art Archives - Ailish Sinclair

October 30, 2023November 4, 2023

A Spooky and Serendipitous Week

It always feels a little spooky at this time of year. The shops are full of monsters and items that have been ‘Halloweenified.’ The clocks go back an hour here in the UK, making the nights instantly much darker. I feel a little monstrous again, but I’m boring myself with that, so I won’t detail it here.

An Alternative Halloween Article

Should we really have fun at Halloween when the north-east led the great execution of witches?

Excellent piece from @NeilDrysdale. I cite the case of Bessie Thom in the article, a woman who features in THE MERMAID AND THE BEAR, as an example of what happened to one of the more than 3,000 victims of the witch trials.

“Bessie, quite possibly, went into the North Sea before being committed to the flames during a very public execution.”

Less Spooky, More Serendipitous

The Wee Writing Lassie asked me this question on her blog last week (about TENDU): Amalphia’s story takes place in the beautiful and cutthroat world of professional ballet – what inspired the decision to set her story in that particular backdrop?

My answer: When I was first considering writing a contemporary romance, I was unsure exactly where to place it. Inspiration struck while I was lying in the bath contemplating the issue. I saw a line of dancers in my mind. They were at the barre performing ronde de jambe, a circular leg exercise, and I knew the ballet world would be the setting for the story. My own dance training and career provided many of the details, and everything grew from there.

The serendipity: the picture above is almost identical to the image that appeared in my mind thirteen years ago. It arrived in my house, totally unexpectedly, in beautiful wall-mounted form, the day before TENDU released. Some lovely people, who I don’t even know that well, thought I might like it. I can see it from my desk now. And it’s a wonderful reminder that, even though bad or spooky things happen in this world, magic happens too.

The Books of this Post

The Mermaid and the Bear by Ailish Sinclair

Set in a fictional castle in Aberdeenshire, Ailish Sinclair’s debut novel, 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.

Amazon UK

Amazon Worldwide

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.

“I fell in love with the book from the first page, and the love affair continued to the end.” Review from Lena on Goodreads.

Amazon UK

Amazon worldwide

Keep up to date with all my news by signing up to the mailing list. It’s a more intimate space than the blog and always contains some exclusive photos. If you would like to hear about new books and offers, you can follow my Amazon author page.

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My About Page

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October 20, 2023November 29, 2023

I’m Ailish and I Write Romps

I do. I write romps. I can’t seem to help myself. If I try to write a thriller, a romp appears. A sweet romance? Nope. That quickly goes dark and rompy.

When THE MERMAID AND THE BEAR was on submission, one publisher said they felt they were reading ‘a medieval romp’ and that they were looking for something more serious. It was a fair comment, though I assume they didn’t reach the witchcraft accusations of the story. That press has since gone out of business, and the publishing house that accepted the book is great to work with, so that turned out well for Mermaid.

Undeterred, I romp on. In my writing, and in the garden…

And the latest of the romps is OUT TODAY!

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…

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…

Amazon UK

Amazon worldwide

A Wee Interview

The Wee Writing Lassie has interviewed me for her blog. Various questions, some sillier than others, will be being answered there all week. See them here

Some of the reviews from my lovely ARC readers

“This book has so much representation in its characters with autism, dyslexia, medical issues and LGBTQ+ characters…” Emma-Louise on Goodreads and TikTok
“Knowing there are two more books in the series made it easier to accept that the tale was coming to an end. It can be so hard to finish a book when you are loving the story so much.” Molly on Amazon.com

Posts on the inspiration behind TENDU

Dance Research in the Dungeon
Working Girl: a WordPress Prompt Goes Dark
Pointe Work and a Red Leotard
Chosen Sisters: Friendship and Dance
A Snaggled, Barbourous Place
Diabolical and Deranged: Writing and Blood
There’s also this strange little post about what the characters of the Dancer’s Journey series get up to when I’m away from the keyboard.

Keep up to date with all my news, leafy and otherwise, by signing up to the mailing list. It’s a more intimate space than the blog and always contains some exclusive photos. If you would like to hear about new books and offers, you can follow my Amazon author page.

About Page

Read all about little old me here!

