Lavender’s blue, dilly dilly, lavender’s green, When I am king, dilly dilly, you shall be queen: Who told you so, dilly dilly, who told you so? ‘Twas mine own heart, dilly dilly, that told me so.
Current writing research has taken me to the 17th century, and this folk song that has its origins in that time, is in my mind. The older versions are a little earthier…
Lavender blue and Rosemary green, When I am king you shall be queen; Call up my maids at four o’clock, Some to the wheel and some to the rock; Some to make hay and some to shear corn, And you and I will keep the bed warm.
The lavender is SO very fragrant just now, and the cornflowers are SO very blue 🙂
Ariel: Dancing on TV
Torn from a life where she never fitted in, Ariel quickly becomes the focus of a reality TV show. In the castle school, she forms deep friendships and meets Alexander, the best looking boy she’s ever seen. Together, they unravel the mysteries of the castle’s shadows and confront the demons of Ariel’s past.
Can she rise above a lifetime of pain and embrace the possibilities of fame and love that beckon to her?
‘Ariel: Dancing on TV’ is a mesmerising tale of resilience and the pursuit of a brighter future against all odds.
The Performance: sometimes going home for Christmas is just one huge performance…
When Ariel returns home from dance college, her mother expects her to perform the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy in a pink, sequined tutu in front of many, many party guests. Ariel adjusts the costume and choreography to expose dark truths about her life, but, as it turns out, this is not the biggest performance of the night…
New Books and Special Offers
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The elusive stone circle is Loudon Wood. The trees have been felled, but strangely this hasn’t made the site any easier to find. See a previous tree-filled post here
You cannot see the stones from the track, so the circle still has to be hunted down. The path is just after a fenced-in bit of scrub land, if you need to know!
It remains beautiful and peaceful there. And, as ever, given its elusive nature, deserted.
Heath Bedstraw is growing round the stones.
Ariel: Dancing on TV
Ariel: Dancing on TV is the first in a series of three books, but absolutely works as a standalone. No cliffhanger endings from me.
The night before Ariel, a sixteen-year-old girl with a deformed hand, starts at the most prestigious dance school in Scotland, her mother tries to kill her…
The Performance: sometimes going home for Christmas is just one huge performance…
When Ariel returns home from dance college, her mother expects her to perform the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy in a pink, sequined tutu in front of many, many party guests. Ariel adjusts the costume and choreography to expose dark truths about her life, but, as it turns out, this is not the biggest performance of the night…
New Books and Special Offers
If you would like to hear about new books and special offers, you can follow my Amazon author page.
That’s the buddleia with the wee pond bridge in the background. June is fast becoming a time of purple flowers. Geraniums are growing wild in all sorts of places in the garden. This one’s down by the pond:
And the wolf’s bane, also known as aconite and monk’s hood, much favoured in tales of magic, is tall and strong. No wolves here 🙂
What happens when the teacher you can’t stand becomes the teacher you can’t resist?
When dance student Amalphia Treadwell embarks on a secret relationship with her rich, handsome teacher, she has no idea of the danger that lurks in his new school in Scotland…
My dance background and love of history and spicy stories are what inspired this dark 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.
There are no cliffhanger endings in this series; each book completes a story, but then there is more. So much more.
A Dancer’s Journey is available in paperback, Kindle and on Kindle Unlimited. You can get signed copies from me in my kofi shop.
The Performance: sometimes going home for Christmas is just one huge performance…
When Ariel returns home from dance college, her mother expects her to perform the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy in a pink, sequined tutu in front of many, many party guests. Ariel adjusts the costume and choreography to expose dark truths about her life, but, as it turns out, this is not the biggest performance of the night…
New Books and Special Offers
If you would like to hear about new books and special offers, you can follow my Amazon author page.
I’ve spotted so many beautiful trees lately while out walking. Their newly opened leaves draw the eye, all bright and intense and lit up by the sun. Above is a copper beech, and below, copper and green together.
Then there was this lovely horse chestnut:
I don’t think I’ve ever inspected a horse chestnut flower up close before, but they’re quite stunning.
And, back home, the tree peony is in flower. It smells like beef and onions 🙂
New Booktok Review for TENDU
✨POV: You thought it was just another ballet book… then it emotionally body-slammed you in pointe shoes 💔 Slow burn, enemies to lovers, fate, and a Scottish setting that delivered. See the video here
TENDU: Dancing in the Castle (book 1 of A Dancer’s Journey)
Scotland’s all misty lochs and magical forests and perfect boyfriends, right?
When dance student Amalphia Treadwell embarks on a secret relationship with her rich, handsome teacher, she has no idea of the danger that lurks in his new school in Scotland…
The Performance: sometimes going home for Christmas is just one huge performance…
When Ariel returns home from dance college, her mother expects her to perform the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy in a pink, sequined tutu in front of many, many party guests. Ariel adjusts the costume and choreography to expose dark truths about her life, but, as it turns out, this is not the biggest performance of the night…
New Books and Special Offers
If you would like to hear about new books and special offers, you can follow my Amazon author page.
