Ailish Sinclair Bio
Ailish Sinclair trained as a dancer and taught dance for many years, before working in schools to help children with special needs. A short stint as a housekeeper in a castle fired her already keen interest in untold stories of the past and she sat down to research and write.
She now lives beside a loch with her husband and two children where she writes and dances (yes still, chronic medical conditions allowing, pah!) and eats rather too much chocolate.
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Contemporary Fiction
Read Ailish’s series A Dancer’s Journey! There’s ballet. There’s naughtiness. And there’s peril!
Enjoy a kiss on the London tube. Romp up and down the castle stairs. Dance in a stone circle. Attend a Ceilidh in the great hall. Have your brain studied in the dungeon. All fun, I assure you. Well, not quite all…
Series on Amazon UK
Series on Amazon worldwide
Series on Goodreads
There’s more about these stories in the posts below:
- The Publishing Journey of a Ballet Novel
- Pointe Work and a Red Leotard
- Working Girl: a WordPress Prompt Goes Dark
- A Snaggled, Barbourous Place
- Diabolical and Deranged: Writing and Blood
- Chosen Sisters: Friendship and Dance
- And there’s also this slightly strange little post about what the characters of A Dancer’s Journey get up to when Ailish takes a rare day off from writing.
Historical Fiction
These historical novels combine little-known dark events with love stories and a hint of magic.
- SISTERS AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD: ancient battle, neurodiversity and forbidden romance.
- THE MERMAID AND THE BEAR: witchcraft, a stone circle, a castle and six chapters of medieval Christmas.
- FIREFLIES AND CHOCOLATE: kidnapping, friendship and chocolate.
Shop
Signed books and bookmarks are available here in the Ko-fi shop
On the Stones…
Writer’s Tip Jar
Bookish places
You can also follow the blog on wordpress
Follow Ailish Sinclair on WordPress.com
Elsewhere on the web
- Dance and Despair: Writing What You Know on Women Writers, Women[‘s] Books.
- Should we really have fun at Halloween when the north-east led the great execution of witches? from the Press and Journal, featuring Ailish.
- Roman Aberdeenshire features in author’s new book from Grampian Online.
- On Women Writers, Women’s Books: Doctors and Deadlines: Writing with Chronic Illness.
- Ailish’s article Researching Historical Fiction: Immersing Oneself in the Past on Women Writers, Women[‘s] Books.
- Ailish’s piece 10 Mystical and Magical Sites in Aberdeenshire on the official tourism site for Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire.
- New book by Fraserburgh author highlights horrific extent of witch trials in Scotland from the Press and Journal
- Interview over on Relationships are Complicated.com here
- Interview for the Indie Spotlight on Sue’s Musings
- The Wee Writing Lassie asked Ailish 7 intrusive questions recently! Go to her blog to see them.
- The Wee Writing Lassie asked Ailish 7 impertinent questions!
- Ruby Red interviewed Ailish for the Bookly blog here
- Ailish’s guest blog The Vanishing Laird on Willow Winsham’s ‘The Witch, the Weird, and the Wonderful’.
The pictures are amazing. They draw me like a haunting melody. Absolutely beautiful, thank you so much for sharing!
Thanks for following me on twitter. I love visiting Scotland. For years, I visited a friend who lived in Edinburgh. Can’t wait to get back. Your pictures are really great.
Hi Ruby 🙂
I see we share a fondness for the writing of Mary Stewart… I hope you get to return to Scotland soon.
I’m glad you like them Gary 🙂
I have just enjoyed all your photographs. What an interesting personality you have; to love dancing, photography and writing (besides eating cake) and going for walks in that lovely countryside sounds a good way to live your life! Good luck with your writing.
l
Thank you so much 🙂
Great photos! I recognise some of the buildings from calendars. Been trying to figure out which loch you live near. I’ll keep checking your photos and see it if I can figure it out. Love the views.
A-ha! I don’t like to say *exactly* where I live… The loch in question is small and little known 🙂 Glad you like the photos.
Just to say how lovely this blog is. The photos are beautiful 🙂
Thanks 🙂
Real… nice photo..
Never had the chance of making my pointe shoes worn out Ailish! 🙂
It’s never too late!
Vow ! that is a beautiful description.. your Country is so beautiful, I wish I could visit it one day…
take care
Absolutely beautiful – there is something about nature that nourishes the soul! Thank you for sharing..btw would like to follow your blog but can’t seem to find the ‘follow’ button!