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October 13, 2023November 24, 2023

Dance Research in the Dungeon

Tendu: Dancing in the Castle by Ailish Sinclair

In TENDU (out now) some rather strange dance research takes place in the dungeon studio of the castle. Much has changed in the story that I first conceived thirteen years ago, but that part has stayed more or less the same.

Childhood Memories

My late father was a research scientist, and I grew up hearing about how scientific studies can be heavily influenced by those that finance them and how they can be geared to lead to desired results. They can sometimes be unscientific. And unethical. It was all very interesting, and it stuck with me.

I should note that Amalphia’s parents are not based on my parents. Lynn and James Treadwell (very minor characters) are an example of the narcissist/enabler dysfunction as described in the book Toxic Parents.

Dance Research and Therapy

I do four grand pliés in fourth and fifth position every morning while I wait for the kettle to boil for tea. It feels like a strong way to start the day. I find it calming and grounding. And I need that just now, with a book release so close. For several years, due to illness, my legs were too weak to manage this exercise, so it’s joyous as well as beneficial.

The benefits of dance for conditions such as dementia and Parkinson’s disease are becoming quite well known, of course, and it’s dancers’ brains that get studied in my books. They have been studied quite a bit in the real world too. Examples below:

The fictional research I created is a bit different from these very serious studies. It had to have some instant and dramatic effects to be interesting as part of a novel. Different characters will believe different things about those effects over the series, and I hope it’s entertaining to read!

Tendu: Dancing in the Castle - dance research in the dungeon

About the books

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 is available in paperback and Kindle and on Kindle Unlimited.

Official Release dates (2023)

Tendu: OUT NOW!
Cabriole: OUT NOW!
Fouetté: December 22nd

About Page

Read all about little old me here!

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October 2, 2023November 23, 2023

Duff House Mausoleum, Banff, Aberdeenshire

I wandered through the woods to the 18th century Duff House Mausoleum.

It’s about a mile away from the majestic Duff House, now an art gallery, and about two miles from the Bridge of Alvah. When I was a child the house was in quite a rough state but still open to the public. A lot of the furniture was covered in sheets, paint peeled off the walls and spooky music floated up from the lower levels.

I loved it.

I still do.

The front of Duff House Mausoleum:

And round the back…

To an effigy of a knight. Sadly it is not Robert the Bruce as once purported by the Earl who built the mausoleum. The skulls, crossbones and wheat are quite common on older graves in Aberdeenshire.

Below: the interior of the mausoleum taken through the metal door.

During autumn in Scotland the days seem to be either golden or grey, sunny or dreich. It didn’t get properly light at all on this day, but autumn added its gold regardless.

The River Deveron:

I came upon an old dog grave in the lower parts of Wrack Wood. The dogs had lovely Dickensian sounding names.

Grey and golden, the colours of the day:

Chosen Sisters, Romans and Romance

Set in 1st century Scotland, my latest novel, 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.

Amazon UK

Amazon Worldwide

“Ethereal and spellbinding….” Historical Novel Society

See the press release here

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

Go here to sign up for occasional emails that always include exclusive photos and news of my writing and life. They’re a more intimate space than the blog.

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September 22, 2023November 29, 2023

The Neolithic Stone Balls of Scotland

neolithic stone balls from Aberdeenshire — The Neolithic stone balls are about the size of tennis balls.

The Neolithic stone balls of Scotland are rather beautiful things. They’re mainly found in Aberdeenshire, sometimes buried beside stone circles. The carvings on them are varied, and some of them have knobs. Yes, we could have a lot of fun with the balls and knobs of this post, but let’s not go there 😀

The exact use of the balls is unknown. Many of them are lacking signs of wear and tear, so they’re not generally thought to have been weapons.

The above stones are in the Arbuthnot Museum in Peterhead. I took the picture in 2020, right before lockdown, having just become well enough to go out and about again. I posted on Twitter about including such a stone in my – then – work in progress.

SISTERS AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD is set well after the date of these balls. They’re estimated to be 5000 years old. But Morragh knows that it’s an old object. She calls it the ‘ancestor stone,’ and sometimes it travels about with her.

Excerpt from SISTERS AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD

I am before the Calgach and we look into one another’s eyes. It does not hurt too much, this looking, this time. He does not question me or try to interrupt what I am doing. I lay the knife in front of him, still looking into his eyes, and then the stone ball which makes a large hollow echoing sound as it connects with the table, silver sickle encircling it.

