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Romantic Suspense and Historical Fiction

Scottish Fiction from Ailish Sinclair. Quote from romantic suspense novel TENDU.

I write romantic suspense and historical fiction, often set in the area of Scotland where I live, Aberdeenshire. My historical novels combine little-known dark events with love stories. There are witches, bears, kidnappers and Romans to be found in them, detailed here. My contemporary work is much naughtier, though still dark, and available to pre-order now.

I take a LOT of photos as is evidenced throughout the site.

Here on the blog, I write about castles, history, stone circles, dance, living with chronic illness, and writing. See my about page here.

Romantic Suspense – A Dancer’s Journey – 3 book series

A Dancer's Journey, a 3 book series by Ailish Sinclair. Romantic suspense.

These books are so naughty that I’m worried nobody will be able to look me in the face again after reading them. But not that worried. A Dancer’s Journey is now available for pre-order, titles releasing in October, November and December 2023.

See the series page here for blurbs and quotes.

A Dancer's Journey Series by Ailish Sinclair

Series on Amazon UK

Series on Amazon worldwide

Posts about the background, inspiration and writing of these stories:

A Dancer's Journey

Historical Fiction

My historical novels combine little-known dark events with love stories and a hint of magic.

The historical novels of Ailish Sinclair

Amazon UK

Amazon Worldwide

Further Insight into my life and work

Updates

Sign up to the mailing list for news about my life and writing, and exclusive photos. If you would like to hear about new books and offers, you can follow my Amazon author page.

A Dancer's Journey: dark and sexy romantic suspense
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Into the Woods…

Ailish Sinclair goes into the woods

It’s three weeks until TENDU releases. It’s been a long time coming, and a lot of my heart is in that book. I need to go into the woods.

So, here we go, through different times and places, for the lush calm of the trees and the quiet stillness of the loch.

Into the woods: loch

The hill behind the loch:

Into the woods...

I need ancient stones too. Trees surround Berrybrae stone circle:

Into the woods by Berrybrae

Berrybrae features in one of my sillier nocturnal TikTok/YouTubes (medication still preventing sleep):

On to a different woodland and another stone circle. The remains of Dunnideer:

Dunnideer stone circle under the trees

And finally, Huntly Castle appears at the end of a tree-lined drive, just like the castle in the book does, though the fictional one is not a ruin.

Huntry Castle: into the woods

Quote from TENDU:

Two majestic stone pillars, one topped with a mermaid and the other with a fearsome-looking bear, loomed large for a second and then were gone. It was properly dark between the densely packed trees that lined both sides of the single-track road. Everyone was quiet, looking ahead, awaiting the first view of the castle.

It burst into sight, all pink and floodlit at the end of the forest tunnel.

Tendu: Dancing in the Castle

Tendu by Ailish Sinclair

Scotland’s all misty lochs and magical forests and perfect boyfriends, right?

When dance student Amalphia Treadwell embarks on a secret relationship with her charismatic new teacher, she has no idea of the danger that lurks in his school in Scotland.

She’s soon dealing with her boyfriend’s obsessive ex, the strange research taking place at the castle school and her own ever-evolving relationship issues.

Amalphia works hard to be the best dancer she can be, but as tension builds within the old walls of the castle, she begins to wonder if she will ever escape the dank dark of the dungeon…

Dark, witty, steamy and fun, Tendu is a compelling and seductive story of love, dance and obsession.

Amazon UK

Amazon worldwide

Newsletter and Updates

Sign up to the mailing list for news about my life and writing, and some exclusive photos. If you would like to hear about new books and offers, you can follow my Amazon author page.

About Page

Ailish in the stones

Read all about little old me here!

Writer’s Tip Jar

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Prancing Up the Pirate Steps

pirate steps
pirate steps

I prance up the pirate steps, and I dance down the other side.

smugglers steps

Pirate Steps

Folklore tells us that pirates and smugglers were not permitted to pass through the gates of a kirkyard, but they were allowed to attend church, hence the special stairway.

These particular steps are located in the surrounding wall of St. Mary’s Chapel in Rattray, Aberdeenshire. The chapel is one of the oldest structures still standing in the area, and it’s rather beautiful.

St. Mary's Chapel, Rattray, Aberdeenshire, Scotland.

I ran up and down similar steps at Kildaton on Islay but, sadly, I do not have any photos of them.

Rattray steps and gate:

Pirate steps at Rattray

TikTok Fun

In other news, my current medication is keeping me up at night. It’s rather like living in several different time zones at once. I’ve been amusing myself by playing on TikTok and YouTube.