There should be a follow button at the top if you are logged in to wordpress. Otherwise there is a follow by email form on the right (or bottom of page if on mobile site). Glad you like the blog 🙂
I am so happy I found your blog! Thank you for sharing all these fantastic stories and photos.
I’m glad you like them Vasilis 🙂
Your photos are captivating,absolutely beautiful! Thank you for sharing.
So glad you like them Maria, thank you 🙂
I enjoy reading your blog, and I nominated you for the Liebster Award as one of my favourite new blogs. The details are on my blog if you want to participate: https://secretsofatrailingspouse.wordpress.com/blog/
Thanks for following 🙂 Look forward to reading your posts
I’m an American living in Cornwall and when I saw a few of your photos on Twitter I thought at first that they were of Cornwall. Both beautiful, haunting parts of the world.
It’s amazing how places can look so similar sometimes 🙂
I’ve nominated you for the Blogger Recognition Award. My award post is here. http://katespencer17.com/2015/08/22/blogger-recognition-award/
Feel free to disregard if you haven’t got the time or inclination. I understand. Kate
Thanks so much Kate! Very bad at doing these things but I do appreciate the nomination 🙂
I love cake too
I am so glad to have found you, and I love your presence on Pinterest! My family’s origins hail from Ayrshire and are related to the Stewarts. I’ve spent significant time in Ireland, but have yet to go to Scotland, but know I will!
Nice to meet you Claire. I hope you enjoy Scotland when you get here!
The pictures are breathtaking, the humaness that shines through your words is touching. I’m reminded to enjoy nature. I hope to visit Scotland soon. After honeymooning in Ireland last summer, I fell in love even more – with the ease of Celtic culture.
I hope you get a chance to visit Scotland Michele 🙂
Thank you for finding and following me today on Twitter — on my very first Tweet! (I still have much to learn about Twitter!) I love your photographs of Scotland — the land of my ancestors. I look forward to following your journey as a writer, as I am also on the journey.
Nice to meet you Janet 🙂
Ailish, you have the self same lovely name as my younger girl. I can’t find a follow to follow you back blogwise but I have subscribed to your blog by email and you can bet I’d follow you anyway. xxx
Thank you, hope you continue to enjoy the posts! Hi to Ailish 🙂
The photos are beautiful….!!
Glad you like 🙂
Yo used to dance too. And love traveling and write. It’s a small world. Sort of! Your pics are amazingly. Xx
Hi nice to find your blog today. I’m an Edinburgh girl at heart, as I grew up there, now living in England! May return to my roots one day…
Nice to meet you!
Hello, many thanks for following The Monching’s Guide!
You’re welcome!
Thanks so much for following my blog! 🙂 yours is lovely and I’m delighted to see you’re from Scotland; I have some Scots ancestry and I’m convinced I’m Celtic on the inside!
Lovely to ‘meet’ you Jeanette 🙂
Hey, just checked out your blog and the pictures are so good..! Thank you for following my blog. Please keep posting these amazing pictures .!
I love taking them so it’s likely! Thank you 🙂
Thanks for following my blog. I am fascinated with Scotland and love your photos.
peace, litebeing
Thank you too litebeing 🙂 I’m glad you like the photos.
Congratulations, Ailish!
I have nominated your blog for the Real Neat Blog Award.
More about this nomination is at
https://dearkitty1.wordpress.com/2019/02/01/real-neat-blog-award-congratulations-my-15-nominees/
Ooh, thank you. I will have to check that out!
Congratulation son the publishing contract and thank you for subscribing to my blog – www.http://growing younger every day.wordpress.com
You’re welcome 🙂
Dance, photo, books and cake??? Can we be friends? I also have two kids haha! But I don’t live by a loch – nah, I am in Brussels, Belgium, which is nice and charming as well, believe it or not!
Thanks for visiting my blog, I’m looking forward to discovering yours, and good luck for the novel!! Exciting project!
Thank you Sev. Looking forward to reading your blog too 🙂
Hi Ailish, really like you’re blog. Your eye for photography is really good. If you don’t mind I think I’ll stick around for a while
You’re most welcome to 🙂
Hi Ailish! Thanks a lot for joining Thoughts of SheryL!
