Fàilte to Forever's GREAT SCOTS & HIGHLAND HEAT Blog Tour with Amanda Scott and Margaret Mallory. Neither author need any introduction as both are beloved favorites of romance readers. Joining me first is Amanda Scott!
Kim: What is your favorite Scottish castle, clan, and saying?
Amanda: My favorite clan is Clan Scott, favorite castle is Hermitage, and favorite saying is the infamous Scott saying: “Let there be moonlight.” I particularly like that saying, because it suits what I do, but originally, it referred specifically to the best kind of night for a raid. I also like the Scott motto, which is ‘Amo’ (meaning ‘I love’).
Amanda: The next and last book in my Scottish Knights trilogy is the aforementioned Highland Lover [Forever April 2012]. Its hero is Sir Jacob “Jake” Maxwell, who appeared as a boy in King of Storms, much of which takes place on a ship that Jake’s father captains until the hero “borrows” it with Jake and his father aboard. [Forever, August 2007]. Now grown, Jake is a knight of the realm and captain of his own galley, the Sea Wolf. To introduce a fictional secondary character from an earlier series as the hero of a new one is a first for me. But Jake’s background eminently qualified him to become a member of the St. Andrews brotherhood established (fictionally) by Bishop Walter Traill, which connects the 3 heroes in the trilogy.
LADY IN DISGUISE
Lady Marsi Cargill refuses to marry a man who wants her land rather than her love. To escape her arranged betrothal, she disguises her noble lineage and accompanies her young cousin--the future King of Scots--on a secret journey across the Highlands. Their guide is a mysterious knight known only as Hawk. Heat flares between the beautiful maid and the brooding warrior, but when Marsi's true identity is revealed, Hawk's desire gives way to fury...
KNIGHT AT THE READY
Summoned by the King to guard his son, Sir Ivor "Hawk" Mackintosh now has two royals to protect. This daring, willful woman has invaded Hawk's every thought, and laid siege to his heart. Soon the solitary soldier is yearning for a life with Marsi at his side and in his bed. But as their passion grows, so too does the danger surrounding them. Powerful enemies watch their every move, and to survive, Hawk and Marsi must fight for Scotland's future-as well as their own new-found love.
Amanda: My favorite clan is Clan Scott, favorite castle is Hermitage, and favorite saying is the infamous Scott saying: “Let there be moonlight.” I particularly like that saying, because it suits what I do, but originally, it referred specifically to the best kind of night for a raid. I also like the Scott motto, which is ‘Amo’ (meaning ‘I love’).
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| Hermitage Castle visitdunkeld.com |
Kim: What are some resources you use for research?
Amanda: Way too many to enumerate, but I use Britain’s Dictionary of National Biography for nearly every book, also British Ordnance Survey maps with a scale of 2.5 inches to the mile, the Internet, clan histories, and every source I can find about specific settings. I also attend Scottish games, where I sign books for a vendor bookseller, and I spend time talking to clan leaders and members, especially clan historians. I glean many truly interesting details from them, and many of them number among my biggest supporters and fans. I could never thank them enough for all that they have done to help me make the historical details in my books as accurate as possible. In one instance, a Scottish fan mentioned that she had friends near Loch-an-Eilein, the primary setting in Highland Master [Forever, Feb 2011], which is the predecessor to Highland Hero in my Scottish Knights trilogy. I told her that I’d been wondering whether to use the ancient spelling (Loch-an-Eilean) or the modern one. She wrote to one of her friends, who asked other residents which they would prefer, and sent me the consensus (the modern one, Loch-an-Eilein), so that’s what I used. Other online acquaintances and, in the case of the third book in the trilogy, Highland Lover [Forever, April 2012], an English bookseller in Filey on the east coast of England, have sent me detailed information about settings, including pictures, measurements, etc. I have traveled all over Scotland on numerous visits, but sometimes, one does have a questions that only a local can answer.