Recent Reviews

SISTERS is an unusual book with an unconventional narrative voice, as is noted in the following review.

Andrew G Lockhart: “Morragh walks in a mystic and magical realm, but one which recaptures the wild simplicity and beliefs of the peoples of pagan Scotland.” See review here.

And then MERMAID got a great review from Louisa Blackburn: “I really, really like the way the accents are written. I talked about them enough to where my mom asked me, “Are you reading the story, or are you listening to it?” I read the book, but the accents were written in a way that I knew what everyone sounded like.” See the whole review here.

We’ve had balls and knobs, so why not baubles too?

Dance, danger and desire collide in TENDU, a seductive tale set in the mystical landscape of Scotland. Will love conquer all?

Amazon UK

Amazon worldwide

“You will cry, you will laugh, at one point you may even clutch your pearls…” Goodreads review

My historical novels all involve dark events, romance and a little magic…

SISTERS AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD opens on the winter solstice.
THE MERMAID AND THE BEAR has 6 chapters of medieval Christmas.
FIREFLIES AND CHOCOLATE features Christmas in Colonial Pennsylvania.

All my books are available in paperback, kindle and on kindle unlimited.

Amazon UK

Amazon Worldwide

Signed copies from me

Newsletter, Updates and ARCs

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

Bookish people can apply for Advance Reader Copies of future books here.

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September 19, 2023November 20, 2023

The Great Tapestry of Scotland

The Great Tapestry of Scotland is a beautiful trail through history and, at 143 metres long, the longest tapestry in the world.

My Visit to the Tapestry in 2014

Its soft sewn artworks filled three large rooms of Aberdeen Art Gallery, and photography was allowed. Yes. I was happy. May you be too.

Despite the earliness of my visit, the gallery was crowded; I was not quite so happy about the angle of this next pic. Lovely, lovely stone circle, though:

stone circles panel of The Great Tapestry of Scotland

Witches

Some early inspiration for THE MERMAID AND THE BEAR, perhaps?

Glencoe

War

Kilts

Literature

Robert Louis Stevenson — ‘Fiction is to grown men what play is to the child.’ RLS

Cloning

Calm

There was something calm and nourishing about walking round this exhibition. Whether it was the gentle and warm art of needlework that hung everywhere in the rooms – there was also a lady demonstrating sewing techniques – or the many different styles from the 1000+ stitchers marking the constant change of the world, I don’t know. The overall feeling was reflective yet hopeful: happy.

Learn more about the Great Tapestry of Scotland

See the official website here

An Autistic Dancer, a Byronic Hero and an Obsessive Scientist

Read my series A Dancer’s Journey. There’s ballet. There’s lots of naughtiness. And there’s peril!

Enjoy a kiss on the London tube in the first book, TENDU. 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

Page with blurbs and quotes

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
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 I take a rare day off from writing.

Chosen Sisters, Romans and Romance

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.

See the press release here

Amazon UK

Amazon Worldwide

“Ethereal and spellbinding….” Historical Novel Society

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

See my About Page

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.

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July 30, 2023July 31, 2023

The Beauty of Bow Fiddle Rock and Swan Lake

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.

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

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.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Fabrizio Ferri (@fabrizioferriofficial)

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

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

“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

See my About Page here

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.

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July 27, 2023September 29, 2023

The White Horse on Mormond Hill

History of the White Horse on Mormond Hill

The white horse on Mormond Hill in Aberdeenshire can be seen for miles around. Constructed of white quartz, the horse is said to have been built by a Captain Fraser in the 1790s after the Flanders campaign. His own horse was shot from under him in battle and his sergeant offered his mount as replacement and was shot in the process. The white horse is a memorial to Sergeant Henderson.

Visiting the Horse

I have visited the horse a few times, by car a long time ago, and also on foot. It’s quite a long walk. From the village of Strichen, you head up Hospital Road and keep going. The road becomes a track which leads to fields. You cross a stile at one point. Then there’s a wee path, and it all gets rather steep.

But it’s worth it. Look at the views!

And. of course, the horse itself:

Folklore

According to a local saying, if you turn round three times in the horse’s eye (just visible in the lower right corner of the above photo), your wish will be granted!

