Happy gang member to be featured at library

79-year-old Marjorie Hembroff will be showing her writing projects off at the Strathmore Library's first annual local author showcase on June 3.

Being creative was always a gift that Hembroff had even at an early age, but she didn't start to get into writing until she was living in Calgary and was a part of a small art group in the city.

"I started to get these dreams and they were of books. Some of them had covers and blank pages and some of them had things in them but no covers." 

This dream prompted Hembroff to seek out its meaning. One day she was talking with one of the ladies that was in her art group, who had taken a few classes on interpreting dreams.

"She said that I was supposed to be writing the story that is in the books. That is how the idea for Bess's Magical Garden came to be and I just started writing it, and the words just flowed, they poured out of me."

At that same time she was also writing a picture book called Gramma Mouse Tells a Story, which about Gramma Mouse who is visiting and relaxing when her grandbabies beg her to tell them a story.

"I have put a lot of effort in writing these books and I got several projects on the go right now. The one that I am working on right now is Reona of Valley Ranch. I do this all on my own, I do my own editing and it is amazing how many times I will go through a book and find different ways of phrasing it that improve it."

Hembroff has also taken some writing courses as well that have amped up her skills and she also picks up different things online.

When Hembroff is not writing she is an active member of the Happy Gang here in Strathmore. 

"Right now, we have our yoga group, and we are doing some chair yoga. A few of us have found it a little bit difficult to get up and down from the mats on the floor."

Being able to feature her works at the library is something that Hembroff works hard for.

"That's the hardest part about writing is you have to take a step back a little bit and try to promote it as well, but I have sold work and I've got had tables in the farmers market in the past and sold books that way too."

Some of the books that Hembroff has written are:

Bess's Series - Bess Magical Garden, The Mystery of the Hidden Caben & Island Mystery 

Gramma Mouse Tells a Story

The Giant and the Missing Lens

The Pen Inspector 

Voices of Yesterday and Cherry Hill Farm, Cherry Hill Farm 

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