Contemporary Fiction: out soon

A Dancer's Journey Series by Ailish Sinclair

Scotland’s all misty lochs and magical forests and perfect boyfriends, right?

When dance student Amalphia Treadwell embarks on a secret relationship with her charismatic new teacher, she has no idea of the danger that lurks in his school in Scotland…

My dance background and love of history and spicy stories are what inspired this heady mix of contemporary romance and ballet set in a castle. Readers of my historical fiction will recognise the castle and stone circle that feature in these books.

A Dancer’s Journey will be available in paperback, Kindle and on Kindle Unlimited. The Kindle versions are available to pre-order now. They release in October, November and December.

There are no cliffhanger endings in this series; each book completes a story, but then there is more. So much more. Read all the blurbs here

Historical Fiction: out now

Historical Fiction by Ailish Sinclair

These novels combine little-known dark events with love stories and a hint of magic.

“Ethereal and spellbinding….” Historical Novel Society

Amazon UK

Amazon Worldwide

Newsletter and Updates

Sign up to the mailing list for news about my life and writing, and some exclusive photos. If you would like to hear about new books and offers, you can follow my Amazon author page.

About Page

A celebratory dance in a stone circle. Ballet foot en pointe.

Read all about little old me here!

Writer’s Tip Jar

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A Book Nook in a Pink House

17th century book nook
pink house and a book nook

Yesterday, on Doors Open Day, I visited the Pink House in Banff and its very beautiful book nook.

Merchant's House, Banff

Date of House

More officially known as the Merchant’s House, this lovely building’s date of origin is a little uncertain. The other houses in the row were all built in 1575, but the Pink House has this declaration on its wall:

1675

A mistake may have been made.

But, oh: a turret!

turret

The Interior

mirror

I passed through bedrooms with beautiful wallpaper and entered the courtyard garden.

pink house and book nook from courtyard

The owner of the house told me about the historically authentic paint, made with ox blood, and she also pointed out the books in that higher window to the right.

The Book Nook

book nook

Much as I wanted to just stay there in the nook – or perhaps even live in it – there were other places to explore.

Door to the loft and turret room:

medieval door

In the turret:

inside the turret

Loft:

loft of pink house

Robert Burns is said to have slept in the loft while working as an excise man in Banff. It was the only place in the house that felt a little creepy.

I did miss a few rooms. Though the owner assured me I could explore everywhere, I was aware that her family were having breakfast in the kitchen, and it just felt too intrusive to go through there.

windows within windows - book nook

The house as seen through the gate of the medieval graveyard across the street:

medieval graveyard, pink house with book nook

Sisters at the Edge of the World

Sisters at the Edge of the World

Amazon UK

Amazon Worldwide

When Morragh speaks to another person for the very first time, she has no idea that he is an invader in her land…

  • forbidden romance
  • chosen sisters
  • fierce warriors
  • neurodivergent main character
  • 1st century Scotland

And don’t miss the new naughtier books!

Tendu: Dancing in the Castle

Read about them here.

Newsletter and Updates

Sign up to the mailing list for news about my life and writing, and some exclusive photos. If you would like to hear about new books and offers, you can follow my Amazon author page.

My About Page

en pointe in a stone circle

Read all about little old me here!

Writer’s Tip Jar

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The Wine Tower of Fraserburgh

the Wine Tower, Fraserburgh's oldest building

I mentioned the Wine Tower, Fraserburgh’s oldest building, in a previous post here along with the associated ghost story. It was also one of the 10 Mystical and Magical Sites in Aberdeenshire that I wrote about for the official tourism site of Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire.

the wine tower in Fraserburgh

Inside the Wine Tower

the door of the wine tower
Through the door we go…

During one Doors Open Day, the tower was, indeed, open, and I finally got to have a look at the interior.

There was no humming and hawing from the guide as there sometimes is in official written histories of the place. The topmost room of the wine tower was a 16th century (post Reformation) Catholic Chapel owned by the Frasers of the nearby castle (now a lighthouse musuem).

the wine tower interior

The carving you can see above depicts Christ’s hands and feet. The one below is the Fraser crest, held by an ostrich.

Fraser crest in the wine tower

There seems to have been little exploration of the two lower rooms. There was no information available on them anyway. The middle one can only be reached via this hatch in the floor:

trap door!

Castle Kitchens

The old castle kitchens were also open for dark and creepy viewing.

15192168309_056bffa029_z
meat hook

Sunset

Let’s end on an autumnal painted sky over the loch.

sunset

My Historical Fiction

Historical fiction by Ailish Sinclair

These novels combine little-known dark events with love stories and a hint of magic.

