Writing is wonderful.
Researching things mentioned in the books? Well, believe it or not, that can be pretty cool too.
Viewing entries in
Scotland
Is there anything more annoying than the slow blink of the cursor?
The fifth book in the Through the Mist saga is now available on Amazon! I finally finished formatting it!
Through the Mist: Redemption traces Tilly’s adjustment to life in 1800s Scotland. We learn more about how she is trying to build a new life for herself. It also picks up where Through the Mist: Reflection left off. No spoilers here! Read it to find out what happens next.
Enjoy!
If you follow my Facebook page, you know I am hard at work on the fifth installment in the Through the Mist series. I am in what I call the “Beta Reader” phase right now, where I make adjustments based on feedback from early readers and correct grammar, spelling, and other mistakes.
At some point with every book, I become so obsessed with the story that it dominates my thoughts. Here is an example. As I drifted off to sleep last night, I said to myself, “No, the color of that dress is all wrong.” What??? Seriously???
Just this morning, I was online reading about the fuel the average Scottish person would have used for their fires in the 1800s. (Peat and wood, by the way) That led me down another rabbit hole. What does a peat fire smell like, since we typically don’t have peat fires here in the States? I already knew how peat was gathered, thanks to watching too many documentaries, reading too many articles, and actually paying attention when I saw someone gathering and drying peat on the Isle of Mull in Scotland. Too bad I cannot put “exhaustive knowledge of peat” on my resume. I doubt it comes up much in the workplace, unless maybe I am a peat harvester.
Why do I bother? It is in my DNA. I cannot help it! I must be accurate when I discuss certain elements in the book. While it is a work of fiction, it is not a work of pure fantasy. It goes against every fiber of my being to just make up little details that you probably breeze right by. Do you really care what fuel was used for the fire? No! You are more concerned with what Benjamin and Tilly are doing in front of the fire!
The next phase will be what I call the “Ah, Screw It; I Am Done” phase. I can feel myself inching closer and closer, because, frankly, I am tired of reading about peat. Until then, please hang in there with me. I am really excited about the next book, peat fires and all. Dare I say it – it may be the best one in the series. Stay tuned!
If you follow me on Facebook, you know that I am editing the next book in the Through the Mist series. Editing can be a brutal process. In the initial stages of writing, I put everything on the proverbial page. Then, during the editing process, I savagely cut parts that I believe get in the way of the story. Do they serve any other purpose than proving I know a lot about a particular subject? After all, you came to the story with the expectation of a light-hearted romance, not a history essay.
The Clearances sit in the background of all books in the series, even more so with this one. Naturally, I have read a lot of material about the event. So far, I have cut a lot of paragraphs from the book or trimmed sections to a single sentence. You don’t need all the detail. You want to know what is happening with a particular character.
Well, it seems a shame to waste all of that information. Here are three key things to know:
The Clearances weren’t confined to the Scottish Highlands. If money is involved, terrible things happen. Countless books and articles have been written about the clearances that happened in the Scottish Highlands. Did you know similar things happened in the Scottish Lowlands? Two points for Gryffindor if you did. I did not.
Sheep were more profitable than people. A booming wool trade made it much more advantageous for greedy landlords to displace communities and raise sheep in their place. Folks who lived on the land for centuries suddenly found themselves without a home. Some were forced off the land, with their homes burned to the ground before their eyes. Others immigrated to Canada, America, and beyond. A few stayed in Scotland and tried to scratch out an existence by the sea.
The Duke and Duchess of Sutherland did horrible things. Read about it. It is unbelievable what their factor and these aristocrats did. I could go on and on – trust me. You want to read it for yourself.
History is more interesting than the romantic tales we read in books or see in movies and TV shows. If you are willing to do a little research on your own, you will be amazed by what you find. Happy digging!