Wednesday, November 21, 2018

Wandering Wednesday: Edinburgh and beyond! #giveaway

by @CarolynMAuthor



My upcoming Regency romance The Making of Mrs Hale releases next week, and to celebrate, I thought I'd take a quick trip down memory lane and recall some of the places I've visited in Edinburgh, Scotland, where part of the novel is set.

My trip to England in 2015 was not going to be complete without a whistle-stop visit of various Scottish locales, including iconic Edinburgh. My sister and I stayed in the basement level of a terrace house within walking distance of the Great Mile, at the end of which stands the famous castle.


Along the way are dozens of tourist enticements, such as these emblems of Scottish music:


From the battlements you can see New Town stretched before you, a grid like system of houses built in the early 1800s in an effort to stem the disease rife in older parts of the city.


One of my favourite places to visit was the Georgian House, a National Trust property in New Town dressed with period furnishings of the - you guessed it! - Georgian era.  


Inside, visitors can see various rooms, including the drawing room with a square piano, a room designed to be the most impressive for after-dinner entertaining. Visitors are shown the parlour, where the tea-table was positioned. Tea was heavily taxed in Regency times, and the lady of the house kept the keys to the tea chest to prevent servants from helping themselves. (They were permitted to use the owner's spent tea-leaves, though!)


The dining room with Wedgwood service and Regency-era menus is also on display, as are bedchambers, the water-closet, and 'below stairs' in the kitchen and cellars. If you want a taste of Regency life, visiting such a well preserved museum is a must!
For my story, I wanted to show something of what life would be like in 1800s Edinburgh, so the inclusion of details such as cobblestones and steep streets were a must.


 As were the many public houses ('pubs' or taverns) and other interesting places pointing to Edinburgh's history.


If you get the chance, visiting Scotland is a must; it's a place filled with castles, history and mystique that still resonates today - and makes a great setting for a book, such as The Making of Mrs Hale.

Giveaway


I'm giving away a copy of The Making of Mrs. Hale (ebook for international readers or print book for readers with an Australian mailing address).

To enter the giveaway, please leave a comment on this post and/or the November New Releases post  on November 19. Receive two entries in the drawing by commenting on both posts. The giveaway closes on Friday November 30.


Can a runaway marriage be redeemed?
Marry in haste, repent in leisure—Mrs. Hale is about to find out how painful that repentance can truly be. Julia Hale ran off to be married in Gretna Green, following romance instead of common sense. 
But her tale isn't turning into a happily ever after. Her new husband is gone and she doesn't know where—or if he's ever coming back. Julia has no option but to head home to the family she betrayed by eloping and to hope they'll forgive her. 
Along the way she will learn how relationship with God can bring restoration and hope, and find the answers she needs both for her husband and her future.
The Making of Mrs Hale is now available for preorder from Amazon, Book Depository, etc 

Carolyn Miller lives in the beautiful Southern Highlands of New South Wales, Australia, with her husband and four children. Together with her husband she has pastored a church for ten years, and worked part-time as a public high school English and Learning and Support teacher. 
A longtime lover of romance, especially that of Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer’s Regency era, Carolyn holds a BA in English Literature, and loves drawing readers into fictional worlds that show the truth of God’s grace in our lives. Her Regency novels include The Elusive Miss Ellison, The Captivating Lady Charlotte, The Dishonorable Miss DeLancey, Winning Miss Winthrop, and Miss Serena’s Secret, all available from Amazon, Book Depository, Koorong, etc

Connect with her:      

41 comments:

  1. Oh, your pictures make me want to go to Scotland! We visited Europe last year but didn't make it that far north. Love your writing and am looking forward to reading Mrs Hale.

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  2. Thanks Arletta! Next time you’ll have to make it that far - Scotland is definitely worth visiting! I hope you enjoy The Making of Mrs Hale xx

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  3. Scotland is definitely on my bucket list. I'm very much looking forward to reading Mrs. Hale's story. Each Regency Bride Series is always so hard to put down!! <3

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  4. I've always thought Scotland would be a great travel destination - the castles are enough to entice me alone. I'm glad I can the country as a setting in Mrs. Hale's story. Congratulations of your upcoming release!

    usedtextbooks5(AT)gmail(DOT)com

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    1. Apparently Scotland has one of the highest amounts of castles - and such a stunning variety of them, too. I’ll post some of the pictures I took of the castles I saw in 2015 to my website www.carolynmillerauthor.com

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  5. Beautiful pictures.i love the book cover sounds good.

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  6. Sounds like such a good story. After seeing your pix I’m putting Scotland on the bucket list of places to visit.

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    1. Scotland is definitely worth visiting, Anne. I hope you get to go one day soon!

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  7. The book sounds great! Love the beautiful and interesting photos which remind me of my visit to Edinburgh many years ago.

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    1. Hi Betsy! We weren’t in Edinburgh nearly long enough - so I suppose that means we’ll have to return again - hopefully soon!

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  8. Your visit sounds so wonderful. I long to go to England and Scotland and hopefully one day! The pictures are great that show the history. Love the cover of your new book and would love to read! Thank you !

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    1. Thanks Lori! Yes, if you get the chance to visit England and Scotland do so! It’s wonderful to see so many examples of well preserved history throughout the British Isles. Hope you can enjoy the book!

