"Beaudry's Ghost" - The book that refuses to die!

I'm pleased to announce that SamhainPublishing.com has contracted for my paranormal romance novel, BEAUDRY'S GHOST. Release date is Jan. 28, 2008, the day before my husband's birthday! EDIT: Just got word that the release date will change - either Jan. 4 or Feb. 1.

This award-winning book of my heart has been through two previous publishers that went belly-up before it got any kind of momentum going. In Samhain, though, I think this time we've found a winner!

Thanks a million to Samhain for giving Beaudry one more chance. :')

Scotophile Monday

Whisky-Heated Hospital
Whisky distilleries use a lot of heat in their processes and normally that heat just gets lost in the atmosphere. But Pulteney Distillery in Wick in the far north of Scotland is already piping its waste heat to local homes and from October, Caithness General Hospital will be connected to the system - making it the first in the UK to become heated by a whisky distillery.The plant is already using an environmentally friendly biomass, wood-burning power source to provide the heat used in the distilling processes.

Campaign to Honor the "World's Worst Poet and Tragedian"
Scotland may have produced Robert Burns to delight the world with his poems and songs in his short but boisterous life, but we also managed to spawn a rhymester who vies for the dubious title of "World's Worst Poet". During his lifetime, William McGonagall (1830-1902) used to carry an umbrella to ward off the rotten tomatoes hurled at him. He was certain of his own genius, however, believing that he was second only to William Shakespeare. In recent years, however, he has attracted a growing band of admirers (who relish the sheer awfulness of his excruciating rhymes, metre and word choice). He often wrote about events of his day - and had to do a hasty rewrite of his eulogy on the railway bridge over the river Tay when it collapsed: Beautiful Railway Bridge of the Silv'ry Tay! Alas! I am very sorry to say That ninety lives have been taken away On the last Sabbath day of 1879 Which will be remember'd for a very long time. Despite a growing fan base for McGonagall, the literary establishment turns up their snobbish noses at him - and refuse to agree to a proposal to erect a memorial to him at Edinburgh's Writer's Museum alongside the recognised greats such as Burns, Stevenson and Scott. His supporters are undaunted and hold an annual "McGonagall night" when the courses are served back to front, starting with dessert and ending with the starter.

A Whiff of Change
The women's British Open golf championship was being played at the Old Course at St Andrews this week - the first time that the ladies have been allowed to compete on the hallowed ground and use the previously "men only" club house facilities. There were no doubt some old colonels who disapproved of the development - and they perhaps felt vindicated when it emerged that one of the lady players had changed her child's nappy (diaper) in the changing room. Janice Moodie, a Scot married to an American and based in Florida, admitted afterwards that it "was a particularly stinky one" but it was a choice between the club house and the car.... Although no record books were consulted, it is confidently being said that it is the first time such a task has been performed there in the 253-year history of the St Andrews club, which governs golf outside of the US and Mexico.

This Week in Scottish History
August 5 1388 - James, Earl Douglas, died out of sight of his army, in a bush, at Battle of Otterburn in which Scots defeat Henry Percy, (Hotspur) but with the loss of the Earl of Douglas.
August 5 1695 - The Scottish Parliament established a General Post Office.
August 6 1678 - First Glasgow/Edinburgh coach service began from White Horse Inn, Edinburgh.
August 6 1820 - Donald Alexander Smith - later Lord Strathcona - born in Forres. A pioneer of the Hudson Bay Company in the North-West, he later championed the completion of the Canadian Pacific Railway across Canada and drove the last spike at Craigellachie, British Columbia.
August 6 1881 - Birth of Sir Alexander Fleming, discoverer of penicillin.
August 8 1946 - Former World flyweight boxing champion Benny Lynch died.
August 8 1296 - King Edward I removed to England the Stone of Destiny on which generations of Scottish kings had been crowned.
August 8 1503 - King James IV married Margaret Tudor, daughter of King Henry VII of England. The marriage was known as the Union of the Thistle and the Rose.
August 9 1757 - Civil engineer Thomas Telford born in Dumfries.
August 9 1935 - Prestwick Airport in Ayrshire opened after David McIntyre set up Scottish Aviation Ltd. Aircraft had been flying from the area since 1913.
August 10 1460 - King James III crowned at Kelso Abbey.
August 10 1872 - Education (Scotland) Act passed, providing elementary education for all children.
August 10 1935 - Perth Museum and Art Gallery opened by the Duke and Duchess of York.

