Into the Woods…

Ailish Sinclair goes into the woods

It’s three weeks until TENDU releases. It’s been a long time coming, and a lot of my heart is in that book. I need to go into the woods.

So, here we go, through different times and places, for the lush calm of the trees and the quiet stillness of the loch.

Into the woods: loch

The hill behind the loch:

Into the woods...

I need ancient stones too. Trees surround Berrybrae stone circle:

Into the woods by Berrybrae

Berrybrae features in one of my sillier nocturnal TikTok/YouTubes (medication still preventing sleep):

On to a different woodland and another stone circle. The remains of Dunnideer:

Dunnideer stone circle under the trees

And finally, Huntly Castle appears at the end of a tree-lined drive, just like the castle in the book does, though the fictional one is not a ruin.

Huntry Castle: into the woods

Quote from TENDU:

Two majestic stone pillars, one topped with a mermaid and the other with a fearsome-looking bear, loomed large for a second and then were gone. It was properly dark between the densely packed trees that lined both sides of the single-track road. Everyone was quiet, looking ahead, awaiting the first view of the castle.

It burst into sight, all pink and floodlit at the end of the forest tunnel.

Tendu: Dancing in the Castle

Tendu by Ailish Sinclair

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.

She’s soon dealing with her boyfriend’s obsessive ex, the strange research taking place at the castle school and her own ever-evolving relationship issues.

Amalphia works hard to be the best dancer she can be, but as tension builds within the old walls of the castle, she begins to wonder if she will ever escape the dank dark of the dungeon…

Dark, witty, steamy and fun, Tendu is a compelling and seductive story of love, dance and obsession.

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Ailish in the stones

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Prancing Up the Pirate Steps

pirate steps
pirate steps

I prance up the pirate steps, and I dance down the other side.

smugglers steps

Pirate Steps

Folklore tells us that pirates and smugglers were not permitted to pass through the gates of a kirkyard, but they were allowed to attend church, hence the special stairway.

These particular steps are located in the surrounding wall of St. Mary’s Chapel in Rattray, Aberdeenshire. The chapel is one of the oldest structures still standing in the area, and it’s rather beautiful.

St. Mary's Chapel, Rattray, Aberdeenshire, Scotland.

I ran up and down similar steps at Kildaton on Islay but, sadly, I do not have any photos of them.

Rattray steps and gate:

Pirate steps at Rattray

TikTok Fun

In other news, my current medication is keeping me up at night. It’s rather like living in several different time zones at once. I’ve been amusing myself by playing on TikTok and YouTube.

Contemporary Fiction: out soon

A Dancer's Journey Series by Ailish Sinclair

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 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 will be available in paperback, Kindle and on Kindle Unlimited. The Kindle versions are available to pre-order now. They release in October, November and December.

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

Historical Fiction: out now

Historical Fiction by Ailish Sinclair

These novels combine little-known dark events with love stories and a hint of magic.

“Ethereal and spellbinding….” Historical Novel Society

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Amazon Worldwide

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A celebratory dance in a stone circle. Ballet foot en pointe.

Read all about little old me here!

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A Golden and Blue Writing Schedule

golden and blue harvest time
golden blue autumn

It’s all golden and blue and warm and lovely here just now. There are different feelings in the air; sometimes it seems to be autumn with blustering winds and grey skies, but then it’s hot, hot summer again. The fields are cut, and ploughing has begun.

Another wee shot from the stone circle (see previous post here):

golden and blue: ballet shoes on a stone

Golden and Blue Writing

My writing schedule is quite extreme; all will be ready for October 20th. It feels golden, as I love working on all and any aspects of these books, and a little blue as I realise I’m almost at the end.

So, I run up and down the castle stairs with my characters. I dance with them in the deep dungeon studio, the stone circle and the great hall. I eat cake in Covent Garden and enjoy an unexpected kiss on the tube. Then there’s the bad things, the dark places and the relationship woes. I cry my way through those; you know I do. But I have my chocolate buttons and my tissues, and I’ll be okay…

Tendu: Dancing in the Castle

Explore the dark and sensual world of TENDU, where love, dance and obsession intertwine.

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Tendu: Dancing in the Castle

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feet

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A Celebratory Dance in a Stone Circle

a celebratory dance

Did I take a pair of old pointe shoes and perform a celebratory dance in a stone circle? Yes. Yes, I did.

The reason for the celebration? Well, there’s more than one. Firstly, I’m well enough to dance around a bit. I am enduring one or two monstrous autoimmunity symptoms, but they don’t stop me dancing! And secondly, all three books of A Dancer’s Journey are now on pre-order.

Book covers of A Dancer's Journey series by Ailish Sinclair: celebratory dance.
Look at the pretty covers! And the less bashed pointe shoes…

Release dates (2023)

ballet feet in a celebratory dance
Dancing on the stones worsened the frayed situation somewhat.

There’s a page with full blurbs and some quotes, but here’s part of Tendu’s description:

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. 

The books do include a little dancing in a stone circle. It’s fun, and I highly recommend it. I hope you can all enjoy a celebratory dance too.

