forest Archives - Ailish Sinclair

May 28, 2021May 28, 2021

Bluebell Woods and Pink Petals

It’s still cold here in in Scotland. But it must be summer. Because look at the bluebells! Vibrant patches of purple abound in the forest. The scent is rich and heady, luxurious. It calls to mind the fairy folklore of bluebell woods, but I was not spirited off to fairyland, not this time.

It’s quite floral in the garden too; cherry blossom falls like pink snow and gathers everywhere creating a carpet of petals.

I walk the pink carpet to the pink bench…

Then I run into the bluebell woods to wait for the fairies again.

Terry Tyler has written a wonderful review of FIREFLIES AND CHOCOLATE: “A ghastly accident of circumstance leads to her being imprisoned on an Aberdeen slave ship, taking children and young people to the tobacco plantations of North America. A round of applause to Ms Sinclair for using fiction to highlight little-known history – I knew nothing about this.“

See the whole review here on Rosie Amber’s blog.

Ailish Sinclair's novels, among pink petals — I had to lay the books down among the petals!

Set in a castle, THE MERMAID AND THE BEAR features the Scottish witchcraft accusations and a love story.

FIREFLIES AND CHOCOLATE was inspired by the 18th century kidnapped children of Aberdeen.

Paperbacks and kindle: http://author.to/mermaid

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February 20, 2021April 2, 2021

Some Eighteenth Century Letter Seals

Those are the letter seals of Lord Pitsligo, a man I have written about before:

when I visited his castle
when I searched for his cave
and then on The Witch, The Weird and the Wonderful blog where I talked more fully about his life.

His forward thinking ways inspired aspects of the Laird in THE MERMAID AND THE BEAR and a similar set of letter seals feature in FIREFLIES AND CHOCOLATE.

Excerpt from FIREFLIES AND CHOCOLATE featuring letter seals.

The seals were shown to me by a direct descendant of Lord Pitsligo. I got to hold them and turn them on their hinges, which was wonderfully informative (and exciting!).

FIREFLIES AND CHOCOLATE will be out now!

Amazon: kindle or paperback

Waterstones

Barnes and Noble

Goodreads

Blurb:

Fireflies and Chocolate by Ailish Sinclair, out April 2021

Elizabeth craves adventure… excitement… love…

For now though, she has to settle for a trip from her family’s castle, to the port in Aberdeen, where her father has promised she’ll be permitted to buy a horse… all of her own.

Little does she suspect this simple journey will change her life, forever. And as she dreams of riding her new mount through the forests and glens of the Manteith estate, she can have no idea that she might never see them again.

For what lies ahead is danger, unimagined… and the fearful realities of kidnap and slavery.

But even when everything seems lost, most especially the chance of ever getting home again, Elizabeth finds friendship, comfort… and that much prized love, just where she least expected it.

Set in the mid eighteenth century, Fireflies and Chocolate is a story of strength, courage and tolerance, in a time filled with far too many prejudices.

It’s all getting a bit too exciting for me again… I need a nice calming walk in the woods below the witch’s brooms (growth abnormalities caused by a fungus in the trees)!

Set in a fictional castle in Aberdeenshire, Ailish Sinclair’s debut novel, THE MERMAID AND THE BEAR, features an often overlooked event in history, the 1597 Aberdeen witchcraft panic, and a love story.

February 10, 2021April 2, 2021

A Tree, Fox Tracks, and Proofreading

Just a small post. It’s been snowing. Quite a lot. Above are fox tracks in the woods. Below, an oak leaf.

I’ve been proofreading Fireflies and Chocolate (out April 1st 2021! Amazon – and Waterstones), desperately seeking any errors, making tiny tweaks. Last chance to change anything. Last chance to get it right before it goes back to the publisher. It’s a little bit scary, this final stage of writing a novel.

So, I hold my face up to the sun, follow the fox tracks and hope all will be well.

August 8, 2013February 1, 2021

Glen Affric in the Scottish Highlands

Track leading into the Glen Affric in the Highlands of Scotland — Here we go!

Loch Beinn a' Mheadhain — Loch Beinn a’ Mheadhain

The day out happened and it happened at the stunning Glen Affric.

Page on it here

The Dog Falls at Glen Affric — Beside the Dog Falls…

search and rescue sea king helicopter at Glen Affric — Search and rescue Sea King helicopter over Glen Affric.

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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.