Source for all of the above: Rampant Scotland.com


Rare Bird Victim Of Night Attacks
Experts studying the decline of a seabird have observed it being hunted at night by another rare bird. The National Trust for Scotland (NTS) has been recording "alarming" falls in Leach's storm petrels on St Kilda. Researchers from Glasgow University have now calculated great skua, or bonxie, may be eating up to 14,000 of the smaller bird every year. The hunting has been witnessed with the use of night vision equipment. The research will run until 2009. NTS said the Leach's storm petrel colony on St Kilda, which it owns, is the largest in Europe and numbers about 40,000 pairs. Bonxie are regarded as the chief suspect in its decline. BBC-Scotland

Wet Weather = Slow Beer Sales
Scottish & Newcastle will reveal the "good, the bad and ugly" in its half-year figures this week which are likely to show that the wet British summer has led to a 5% fall in beer sales. Scotsman Online

Scottish Blog of the Week
Gaelic Blog

Videos of the Week
Edinburgh Military Tattoo Opening Night
Whale Trapped in Harbor

Poesy Sunday

As a descendant of Clan MacPherson, I was pleased to run across this poem by Lachlan Macvurich which chronicles the fate of Ewan of Cluny, chief of the MacPhersons of Cluny after the Battle of Culloden. "The Macphersons played an active role at the beginning of the rebellion. They were engaged in operation in Atholl, before the Battle of Culloden and Charles was urged to wait for Cluny before engaging the enemy. He did not, so the men of Macpherson took no part in the famous defeat at Culloden. Ewan went into hiding but he was never captured in the nine years he spent in hiding. In 1755 he fled to France, amidst the tears and regrets of a clan that loved him with the fondest devotion." (Rampant Scotland.com)

The Exile of Cluny

Oh, many a true Highlander, many a liegeman,
Is blank on the roll of the brave in our land;
And bare as its heath is the dark mountain region,
Of its own and its prince's defenders unmann'd.
The hound's death abhorr'd, some have died by the cord,
And the axe with the best of our blood is defiled,
And e'en to the visions of hope unrestored,
Some have gone from among us, for ever exiled.

He is gone from among us, our chieftain of Cluny;
At the back of the steel, a more valiant ne'er stood;
Our father, our champion, bemoan we, bemoan we!
In battle, the brilliant; in friendship, the good.
When the sea shut him from us, then the cross of our trial
Was hung on the mast and was swung in the wind:
"Woe the worth we have sepulchred!" now is the cry all;
"Save the shade of a memory, is nothing behind."

What symbols may match our brave chief's animation?
When his wrath was awake, 'twas a furnace in glow;
As a surge on the rock struck his bold indignation,
As the breach to the wall was his arm to the foe.
So the tempest comes down, when it lends in its fury
To the frown of its darkness the rattling of hail;
So rushes the land-flood in turmoil and hurry,
So bickers the hill-flame when fed by the gale.

Yet gentle as Peace was the flower of his race,
Rare was shade on his face, as dismay in his heart;
The brawl and the scuffle he deem'd a disgrace,
But the hand to the brand was as ready to start.
Who could grapple with him in firmness of limb
And sureness of sinew? and — for the stout blow —
'Twas the scythe to the swathe in the meadows of death,
Where numbers were levell'd as fast and as low.

Ever loyal to reason, we've seen him appeasing
With a wave of one hand the confusion of strife;
With the other unsheathing his sword, and, unbreathing,
Following on for the right in the havoc of life.
To the wants of the helpless, the wail of the weak,
His hand aye was open, his arm was aye strong;
And under yon sun, not a tongue can bespeak
His word or his deed that was blemish'd with wrong.

Meaning of unusual words:
swathe = wreath of mist
aye = always

Today's Blog Entry...

Is over here. It's a Creature Feature about the Glaistig, a creature from Scottish folklore. Enjoy!

