I Got the Call (Again)!

These past couple months have just been full of excitement. I signed with my wonderful agent, Jill Marsal, in April. The fabulous Rae Monet finished my website this week. Jimmy Thomas is the cover model gracing my website and blog and I just received the most important call in my career. 

I just landed a three book deal with Sourcebooks!

As any writer can attest, this was a tedious journey with many ups and downs. It's definitely been a roller coaster ride on the road to publishing. Fortunately, I'm still on that high and have not thought long-term about reviews and marketing. *waves hand in air in dismissive gesture* There's plenty of time for that later. Right now, I'm just living in the moment.

I want to take this opportunity to thank my CP, writer/chapter friends and family. I have a great support team and you make my job so much easier. Thanks to my husband who has made countless dinners while I'm knee deep in the Highlands. Thanks to my beautiful daughter for her endless support and praise. You were right. I only had to believe in myself. And how could I forget my handsome little lad in training? Even though you were the only one in Kindergarten speaking Scottish Gaelic, I appreciate your support!  

I'm sure I'll be up late tonight tossing and turning and pondering things to come. For right now, I've accomplished my dream. *sigh*

Career. Onward. Now. 

Bear-ly Able to Watch... Cape Wrath, Scotland

I will be the first to admit that when I do occasionally get my hands on the TV remote, I force the dh to watch what I want. You know, skimpily clad gladiators, vampires, serial killers, men in kilts... It serves him right for all of the times he coerces me into watching every fishing, hunting, manly show under the sun. I'm sorry, but there are only so many times a gal can watch Alaskan crab fishing! Every episode is the same!

After being married for so many years, we read each other well. For instance, I will make him a nice dinner and say, "Do you mind if we watch...?" He usually caves. On the other hand, I'm more difficult to persuade. My son and daughter join in and we outnumber his vote, overthrowing the king's command. Due to our rallying efforts, it has influenced the dh to be much more creative.

One of his favorite shows is Man vs. Wild. Yep, I could not tear my gaze away when Bear Grylls drank his own urine the first or the second time and let's not talk about when he actually ate bear excrement. Any man that drinks his own man juice... *cringe* 

Anyway, the other night the dh says, "I taped something for you. I really thought you would like it. I think it was filmed in Cape Wrath, Scotland."

"Really?" I ask with excitement. "What was it?"

"Now before you say anything and roll your eyes, it was Man vs. Wild."

He has me cornered, knowing I'll watch anything about Scotland.

The show starts off with Bear jumping out of a helicopter, living in a life raft and then swimming to shore. Hey, this isn't so bad! The scenery is beautiful and it's Scotland. Wait, he realizes he's on the wrong island and must swim the channel. No big deal. Is that... a baby seal? He's not. Please tell me--he's not.

Pulling out his blade, he cuts the head from the seal. What is he doing? Oh, that explains it. He's making a baby seal wet suit to wear over his chest to protect him from the elements of the sea. Donning his stylish blood soaked skin; he swims the channel--not as shark bait. He made it. Mmm...

The remote scenery of Cape Wrath was breathtaking, but next time, I think I'll leave the Bear at home.

MacGregor Clan

I am in the final stages of my manuscript, Highland Savior. Since my story is loosely based on the MacGregor and Campbell conflicts, I thought it only right to give the MacGregor's their 15 minutes of fame.

Clan Gregor, or Clan MacGregor, is a Highland Scottish clan. The Gaelic version of the MacGregor name is MacGrioghair. Their clan motto is 'S rioghal mo dhream (My race is royal).

Clan Gregor is believed to have originated in Scotland around the 800s. The MacGregor's suggest they take their name from Gregor (derived from the Latin 'Gregorius' and the Late-Greek 'Gregorios' meaning "Alert, Watchful, or Viligent"). Gregor is said to be a son of the Scottish king Alpin II Mac Eochaidh and younger brother Kenneth MacAlpin, Scottish king in 843 A.D. Alpin II was the son of Eochaidh IV 'the Poisonous,' High King of Scots, by his marriage to his cousin, the Pictish Princess Royal, and therefore had claims to the Scottish and Pictish Thrones.

They fought at the Battle of Bannockburn under chief Malcolm MacGregor during the 14th century. The MacGregor's suffered a reversal of fortune when the Scottish king, Robert the Bruce, granted the barony of Loch Awe, which included the majority of MacGregor lands, to the chief of Clan Campbell. The Campbells, a greedy lot, ejected the MacGregor's from these lands. The MacGregor's fought the Campbells for decades and eventually lost their lands. Reduced to the status of outlaws, no thanks to the Campbells, they rustled cattle and poached deer to survive.

Iain of Glenstrae died in 1519 with no direct heirs. Clan Gregor was in disarray and the powerful Campbells asserted claim to the last remaining MacGregor lands. In 1560, the Campbells dispossessed Gregor Roy MacGregor, who waged war on the Campbells for ten years before being captured and killed. 

Argyle and his clan henchmen were given the task of hunting the MacGregor's down. After suffering severe losses, the MacGregor's were finally overcome.

The Battle of Glen Fruin took place in 1603. The MacGregor's were again victorious and defeated five hundred Clan Colquhoun men, three hundred of them that were on horseback, by four hundred MacGregor's. 

The MacGregor's were formally banished in 1603 by King James VI who made it a capitol offense to bear the MacGregor name. If they did not renounce their name, they were to suffer death. From this period comes the clan's most historical figure, Rob Roy.

Clan Gregor scattered and many of them took other names such as Murray, King, or Grant. They were hunted like animals, flushed out of the heather by bloodhounds. Such persecution continued of the MacGregors until 1774 when they were permitted to be reestablished.