#scottishauthors

[authorrmbrown]

Eat your cereal

One of my favourite parts about writing Song of the Stag was inserting little references to Scottish culture within the story. Special mentions go out to the famous 'it's legal tender' debate, David Cameron's 'balanced settlement', and a nod to Robert the Bruce's Queen, but my favourite by far is a reference to the Better Together campaign's 2014 advert entitled 'The Woman Who Made Up Her Mind'.

The advert itself became infamous in 2014 for its patronising and misogynistic script centred around a housewife who decides to vote no to Scottish independence. The character bemoans her husband's sudden interest in the topic, and her patience finally gives out that morning, just before the camera starts rolling, when he brings it up again and she says, 'It's too early for politics, eat your cereal!'

The phrase became something of a symbol for the way the Better Together campaign tried to tivialise real-life concerns people had with the UK by passing off independence supporters as flag-waving, Braveheart-worshipping lunatics. 'It's all a load of patriotic guff, just shut up and vote no,' it seemed to say.

The reference to this line comes into play in Song of the Stag when our main character, Cait, starts to feel sympathy and agreement towards the Storrian Separatist cause, completely contrary to the conservative views held by the residents of her village. She tries to keep her mother's words - 'it's too early for politics, lass. Eat your cereal.' - in her mind as she moves about the city, trying her best to ignore the hardship that the Separatists aim to fix, and the call to revolution in her heart.

Song of the Stag is available now!

[ruffles23]

I knew now, that it is by loving, and not by being loved, that one can come nearest to the soul of another;

from ‘Phantastes’ by George MacDonald

[tmarshconnors]

"YOU have no enemies, you say?  Alas! my friend, the boast is poor;  He who has mingled in the fray  Of duty, that the brave endure,  Must have made foes! If you have none, 5 Small is the work that you have done.  You’ve hit no traitor on the hip,  You’ve dashed no cup from perjured lip,  You’ve never turned the wrong to right,  You’ve been a coward in the fight."

Charles Mackay (1814–1889) was a Scottish poet, journalist, and author, best known for his work in journalism and his writings on social issues. Here are five facts about Charles Mackay:

Journalistic Career: Charles Mackay had a successful career as a journalist and editor. He worked for various newspapers, including The Morning Chronicle and The Illustrated London News. His contributions to journalism covered a wide range of topics, from politics to social issues.

Author of "Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds": Mackay's most famous work is "Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds," published in 1841. In this book, he explores various historical instances of mass hysteria, financial bubbles, and social delusions. The work remains influential and is often cited in discussions about crowd psychology and speculative bubbles.

Poet and Songwriter: In addition to his prose work, Mackay was a poet and songwriter. One of his notable poems is "Cheer, Boys, Cheer!" which became a popular song in the 19th century. The poem celebrates the spirit of camaraderie and was well-received for its patriotic themes.

Economist and Social Commentator: Mackay had a keen interest in economic and social issues. His writings often touched on economic trends, the psychology of crowds, and the impact of collective behavior on society. "Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds" reflects his observations on the speculative excesses and financial manias of his time.

Editor of "The Glasgow Argus": Charles Mackay served as the editor of "The Glasgow Argus," a Scottish newspaper. His editorial work allowed him to engage with a wide range of topics, and he used his platform to contribute to public discourse on issues of the day.

[juliehamill]

Three separate clips from the Clyde 1 radio news bulletins today about my recently released book June, Part III of the Life and Soul Trilogy. I lived in Airdrie throughout my teenage years in the 80s and used it as a place to locate the novels. I never went up to the butchers personally, but remember long queues for butcher meat.

I've lived in London since 1991 (except for NYC 2000-2005).

I guess that still makes me an 'Airdrie woman'

The Life and Soul Trilogy is available on Amazon.

[susantbraithwaite]

Things in Scots: Running the Asset Edition - Swatch

Check out this week's Things in Scots for another snippet from Running the Asset. This week's Scots word is #swatch. #romanticsuspense #scottishauthor #writingcommunity

Hiya! Happy Friday, and welcome to the latest edition of Things in Scots. This week’s Scots word is swatch (pronounced swaah-ch). Today’s snippet is from the beginning of Act Two A of Running the Asset. (more…) “”

[bibliobethblog]

