A Scottish Story

Anne here. As some of you already know, I’ve just put a Scottish novella up for sale on the various websites — The Laird’s Bride, in e-book and paperback.

It’s the only Scottish story I’ve written. I was contracted for a short story of 12,000 words back in 2010, for the Mammoth Book of Scottish Romance (now out of print), and I wrote it hoping that those who bought it for the sake of the more well-known authors in the anthology might read my story and would like it enough to read my other books.

And though a lot of readers said they enjoyed it, they also said it was too short — and they were right. But the story stayed with me, so a couple of years later I extended it, showing the courtship of the couple and how they fell in love. It’s almost three times as long now — and it's not padding, I promise. I designed a cover and wench Andrea did the lettering for me — she’s very good with fonts — and I was about to upload it on amazon when I got a new contract that restricted my self-publishing. So it sat, unread and un-uploaded for almost ten years. 

However when Berkley scheduled my next Bellaire Gardens book (which was finished in March) for publication in May 2024, the opportunity came to publish this story, otherwise I would have had no books out this year, which is not good for an author, especially now that self-publishing writers can finish a book and have it up for sale within a few weeks, and thus get a number of books out in a single year. So the Laird’s time had come. I had a new cover designed and lo, here it is.

You might wonder about an Australian writer setting a book in Scotland, but I lived in Scotland for a year or so as a child, and went to school there. When I pulled out this story and reread and reedited it, the cadences and rhythms of my childhood came back to me.

At school I quickly developed a Scottish accent — you do when every time you open your mouth your little schoolfellows fall silent and listen attentively, not so much as to what you’re saying, but how. My class knew I was coming — my father had taken up his job before Mum and my brother and I followed him — and the teacher had prepared the class with some information about Australia. 

I well remember the day my little friends compassionately introduced me to rain. “Dinna fash yersel’, hen — it’s rain, just water that falls from the sky.” I thought that was strange — of course I knew about rain — but Mum explained later that they’d probably read about Australian kids our age who’d been living in the outback through a ten year drought, so they’d never seen rain. 

But I was thrilled to bits when puddles in the schoolyard froze and we could go skidding and sliding over over them. Such a great game. I knew frosts, but not sheets of ice. It snowed a lot too that year — it was a very cold winter — and I loved every experience of it. Leaving for school and coming home in the dark was less delightful, I confess. (That's me in my Scottish class photo — can you pick me out?)

Not only did I soak up a lot of Scottish history and culture at school, my parents were great travellers and we hitched up the caravan almost every weekend and explored the countryside. I still have vivid memories of many of the places we visited.

I remember standing at John O’Groats and staring out to sea. We explored beaches and I still have a couple of the stones I picked up. Shingle and stone beaches were new to me — ours are mostly sand — and the sound made by the waves washing over the round stones and sending them tumbling, was magic. 

My father was a keen bird-watcher, and I remember gazing up at puffins and marvelled at their cliff-side nests. (Photo by Yves Alarie on Unsplash) And I worried about the baby birds falling. At Loch Ness I scoured the waters for hours, binoculars clamped to my eyes (when my brother hadn’t snatched them) in the hopes that I might catch a glimpe of Nessie.

I have vivid memories of the car crawling slowly along a road over the moors in the wake of a flock of long-skirted black-faced sheep trotting along, their long fleece swinging back and forth like a muddy kilt, with a black and white collie keeping them in order. We didn’t mind the hold-up at all — we were used to mobs of sheep in Australia, but these were so different. And charming. I completely fell in love with the little black-faced lambs, especially when I spotted some twins peeping out from between clumps of heather and grass. (Photo from this site.)

I also fell for the highland cattle — the coos — with their long red fringes, big horns and solemn expressions.  

Some of these experiences and images made it into the story — not many, because it’s a story, not a travelogue, but if you read it, you’ll see some of these things pop up. 

Are you a fan of Scottish-set stories? Any favorites?  I'll send an e-book to someone who leaves a comment on the blog.