Great blog! 🙂
Thank you and you’re welcome 🙂
My pleasure!
I <3 Scotland…the lore, the landscape, the history, the traditions, the people. Thanks for the follow, Ailish. I think I'll stay for a while here, too. Looking forward to your book 🙂
Thank you so much Donna 🙂
Dance is a song our bodies can sing. Thanks for following my blog.
Thank you too, Quiall 🙂
It sounds amazing, this magical place where you live. But ouch, those poor toes!!! Thank you, Ailish, for following my blog.
You’re welcome and thank you for the toe sympathy!
Thank you so much for visiting my blog and for the follow, Ailish. I have enjoyed looking at your most recent posts and am now following you. Best wishes, Clare.
Thank you so much Clare. I look forward to reading your blog too 🙂
Thank you for following my blog. I appreciate that. I am returning the favor by following your blog as well.
Thank you 🙂
Love the pointe shoes, Ailish! Thanks for following The Write Edge. I hope you find it interesting and informative. Have a wonderful day!
I’m sure I will find it interesting and useful 🙂
Gorgeous photographs, Ailish!
Thank you so much!
Oh, my! I just scrolled through some of your jaw-droppingly gorgeous photographs–how fortunate you are to live in such a fairyland of a place! I’d love to visit Scotland, home of at least some of my ancestors. The closest I’ve ever gotten and, I suspect, will get, was to Nova Scotia. At least, I live in the northwest mountain of North Carolina, where many Scots immigrants settled because of the craggy mountain peaks that reminded them of home, so I’m told.
North Carolina sounds beautiful, but I do hope you get a chance to realise your travel dreams 🙂
Wow! Some Stunning photo’s and stories – you do indeed live in a wonderful part of the world. Thanks for the follow – I’m touched that you spend some time looking at my lackluster efforts.
Looking forward to reading more.
Nothing lackluster about it Stuart. I loved your photos of Old Sarum 🙂
Thank you! 😀
I like the idea of anything taking place in Scotland. I have yet to get there.
I hope you get the chance to visit 🙂
Hello!
Thanks for stopping by and following me. I am looking forward to following you and reading more!
<3 Alana
You’re welcome, and thank you 🙂
Am I bad cause I have the word cake now edge in my brain? Lol Also a cup a tea..but I guess that on is on me.
A lovely piece of words… and with insight as I now picture a Scottish dancer. Looking forward to the reads also.
Tommy D..
You should have that cup of tea and cake Tommy, and thank you for your kind words 🙂
Thank you, Ailish, for reading my blog ‘Witch Hunt’ and for following. I know Aberdeen a bit (I was involved with the oil companies for a few years plus I have a good friend who was born there and is always waxing strong about the city.) I had no idea about the extent of the “witch” craze there. I also note you are publishing a novel -congratulations!
Yes, Aberdeen had it’s own witchcraft panic. Thank you for the congratulations 🙂
Congrats on your writing career and thanks for the follow! 🙂
Thank you, and you’re welcome 🙂
Thanks for following my blog! Enjoying your stuff
You’re welcome 🙂
Congrats on your book being published! This is not a small feat. As a new aspiring writer I have a ton of respect for fellow writers. It’s fun, grueling, difficult, and wonderful all at the same time.
It is an incredible journey 🙂
Congratulations on your future publishing date! And I’m enchanted by your dancing feet and how you could possibly intertwine that with your writing. Thanks for stopping by Life in the Slow Lane and choosing to following along. I’ll be adding my name to your mailing list.
Thank you so much Sherrey 🙂
Great photos on your blog. Thank you for the follow.
Thank you, and you’re welcome 🙂
Hi AIlish, thanks for interacting my website and like you I am starting out on a writing and publishing career with one ready to be read by end Sept and another being drafted, perhaps for next year?
Exciting times!
Your upcoming book sounds fascinating! And the cover — perfect! Thanks for following me at Roughwighting!
Thank you, and you’re welcome 🙂
Thank you so much for taking the time to visit and follow me and Pearl the Storyhound. At one time I was thinking of writing a story based on the witch trials, but I became so upset and angry while researching the subject I had to shelve it. You’re braver than I am!
You’re welcome 🙂 It is a distressing subject, but that only fueled my determination to write the story.
Scotland fan, here! My great great granny hailed from the Isle of Skye.