I started this little rampage of flower posts with a blossom: apple. I’m ending with cherry. And a geranium. A pink and pretty celebration of summer and wellness.
Wellness
I used a blue to pink metaphor previously when writing about health. That seems like a really long time ago now. Lots has happened. Time has passed.
And today, I’m off out into the garden again to plant sunflower and marigold seeds. No doubt they’ll appear here if successful!
Castle Dancers Series
Alexander’s Blurb
When Alexander turns eighteen, he learns that he has inherited a castle, the one that houses the dance school he attends, to be exact. He’s always wanted a do-over, a chance to fix the broken parts of himself and his life. Could this be it?
Instead of allowing the school to continue on as normal, Alexander throws the students and teachers out and claims the castle as his own.
At first he’s lonely. At first he’s hesitant. Will he have any friends left after this? The events of his uncle’s televised wedding at the castle prove that, while Alexander definitely still has friends, his broken ankle is actually the least damaged part of him.
Within the ancient castle walls, a world of dark family secrets is revealed. Join Alexander as he dances on the edge of sanity and survival, navigating through the flames of his turbulent past to forge a new future.
Latest review here on the Wee Writing Lassie’s blog: Yes finally!!! After years of stealing the spotlight in other people’s books, the great bad boy of ballet finally gets his own. Inheriting your own castle? Kicking your Dad out of his job? Just another day living the rebel son’s dream. What could possibly go wrong? [One book read later] And the answer is … everything. Everything could go wrong 😀
The Performance: sometimes going home for Christmas is just one huge performance…
When Ariel returns home from dance college, her mother expects her to perform the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy in a pink, sequined tutu in front of many, many party guests. Ariel adjusts the costume and choreography to expose dark truths about her life, but, as it turns out, this is not the biggest performance of the night…
New Books and Special Offers
If you would like to hear about new books and special offers, you can follow my Amazon author page.
The first of the fire and elephants is euphorbia fireglow. This stunning red plant remains fiery every year regardless of weeds and weather conditions. I usually misremember its name as euphoria, but that feels quite appropriate.
The elephant’s ears bergenia is at the other side of the pond.
Lush and lovely, this plant is also a hardy perennial, named for the shape of its leaves.
Fountain off for a reflective view:
A Dancer’s Journey
Scotland’s all misty lochs and magical forests and perfect boyfriends, right?
My dance background and love of history and spicy stories are what inspired this dark 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, Kindle and on Kindle Unlimited.
There are no cliffhanger endings in this series; each book completes a story, but then there is more. So much more.
#CapCut A Dancer’s Journey Series: complete, shocking, unique. When dance student Amalphia Treadwell embarks on a secret relationship with her rich, handsome teacher, she has no idea of the danger that lurks in his school in Scotland… #booktok#kindleunlimited#romanticsuspense#ballettok#booktokseries
The Performance: sometimes going home for Christmas is just one huge performance…
When Ariel returns home from dance college, her mother expects her to perform the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy in a pink, sequined tutu in front of many, many party guests. Ariel adjusts the costume and choreography to expose dark truths about her life, but, as it turns out, this is not the biggest performance of the night…
New Books and Special Offers
If you would like to hear about new books and special offers, you can follow my Amazon author page.
They’re everywhere through the woods, and all over the garden too. Beautiful bluebells. Blue, pink, and sometimes even white. Their heady aroma fills the air as they herald the arrival of summer.
My Latest Series
Meet Ariel and her classmates, Bubbles and Alexander, along with a whole cast of vibrant characters, as they experience love, life and adventure at the most prestigious dance school in Scotland.
Each book in this coming-of-age series delves into the personal struggles and heartfelt romances of a different student over the course of a school year. As the spotlight shifts its focus within the old walls of the castle, there are television shows to be made and dark truths to be faced.
Join these young dancers as they whirl through their challenges, forge unbreakable bonds, and discover the power within themselves. Are you ready to travel to Northern Scotland, step into the castle school and dance through the deep dark of the dungeon?
Latest review: I’ve just finished Alexander, the last instalment of the whole sequence. What a ride! Great characters, plenty of good storylines and a magical setting. Highly recommended! On Instagram.
The Performance: sometimes going home for Christmas is just one huge performance…
When Ariel returns home from dance college, her mother expects her to perform the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy in a pink, sequined tutu in front of many, many party guests. Ariel adjusts the costume and choreography to expose dark truths about her life, but, as it turns out, this is not the biggest performance of the night…
New Books and Special Offers
If you would like to hear about new books and special offers, you can follow my Amazon author page.
Looking back on this post from a year ago. Reflecting on the past twelve months. Determining to stay well now. To not burn myself out again. In a year’s time I want to be writing about dancing around doing pointe work and getting books out and visiting castles and other lovely places. Maybe I’ll even wear a red leotard. Probably not to visit a castle. But, you never know… 😀
Back to the original post:
Would a strappy red leotard distract the eye from my puffer-fish face or accentuate it? The many thin straps of the garment crisscrossed my back in a pleasing design. It was different. It was daring. I wore it.