Thirteen Reasons My Parents Are Cool

Sorry I'm late with this! My parents and sister were visiting this week. They like to hit as many cool restaurants as they can for breakfast, lunch and dinner, so who am I to refuse a chance NOT to have to cook? [grin]

They say that when you're little, you think your parents are cool and they know everything. Then by the time you reach age 21 or so, you parents are dorks and haven't got a clue. But when you hit your 40s? Gosh, Mom and Dad weren't so dumb after all - in fact they're darn near geniuses.

So, since I've just waved goodbye to them this morning as they head back to God's Country (aka North Carolina), I present to you 13 reasons why my parents rock.

1. They got married young (17 for my Mom, 22 for my Dad), never got a formal college degree, but somehow managed to raise and college-educate two daughters.

2. Both are avid learners and natural teachers. Mom can teach a tree stump how to sew (okay, so that means I must be dumber than a stump, right Mom?) and Dad taught himself enough about computers so that when NCR made the switch from mechanical to electronic machines, he was ready.

3. When I developed rheumatoid arthritis at age 5, they broke their necks seeking out the best possible medical care for me, even if that meant driving hours one way to get to a specialist.

4. Despite my illness, they never told me I couldn't achieve anything I set my mind to. (It must have been tough on them to see me suffer through marching band, but they let me do it because it meant so much to me.)

5. When I've had major surgeries, Mom left her beloved, sunny home in NC to spend 2 months at a time in cloudy, gloomy Cleveland to take care of me and my family.

6. If you show anything made of fabric to my Mom, she can or will learn how to sew it. Beautifully.

7. Like me, Dad is one of those people who sometimes hopscotch from one hobby to another, leaving a trail of unfinished projects in his wake. But the wall clock that was one of the projects he finished during his "clock era" is one of my most precious treasures. Though half the time I forget to wind it. (Sorry, Dad!)

8. Mom, I finally understand the value of keeping a (relatively) clean home, extra sets of clean sheets and pillows in the closets, and a fresh pitcher of sweet tea in the icebox. It keeps you ready to welcome visitors at all times.

9. They taught me the value of treating anyone and everyone I meet with respect - you never know how even a chance, one-time encounter might affect someone's life.

10. Now that I'm a Mom, I understand where those worry lines and grey hairs come from. And why each one is beautiful.

11. Watching my Dad now, I understand where my will to keep chugging along comes from, even when our health isn't all that good.

12. Watching my Mom care for Dad now, I understand what true love is.

13. I hope I become half the human beings they are.

-----

Visit other Thursday Thirteeners here!

Wordless Wednesday

Still shot from the film, Carry On... Up The Khyber.

When You Feel Like Quitting...

This is a fantastic new inspirational site for writers, put together by a group of both published and unpublished authors. The opening video alone is worth your time. Enjoy!

Write Attitude

Hmmm, I wonder what kind of inspirational quote caption would go with this picture? [grin]

How about, "When life hands you lemons, smash 'em with a caber."

Scotophile Monday

Welcome back to Scotophile Monday, where I post a few interesting, funny, or just plain weird snippets of stories from or about Scotland. All sources are credited. Enjoy!





Independence Plans in 14 Days
The Scottish First Minister has revealed that a plan for holding a referendum on Scotland becoming independent and leaving the United Kingdom will be published in the next two weeks. That would fulfill one of the election pledges made by the Scottish National Party about what they would deliver in their first 100 days in office. Read more

Movies Draw Crowds
10% of the visitors who come to Scotland say that they were prompted to make the trip by seeing a film which features the country. That translates into tourism worth hundreds of millions of pounds to the economy, particularly in the areas featured by the movies. It's doubtful if the drugs and violence of "Trainspotting" did much for Edinburgh, but Braveheart, Hamish Macbeth, Highlander, Local Hero, Loch Ness, Rob Roy and many others have prompted those abroad - and many English people - to come to see the locations for themselves. In recent times, the Harry Potter movies have brought people to the romantic steam-driven train journey on the West Highland line, taking in the Glenfinnan Viaduct (ssen above), and the Da Vinci code has resulted in visitor numbers at Rosslyn Chapel soaring by over 30%. Read more

Puffin Colony Recovers
Craigleith Island, off North Berwick, used to be used by 28,000 pairs of breeding puffins. Then, after 1999, numbers plummeted to just a few thousand last year. The problem was an invasion of tree mallow, a non-native species that grew over the entrances to the burrows where the birds nest. Hundreds of volunteers have been working to remove the obstructions and many more birds have returned this year. Read more

Scottish Wildlife Photos: Click here!

