But, for now, this morning, I’m off back into the manuscript of the moment. I’m working on the first title in the next book series, Castle Dancers. It begins ten years after TENDU – each book has a different main character – and the story starts like this:
It’s the night before I’m due to start at the most prestigious dance school in Scotland, so, of course, my mother tries to kill me.
Fun times!
TENDU: Dancing in the Castle
Dance, danger and desire collide in TENDU, a seductive tale set in the mystical landscape of Scotland. Will love conquer all?
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I took a quiet walk through autumn leaves at Aden Park.
Peering through an old tree:
Up by the Mansion House:
Blue and green should most definitely be seen…
Some of the newer plantings have not survived:
But many have:
I love the Maples.
I feel like I don’t have many words left in me. They’ve been used up. They’re coming very soon in book form.
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Above is a modern standing stone in Culbin Forest. Although pine martens are listed among the wildlife living in this large forest, it’s not where I saw the creature.
The Pine Marten
The pine marten was spotted several days before I visited the forest, in my own garden. It has appeared a few times over the years, and I’d named it ‘Chris Pine’, a fact my husband had forgotten when I texted him this:
They’re quite large animals, about the size of a domestic cat. I found a stock image so you can see what Chris Pine looks like:
So, wondering if I’d see more of his kind (I didn’t), I walked into Culbin.
It was a nice surprise to find a standing stone, albeit a contemporary one. The words on the stone reference the fact that the trees of Culbin are growing on sand dunes.
The forest floor is indeed made soft with the sand and a deep layer of pine needles.
Be careful the trees don’t trip you!
There’s something about the light in mature Scots Pine forests. It’s quite unique and beautiful, and I love it.
Lost in ancient woodlands and caught up in whispers of witchcraft, Isobell must navigate danger to reclaim her life. Can she find her happily ever after?
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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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 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.
The witches’ brooms of this post are actually deformities in trees, often caused by a fungus. I rather like them, both their appearance and their name, probably because of interests like this. However, none are to be found on the gnarly, wizened hazel trees by the loch.
We have to venture deeper into the wood, and gaze up at the high branches of the birches, for that.
Witches’ Brooms
There they are!
They are often mistaken for nests.
Witches’ Knickers
No witches’ knickers today. And that’s good, as those are just plastic bags caught in trees or on fences, and not photogenic at all.
“The setting is ethereal and spellbinding as our main characters walk a fine line between what has been and what is to come. A beautiful tale of ancient wonders and kindred souls.”
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.
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.
Then, refreshed and de-stressed, it was back on the ferry to the mainland, though the view there is of Jura:
We passed Kilchurn Castle on Loch Awe:
And walked between weather-battered oak trees on our way home.
There’s more (oh, so many more!) photos on Twitter and Instagram.
Newsletter
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My Books
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!
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.
FIREFLIES AND CHOCOLATE was inspired by the kidnapped children and young people of Aberdeen. The story follows the adventures of Elizabeth Manteith from the castle and her determined efforts to get back home. There’s love. There’s derring-dos on the high seas… And there’s chocolate!
I’ve visited Pitfour Estate many times over the years. It’s a great place to walk, though less well known than the nearby Aden Park. I have photos from various years and various seasons. That’s summer above. Remember summer?
History of Pitfour Estate
The estate was purchased in 1700 by James Ferguson of Badifurrow, who became the first Laird of Pitfour. He and his descendants developed the land, building various bridges and follies. The observatory in Drinnie’s Wood used to be part of the estate too, having been built to watch horse racing on the nearby race track (now a forest).
The Temple of Theseus
One of the follies was a bathhouse built to look like a Temple of Theseus, seen from across the lake below.
The fifth Laird, an extravagant man who liked his luxuries, is said to have kept pet alligators in it. The interior:
Looking out over the lake from behind the pillars of the temple, on another summer’s day:
Pitfour in the Mist
The lake is used by a local fishing club today. You often see jumping fish.
I have a great many pictures, so I intend to share some more of them in my next newsletter: swans, another folly and some more mist. Hopefully that’ll go out in the next few days, if my current writing project releases me for long enough to do it! Go here to sign up for the newsletter.
Mermaid and Fireflies Reviews
Mallee Stanley shared reviews of THE MERMAID AND THE BEAR and FIREFLIES AND CHOCOLATE on her Read and Write blog recently. “”What makes both these books fascinating reads, is that they are based on dark historical events relating to Aberdeen.” See the whole review here.
As a child, the task of walking to the 18th century Bridge of Alvah, near Banff in Aberdeenshire, was presented as something akin to travelling to Mordor: a journey of such length and difficulty as to render it impossible to your average mortal.
The walk from Duff House (a place with easy parking, swings, art gallery, tearoom and gift shop) to Alvah is actually comprised of just over two miles of well maintained track.
The other fact about Alvah recalled from childhood is that it is a place of great natural beauty. That is true.
The bridge stands huge and majestic – it is a bit ‘Lord of the Rings’ after all – over a deep gorge and the River Deveron.
A Mystery Window
I was most intrigued by the Gothic window and the many little hooks, just about discernible below.
The Naughty Earl
Googling revealed that there was a room for a toll collector within the bridge. This explains the window, though how a person got in there is not so clear. Either the door has been sealed or there was something Rapunzel-like going on. Local legend has it that the room was used by a (married) Earl to entertain young ladies, so perhaps it was kept semi-secret. The Earl’s wife reportedly shot him.
The hooks remain a mystery.
In summary: go visit the Bridge of Alvah; it’s well worth the two mile trek. Not an orc in sight!
See the post about the Mausoleum for more on the grounds of Duff House.
The Secret Room Update
We revisited the bridge in autumn and were given permission to access the Earl’s secret room/love nest. This involved a somewhat steep and scary climb down the bank of the river.
It was worth it. The room is beautiful.
Naughty Dancers Instead of Earls
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…
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.
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
Go here to sign up for my (roughly monthly) newsletter. It’s a more intimate space than the blog and always includes some exclusive photos. If you would like to hear about new books and offers, you can follow my Amazon author page.
Isobell needs to escape. She has to. Her life depends on it.
Set in a fictional castle in Aberdeenshire, 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.
When Elizabeth is torn out of her isolated life in a Scottish castle, she 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!
The story 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.
Go here to sign up for my newsletter. It’s a more intimate space than the blog and always includes some exclusive photos. If you would like to hear about new books and offers, you can follow my Amazon author page.
