I can often be found pondering quaint and curious volumes of forgotten lore. Research is half the fun of writing for me. Indulging this passion takes up endless hours, provides fodder for numerous nightmares, and gives me a wicked edge in trivia games. And you never know when some tidbit will come in handy in a story. My new release, Zoraida Grey and the Family Stones, takes place mostly in Scotland. Here are just a few of the legendary creatures you’ll find lurking […]
Scotland
21 posts
Welcome to my Stop on ABA’s Haunted Halloween Hop. Keep hopping by using the list of writers at the bottom of this post. My topic? Ghosts, of course. When I decided to write Zoraida Grey and the Family Stones, I wanted the series to be chock full of everything I love—haunted castles, men in kilts, witches, Scotland, did I mention men in kilts, and–lastly but not leastly–ghosts. A quick bit of research reveals that Scotland glows with female ghosts of various hues. […]
Welcome to Day two of the Fabulous A-Z Blogging challenge. The B topic is not quite as blood-curdling as yesterday’s Joint-Eaters. But don’t let the fairy tales fool you–Bauchans and Brownies have their dark sides, too. Many cultures have creatures who are variations on this theme. The Scandinavians call them tomte, the Slavic domovoi and the German Heinzelmännchen. They seem to be a kind of hobgoblin—loyal to a family or place. They can be friendly and helpful or . . […]
Scottish bagpipes and Scottish Ghosts get equal billing in Sorchia’s Universe for this post. Maligned as much as they are loved, bagpipes and bagpipers play a huge (yuuuge) part in Scottish paranormal lore. But before we get to the ghosts: Why do bagpipers walk while they play? A moving target isharder to hit. What’s the difference between a bagpiper and an onion? Nobody cries when you chop up a bagpiper. I understand the inventor of the bagpipes was inspired when he […]
The Green Lady of Comlongon Castle Whether she jumped or was pushed, Lady Marion Curruthers died at the foot of the castle tower where legend says no grass has ever grown. Before his death, her father arranged a marriage for her with Sir James Douglas. Only problem—she hated every inch of his guts. After her father’s death, she refused to marry Sir James Douglas. Defying a decree some said came from Mary Queen of Scots herself, Lady Marion found herself […]
The legends of Scotland are more than stories to the characters of Zoraida Grey and the Family Stones. Strange creatures roam the moors and craggy mountains of the Scottish Highlands and Zoraida discovers more than a few could be her blood relations. Scotland’s version of a female vampire, the Baobhan Sith (pronounced Baa’-van shee), makes Transylvanian vampires look like sweet fluffy rabbits. The Baobhan sith appears to her victims as a beautiful woman wearing a gown of green or white. […]