The nose of the white horse on Mormond hill. — The nose.

Do be careful if walking on the hill. Parts of it are boggy, and the ground once swallowed a whole tractor.

The remains of an 18th century hunting lodge in Aberdeenshire.

The aforementioned Captain Fraser is also credited with the hunting lodge on top of the hill, now a ruin.

View from the hunting lodge on top of Mormond Hill in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. — View from the lodge.

A Pirouette and a Wish

So, let’s perform a triple pirouette in the eye of the white horse as we make our wish. There’s just time for one more gaze across the countryside while we try to pinpoint which village is which… and then we head back down to earth.

Naughty Contemporary Fiction

Book covers of A Dancer's Journey series by Ailish Sinclair: celebratory dance.

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…

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

Series on Amazon UK

Series on Amazon worldwide

My Latest Historical Novel

From the provocative opening scene to the later dramatic and devastating events of the story, SISTERS AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD is a book that will continually surprise, delight, and sometimes shock the reader. The novel features the beautiful hill of Bennachie, and the stone circles of Aberdeenshire along with the cliffs and caves of Cullykhan Bay.

“Ethereal and spellbinding….” Historical Novel Society

Review from Terry Tyler: “It’s a fabulous story, a real page-turner and so well written. It made me think about the passage and circle of time, of the constancy of the land on which we live and the transient nature of human life. Loved it.” See the whole review here.

Amazon UK

Amazon Worldwide

Read the article Aberdeenshire in Roman times takes centre stage in author’s latest book from AberdeenLive.

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July 21, 2023July 21, 2023

Up on the Roof of Aberdeen Art Gallery

You can now go up on the roof of the newly done-up Aberdeen Art Gallery. It’s quite nice up there among the green domes of the city. That’s the theatre straight ahead and Union Terrace Gardens (also going through the process of change) to the left.

His Majesty's Theatre, Aberdeen, as seen from the roof of Aberdeen Art Gallery

Arriving on the roof of Aberdeen Art Gallery

I was relieved to arrive up on the roof during my recent visit. I’d displayed distinctly codger-like tendencies until then. Where were the old marble stairs? Why were there new plastic-covered ones instead? How was that an improvement? And what about the fountain and the thing that used to be in the middle of it?

Works of Art

‘The thing’ was on the roof, and I was glad to see it.

oval form, Aberdeen Art Gallery — Oval Form – Trezion
Dame Barbara Hepworth

There were other old favourites throughout the gallery too, and photography was allowed everywhere.

Penelope, her milkshake bringing all the boys to the yard:

Penelope and the suitors by John William Waterhouse — Penelope and the Suitors
John William Waterhouse

A lit-up love poem:

For You by Tracey Emin, Aberdeen Art Gallery — For You
Tracey Emin

Then there was a buttery, a local delicacy, a sort of salty, fatty squashed roll. Unfortunately, I did not note the name of the artist.

Visit the official website of Aberdeen Art Gallery.

Kirk of St Nicholas

The Kirk of St Nicholas could be seen from the roof of the gallery. I do seem to see it wherever I go in the city.

View from the roof of Aberdeen Art Gallery

I wandered down to the kirkyard before leaving Aberdeen. The grass had obviously not been cut all season, giving the place an unkempt and uncared-for feel. There was a poppy, though. And that was beautiful.

poppy below the steeple of St Nicholas Kirk in Aberdeen

People accused of witchcraft were imprisoned in the old steeple of that kirk long ago, as mentioned in THE MERMAID AND THE BEAR.

The Mermaid and the Bear by Ailish Sinclair, and a harp

Taking place mainly in a 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

See my About Page here

Writer’s Tip Jar

July 14, 2023August 25, 2023

Music and Words on the Making of Meaning

Music and Words

The composer Rhodri Williams-Wandoch has created an amazing blend of music and words on the making of meaning. He describes the piece as an intricate and profound improvised invention on a chromatic theme. I’m the second author, a little after 2.20 minutes in, reading an excerpt from SISTERS AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD entitled On War.

Listen to my dulcet tones (I think I was putting on my ‘posh’ voice) below:

The Garden

I wish I could share the sweet scent of the honeysuckle and lavender. The garden has reached its overgrown summer phase. The poor pink bench looks like it’s about to be reclaimed by nature.