Travel to Scotland with Lizbeth Selvig

 Hi Everyone! I’m Lizbeth Selvig and I write contemporary western, small-town and Scottish! romance. Thank you so much for inviting me to share the day with you! I’m excited to introduce you to the fun and family in my newest novel Never and Forever Scotland, the first of my series “The Heirs of Craigwarren” set in the beautiful Scottish highlands. 

I’m certainly not the first author to have a fascination with Scotland. I admit, it isn’t shirtless Highland clan chiefs who’ve captured my heart (although, seriously, I have zero problem with shirtless Highlanders!); it’s contemporary Scotland, its legends, beauty and people that fuel my obsession. And, of course, modern men in any kind of kilt! In 2017 my husband and I traveled to Scotland to hike the popular, one-hundred-mile West Highland Way. When I was done, I knew I had to try and capture spectacular Scotland in a story.

I switched things up a little in Never and Forever Scotland—instead of a modern-day Jamie Fraser, our hero, Ewan Portman, is a successful American businessman who has no desire to travel to Scotland. His heroine, Ainslie Campbell, is the Scot—a feisty Highland veterinarian with cats named for Beatle songs and a dog named David Tennant. She’s also in debt, is about to lose her home, and has responsibility for her pregnant, teenaged sister.

The non-human main character in Never and Forever Scotland is Craigwarren—a three-hundred-year-old Scottish homestead that’s been in Ewan’s family for generations. It’s a stunning place with its own loch and its own unbelievable legends and mythical residents. When Ewan is begged by his great aunt Catrione—someone he never knew existed—to take his place as next in line to inherit Craigwarren—his reaction is an unequivocal “no thanks.” 

Lizbeth and husband along the West Highland Way

But when he meets Ainslie, Catrione’s goddaughter, and hears the ancient legends of a kelpie in the loch, a brownie in the barn, and a family curse only he can break, Ewan is immersed in a world that leaves his heart vulnerable to Highland magic...especially the magic of love. 

Even if he wants to believe, however, he can’t stay in Scotland. He has a job. Ainslie has too much on her plate to settle down. And Craigwarren has too many problems to fix. Highland “magic” has its limits after all. Doesn’t it?

Readers are so kindly saying this story is a perfect escape and transports them right to Scotland. While I was writing it, I sure fell in love with the country all over again. If you get a chance to check out the book, I hope you’ll fall in love, too, finding out if Ainslie and Ewan find their HEA and sharing the romance and beauty of Scotland with me!

I’d love to know where YOUR favorite escape is—either by book or by actual travel. Is there a book setting that’s an automatic read for you? 

Thanks, again, for having me on Romancing The Genres! Please visit me at my reader group on Facebook or contact me anytime to stay in touch.

Award-winning and No.1 Bestselling author Lizbeth Selvig writes heartwarming contemporary romance. Whether set in the Scottish Highlands, a huge ranch in Wyoming, a small town in Minnesota, or a Kentucky racetrack, her strong, fun and funny characters will never do the expected while finding their ways home to family and love. 

Her novels have won the Romance Writers of America® Golden Heart® and been nominated for the organization’s prestigious RITA® award. Lizbeth shares life in Minnesota, where her first book series is set, with her husband, Jan, her pretty horses Jedi and Largo, three human grandchildren, and her four-legged grandbabies of which there are over thirty, including two goats, two alpacas, a mammoth-eared donkey, two miniature horses, a pig, and multiple dogs, cats, and regular-sized horses. In her spare time, she loves to hike, quilt, read, and horseback ride.

Where to learn more about Lizbeth:

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Out of the Mouth of Babe...the Blue Ox

By Robin Weaver

Okay, this month's theme is "out of the mouths of babes." Or at least it was when I created the first draft of this piece.  I might be the only person blogging about babes, but you know I still have to put my spin on the topic.  So, I thought I’d talk about a big, big babe—Babe, the Blue Ox.