Comments

[Robin R]

The very first romance novel I read was set in Scotland. I think it might still be buried somewhere in the basement. Alas I do not remember the author or many details. However, it did turn me onto reading romances.
I like the Regency and Victorian period more than stories set earlier, but the Lynsay Sands & Victoria Howell McNachton Vampire books are fun. I am of course blanking on the names of authors who have written some great books set in Scotland or with Scottish lairds in the Victorian period.
We went to Edinburgh and the North of Scotland on our honeymoon, so I have vivid mental images of the city and landscape when I read.

[Annette N]

Are you the sweet little girl in the second row, fourth from the left?
The first Scottish stories I read were early Julie Garwood books. I loved them partly because of the humor as well as the charming heroes and heroines. And I must not forget the danger.
I want to thank you for your descriptions of Scotland from the eyes of a little girl. I will never be there and I appreciate the fact you shared with us. It is quite evident that loved your time there.
Thank you for letting us know wbout the novella.

[Kareni]

Anne, thanks for sharing your memories of Scotland and the fun pictures.

I read many Scottish-set romances some (cough, cough) thirty/forty years ago. A relatively recent favorite which is set partially in Scotland is The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie by Jennifer Ashley.

Best wishes as you release The Laird’s Bride!

[Jeanne Behnke]

You always have great covers Anne. I like Scottish set stories quite a lot. Susanna Kearsley’s always stick in my mind.

[Mary T]

Thanks for sharing your personal Scottish adventure. I do enjoy Scottish set stories and I love the cover. Best of luck with it.

[Pat Dupuy]

Just give me good characters and a good plot. If it's set in Scotland, that's a bonus! Such a beautiful country.

[Constance]

If a story is set, even partially, in Scotland, it's got me from the first. I may ditch it after a chapter if the story, characters, etc, don't live up to their setting :), but Scotland gets me every time. Can't begin to remember the first one I read, but among the earliest and still a favorite is Judith McNaught's Almost Heaven. And I re-read Rosamunde Pilcher's September every summer. But my most recent favorite is your new Scottish story, Anne! Congratulations! The Laird's Bride is just terrific - and you evoked Scotland beautifully. Maybe someone from Bellaire Gardens needs to spend some time in Scotland....

[Anne Gracie]

Thanks, Robin. I also prefer the Scottish stories set in later periods — long after Culloden, preferably, as this story is. There is so much tragedy. I remember reading John Prebble's wonderful book about the Highland Clearances and weeping most of the way through it. So many tragic stories.
What a lovely honeymoon trip you had.

[Anne Gracie]

Thanks, Annette. You mean the girl in the dark tunic? No, that's not me.
And yes, I read Julie Garwood's Scottish stories too. Did you know she died, recently? So sad.

[Anne Gracie]

Kareni, the madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie is a wonderful book, isn't it? I enjoy all of Jennifer Ashley's books.
Thanks for your good wishes.

[Anne Gracie]

Thanks, Jeanne. It's a treat having control of my covers. I have more of a say these days with Berkley, which is lovely, but this one was all between the designer and me. I'm really happy with it.
And yes, Susanna Kerasley's stories are wonderfully evocative, I agree.

[Anne Gracie]

Thank you, Mary. I could have gone on for ages about my Scottish memories, but I had to draw the line somewhere. *g*

[Anne Gracie]

Thanks, Pat. That's pretty much my criteria for a good book, too -- good characters and a good plot, and I think readers will like both my hero and heroine. He's young, still with a bit to learn about women, but good hearted and honorable to the backbone. She's strong and kind and with hidden depths and her unexpected marriage gives her a chance to shine. With a novella, there's not a lot of space for a twisty plot, but I hope readers enjoy it.

[Anne Gracie]

Thank you for that lovely comment, Constance -- and for buying the book. I'm thrilled you enjoyed it.