Hello everyone and happy Friday! My energy is low and I’m feeling a bit poorly but it’s time for another book haul. These three gorgeous hardbacks got my attention in one way or another. The first, Hare House is described as a modern day witch story perfect for fans of Pine and The Loney. Well, I enjoyed The Loney when I read it with the lovely @owlbesatreading recently and I’m starting Pine as a buddy read with lots of other bookstagrammers today so that sounds very exciting. Consider The Lilies is all the fault of @victoria_catherine_shaw she did a post about this book recently and I was desperate to get my hands on it too. It’s described as a modern classic from one of Scotland’s greatest authors that captures the thoughts and feelings of an old woman who lived through The Highland Clearances. Finally we have a selection of poetry chosen by the author Sarah Crossan. It contains poems to comfort, uplift and delight and I’m actually sorely tempted to crack it open this evening and make myself feel better. I don’t have any kind of real expertise with poetry but I definitely want to be less scared of it! I’d love to know your thoughts on any of these books or authors. Let’s have a chat in the comments! #bookstagram #booksagramuk #bookhoarder #bookhaul #bookobsessed #tbrkeepsgrowing #beautifulbooks #poetrycollection #harehouse #sallyhinchcliffe #considerthelilies #iaincrichtonsmith #modernclassic #scottishauthors #scottishclassics #tomorrowisbeautiful #sarahcrossan #thecomfortofbooks https://www.instagram.com/p/CZkU_PNL9z9/?utm_medium=tumblr

[ailishsinclair]

About page updated. https://ailishsinclair.com/about/ #writing #amwriting #ballet #pointe #poniteshoes #writers #writer #writingcommunity #writersofinstagram #writersofig #author #authorsofinstagram #authorlife #authorsofig #ukwriter #ukwriters #ukwriting #scottishauthor #scottishauthors #books #feet #balletfeet (at Aberdeenshire) https://www.instagram.com/p/CZbXkYwrX43/?utm_medium=tumblr

[arambling]

Shallow as it may sound, the reason this book caught my eye was its cover. The reviews and the fact that it would mean adding another Scottish female writer to my shelves finally convinced me to buy it. I wrote "Topping Edinburgh, Autumn 2019" on one of its first pages, so I guess that makes it my first purchase at @toppingsedin 💛 I only discovered the importance of this picture when I was almost halfway through the first part of the book (as it is divided into two interconnected stories) when I was already so submerged in the narration, that I couldn't believe how lucky I was for following my frivolous gut when picking it up in the shop 🤓 . . . . . #trustyourgut #francoisehardy #sylvievartan #howtobeboth #alismith #readingnook #oootd #secondhandfashion #fermliving #vintagering #booksofinstagram #bookstagram #edinburgh #scottishauthors #wednesdaywisdom (at Edinburgh, United Kingdom) https://www.instagram.com/p/CIlSO80DaRH/?igshid=1jfl2b5dsz5ps

[backpacksnstuff]

I’ve read this book into what seems to be Indian summer, which I prefer over the real one (though the book made me softer, kinder to this season and I’m going to do my best to love summers more🙃). What is in the heart of the season according to the book? These: - affection you feel for a person you meet fleetingly but remember your single conversation years later🌼 - love for your sibling, which is always greater than you can show🌼 - feelings for your ex - nostalgic like the last days of summer 🌼 #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #instabook #instabookstagram #instabookstagrammer #whattoread #whattoreadnext #alismith #scottishauthor #summer #seasonalquartet (at Tallinn, Estonia) https://www.instagram.com/p/CjGnxYoLPGv/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[dfmckeever-blog]

Chapter One: The Estate - Chapter One: The Estate (on Wattpad) https://my.w.tt/89ytjX9sv0 "Come a little closer, and join me if you dare. This is not for the faint hearted but those who have no fear. While everyone else is slumbering bygone creatures begin to wake and if you want an adventure sit down and claim your place. A champion has been beckoned but will she face her fate and gain the mantle of 'Gamekeeper' with the challenge of the Highland Games? The day of the summer solstice has only just begun, so brace yourself for a journey that will test your courage & fate!" Be inspired & empowered and meet the Gamekeepers or as we like to say in Scottish Gaelic 'A'Geamairean' ! You won't be disappointed!

[shannons-speaking]

Putting pen to paper and being a writer of any kind is a hardship. We are our own best friend and worse enemy. One minute we love what we're writing and the next we hate it. We second guess our writing and doubt it’s worth. And if that wasn't enough, we sometimes run out of the creative juice that keeps our characters and stories alive and keeps the bank balance from the red. Losing your creative juice, your muse, your inspiration, it's a writer’s worst nightmare and fears come to life. There’s no escape and pretty soon you're just waiting for inspiration instead of finding it yourself. You’re not alone, we all hit that wall many times over and we will do so again and again until the day we decide to stop writing. So, what can we do to get back into the swing of things? Check my blog for my personal techniques. -------- #creativewriting #fictioninspiration #fictionornonfiction #fictionatitsfinest #fictionwriter #fictionauthor #beingawriter #creativeinspiration #creativefiction #creativewritingclass #creativefreelancer #personalbloggerslife #bloggingjustforfun #scottishblogger #scottishfictionwriter #scottishbloggersnetwork #scottishlassiesdoitbest #scottishauthor #debutnovelist #writingcommunityofinstagram #writingfiction #writingismyfreedom #writerproblems #writinghintsandtips #writingtips #putpentopaper #menialtasks #shutyourbrainoff (at Glasgow, United Kingdom) https://www.instagram.com/p/CVTdaQJMDa-/?utm_medium=tumblr