As a child, the legends of Paul Bunyan were my absolute favorite tails, err tales. The stories were the epitome of tall tales, and my early reading preference might explain my life-long love for the ridiculous.  According to the legend, when Paul was born, he was so big it took five storks to deliver him; the Mississippi River was created because a tank of water Paul carried sprang a leak; and, as an adult, the pipe he used was so huge, he needed a shovel to pack in his tobacco (obviously, the surgeon general will have something to say about that).

But still… You can’t make this stuff up.  Well, okay, someone did, but you see what I mean. So where does Babe come in? Obviously, a man the size of Paul Bunyan can’t simply have a dog, right? So, when Mr. B spots a spunky little ox frolicking in the snow, he just has to take him home.

Side note: oxen are working animals, typically castrated bulls, even though they can also be cows.  Ignore the confusion and suffice it to say: it’s pretty much impossible to find a baby one. But let’s not go down that cattle trail. We are talking about an animal snacked on thirty bales of hay, wire and all. According to the tales, it took six men with pick axes to floss Babe’s teeth.

The best part (just my opinion, but it should be yours 😊) is Bessie! Babe caught a glimpse of a pretty yeller calf daintily chewing her cud, and…hold the milking machines! We got us a case of love at first sight, Babe refused to work until Paul purchased Bessie. Uh-oh…Bessie isn’t a free heifer. Guess that’s a story for another day.

Bessie grew to the appropriate size to be Babe’s mate (again, I say mate, ignoring that castration thing). Bessie was so big, her long yellow eyelashes tickled the lumberjacks standing on the other end of camp when she blinked. And yes, that cowhide did make her butt look big.

A big blue ox and his feisty little cow with yellow lashes—too cute, huh? So why aren’t these tales still in favor? Why isn’t there a Disney animated feature or a My Little Ox action figure?

Probably because the Ikea generation doesn’t understand lumberjacks. Logging is a thing of days gone by.  Heck, there might not even be a 2x4 in that ginaormous Ikea maze.

Even so, the tales of Paul Bunyan are worth another look.  Here’s a link to a cute story that will appeal to your children and to us kids-at-heart. http://americanfolklore.net/folklore/2010/07/babe_the_blue_ox.html

In the meantime, happy logging.

R

My Favorite Halloween Symbol

My Favorite Halloween Symbol

My husband and I love to grow pumpkins. Even if there is nothing else in the garden, I have to have my pumpkins.

The seed is like the beginning of a story. It is a glimmer of what it will become. With planning and nurturing the story grows as does the pumpkin. Upon harvesting or completion the pumpkin is used in various ways, pie, bread, decoration or jack-o-lanterns. The story when harvested is sent out to be represented or published.

After doing a little research, I’ve found some interesting facts about pumpkins:

“Did you know………

· Pumpkins are made from 90% water?

· Pumpkins are really squash, which is actually a fruit, but is most commonly used as a vegetable when cooking?

· Pumpkins were once recommended to cure snake bites and freckles?

· Pumpkins are grown all over the world, except Antarctica where the climate is too cold?

· Pumpkin seeds that were found in caves in Mexico were dated back to about 7000 BC?

· The Native Americans were among the first to grow pumpkins?

· The Irish began the tradition of carving pumpkins and brought the tradition to America? They originally carved turnips, but once here found that pumpkins were much easier to carve.”

(Published in the Londonderry, NH paper)

The reason the Irish carved turnips and squash and eventually pumpkins into lanterns is an interesting tale. The original Jack was a drunkard, mean and stingy towards the town folks. The legend goes that one day he caught the devil up an apple tree and surrounded the tree with crosses. Jack did not let the devil down until the devil promised to not take his soul when he died. The devil promised, and Jack let him down. Soon Jack died and he couldn’t get into heaven and the devil wouldn’t let him in. Jack said he needed a light to find his way and the devil tossed him an ember from hell. Jack carved a turnip and put the ember into it. The Irish would carve potatoes, turnips and gourds to keep evil spirits away on Hallows eve and keep stingy Jack away. After the Irish immigrated to America during the 1800's they began the tradition of carving pumpkins.

Legends are a great source for that unusual little seed for a story. H-m-m, I’ve found several in this legend.

What is your favorite Halloween symbol and/or what “seeds for a story” have you found in a legend?