I'm fairly sure I've read Judith McNaught's Almost Heaven, but I have no recollection of the story, so clearly I need to read it again. As for Rosamunde Pilcher, some years ago my friend, writer Barbara Hannay introduced me to Rosamunde Pilcher's books -- I think she was so shocked that I hadn't read her that she went to the bookshop -- we were on retreat at the time -- and bought me her favorite. And of course I loved it and went on to buy more of her books.

I'm smiling at the idea of someone from Bellaire Gardens going to Scotland. It was such a journey in those days. And currently, the heroine of book #4 of Bellaire Gardens is in France (for a short time) The book that stands out in my mind where they did travel to Scotland is Lisa Kleypas's Devil in Winter, but of course they only travelled to Gretna, and then came back to London.
Thanks again.

[Teresa Broderick]

Good luck with the book Anne and I love the cover! Covers are very important to me.
I live in Ireland and Scotland would be similar to us in lots of ways. However, I visited there just once, many, many moons ago and I hope to go back some day. I love books set in Scotland. There's just something magical about the place. Susanna Kearsley would be a favourite author of mine and her book Sophia's Secret is a re-read for me.
Looking forward to reading your new one!

[Anne Gracie]

Thanks, Teresa. We also travelled through Ireland -- Northern Ireland and Eire -- when I was a kid. My maternal grandmother came from Ireland so it was compulsory to visit the relatives of course. But I also travelled around Ireland on my own many years later. So beautiful.

As for Susanna's books, I struggle to choose a favorite.Might ave to do yet another reread.

[Vicki L]

This sounds like a fascinating story. Also love the back story about the story. Yay for a new Anne Gracie this year.

Definitely love stories set in Scotland. Rosamunde Pilcher's September is one of my favorites.

Yay that your new publisher works with you on the covers so you end up happy with how they look.

[Anne Gracie]

Thanks, Vicki -- I don't actually have a new publisher — this one is self-published, so I hired a cover designer and we worked together. I realy need to re-read Rosamunde Pilcher's September, don't I, with several people mentioning it?

[Karin]

I do love The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie, but I also remember what were probably the first Scottish romances I read: the Velvet series by Jude Deveraux. Also, D.E. Stevenson's books are wonderful, whether they're set in Scotland or England.

[Anne Gracie]

Thanks, Karin. I don't remember the Velvet series -- must look it up -- and I haven't read DE Stevenson for years. People's comments are reminding me of so many good books from my past, and a few that clearly I've never discovered. The Jude Deveraux books probably date from the "dark age" of Australian publishing where US romance books were simply not available here.

[Anne Gracie]

I just looked up the Jude Deveraux Velvet series, and only one of them -- #2-- was available for me, as an Australian, to buy. The message for all the others was "The Kindle title is not currently available for purchase". So the :dark days" are not over yet. Sigh.

[Linnea J Priest MD]

you can buy most books used on websites like abebooks.com and betterworldbooks.com. If the kindle is horribly expensive, that is what I do. I am retired, so I watch the pennies. You would have to wait, of course, because Australia is pretty far away, but I have bought yarn online from there
(lovely yarn, btw).

[Anne Gracie]

Thanks, Linnea — I do know about the second-hand trade, but usually the cost of postage makes most purchases very expensive. In any case, these days I prefer reading on kindle.

I just don't understand why book#2 in a series would be available on kindle, but not books #1. #3 and #4. Makes no sense to me.

[Karin]

I don't necessarily recommend you to go out of your way to find that Deveraux series. I'm not sure they've aged well, but back in the 1980's I was happy for any romance I could get my hands on! And because they were among the first I read, they stuck in my mind.

[Janice J.]

I'm partway through the story now. I see you mentinoed the mud but wisely did not emphasize the sheep residue :) It's a fun story.

[Anne Gracie]

LOl on the sheep residue, Janice. It honestly never crossed my mind. I was just thinking mud.
Glad you're enjoying it. Thanks.