Snowdrops and the mole. Sounds like the title of a book I might write. But no, it’s just the state of the garden.
The snowdrops are fully out, and the moles have been busy. Their little earthy hills are everywhere in the grass.
And coming soon in the garden – I missed them last year due to illness and hospital – there will be crocuses! And coming soon book-wise? Bubbles: Dancing Through History. It’s put me through the emotional wringer, this one. More than usual. I feel like a wrung-out little rag.
But back to the moles…
Fireflies and Chocolate and a Mole
A wee excerpt from Fireflies and Chocolate
My Mermaid Grandmother’s pin! An Elfin Blade that was cast in silver for her to be worn as a brooch. Now, truth be told, according to what she wrote, it maybe didna bring her the best of luck, but it’s always been good to me. She buried it in the stone circle, so say her writings, and I found it there when I was just a wee lassie. It came up in a molehill while I was dancing aboot in the circle. I saw movement in the mound of earth and there it sat, glinting in the sun. I didn’t know what it was then, of course. Eppy said it was a gift from the fairies, just for me. My father said it was a carved arrowhead from long ago.
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 visited one of my favourite trees at the weekend, the twisty beech at Aden Country Park. And there, nestled at its great foot, was a tiny flower, a primrose.
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 k**l her. 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. #booktok#booktokseries#ballet#contemporaryromance#stonecircle#scotlandtiktok
Alexander will inherit the castle in a couple of weeks, and then it’s done. The series is complete. It feels strange, like an exhale or a relaxation, or maybe a shock. But I’ll get over it, and write on…
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.
Inshoch Castle is a ruined 16th century Z-plan tower house near Auldearn in the Highlands of Scotland. It’s situated in a private garden, so I am really grateful to the owner for allowing me access for novel-research purposes.
Inshoch Castle’s connection to ‘witches’
The castle is connected to Isobel Gowdie in a few ways. In 1662, the year of Isobel’s famous witchcraft confessions, it was home to the Laird of Park who was probably her landlord. Isobel confessed to attempting to curse all his male children by making and roasting a clay effigy of a child, a very detailed one with ‘all the parts of a child’ including ‘little lips.’ Inshoch castle is also where Isobel’s accomplice Janet Breadheid gave her confession and was probably incarcerated. Isobel was questioned in Auldearn and probably (there’s a lot of probably in this case) kept there in the Tolbooth, but maybe in the kirk steeple (again).
Reseach continues…
It would be nice if I could say ‘continues apace’ but it’s a slow process for me. We may not have much definite information to go on, or primary sources, only Isobel’s four confessions, and Janet’s one, but these are deeply complex documents. There are other, sometimes obscure, mentions of the case from the time too. Immersing myself in the words of the confessions has uncovered some interesting implications that I haven’t found anyone else mentioning. Wider research has uncovered another very strange occurrence that was taking place at the same time, and I feel the two must have intersected and could, in fact, make for the most fascinating element of the novel… but more research is needed.
Today Inshoch Castle is incorporated into the garden, some of its tumbled stones making a rockery. And I remember the opening of L.P. Hartley’s 1953 novel, The Go-Between: “The past is a foreign country; they do things differently there.”
I’m looking back through the lens of now. How can I really understand? The gate to the past, like the one to Lochloy House below (near where Isobel lived), is rather forbidding.
Radio Reminder
There’s just another few days to hear me ask OJ Borg questions about the ancient Scottish fire festival the ‘Burning of the Clavie’ on Radio 2. It was a fun thing to do, and you can hear it here. I’m 28 minutes in on the Midnight Mastermind feature. It may be a bit tricky outside of the UK, unless you’re doing clever VPN things.
My debut novel featured historical witchcraft and another Isobell…
Isobell needs to escape. She has to. Her life depends on it.
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. There’s 6 chapters of medieval Christmas too.
There’s been sunshine in the birch woods. Well, obviously there’s been sunshine everywhere, but it’s still so low that it doesn’t hit the garden much. It’s in the wild woods that it warms your face and makes long shadows between the trees.
Blue Skies in the Birch Woods
There’s even been clear skies.
I love the gold and blue colours of winter. Green is muted for now, just waiting for the spring.
Ariel: Dancing on TV
Torn from a life where she never fitted in, Ariel quickly becomes the focus of a reality TV show. Can she rise above a lifetime of pain and embrace the possibilities of fame and love that beckon to 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.