“Ethereal and spellbinding….” Historical Novel Society

Amazon UK

Amazon Worldwide

And don’t miss the new naughtier books!

A Dancer's Journey, a 3 book series by Ailish Sinclair

Read about them here.

Newsletter and Updates

Sign up to the mailing list for news about my life and writing, and some exclusive photos. If you would like to hear about new books and offers, you can follow my Amazon author page.

My About Page

Ailish's feet

Read all about little old me here!

Writer’s Tip Jar

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Butterflies, ARCs and Lots of Words

proofreading Tendu... lots of words

Every morning. Every evening. Lots of words. Checking, checking, checking. Not just me. Others too. Lots of eyes.

Peacock butterfly in between lots of words

There are hundreds of these peacock butterflies in the garden just now. Their wings look like paintings. I love the colours.

Tendu: lots of words

And ARCs. Advance reader copies. I’m doing those this time. Bookish people can apply here if they like.

Historical Fiction

I’ve been forgetting to mention these books, and all their many words, lately, so here they are.

Historical Fiction by Ailish Sinclair

They combine little-known dark events with love stories and a hint of magic.

“Ethereal and spellbinding….” Historical Novel Society

Amazon UK

Amazon Worldwide

Newsletter and Updates

Sign up to the mailing list for news about my life and writing, and some exclusive photos. If you would like to hear about new books and offers, you can follow my Amazon author page.

My About Page

Ailish's feet

Read all about little old me here!

Writer’s Tip Jar

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A Golden and Blue Writing Schedule

golden and blue harvest time
golden blue autumn

It’s all golden and blue and warm and lovely here just now. There are different feelings in the air; sometimes it seems to be autumn with blustering winds and grey skies, but then it’s hot, hot summer again. The fields are cut, and ploughing has begun.

Another wee shot from the stone circle (see previous post here):

golden and blue: ballet shoes on a stone

Golden and Blue Writing

My writing schedule is quite extreme; all will be ready for October 20th. It feels golden, as I love working on all and any aspects of these books, and a little blue as I realise I’m almost at the end.

So, I run up and down the castle stairs with my characters. I dance with them in the deep dungeon studio, the stone circle and the great hall. I eat cake in Covent Garden and enjoy an unexpected kiss on the tube. Then there’s the bad things, the dark places and the relationship woes. I cry my way through those; you know I do. But I have my chocolate buttons and my tissues, and I’ll be okay…

Tendu: Dancing in the Castle

Explore the dark and sensual world of TENDU, where love, dance and obsession intertwine.

Amazon UK

Amazon worldwide

Tendu: Dancing in the Castle

Newsletter and Updates

Sign up to the mailing list for news about my life and writing, and some exclusive photos. If you would like to hear about new books and offers, you can follow my Amazon author page.

My About Page

feet

Read all about little old me here!

Writer’s Tip Jar

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A Celebratory Dance in a Stone Circle

a celebratory dance

Did I take a pair of old pointe shoes and perform a celebratory dance in a stone circle? Yes. Yes, I did.

The reason for the celebration? Well, there’s more than one. Firstly, I’m well enough to dance around a bit. I am enduring one or two monstrous autoimmunity symptoms, but they don’t stop me dancing! And secondly, all three books of A Dancer’s Journey are now on pre-order.

Book covers of A Dancer's Journey series by Ailish Sinclair: celebratory dance.
Look at the pretty covers! And the less bashed pointe shoes…

Release dates (2023)

ballet feet in a celebratory dance
Dancing on the stones worsened the frayed situation somewhat.

There’s a page with full blurbs and some quotes, but here’s part of Tendu’s description:

Scotland’s all misty lochs and magical forests and perfect boyfriends, right?

When dance student Amalphia Treadwell embarks on a secret relationship with her charismatic new teacher, she has no idea of the danger that lurks in his school in Scotland.

Dark, witty, sexy and fun, Tendu is a compelling and seductive story of love, dance and obsession. 

The books do include a little dancing in a stone circle. It’s fun, and I highly recommend it. I hope you can all enjoy a celebratory dance too.

Featured circle: Aikey Brae.

Pre-order A Dancer's Journey

Newsletter and Updates

Sign up to the mailing list for news about my life and writing, and some exclusive photos. If you would like to hear about new books and offers, you can follow my Amazon author page.

My About Page

Ailish's feet

Read all about little old me here!

Writer’s Tip Jar

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Autumn in Scotland

Autumn in Scotland - apples

Autumn in Scotland is brief. One day you’re in the midst of the wild and overgrown end of summer, and then – it always feels sudden and surprising – the trees are full of brilliant and bright colours.