Wonderful 🙂 I did a post on Skye here: https://ailishsinclair.com/2017/06/over-the-sea-to-the-fairies/
I checked it out—absolutely picturesque!
Hello, Ailish!!! Thanks for liking my post and following my blog. I appreciate it.
You’re welcome 🙂
Awesome. Scotland is one of my homes and the place I met my husband. Lovely to get a glimpse into its magic! Thanks!
How wonderful; I’m glad you like the post 🙂
Thanks for following my blog! I’m just starting out and it means a lot.
You’re welcome 🙂
Thanks for stopping by my blog! Best wishes on the release of your historical novel. Sounds interesting!
You’re welcome, and thank you 🙂
Your book sounds so intriguing! Longing to visit Scotland 🙂 Thanks for stopping by!
Thank you 🙂 I hope you get the chance to visit.
Thank you for following The Write Edge and The Write Edge Bookshelf. I hope you find the posts interesting and informative. All the best to you on your writing journey!
I’m sure I will, and thank you 🙂
Thank you for reading my little piece on Frankenstein and Mary Shelley at NotebookM. Best of luck with your new novel.
It was a great piece; I’ve always been fascinated by Mary Shelley and the fact that she wrote such a famous book on a weekend away with Byron! And thank you 🙂
What she wrote that weekend was not the book we know. It was only a story, expanded later and revised three times. Still, an incredible piece of literature.
Yes, so much revision goes into books. And who could write a novel in a weekend?
Dear Ailish, thank you for the “like” to my Musings of a Gen Joneser blog! It led my discovering your “The Mermaid and The Bear,” which I promptly ordered from Barnes & Noble. I look forward to adding it to my reading list! Take good care, David Yamada
I enjoyed your blog and hope you enjoy the book!
Well, hello.
Thank you for taking the time to read some of my writing and thank you also for choosing to hang around my site.
I only started blogging in December and it’s opening up a world of writers I didn’t know existed.
Right then, once I finish painting the window sill and make dinner then walk the dogs then take the washing in then get everyone ready for bed…
… I’ll make time to go through your blog too.
Promise.
All the best,
John Ormsby
Blogging is a great way to find authentic writing and experience 🙂
Thanks for your support Alish
You’re welcome 🙂
Thank you for the follow. It is much appreciated.
You’re welcome 🙂
Hiya. Thanks for liking my Sylvie and Bruno post. Best, Guy
You’re welcome 🙂
Hello, Ailish!!! Thanks for visiting my blog and liking my post.I appreciate it.
You’re welcome 🙂
Thank you for following Indifferent Ignorance. Best of luck with your writing!
You’re welcome, and thank you 🙂
Thanks for following my blog. Nice to see another Scottish writer on wordpress. i never heard the story about the Aberdeen children who were captured and made to work in the colonies. It sounds a bit like the story of Long nan Daoine, a boat (sponsored by the corrupt landowner) which captured people from Skye and Harris with the aim of selling them as slaves in the colonies. They managed to escape while the boat made a stop in northern Ireland but many of them never made it back.
How amazing that they managed to escape! There was a shortage of labour in the colonies so this sort of thing was rife, with much money to be made.
How amazing that they managed to escape! There was a shortage of labour in the colonies so this sort of thing was rife unfortunately. In Aberdeen the magistrates of the town were involved.
Your novel looks intriguing. I will check it out and want to thank you for choosing to follow my blog. I hope it encourages you in your walk with the Lord. And may He bless your writing as you point others to him.
Wish you success in your book publishing. While I have written hundreds of features on travel & lifestyle, it is my dream to publish a book 🙂
I hope your dream comes true!
Your bio is beautiful. I enjoyed the story about yourself a lot. You are an intriguing person
I’m glad you enjoyed it 🙂
It’s nice to meet you, Ailish Sinclair! It sounds like you have had a very interesting and fulfilling career as an author and dancer. It’s great that you have been able to combine your love of dance and history in your writing, and that you have been able to find inspiration in the beautiful location where you live beside a loch. It’s always inspiring to see people pursue their passions despite any challenges they may face.
I am very happy with the way my life has turned out 🙂
What a beautiful blog – I would love to explore more of Scotland! Thank you for the follow
Thank you, and you’re most welcome 🙂
Are your history based stories inspired by actual historical events?
Yes, they are. You can read more about them here: https://ailishsinclair.com/books/