Cathie Dunn writes...

I'm delighted to welcome back bestselling author Nancy Jardine from her home in modern-day north-east Scotland to tell us about the area under Roman control, well, or at least their attempt to keep control over the vast, often wide-spread settlements of the ancient tribes. I've been a keen reader of Nancy's novels, especially her Celtic Fervour series, and her latest instalment will be released soon. If you love ancient history, make sure to check them out! Now, over to Nancy... North-east Britannia A.D. 84 The Late Iron Age tribes of north-east ‘Scotland’ left no writing for study. There are no descriptions of the landscape they inhabited, the food they ate, their thoughts on the climate or about their neighbours. So how do I create a credible setting for my characters in  Agricola’s Bane,  Book 4 of my Celtic Fervour Series? (due Autumn 2018) The main text I can refer to comes with an Ancient Roman perspective since Cornelius Tacitus wrote about the milita...

Today I'm delighted to welcome back a dear author friend, Nancy Jardine from Aberdeenshire, Scotland. She has just released the first in a newYA time-travel series, The Taexali Games . Many congratulations! Over to Nancy... ~~~ Thank you for opening your blog to me to share the information about my latest novel! The Taexali Game officially launched on the 22 nd May 2015. The action of The Taexali Game — Book 1 of Nancy Jardine ’s   Rubidium Time Travel Series of Adventures for Middle Grade/YA readers (and anyone older who loves a good fast-paced yarn) — takes place in ‘Aberdeenshire, Scotland’ in AD 210, during the invasion of the legions of Septimius Severus, Emperor of Rome. The local Taexali Celtic tribes of this far north in Britannia have already had dealings with the soldiers of Rome, back in AD 84, but they haven’t been good subjects. They’ve been causing such a lot of grief to the Governor of Britannia that the Ancient Roman Emperor, Septimius Severus, h...

Today, I'm delighted to welcome back  Nancy Jardine , fabulous author friend and creator of the Celtic Fervour historical adventure series on her latest release day. The second part of the series, After Whorl: Bran Reborn is out today in ebook and paperback formats from Crooked Cat Publishing. But first, Nancy is delving into her historical research box. Some fascinating insights are revealed! Over to Nancy... ~~~ Forgive me - I’m going to get a little ‘Petty’ today.  Please don’t disappear! Bear with me and I’ll explain. A few names are mentioned in my Celtic Fervour series of novels that in an odd way drive some of the action and yet they either do not appear as characters at all, or have a seriously limited role. ‘Petty’ is one of those names. Are you confused already? Perhaps asking yourself why someone ‘outside of the story’ should have any bearing on the action?  In the first two novels of my Celtic Fervour series - The Beltane Choice and After Whor...

It's the eve of Beltane. Followers of Celtic traditions all over the world will be celebrating. See how Nara and Lorcan in Nancy Jardine 's fabulous Celtic romantic adventure, The Beltane Choice , are getting (it) on... Over to you, Nancy! Thank you for inviting me here today, Cathie. It’s a very exciting time for me since my historical adventure romance THE BELTANE CHOICE has a very topical title and there’s a fantastic bargain to be had for your readers today. Do you know the festival of BELTANE is tomorrow!  There’s still time to grab a copy of my historical adventure  THE BELTANE CHOICE  at a bargain price of 77p /99c on Amazon UK/US.  Amazon.com     http://amzn.to/UdT8v0 Amazon.co.uk   http://amzn.to/Rqg7yY Crooked Cat Bookstore    http://www.crookedcatbooks.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=63     And... There's also just enough time to WIN an e-copy of THE BELTANE CHOICE by entering my ...

I'm delighted to welcome back fellow Wild Rose Press and Crooked Cat author, Nancy Jardine . Today, Nancy chats about shopping. In ancient Britain! Curious? Yes, I thought so. Let's find out... Who loves shopping?  Personally, I hate shopping, but I’ve recently had to indulge in a bit of hypothetical buying of goods. No, I’m not talking of internet shopping – though the internet has played a small part since it’s helped in my researches.  My current work in progress (which seems to be a long haul since I started it last September) is a historical novel, a sequel to – The Beltane Choice - my Celtic/ Britain adventure. It follows on from the period AD 71 and journeys through to AD 84. There’s clearly no major time difference involved in my new work, but what is very different is that I’m focusing equally as much on the Roman perspective as on the Celtic one. So, back to shopping. Today I shopped in Asda, only one of my possible supermarket choices. Maybe not ...

I'm thrilled to welcome back fellow romance author, Nancy Jardine , just ahead of her latest release, The Beltane Choice . Set in Celtic Britain, it is a tale of Celtic tribes and their fate at the hands of the expanding Roman Empire. At the same time, the fate of two enemies is at stake. Can enemies unite against the mighty Romans? So, to find out more about this rather elusive time, I've asked Nancy to pull some background information together for us. It's fascinating! Listen up! Why Selgovae and Brigante tribes for The Beltane Choice ? Many aspects of the Roman invasion, of the island they named Britannia, fascinate me. The varied successes, and failures, in what was the outer fringe of their massive Roman Empire make wonderful reading. The failure of the Roman might to completely subdue the northern Britannic tribes, and keep them suppressed, holds particular appeal. What were the circumstances that made them conquer inhospitable territory in northern and easte...

Today, I'm thrilled to welcome back my wonderful friend, Kemberlee Shortland , author of heartfelt romance set in Ireland. If you enjoy a dramatic setting with deep characters and a moving plot, try Kemberlee's stories. You won't be disappointed! Today, she chats about the Irish city of Dublin , the setting for her latest release, Rhythm of my Heart . Handing over to Kemberlee... Hi Cathie! Thanks for asking me to be here today to talk about the setting for my recent book, Rhythm of My Heart. This is part of the Irish Pride series. This book is set between two primary locations, Dublin City , Ireland, and the mountains of West Cork in an area the locals call the County Bounds . . . because the county boundary joins with County Kerry. It’s the only place in Ireland, BTW, that calls their borders a ‘bound’. Only in Ireland!