"I enjoyed this story so much. The author has the ability to make the reader time travel with the characters. In fact, I found myself asking the same questions that Mary Elizbeth asked. “So many questions; so few answers. [...] There is a wonderful twist at the end of the tale that should delight fans of conspiracy theories as well. A most enjoyable book!" Fiona, Goodreads
Description:
There are so many possibilities that affect the course of history. One change, one small item overlooked, can make a world of difference, not only in a person's life, but in the history and well-being of an entire nation. And then there are those multiple scenarios of what if? What if King James VI of Scotland didn't succeed in amalgamating Scotland with England? What if there had been another heir to the throne of Scotland? One who would secure its independence? Would Scotland have remained free and independent and a nation of its own well into the twenty-first century? And would Scotland, this independent version, make its own decision to join the European Union when its southern neighbor was choosing to pull away?
"Queen Mary's Daughter" presents another plausible timeline, one that incorporates both historical fact and fiction with the endless possibilities of time travel.
GUEST POST
Why do we love Scotland in the romance stories?
I don’t know if I can answer this for everyone, but I can certainly answer it for myself. Scotland and its people exude an intense aura of mystique and romance. I mean, men in kilts, rugged, tough, strong. Scottish women in long robes with plaids wrapped around them or draped elegantly over their shoulders. And the landscape: lush fields and forests, rocky edifices and grand lochs. Mystery everywhere you go: Loch Ness monster, haunted castles.
For me, Scotland in part of my heritage. My grandmother (Gran) instilled in me a powerful love of the country where she was born. We read together, mostly about Scotland: Mary Queen of Scots, Rob Roy MacGregor (the Robin Hood of the north). She insisted we were descended from both, but then all Scots claim a link to the Stuarts (Stewarts) and the MacGregors.
When I was old enough, Gran and I traveled together. A lot. One special trip took us to Scotland where we traced Gran’s childhood memories. We also followed the trail of Mary Queen of Scots. We had been enjoying a number of novels and biographies about the ill-fated queen and Gran ignited my interest by telling me about ancestors who helped in the queen’s escape from her prison at Loch Leven Castle. There is so much mystery and romance surrounding Queen Mary; so many unsolved myths and legends. I always wanted to write about Queen Mary, but I didn’t want to write a biography, which has been done many times over, and I didn’t want to write a pure historical fiction novel, because I felt Jean Plaidy and others had already done a wonderful job portraying the romantic lore that surrounded this queen and her country. I kept reading new stories about Queen Mary, but it wasn’t until the Brexit debacle and the ongoing desire of the Scottish people to separate from England, that I started looking more closely at the stories around Queen Mary. I knew she had given birth, prematurely, to twins while imprisoned at Loch Leven. History records that the babies died at birth and were buried on the island where the castle sat. An interesting footnote states that the location of the burial and the babies’ remains have never been found. Another myth, unsolved legend? I started thinking, ‘what if?’ What if there had been another heir to the Scottish throne and Scotland never did amalgamate with England and Ireland? And my story unfolded.
I can’t shake this passionate love affair I have with Scotland. I’m sure there are many others who feel the same. Even though I’m only one-quarter Scottish, I am very proud of that one-quarter. As the saying goes, “there’s those who are Scottish and those who want to be Scottish.” I’m a bit of both, I guess.
About the author:
Emily-Jane Hills Orford is an award-winning author of several books, including Gerlinda (CFA 2016) which received an Honorable Mention in the 2016 Readers’ Favorite Book Awards, To Be a Duke (CFA 2014) which was named Finalist and Silver Medalist in the 2015 Next Generation Indie Book Awards and received an Honorable Mention in the 2015 Readers’ Favorite Book Awards. She writes about the extra-ordinary in life and her books, short stories, and articles are receiving considerable attention. For more information on the author, check out her website at: http://emilyjanebooks.ca
Author's Giveaway
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Thanks for hosting!
ReplyDeleteThanks for hosting me and my book, "Queen Mary's Daughter". I would love to ask your readers what fascinates them about Scotland.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a great book.
ReplyDeleteHello Stephanie LaPlante- It was a great book to write as well. I hope you get the chance to read it.
ReplyDeleteEmily-Jane
Sounds great.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a great read.
ReplyDeleteLook great
ReplyDeleteI hope everyone gets a chance to read my novel. Thanks for joining the tour.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the new book and good luck on the book tour!!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Ally. I hope you get to read it.
ReplyDeleteExcellent guest post! I really enjoyed reading it and getting to know more about the book!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Ally Swanson. This book was certainly fun and rewarding to write, especially given that I was able to focus on several of my favorite topics, namely Scotland. Glad you enjoyed the post.
ReplyDeleteThe book cover looks great. I think I will like the settings and storyline.
ReplyDeleteI hope you enjoy reading my novel, Dan. It was certainly an interesting one to write. Fun, too.
ReplyDelete