Jean Grant's Scottish Holiday, the Setting for A HUNDRED LIES

Jean M. Grant's post about visiting Scotland reminds me of my long ago trip there. We spent most of our time in Edinburgh since our friends were living there at the time. And since we had a five month old baby with us, and I came down with a case of strep throat, we didn't get to see as many things as we would have liked. We always wanted to go back to Scotland but so far that hasn't happened. I guess I'll have to travel vicariously through Jean! Welcome Jean, and congratulations on the upcoming release of the third book in your series, A HUNDRED LIES! 

Top 10 Things to See in Scotland

What to see if you visit Scotland? Here is my list of must-sees, which might be biased because of my love for nature and history. I visited most of these places while on a trip to Scotland in a rainy September…

10. The abbeys
9. The isles
8. Lochs
7. Crags and Glens
6. Standing Stones
5. Scottish Folk & Pubs
4. The Lowlands
3. The Highlands
2. Highland Games
1. Castles

Some castles Jean visited on her trip

Jean's trip to Scotland - a figure 8 in 8 days

Now some details…

Abbeys are poetic, serene. We walked among ancient gray and rose ruins at Dryburgh and Melrose. It’s hard to not visit an isle while in Scotland. There are many: Lewis and Harris, Shetlands, or my beloved Uist. We visited Isle of Sky on a dreary day and could not even see the Black Cuillin in the torrential rain. Like isles, lochs, many glacial, are a must-see and hard to miss whether it is the deep blue Loch Ness, expansive Loch Lomond, or the inspiring Loch Awe. High and low crags abound…the Trossachs, Cairngorms, or the five sisters of Kintail are impressive mountains. With crags, come glens (valleys). Glencoe is not one to skip.

Standing stones are one of the few places we couldn’t visit on our trip as most are on the isles. Note to self for next time! Scots are pleasant people and we had a great time chatting with the locals. And yup, there are plenty of the other kind of locals: sheep! The lowlands often get overlooked, but they are green and lush with undulating hills. The Highlands are rich in clan history and natural beauty and oh so many hikes. Up for putting the stone, caber tossing, tug-o-war, music, and dancing…oh yes, and lots of kilts? Get thee to a Highland Game. We visited one in Pitlochry. Castles, last but not least! I visited over a dozen on my trip. My favorites: Eilean Donan (seat to Clan MacCoinneach in my books), Kilchurn (we kayaked to it), Threave (we took a rowboat across a river to it), and Borthwick (we stayed overnight in this 14th century tower house that is haunted). Scotland—be prepared for rain, be prepared for beauty of nature and people.

BLURB:

1322, Scotland

Rosalie Threston's fortune-telling lies have caught up with her. Uprooted yet again, she's on the run from a ruthless English noblewoman. She flees to Scotland and seeks refuge in the arms of a laird's son who happens to be a real Seer.

A bloody past and inevitable future plague Domhnall Montgomerie. He avoids physical contact with others to ease the painful visions. When an accidental touch reveals only delight, he wonders if Rose is the key to silencing the Sight.

Mystical awakening unravels with each kiss. But can Domhnall embrace his gift in time to save her life, even it means exposing her lies?

EXCERPT:

She drew his hand into her palm. Her pulse drummed in her ears. Breathe, Rose. Breathe. His fingers trembled in her hand but neither of them released the look. She tried to convey trust and understanding with her own gentle smile. When he seemed settled, she turned her gaze to his hand. After a pause, she said, “It is as I said. Air is your element.”

“What else do you see?” He leaned in, closer. Sweat, sage, hmmm…male? Was male a scent?

Feeling his eyes upon hers, she continued to scrutinize, drawing light touches over the mounds.

“You’re somewhat content, though you spend hours alone to get away?”

He held a straight face. “Easy enough facts to guess. I’m a watchman. Fortune-tellers are good in their ploy.” She refrained from arguing. He was on the defense. Understandable. Most people were. He was correct after all. She stroked his fingers. Pretended to examine. His hands were ice-cold.

All right, memory. Time to shine. The marketplace fire, something from his youth. Domhnall liked animals. Seemed to not like fire or touch. She chanced the next statement. “Something in your past upsets you.” Again, stone-faced. At least his hand had stopped trembling.

She would throw out statements until one stuck. Had she been incorrect in her eavesdropping? Surely the servants had been gossiping about Domhnall.

He chewed his lip. Held her gaze.

She paused and pushed the candle closer. “To see better.”

He flinched.

Yes. Fire. It bothered him.

PRE-ORDER Book Links:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08B7QW5F7

B and N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-hundred-lies-jean-m-grant/1137186123?ean=2940162636021

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/a-hundred-lies-by-jean-m-grant

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54125380-a-hundred-lies

Author Bio:

Jean kayaking to Kilchurn Castle on Loch Awe 

Jean’s background is in science and she draws from her interests in history, nature, and her family for inspiration. She writes historical and contemporary romances and women's fiction. She also writes articles for family-oriented travel magazines. When she's not writing or chasing after children, she enjoys tending to her flower gardens, hiking, and doing just about anything in the outdoors.

Social media info:

Website   https://www.jeanmgrant.com/
Twitter   https://twitter.com/JeanGrant05
Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/jeanmgrantauthor/
Goodreads  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16582543.Jean_M_Grant
Bookbub  https://www.bookbub.com/authors/jean-m-grant
Amazon Author Page  https://www.amazon.com/Jean-M.-Grant/e/B0728KFXP9/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/jeanmgrant/