[weeshubbasworld]

📚ℂ𝕌ℝℝ𝔼ℕ𝕋𝕃𝕐 ℝ𝔼𝔸𝔻𝕀ℕ𝔾📚 . . ✨ᴄᴜʀʀᴇɴᴛʟʏ ᴏɴʟʏ 99ᴘ ᴏɴ ᴋɪɴᴅʟᴇ (ʟɪɴᴋ ɪɴ ʙɪᴏ)✨ . . ✨𝕋𝕚𝕥𝕝𝕖: A Glasgow Kiss ✨𝔸𝕦𝕥𝕙𝕠𝕣: Sophie Gravia ✨𝔾𝕖𝕟𝕣𝕖: Rom-Com ✨ℙ𝕦𝕓𝕝𝕚𝕤𝕙𝕖𝕕: 8th April 2021 . ✨𝕊𝕪𝕟𝕠𝕡𝕤𝕚𝕤: There's nothing romantic about dating... 𝑨 𝑮𝒍𝒂𝒔𝒈𝒐𝒘 𝑲𝒊𝒔𝒔 [𝒏.] 𝙰 𝚑𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚋𝚞𝚝𝚝 𝚘𝚛 𝚊 𝚜𝚝𝚛𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚑𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚘𝚗𝚎'𝚜 𝚜𝚎𝚗𝚜𝚒𝚝𝚒𝚟𝚎 𝚊𝚛𝚎𝚊 Meet Zara Smith: 29, single and muddling her way through life as a trainee nurse in Glasgow. With 30 fast approaching, she's determined to do whatever it takes to find love - or at least someone to sext! Cheered on by best friends Ashley and Raj, Zara embarks on a string of dating escapades that are as hilarious as they are disastrous. From online dating to blind dates, hometown hook-ups to flirty bartenders, nothing is off limits. But when Dr Tom Adams, aka Sugar Daddy, shows interest, it's a game-changing moment. Zara has had a crush on Tom since her very first day at the aesthetics clinic she works at part-time. As things heat up between them, Zara can't help but wonder: is this it? Or is it another disaster waiting to happen? Filthy, hilarious and painfully relatable, Zara Smith is Bridget Jones for the millennial generation, from the writer of the Sex in the Glasgow City blog. Fans of Fleabag, Girls and Lucy Vine will love A Glasgow Kiss. . . #glasgow #ScottishAuthor #glasgowauthor #currentlyreading #currentread #romcom #aglasgowkiss #sophiegravia #scottish #scotland #scottishbooks #bookworm #bookobsessed #booksbooksbooks #iheartbooks #newbooks #readme #bookstagram #instabooks #booksofinstsgram #bookblogger #scottishblogger #bookhoarder #likeforlike #likesforlikes #like4like #likes4likes #followme (at Glasgow, United Kingdom) https://www.instagram.com/p/CUCeOUqqFzv/?utm_medium=tumblr

[hross42877]

💬What was your best thriller of 2020? #bestreadsof2020 Best Thriller has to be for me A Song for the Dark Times. It was my first #Rebus book and my first #IanRankin book. I loved it because it was an amazing read, I had no idea what was going to happen. I also loved it because it was set in Scotland, I could relate very easily to the setting became been to a lot of the places. #thrillerbooks #thrillerreads #thursdayreads #scottishbookblogger #scottishbookstagrammer #scottishbookstagram #scottishliterature #scottishauthor #crimefiction #crimebooks #mustread #mustreadbooks https://www.instagram.com/p/CIWauZgg-i6/?igshid=yff31yz9t0sb

[chaoschaoswriting]

Building a mood board for a new story is one of my favourite things to do. I can't resist the old paper and pen method of plotting! . . . #amwriting #writingcommunity #writerscafe #writersofinsta #instawriter #indieauthor #writersofig #authorsofig #horrorwriter #folklore #folklorichorror #scottishliterature #scottishgothic #scottishauthor #authorsofinstagram https://www.instagram.com/p/CGcLQXHgZ7u/?igshid=hjy7e1cr04oc

[thai-nomad-blog]

New Scottish Writing

http://amzn.to/2iWGtlT

[susantbraithwaite]

Author Journal 9th - 15th February 2023

Get a behind-the-scenes look at the writing life! Check out my latest Author Journal post for the ups, downs, and hair-pulling as I work on my novel. #writingcommunity #amwriting #scottishauthor

Hiya 👋 Happy Thursday! At the start of the year, I had planned to post my Author Journal updates on Mondays to align with most people’s workweek. However, Monday is the end of my workweek, and I felt rushed to get the post out before the weekend. So, after a few weeks of trying it out, I’ve decided to return to my original posting plan on Wednesdays. And yes, I know it’s Thursday today, but I…