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  9. Very nice article. Congratulations on your new book!! It sounds great and I would love to be able to read it. I do have the other 2 in the series. Love your covers!
    Thank you for the chance to win a copy of your book.

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    1. Hi Venette! So glad you like the books! Thank you - and good luck!

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  10. I loved visiting Scotland a few years ago, and your pictures bring back wonderful memories. I'd love to go back and spend more time exploring. Congratulations on your new book release!

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    1. Thanks Winnie - yes, Scotland is a place you need to revisit. Let me know when you do and I’ll come too ;)

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  11. Hi Carolyn I love your books, can't wait for tomorrow morning to get my pre-ordered The Making of Mrs Hale, I love the way we met her at the end of Miss Serena's Secret, how I loved that book. Edinburgh, how I loved that city. My ancestry, as with many of us, is Scottish, (Stuart) but my favourite place in Edinburgh was searching Greyfriers cemetery for Jock, and the statue of my childhood love of Greyfriers Bobby. I found him. Many lovely memories of Scotland. Blessings.

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    1. Hi Vicky! Thank you for your kind words - I hope Mrs Hale lives up to your expectations! I obviously did not spend nearly enough time in Edinburgh (or Scotland, or England, or...) so it looks like I’ll have to return for more! Wanna come?

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  12. I've loved reading your books, and I'm currently reading Serena's story. Thank you for sharing your pictures and stories from your trip. I had an opportunity to visit some parts of England a few years ago, and we had a chance to spend a day in Edinburgh. It was was one of my favorite parts of the trip, and one day doesn't do it justice. Stepping out of the train station & setting it for the first time literally left me speechless. Edinburgh & Scotland are on my list of places to see again!

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    1. Hi Jenny - thanks for joining us! When we arrived in Edinburgh it was via car (we’d driven from near Fort William via the wonderful house used in The Monarch of the Glen series) and I remember driving in Edinburgh being a bit tricky. So to travel by train to have your first glimpse would be magical! Obviously neither you nor I spent enough time there, so we should both return!

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  13. Scotland looks awesome! Next time take me with you. The Regency Series is captivating

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    1. Hi Sandy - yes, a visit to Scotland for all! I’m so glad you’re enjoying the books, thank you!

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  14. Scotland is wonderful! I've been once and would love to go back. We spent a night and part of the day in Edinburgh! jarning67@hotmail.com

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    1. It’s a stunningly different part of the world, isn’t it? Once is never enough, so more visits are definitely needed.

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  15. I would LOVE to visit Scotland one day. What a delightful experience it must have been for you, based on your pictures, and a wealth of information for future books! :)

    And CONGRATULATIONS on your newest book, Carolyn! I love your books and have been looking forward to the release of The Making of Mrs. Hale! Thank you for the chance to win an ebook of it!!!

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    1. Hi Alison! So glad you’re enjoying the books. I made sure my visit was useful for book research, and my visit to Scotland meant I also have used it as a setting in my ninth book, Misleading Miss Verity. I think a return visit is now necessary!

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  16. My in-laws lived in Edinburgh for a few years. What struck me most when we visited was how long the days were in summer, and how short in winter. It was barely light before it started getting dark again.

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    1. I visited in May, but even then it was amazing how long it stayed light until. It would be a very different experience perhaps if there is very little light to enjoy Scotland by!

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  17. I read two of the books from your last series last year and I really enjoyed them. I like your writing style and the fact that some of the characters are Christian make it an even more satisfying read. I just bought the first two books of your new series and plan to be reading them soon!

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    1. Thanks so much Jo - I’m so glad you enjoyed them. Appreciate you saying so! Xx

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  18. I've just finished Winning Miss Winthrop, loved it sooo much! Can't wait to read Julia's story! Now for Miss Serena's Secret! These stories just keep getting better and better!! Kaye J x

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  19. I’ve been to Scotland and it’s one of our favorite places. We hope to go back again some day. It’s such a beautiful country. I would love to read your book. Thanks for the chance to win.

    faithdcreech at gmail dot com

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  20. I have always wanted to visit Scotland! Thank you for the virtual tour. It was a treat. 😄 I ❤️❤️❤️ your books and am super thankful for the opportunity to win.

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  21. I remember looking out over Edinburgh from the battlements. And wondering through a cemetery with some very old dates. I wish I'd had more time.
    I just finished Serena's story; I'm ready for Julia's!

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  22. Just returned last month! and yes, those streets are steep - thankfully not where I was, though, in london ;)
    Enjoyed your 'tour' and congratulate you, Carolyn, on the new release !! Anticipating another great story . . .

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  23. We were just watching something about houses on the coastline of Scotland last night. Good for you being able to go there--definitely on my bucket list. Thanks for sharing. ; )
    ~Michele

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  24. Carolyn Miller has asked me to announce the winner because she’s having difficulties posting a comment here.

    The winner is... Jenny Sutphin. Congratulations! Thanks for commenting on both posts. Please send Carolyn your email address by either commenting on this post or sending Carolyn a Facebook message and she’ll arrange the delivery of your prize.

    Carolyn says a big thank you to everyone who entered - she really appreciates your support! Xx

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