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| Loch-an-Eilein walkhighlands.co.uk |
The first chapter of Highland Hero [Forever, Oct 2011] is posted on my website: www.amandascottauthor.com. If readers have questions or comments, they will also find a link there to my email, which is amandascott@att.net. I have learned a great deal from readers, love to hear from them, and I answer all messages.
Kim: What's next for Amanda Scott?
Amanda: The next and last book in my Scottish Knights trilogy is the aforementioned Highland Lover [Forever April 2012]. Its hero is Sir Jacob “Jake” Maxwell, who appeared as a boy in King of Storms, much of which takes place on a ship that Jake’s father captains until the hero “borrows” it with Jake and his father aboard. [Forever, August 2007]. Now grown, Jake is a knight of the realm and captain of his own galley, the Sea Wolf. To introduce a fictional secondary character from an earlier series as the hero of a new one is a first for me. But Jake’s background eminently qualified him to become a member of the St. Andrews brotherhood established (fictionally) by Bishop Walter Traill, which connects the 3 heroes in the trilogy.
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| Loch Lomond travel.nationalgeographic.com |
My next trilogy, Lairds of the Loch, is in the works, too. The three books in that series will have heroes from clans on or near Loch Lomond, an area that connects the Highland with the Lowlands. Most clans there, though not all, are considered to be Highland clans. The loch’s north and west banks are Highland, its south and southeastern areas generally Lowland. But clans in the latter areas often controlled lands on other shores too. The heroine of Book 1, Lady Andrena MacFarlan, is based on Camilla, a warrior-huntress who was close to Diana, Roman goddess of the hunt, and Andrena has a few extraordinary skills of her own. She can “read” people’s emotions and intentions with extraordinary accuracy—people, that is, except for the hero, Magnus Og Galbraith, who is a veritable giant with a mind of his own.
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| Loch Lomond undiscoveredscotland.co.uk |
Mahalo, Amanda, for joining us at SOS Aloha! Forever is giving away three copies of Amanda's HIGHLAND HERO:
LADY IN DISGUISE
Lady Marsi Cargill refuses to marry a man who wants her land rather than her love. To escape her arranged betrothal, she disguises her noble lineage and accompanies her young cousin--the future King of Scots--on a secret journey across the Highlands. Their guide is a mysterious knight known only as Hawk. Heat flares between the beautiful maid and the brooding warrior, but when Marsi's true identity is revealed, Hawk's desire gives way to fury...
KNIGHT AT THE READY
Summoned by the King to guard his son, Sir Ivor "Hawk" Mackintosh now has two royals to protect. This daring, willful woman has invaded Hawk's every thought, and laid siege to his heart. Soon the solitary soldier is yearning for a life with Marsi at his side and in his bed. But as their passion grows, so too does the danger surrounding them. Powerful enemies watch their every move, and to survive, Hawk and Marsi must fight for Scotland's future-as well as their own new-found love.
Plus a copy of Margaret Mallory's THE SINNER. To enter the giveaway,
1. Leave a comment about your family name - do you know its history? Family seat? Family crest?
2. Forever's giveaway is open to North American residents only but I'll giveaway a copy of either book (winner's choice) to an international reader.
3. Comments are open through Saturday, November 19, 10 pm in Hawaii. I'll post the winner on Sunday, November 20.
Mahalo,
My husband looked his up once but did not learn much. My maiden name is King so who knows what that could mean.
ReplyDeleteMy family and my husband's are German, the crabbiest people on the face of the earth so I probably don't want to know.
ReplyDeleteMy last name is Kirkland and I have a lot of family geneology paperwork about us that I still need to go through. But we are from Scotland and the first ancient Scotts to use Kirkland as a surname were the Strathclyde-Britons. But as far as I know we originated in Scotland. How very fitting for this contest, eh?
ReplyDeleteSadly, have never done much research on our names...maybe a new project to contemplate!
