
February 27th @ Boots, Shoes, and Fashion
Join Linda as she treats us to an interview with author Neill McKee and chats with him about his memoir Guns and Gods in My Genes. She also shares some insights about the book! http://bootsshoesandfashion.com/
February 28th @ Lilly’s Book Wonderland
Join Lilly as she shares her insights into Neill McKee’s fascinating travel memoir Guns and Gods in My Genes. https://www.lillysbookwonderland.com/
March 1st @ World of My Imagination
Light up your imagination when you visit Nicole’s blog today! She shares her insights into Neill McKee’s memoir Guns and Gods in My Genes.
https://worldofmyimagination.com
March 3rd @ Joy Neal Kidney’s Blog
Make sure you stop by Joy’s blog today and read her review of Neill McKee’s memoir Guns and Gods in My Genes. https://joynealkidney.com/
March 3rd @ Memoir Memoir
Visit John’s blog today and you can read his review of Nell McKee’s memoir Guns and Gods in My Genes. https://memoir-memoir.com/
March 5th @ A Storybook World
Deirdra spotlights Neill McKee’s profound memoir Guns and Gods in My Genes.
http://www.astorybookworld.com/
March 8th @ Memoir Writer’s Journey
Join Kathy as she reviews Neill McKee’s memoir Guns and Gods in My Genes.
https://www.krpooler.com/
March 11th @ The Frugalista Mom
Join Rozelyn as she reviews Neill McKee’s fascinating memoir Guns and Gods in My Genes. You can also win a copy of the book too!
https://thefrugalistamom.com/
March 12th @ Memoir Revolution
https://memorywritersnetwork.com/blog/
March 14th @ Author Anthony Avina’s Blog
Join Anthony again when he reviews Neill McKee’s memorable memoir Guns and Gods in My Genes. https://authoranthonyavinablog.com/
March 15th @ My Writer Blog
Join Carole as she reviews Neill McKee’s memoir Guns and Gods in My Genes.
http://carolemertz.com/
March 16th @ Writer, Writer, Pants on Fire
Set your reading list on fire with Mindy McGinnis as she spotlights Neil McKee’s memoir Guns and Gods in My Genes. You also have the chance to win a copy of this fascinating book! https://www.mindymcginnis.com/blog/