Featured circle: Aikey Brae.

Pre-order A Dancer's Journey

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Ailish's feet

Read all about little old me here!

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Romantic Suspense and Historical Fiction

Scottish Fiction from Ailish Sinclair. Quote from romantic suspense novel TENDU.

I write romantic suspense and historical fiction, often set in the area of Scotland where I live, Aberdeenshire. My historical novels combine little-known dark events with love stories. There are witches, bears, kidnappers and Romans to be found in them, detailed here. My contemporary work is much naughtier, though still dark, and available to pre-order now.

I take a LOT of photos as is evidenced throughout the site.

Here on the blog, I write about castleshistorystone circlesdance, living with chronic illness, and writing. See my about page here.

Romantic Suspense – A Dancer’s Journey – 3 book series

A Dancer's Journey, a 3 book series by Ailish Sinclair. Romantic suspense.

These books are so naughty that I’m worried nobody will be able to look me in the face again after reading them. But not that worried. A Dancer’s Journey is now available for pre-order, titles releasing in October, November and December 2023.

See the series page here for blurbs and quotes.

A Dancer's Journey Series by Ailish Sinclair

Series on Amazon UK

Series on Amazon worldwide

Posts about the background, inspiration and writing of these stories:

A Dancer's Journey

Historical Fiction

My historical novels combine little-known dark events with love stories and a hint of magic.

The historical novels of Ailish Sinclair

Amazon UK

Amazon Worldwide

Further Insight into my life and work

Updates

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.

A Dancer's Journey: dark and sexy romantic suspense

Autumn in Scotland

Autumn in Scotland - apples

Autumn in Scotland is brief. One day you’re in the midst of the wild and overgrown end of summer, and then – it always feels sudden and surprising – the trees are full of brilliant and bright colours.

There’s also berries. And misty mornings. And apples.

It’s all so beautiful.

I love it.

Autumn in Scotland

And this year I’m not missing it due to illness (see the article Doctors and Deadlines: writing with chronic illness).

I’m walking through that hot afternoon sunshine, between the trees and the toadstools. There’s so many of those this year.

fly agaric toadstool: autumn in Scotland

The end of autumn in Scotland

It all feels rather magical. But it could be over at any moment. When the first frost comes, which could happen any time in the next month, the leaves will turn brown and fall off. The dragonflies and butterflies will disappear. And it will be winter. Like the onset of autumn, this always feels sudden, but at the same time sneaky. Like, when did this cold, cold change occur?

So, I treasure sweet autumnal moments for as long as I can. Look at the sunshine shining through those red leaves. Glorious, isn’t it?

autumn in scotland

A Dancer’s Journey is almost here

TENDU is making me think of Covent Garden. And cake. It releases October 20th and is on pre-order now.

excerpt from Tendu by Ailish Sinclair

Series on Amazon UK

Series on Amazon worldwide

Page with blurbs and quotes

More on the series:

Sisters Review

This is from the long and thoughtful review of SISTERS AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD from Olga Núñez Miret:

“Those who are looking for a strong female protagonist, love lyrical and expressive writing styles, and favour stories with a touch of magic and ancient mythology, particularly set in Scotland, should put it on their list. They are bound to discover a new author to follow, and a protagonist they’ll never forget.”

See the whole review here.

Share Your Books

Don’t forget you can share your own books and writing on this post. I always love to see it.

My Historical Fiction

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!

“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.

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.

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 

Fireflies and Chocolate by Ailish Sinclair

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!

See the publisher’s Press Release here

Amazon UK

Amazon Worldwide

“Filled with excitement and suspense…” Historical Novel Society

feet

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

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Music and Words on the Making of Meaning

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.

music and words: scent of the garden

SISTERS AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD

Sisters at the Edge of the World

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…

Amazon UK

Amazon Worldwide

“Ethereal and spellbinding…” Historical Novel Society

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

Meanwhile…

I return to editing. Down the dungeon steps I go

A Dancer's Journey, a three-book series by Ailish Sinclair

About Page

feet

See my About Page here

Newsletter

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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Strained Eyes, Social Media and Summer

looking at the daisies with my strained eyes
Looking at Ox-eye daisies in the meadow, squinting against the sun with my strained eyes…

Strained Eyes

I have strained eyes. I’ve been writing, writing, writing. Or actually, editing, editing, editing. A Dancer’s Journey is progressing. It feels slow, but these books are long, long, long. And emotional. And diabolical and barbarous and sexy and witty and fun. Working on them is actually immense fun. I will miss it when they’re done.

And they will be soon. They are coming, I promise 🙂 Edit: Amazon!

looking at roses with strained eyes
Rose and Buddleia in the garden

Threads

I’m on there. Just. Here I am. It will be part of the fediverse, like Mastodon (there too, sometimes).

Mither Tap on Bennachie
First post on Threads is the sign for the Mither Tap on Bennachie (the hill features in SISTERS).

But for today…

I’m closing my strained eyes and putting my feet in the pool in my, very slanting, summer garden.

strained eyes resting by the pool

Historical Fiction

These novels feature little-known dark events, romance and a hint of magic.