ReplyDeleteI do know some things about our family name, on my father's side we know this:
ReplyDeleteOrigin is German, sometime back around 1100 AD
The name is spelled different ways depending on which branch of the family you are from.
There were several early settlers in the U.S. with the family name.
Several prominent family members, some are quite notorious.
There is a family crest - colors are red, black, gold and white with two gold horses on opposite corners.
On my grandmother's maiden side -there are ties to the Campbells in Scotland but we're still working on finding more on this side of the family (apparently there is some scandal involved in the family's background)
I know a little about my family name.
ReplyDeleteOrigin: Irish or French depending on the family branch, about 1170 AD
Has several variations of spelling
Could've been related to a Boleyn. *sigh* Totally messes up the family motto. lol.
My family name and Hubby's family name are both of German heritage. But nope, we don't have family crests for either.
ReplyDeleteThanks for a good column and such beautiful photos!
I don't think my family name has any meaning to it but it's not really common so I like that aspect of it. I wish I knew more about my family line though such as those going back hundreds of years. That would be so neat.
ReplyDeleteI don't know much about my family name. I just know that many people share this last name, but might spell it a little differently.
ReplyDeleteMy family name was originally Brachpiel, but changed after they came to America because it was written down wrong. I, also, have some Mcraneys, Campbells, and Oglesbees in my tree, so a lot of Scottish ancestors.
ReplyDeletemarlenebreakfield(at)yahoo(dot)com
Some research has been done for a family tree under my maiden name of Stewart (was told there was some relationship to Mary, Queen of Scots, but haven't researched to verify). There's also been some research done on my married name, but not very far back.
ReplyDeleteMy husband's family hasn't done any geneology, but interestingly enough, both my mom and dad's sides of the family were traced back to around Henry the VIII's time and were related in some way. Both sides of the family are English and Dutch. Both families were with the Pilgrims when they landed at Plymouth Rock. One of the best family stories was that my mom's great-great grandfather was traveling to Nebraska and encountered some Indians. He had to take off his false teeth to eat, and they thought he was big medicine and left him and family alone. There were also some horse thieves in the family.
ReplyDeleteDon't really know my family geneology but would like to know. Maybe this can be a new project.
ReplyDeleteI love Amanda's books and Margaret's and would love to read all of them.
Thanks for the opportunity to enter giveaway.
misskallie2000 at yahoo dot com
More of my favorite types of reads!! I know some distant relatives researched this and supposedly our name goes back to royalty in Italy.
ReplyDeletecatslady
My grandmother is really into our family genealogy and I wish I were a little more interested so I could tell you something cool. I do know that there used to be an O in front of my last name that when my ancestors came over from Ireland that they were told to drop.
ReplyDeleteI think my family name means son of a shepherd. I don't know much of the family history
ReplyDeleteThe O'Halloran family crest includes 3 birds on it. It makes so much sense to me because I'm a very avid birdwatcher. :)
ReplyDeleteNow I do not know my hubby's family...But my uncle had looked up that family line, and well evidently the Youngs were guardians of the Czar in Germany. Or so I was told. Really that is all I know. My father always puffed out and remarked that we are descendants of fighters.
ReplyDeleteThe name PRESTON goes back many generations, but I don't know it's origins. It is English. That much I know.
ReplyDeleteThe name Brüggemann seems to come from an ancestor who guarded a bridge.
ReplyDeleteFoster is Irish in orgins, I believe. Thats as much as I know about it. I do know that I'm half Irish and half Italian, but there aren't any people alive in my family that remembers any kind of family history.
ReplyDeleteHeather
book_lover6983@yahoo.com
I am not really sure about my family name. I know there is some Irish in the mix, but it is a very mixed up bunch including many types of Native American tribes.
ReplyDeleteMy family name... I actually don't know a whole lot other than it being the 4th (I think) most common Chinese family name in China and can be traced back to ancient times.
ReplyDelete