I write Scottish fiction (quick link to Amazon), often set in Aberdeenshire, the area of Scotland where I live. My historical novels combine little-known dark events with love stories. There are witches, bears and Romans to be found in them, detailed here. I have two contemporary series, the spicy, spicy Dancer’s Journey and the coming-of-age Castle Dancers.
I take a LOT of photos as is evidenced throughout the site.
When dance student Amalphia Treadwell embarks on a secret relationship with her rich, handsome new teacher, she has no idea of the danger that lurks in his school in Scotland…
“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 this TikTok review here
Castle Dancers (completed series)
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…
“Knowing how beautiful each of Ailish Sinclair’s novels are, I tucked into Ariel giddily. Boy, did she deliver! I read this book with indulgent haste. Returning to the setting of previous novels, it was comforting to read this book. The way Sinclair writes makes it feel like the main character is speaking directly to the reader, making Ariel feel like a friend.”Goodreads review
Sisters at the Edge of the World
From the misty hills of ancient Scotland emerges a tale of love, betrayal, and the fight for freedom. Join Morragh in SISTERS AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD for an unforgettable journey.
Set in the 1st century, the story includes the battle of Mons Graupius between the Romans and the Caledonian tribes. There’s a neurodivergent main character and some rather complicated romance!
Isobell needs to escape. She has to. Her life depends on it.
Set in a fictional castle in Aberdeenshire, Ailish’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.
Torn out of an isolated life in a Scottish castle, Elizabeth embarks on a determined quest to return home. Exhilarating adventures unfold on the high seas, love blossoms, and the chocolate, purchased in Benjamin Franklin’s printing shop, is delicious!
FIREFLIES AND CHOCOLATE was inspired by the 600 children and young people who were kidnapped from Aberdeen during the 1740s and sold into indentured servitude in the American Colonies.
You will receive a free short story in e-book form when you sign up for my occasional, more-intimate-than-the-blog newsletter on Substack (the freestory can be read in a browser too).
The Performance: sometimes going home for Christmas is just one huge performance…
The snowdrops are here. They’re not fully out yet, but they’re beautiful and brave and full of the promise of spring. There seems to be a lot more of them in the garden this year. Little clumps all over the place.
Some of the snowdrops have been slightly nibbled by deer, but they’re still lovely.
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.
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
If you would like to hear about new books and special offers, you can follow my Amazon author page.
Writing. It’s always personal really. Parts of the author are there, regardless of subject. But sometimes, when we draw deeply on our own life, intensely personal territory is reached. That has happened with the Castle Dancers series, especially in the first two books.
Some of the characters’ experiences are mine. Exactly mine. It’s not enough to call it autobiographical. These are novels – fiction – but small parts are so personal that I’ve found myself not very willing to blog about them. Even here, today, I’m not going into detail.
Not so, this time. I’ve been blogging snow and trees. Much of the above is applicable with these new books too, but somehow it’s different this time. They’re different this time. They’re not spicy or steamy. But they are gritty. Humorous too. Hopefully exciting and fun. And I love them.
The Intensely Personal Photos
Another ancient photo!
I remember the day these photos were taken. I spent most weekends at my ballet teacher’s house at that time, and one Sunday we took photos to use when applying to colleges. The lights were obviously a bit intense, but it was a good day.
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? #capcut#ballet#booktokseries#dance#romance
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.
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
If you would like to hear about new books and special offers, you can follow my Amazon author page.
January is truly the longest month of the year, isn’t it? And it’s still going on. Like the snow: it went on for a bit too. It did rather brighten the dark days of the first half of the month, though.
The loch was misty after that.
BBC Radio 2
Then, one dark and stormy night, I was on the radio! I asked OJ Borg questions about the ancient Scottish fire festival the ‘Burning of the Clavie.’ It was fun, and you can hear it here. I’m 28 minutes in on the Midnight Mastermind feature; the recording will be available for another 28 days.
A couple of days ago two swans appeared on the loch. A sign of good things to come – bright days at least – I’m sure 🙂
Ancient Battle and Forbidden Romance
From the misty hills of ancient Scotland emerges a tale of love, betrayal, and the fight for freedom. Join Morragh in SISTERS AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD for an unforgettable journey.
Set in 1st century Scotland, the novel includes the battle of Mons Graupius between the Romans and the Caledonian tribes. There’s a neurodivergent main character and some rather complicated romance.