Highland Clearances Memorial
The Scottish First Minister, Alex Salmond, unveiled a statue this week at Helmsdale, north of Inverness, which commemorates the achievement and resilience of the many Scots who left the Highlands and Islands during the Highland Clearances. Read more

Enchanted Forest
Perthshire’s renowned Enchanted Forest sound and light show is set to delight the senses when it returns to Faskally Wood near Pitlochry from 19th October to 4th November, with a brand new theme. The focus of this year’s event will be "Creation", with spectacular lighting effects being used to illustrate the earth’s history from its early volcanic state, the Ice Age and the Jurassic era, right through to modern times. At a special lochside viewing area, visitors will be treated to a spectacular 10 minute choreographed sound and light show which, with the help of high level aerial lighting effects, coloured water jets and smoke, will gradually reveal a scene of turmoil develop and the loch turn into a bubbling cauldron! Read more

The Pineapple, Airth, Near Falkirk

THERE are many so-called follies dotted around Scotland's countryside, but perhaps the strangest is the Pineapple, near the village of Airth on the outskirts of Falkirk. Built in 1761 for John Murray, the fourth Earl of Dunmore, as a garden retreat, it is now in the care of the National Trust for Scotland and the Landmark Trust. The stone building in the shape of said fruit dominates its surrounding gardens. Read more


Castle of the Week: Arnot Tower, Kinross

Scottish Blog of the Week: Scotland Blog

This Week in Scottish History
July 29 1565 - Mary, Queen of Scots, married Lord Darnley.
July 29 1567 - King James VI (aged 13 months) crowned at the Church of the Holy Rude, beside Stirling Castle, following the abdication of Mary, Queen of Scots, five days earlier.
July 30 1918 - Provisions were included in the Scottish Education Bill to ensure adequate facilities for teaching Gaelic in Scotland.
July 30 1938 - First edition of the long-running "Beano" comic was published.
July 31 1786 - "Kilmarnock Edition" of the poems of Robert Burns "Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect" first published.
July 31 1965 - Cigarette advertising banned on television in Britain.
August 1 1714 - Death of Queen Anne; George I, Elector of Hanover becomes king.
August 1 1747 - Proscription Act introduced, banning tartan and the carrying of weapons. The penalty for a first offence was six months in jail and a second offence resulted in transportation for seven years.
August 1 1967 - University of Dundee which was incorporated into the University of St Andrews in 1890, constituted as a separate university.
August 2 1922 - Alexander Graham Bell, inventor of the telephone, died in Nova Scotia.
August 3 1573 - Sir William Kirkcaldy of Grange executed, after defending Edinburgh Castle on behalf of Mary Queen of Scots from May 1568 to May 1573.
August 3 1460 - King James II killed by an exploding cannon at the siege of Roxburgh Castle.
August 3 1305 - William Wallace betrayed and handed over to the English.
August 4 1870 - Birth of the entertainer Sir Harry Lauder.
August 4 1900 - Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, the future Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, born.

Sorry 'bout that!

My blog template was temporarily hosed, but it looks like it's back to normal. Well, mostly. The Read More coding is still messed up, and I can't figure out why the "In the Gloaming" cover won't display correctly on the sidebar. But I'll have to fiddle with it later, as I'm leaving in a few minutes for a class reunion.

Anyway, "In The Gloaming" is now available for pre-order on Amazon! Woo hoo! This book contains the print version of my novella Abhainn's kiss, The Heron's Call by Isabo Kelly, and Thief of Hearts by J.C. Wilder.

I'm blogging today over on Beyond the Veil, continuing my series about the Celtic Ogham divination. Enjoy!



Micheal McClanathan from The Bagpiper.

Today's Blog Entry...

...is over here. Enjoy!




Colin MacGregor, Dressed to Kilt show