There’s also berries. And misty mornings. And apples.

It’s all so beautiful.

I love it.

Autumn in Scotland

And this year I’m not missing it due to illness (see the article Doctors and Deadlines: writing with chronic illness).

I’m walking through that hot afternoon sunshine, between the trees and the toadstools. There’s so many of those this year.

fly agaric toadstool: autumn in Scotland

The end of autumn in Scotland

It all feels rather magical. But it could be over at any moment. When the first frost comes, which could happen any time in the next month, the leaves will turn brown and fall off. The dragonflies and butterflies will disappear. And it will be winter. Like the onset of autumn, this always feels sudden, but at the same time sneaky. Like, when did this cold, cold change occur?

So, I treasure sweet autumnal moments for as long as I can. Look at the sunshine shining through those red leaves. Glorious, isn’t it?

autumn in scotland

A Dancer’s Journey is almost here

TENDU is making me think of Covent Garden. And cake. It releases October 20th and is on pre-order now.

excerpt from Tendu by Ailish Sinclair

Series on Amazon UK

Series on Amazon worldwide

Page with blurbs and quotes

More on the series:

Sisters Review

This is from the long and thoughtful review of SISTERS AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD from Olga Núñez Miret:

“Those who are looking for a strong female protagonist, love lyrical and expressive writing styles, and favour stories with a touch of magic and ancient mythology, particularly set in Scotland, should put it on their list. They are bound to discover a new author to follow, and a protagonist they’ll never forget.”

See the whole review here.

Share Your Books

Don’t forget you can share your own books and writing on this post. I always love to see it.

My Historical Fiction

Set in 1st century Scotland, SISTERS AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD includes the battle of Mons Graupius between the Romans and the Caledonian tribes. The book features a neurodivergent main character and some rather complicated romance!

“Ethereal and spellbinding….” Historical Novel Society

Amazon UK

Amazon Worldwide

See the press release here

Read the article Roman Aberdeenshire features in author’s new book from Grampian Online.

Taking place mainly in a fictional castle, THE MERMAID AND THE BEAR blends an often overlooked period of history, the Scottish witchcraft accusations, in particular the 1597 Aberdeen witchcraft panic, with a love story.

See the press release here

Amazon UK

Amazon Worldwide

From the Press and Journal: New book by Fraserburgh author highlights horrific extent of witch trials in Scotland 

Fireflies and Chocolate by Ailish Sinclair

FIREFLIES AND CHOCOLATE was inspired by the kidnapped children and young people of Aberdeen. The story follows the adventures of Elizabeth Manteith from the castle and her determined efforts to get back home. There’s love. There’s derring-dos on the high seas… And there’s chocolate!

See the publisher’s Press Release here

Amazon UK

Amazon Worldwide

“Filled with excitement and suspense…” Historical Novel Society

feet

See my About Page here

Newsletter

Go here to sign up for my occasional emails that always include exclusive photos and news of my writing and life. They’re a more intimate space than the blog. If you would like to hear about new books and offers, you can follow my Amazon author page.

Writer’s Tip Jar

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The Beauty of Bow Fiddle Rock and Swan Lake

Bow Fiddle Rock

I had hoped it might be sunny on my recent visit to Bow Fiddle Rock, a natural sea arch near Portknockie. It was. Very briefly. Between the car and the benches, the sun shone brightly for a few seconds.

Bow Fiddle Rock benches

Then the clouds closed over, but the place was still beautiful.

Bow Fiddle Rock

I was reminded of the stunning Swan Lake photos of husband and wife Gillian Murphy and Ethan Stiefel, taken by photographer Fabrizio Ferri below. Overcast, wet weather did not stop beauty there either.

Back at Bow Fiddle Rock, I slipped and slid over recently rained-on pebbles to take my photos.

Bow Fiddle Rock

I stopped to admire red clover on my way back up the cliff. And that was beautiful too.

Sisters at the Edge of the World

Sisters at the Edge of the World

Set in 1st century Scotland, SISTERS AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD includes the battle of Mons Graupius between the Romans and the Caledonian tribes. The book features a neurodivergent main character and some rather complicated romance…

“Ethereal and spellbinding….” Historical Novel Society

Amazon UK

Amazon Worldwide

See the press release here

Read the article Roman Aberdeenshire features in author’s new book from Grampian Online.

About Page

Ailish's feet

See my About Page here

Newsletter

Go here to sign up for my occasional emails that always include some exclusive photos and news of my writing and life. If you would rather just hear about new books and offers, you can follow my Amazon author page.

castle door

Writer’s Tip Jar

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