The above quote is from TENDU, the first book of A Dancer’s Journey, a romantic-suspense series. The main character, Amalphia, has just been through some relationship turmoil, again, and is returning to class after injury caused by an inappropriate level of pointe work. The red leotard gets her into a surprising amount of trouble.
Her injury came from being asked to perform every exercise in class en pointe. This is something that I took from my own life.
Memories of Pointe Work
One week at college, our usual morning-class teacher – the late great Imogen Claire – was absent and a substitute put in place. This new teacher decided I needed to be stretched and pushed and had me do everything en pointe. Just me. Nobody else. This singling-out drew a few nasty looks from the other dancers. But really, there was nothing to be jealous about.
Because it really was everything. Every bend. Every jump. I love jumping en pointe. I still do it sometimes. But as a training method in morning class, this excessive pointe work made no sense. It removed the benefit of many of the exercises, and I limped off to the other lessons of the day improperly warmed-up.
After two days of this, my feet were sore. After a week, they were a mess. But then Imogen returned with her no-nonsense approach to teaching and ballet, and I healed.
Imogen looks through her glasses in disapproval (Rocky Horror Picture Show 1975). Christopher Biggins, to the left there, once said very insightful things to me while judging my annual assessment at college.
There was no need for extra pointe work as we were blessed with a specialist teacher for that. At first I was surprised to learn that the class was taught by a man, but Gary Harris was a true expert on the subject, performing all the steps en pointe himself in his soft trainers at the front of the studio.
So, dance-school memories indulged, it’s time to head back into the next manuscripts. There’s a connected series coming…
A Dancer’s Journey Series
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 wild 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.
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
There’s also this strange little post about what the characters of A Dancer’s Journey get up to when I’m away from the keyboard.
Newsletter
Sign up to the mailing list for news about my life and writing, and some exclusive photos. If you would rather just hear about new books and offers, you can follow my Amazon author page.
Sisters at the Edge of the World
When Morragh speaks to another person for the very first time, she has no idea that he is an invader in her land…
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!
The garden is all pretty in pink just now. There are polyanthus all through the grass.
And the flowering currant is, well, flowering… as the pink bench glows in the distance.
FOUETTÉ: Dancing with the Past
FOUETTÉ goes nicely with the ‘pretty in pink’ theme of this little post, but it’s also the book where Alexander, the titular character of my latest release, first shows up. He’s still very much on mind. Is he looking after that castle properly?
Amalphia Treadwell thinks she’s living her happily ever after.
She’s achieved fame, fortune and notoriety. She’s blissfully happy in her unconventional marriage and is very excited about the plan she’s just made with her best friend Justin.
When she encounters a mysterious child, a child who desperately needs her help, she knows that life will never be the same again.
Amalphia explores the deeper, darker places of her world, encountering long-forgotten danger and uncovering truths that might have been better left unknown.
Beginning six years after the end of the previous book in the series, the third and final part of Amalphia’s journey is a steamy tale of love, dance, obsession and forgiveness.
The Performance: sometimes going home for Christmas is just one huge performance…
When Ariel returns home from dance college, her mother expects her to perform the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy in a pink, sequined tutu in front of many, many party guests. Ariel adjusts the costume and choreography to expose dark truths about her life, but, as it turns out, this is not the biggest performance of the night…
New Books and Special Offers
If you would like to hear about new books and special offers, you can follow my Amazon author page.
Having abandoned my fictional castle to Alexander, I felt the need to seek out a real, physical example. So, off to Castle Fraser I skipped.
First I encountered a carved castle in the woods. And a dragon!
There were small spots of colour in the walled garden:
And then, at last, a glimpse of the castle…
Through the trees…
And there it was.
Beautiful Castle Fraser. The earliest parts of the building date from 1450. See the National Trust site here
I perused the two shops in the courtyard – gift and second-hand books – then ventured back through the woods.
The wind was blasting across the field as I walked up the side to see the stone circle. I didn’t go in as that would have involved trampling the farmer’s crop, but you can just make out the stones on the horizon below. There’s a post on a previous visit to the Castle Fraser circle here.
Alexander’s Castle
When Alexander turns eighteen, he learns that he has inherited a castle, the one that houses the dance school he attends, to be exact. He’s always wanted a do-over, a chance to fix the broken parts of himself and his life. Could this be it?
Instead of allowing the school to continue on as normal, Alexander throws the students and teachers out and claims the castle as his own.
At first he’s lonely. At first he’s hesitant. Will he have any friends left after this? The events of his uncle’s televised wedding at the castle prove that, while Alexander definitely still has friends, his broken ankle is actually the least damaged part of him.
Within the ancient castle walls, a world of dark family secrets is revealed. Join Alexander as he dances on the edge of sanity and survival, navigating through the flames of his turbulent past to forge a new future.
The Performance: sometimes going home for Christmas is just one huge performance…
When Ariel returns home from dance college, her mother expects her to perform the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy in a pink, sequined tutu in front of many, many party guests. Ariel adjusts the costume and choreography to expose dark truths about her life, but, as it turns out, this is not the biggest performance of the night…
New Books and Special Offers
If you would like to hear about new books and special offers, you can follow my Amazon author page.