The historical novels of Ailish Sinclair
  • MERMAID: witchcraft, a stone circle, a castle and a love story.
  • FIREFLIES: kidnapping, friendship and chocolate.
  • SISTERS: ancient battle, neurodiversity and forbidden romance.

Amazon UK

Amazon Worldwide

Ailish's feet

See my About Page here

Newsletter

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 rather just hear about new books and offers, you can follow my Amazon author page.

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The Glass Floor of Provost Skene’s House

Provost Skene's House in Aberdeen

Provost Skene’s House nestles between the new buildings and giant plant pots of Aberdeen.

It’s been a long time since I’ve visited the 16th century townhouse. In fact, it’s been a very long time since I’ve been in the city centre. In recent years trips to Aberdeen have been illness or hospital related.

There have been a few changes.

Marischal College

The fountains in front of Marischal College are new:

Fountains in front of Marischal College, Aberdeen

My father worked in the building when I was a child, and there were regular family trips to the Anthropological Museum there. This was later called the Marischal Museum, and it’s no longer open to the public. You can, however, browse online exhibitions.

Provost Skene’s House

Provost Skene’s House door

History

Dating from 1545, the house has been lived in by a variety of people over the centuries. Provost Skene owned it in the 17th century, and Hanoverian troops used it during the Jacobite rebellion of 1745. The Duke of Cumberland stayed there on his way to Culloden. It’s been a museum since 1953. See a more thorough history of the house here.

Museum

The museum used to be set up with rooms furnished in different eras: Edwardian bedrooms and Victorian sitting rooms, that sort of thing. It now houses an exhibition of noteworthy people from Aberdeen, and many of the displays are digitised. I rather miss the harpsichords and harps of the previous arrangement.

The Glass Floor

The glass floor in the cellar is still there, and I’m glad about that. The room was previously a coffee shop, and walking over the floor was a highlight for me as a child. I may not have been frightened when locked in a witch’s hoosie, but this floor scared me in an exhilarating sort of way.

I put the scary floor into the castle of my books. The quote below is from Fouetté, the third and final title of the forthcoming series, A Dancer’s Journey, and it describes how the glass used to look in Provost Skene’s House.

Eerie green light still shone up from below the glass, showcasing the museum pieces in the floor: barrels, bottles, various metal implements, a cauldron. The glass had been replaced, of course, and part of it given proper hinges, not like back then when…

I had to cut the quote short there, because: spoilers. The floor is no longer lit up.

Glass floor in Provost Skene's House

The Painted Gallery

The highlight of the house for me now is the Painted Gallery. It has not changed, apart from the removal of the Mouseman benches.

Like the Wine Tower in Fraserburgh, this is a place that may have been used as a post-Reformation Catholic chapel.

Provost Skene's House Chapel

The ceiling depicts the life of Christ. Below is the Entombment, with a kilted gentleman standing to the right.

The Entombment of Christ, Provost Skene's House

Something else that has not changed is the smell of Provost Skene’s House. It’s quite strong and distinctive. I think it might be caused by the use of some sort of speciality wood preserver or furniture polish.

door in Provost Skene's House

I walk across the flagstone floor of Provost Skene’s.

flagstone floor

And then stroll between the old and the new.

old and new

I prefer the old.

Old and new: Provost Skene's House

The Angry Man

Let’s finish with an angry man. He was originally situated on the wall of a 19th century bakery in the city. It was shut down due to its close proximity to a sewer; the baker blamed his neighbours for the closure, and pointed his angry face at them. He now glares at everyone as they walk past Provost Skene’s House.

SISTERS AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD

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…

Amazon UK

Amazon Worldwide

“Ethereal and spellbinding…” Historical Novel Society

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

About Page

feet

See my About Page here

Newsletter

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.

Writer’s Tip Jar

The Ancient Sound of the Carnyx at Midsummer

misty morning at Midsummer
A misty Midsummer morning.

It’s Midsummer, and I’m in celebratory mode and sounding my (imaginary) carnyx, a wind instrument of the Iron Age Celts.

Writing Update

All major edits have been completed on all three books of A Dancer’s Journey. There’s still a couple of smaller edits and proofing to be done, but great progress has been made. I’m not announcing publication dates just yet, in case autoimmunity causes delays, but I am delighted to have come so far with what is really rather a personal magnum opus! Edit: Amazon!

Sound of the Carnyx

In the video below, a musician plays a reconstruction of the Deskford Carnyx. The original was discovered in this area of Scotland and dates from the time of my Iron Age novel, SISTERS AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD.

SISTERS

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…

Midsummer, or High Summer, is important to the people of the book. There’s dancing, singing, storytelling and other, naughtier, activities in the stone circle. There’s also feasting and fighting, and the sound of a newly constructed carnyx.

Amazon UK

Amazon Worldwide

“Ethereal and spellbinding…” Historical Novel Society

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

SISTERS AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD, featuring a carnyx.

About Page

feet

See my About Page here

Newsletter

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.

Writer’s Tip Jar

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