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
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