The Lang Stane (long stone) of Aberdeen is situated close to bustling and busy Union Street. Many places in the city are named after this stone, but most people don’t even know that it’s there. It’s hidden away on the corner of Langstane Place and Dee Street. The Music Hall can be seen in the background of these first two photos.
From Google Street View
History of the Lang Stane
There’s not a lot of documented history on the stone or how it came to be placed in the wall, though I have heard that this event happened in the 1960s. It’s shown as a solitary standing stone on a map from 1746, before Langstane Place was built.
Battles and Boundaries
The Lang Stane may have originally been part of a stone circle. The carved base is consistent with this idea, that anchor shape being common in the stones of Aberdeenshire recumbent circles (see a photo of an uprooted one in this post about the circle on Aikey Brae here). It is also thought to have been used as a boundary marker along with another old and mysterious stone, the Crabstane. Both stones may have borne stony witness to the 1571 Battle of Craibstone between Clans Forbes and Gordon.
Who carved the words on it, or when, I don’t know. But it was very naughty. There is also a faint six-pointed star just below the text, which is interesting but still desecration.
Visiting the Lang Stane
I like to pay the stone a wee visit when I’m in the vicinity, all tucked away and squished into its alcove as it is. There’s no scenic rolling hillsides or lush forests for the Lang Stane as enjoyed by its contemporaries…
The opening scene of FIREFLIES AND CHOCOLATE takes place in a stone circle, the story then travelling the old cobbled streets of Aberdeen before leaving Scotland’s shores.
There’s a lovely review of the book up on Pink Quill Books here: “This is a love story that transcends colour, race, and class, as Elizabeth grows from being a spoilt lady of the castle to a young woman who fiercely defends her closest friends.“
FIREFLIES AND CHOCOLATE
Torn out of an isolated life in a Scottish castle, Elizabeth embarks on a determined quest to return home. Exhilarating adventures unfold on the high seas, love blossoms, and the chocolate, purchased in Benjamin Franklin’s printing shop, is delicious!
FIREFLIES AND CHOCOLATE was inspired by the 600 children and young people who were kidnapped from Aberdeen during the 1740s and sold into indentured servitude in the American Colonies.
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.
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
If you would like to hear about new books and special offers, you can follow my Amazon author page.
I ran through St Nicholas Kirkyard, the first of the historical ‘witchy ways’, and down and round Correction Wynd, an old medieval lane in Aberdeen, to see this recent street art. I was due to meet people for breakfast, but determined to see the ‘Quine Shrine’ first. The reason being? That first part, on the left, honours those who were persecuted for witchcraft in Aberdeen, and one tile names a few of them, including the three women I chose to write about in The Mermaid and the Bear.
Survey of Scottish Witchcraft
The spellings are different, because spellings weren’t set back then, not like they are today. I chose to go with the way the names are recorded in the Survey Of Scottish Witchcraft from Edinburgh University. It was there that I learned, contrary to popular belief, that only a tiny proportion of those accused were midwives or folk healers; a mere 9 of the 3837 ‘witches’ in Scotland were midwives, and only 141 had some mention of healing in their cases. See the Introduction to Scottish Witchcraft
In my fictional account of these women’s lives, one of them is a midwife and healer, but this is not the reason for the accusations brought against the three quines.
So, with the quine shrine admired and appreciated, on to breakfast:
Turmeric Latte
The Tolbooth
Now fortified, off to gaol we go! It’s difficult to get good pictures in the 17th century Tolbooth, what with it being so dark due to having windows like this:
Let the sunshine pour in! A chain hangs from the wall
Prosecutions for Witchcraft in Aberdeen
I think I did a better job with photos the last time I was there, blogged here. That was when I first read these words:
I remember feeling overcome and distressed by the information, but it was then that I decided I was definitely going to write the book. Here’s that steeple, or its replacement, standing tall against the blue sky:
Back in 1597, there were two large bells in the original steeple. Now there’s an impressive carillon, and it started to play while I was eating my lunchtime chocolate ice cream in the kirkyard. This is not as creepy and strange as it sounds; there are benches and lots of people go there for lunch! I took a short video, so you can hear the bells.
Lunchtime bells
Pinterest
I’ve made a Pinterest board for the book, though it does seem to be rather focussed on the cheerier parts of the story.
If you like castles, Scotland, history, witches, stone circles and Christmas done medieval-style, you might like THE MERMAID AND THE BEAR. There’s also a love story.
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.
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.
