The Names Behind Castles of Steel and Thunder

The Names Behind Castles of Steel and Thunder

By: welliesontheschoolrun
Books, Caithness, Reading, Scottish Highlands, Uncategorized, Writing, , , , , , , 2 Comments on The Names Behind Castles of Steel and Thunder

Since the publication of my first novel, Castles of Steel and Thunder, a few people have asked me whether there was any specific inspiration behind the names of characters and places in the novel. The answer is yes, and I thought I’d write about some of that inspiration here. I’ve already written about the debt…

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Caithness beach at sunset

2020: My Year in Numbers

By: welliesontheschoolrun
Caithness, Reflections, Uncategorized, Writing, Writing and Blogging, , , , , , , , , , , 2 Comments on 2020: My Year in Numbers

Around this time last year, I wrote a review of my year in numbers (an idea borrowed gratefully from my friend Suzanne at Inside, Outside and Beyond – thankyou again Suzanne). I enjoyed the format of reflecting on the year numerically, and so I have decided to use it again this year. It also avoids…

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Castles of Steel and Thunder in Paperback

Castles of Steel and Thunder in Paperback

By: welliesontheschoolrun
Books, Caithness, Scotland, Scottish Highlands, Uncategorized, Writing, Writing and Blogging, , , , , , , , 4 Comments on Castles of Steel and Thunder in Paperback

If you’ve been reading recently, you’ll know that the last month or so has been a very exciting time for me. My debut novel, Castles of Steel and Thunder, launched in November as an eBook and quickly went to the top of two Amazon categories in the eBook charts. Recently, I took delivery of my…

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Picture of book on rocks

My Ten Favourite Books of 2020 – And What I’ve Been Reading Lately

By: welliesontheschoolrun
Books, Caithness, Reading, Reading Lately, Scottish Highlands, Uncategorized, , , , , 2 Comments on My Ten Favourite Books of 2020 – And What I’ve Been Reading Lately

At around this point in December, I usually like to round up my ten favourite books of the year, in no particular order, and with the caveat that the list refers to the year of reading rather than the year of publication. However, 2020 has been a year like no other, and between Covid, lockdown…

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Castles of Steel and Thunder CASWA

eBooks, Excitement and #ChangeHerStory

By: welliesontheschoolrun
Books, Caithness, Scotland, Scottish Highlands, Uncategorized, Writing, Writing and Blogging, , , , , , , , , , 2 Comments on eBooks, Excitement and #ChangeHerStory

If you were reading last week, you’ll know that my first Young Adult novel, Castles of Steel and Thunder, has just launched as an eBook (paperback launch coming soon – more on that subject next time). The last week has been very exciting, and I was delighted when the eBook hit the number one spot…

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Castles of Steel and Thunder eBook Launch

Castles of Steel and Thunder is Here – and a Very Special Offer

By: welliesontheschoolrun
Books, Caithness, Scotland, Scottish Highlands, Uncategorized, Writing, Writing and Blogging, , , , , 6 Comments on Castles of Steel and Thunder is Here – and a Very Special Offer

I’m delighted to announce that after weeks of editing, proof reading – and spending rather a lot of time in loungewear – my first novel, Castles of Steel and Thunder launches officially today as an eBook. For today only, you can buy the eBook at the very special price of £1.99 (normal price £5.99). If…

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Dunnet Beach NC500 Caithness

Happy Writing News and Preparing to Launch

By: welliesontheschoolrun
Books, Caithness, Poetry, Uncategorized, Writing, Writing and Blogging, , , , , 2 Comments on Happy Writing News and Preparing to Launch

The last few weeks have been a busy time for me, as I prepare to launch my first novel, Castles of Steel and Thunder. As a result, my blog has been neglected somewhat, and it’s been hard to find the time to put finger-to-keyboard here. On the positive side, I’ve just signed off on the…

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Introducing Castles of Steel and Thunder

By: welliesontheschoolrun
Books, Caithness, Reading, Uncategorized, Writing, Writing and Blogging, , , , , , , , 4 Comments on Introducing Castles of Steel and Thunder

If you’re a regular reader here, you’ll know I recently shared the news that I’m about to publish my first novel, a Young Adult fantasy inspired by the legends of Caithness. Over the October holidays, I was a very busy bee, proofreading typeset proofs and finalising small details with the wonderful assistance of Jen at…

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Storms Pass Sign

Storms, Seasons and Social Media

By: welliesontheschoolrun
Caithness, Covid-19, Lifestyle, Opinion, Reflections, Social Media, Uncategorized, , , , , , , 4 Comments on Storms, Seasons and Social Media

I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers. Anne of Green Gables It’s not the first time I’ve used this quote on the blog (and I’m sure it won’t be the last time). Autumn is finally upon us – that season of colour, crunchy leaves and closing nights. This year feels…

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Where Stories Come From: Caithness Lore and Legend

By: welliesontheschoolrun
Books, Caithness, Reading, Scotland, Scottish Highlands, Uncategorized, Writing, Writing and Blogging, , , , , , , , , 4 Comments on Where Stories Come From: Caithness Lore and Legend

If you were reading last week, you’ll know that I’m soon to publish my first novel, a Young Adult fantasy inspired by the folklore of my home county, Caithness. I’ll be sharing more details on the story soon, but for now, I wanted to share a little on why I was inspired to write the…

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