Interview and Giveaway with Amanda Scott

Hi Amanda! Welcome back to Under the Covers! We are glad to have you back!

Since you were here last you released HIGHLAND LOVER, how would you describe HIGHLAND LOVER, the third book in your Scottish Knights trilogy?

A. HIGHLAND LOVER, the third and final book in my Scottish Knights trilogy, follows HIGHLAND MASTER and HIGHLAND HERO. All three stories take place in early fifteenth-century Scotland at a time when the third person in line for the Scottish throne was absolutely determined to rule Scotland. The heir to the throne was a reckless, womanizing profligate, and the second in line was a seven-year-old boy. The three heroes are close friends, all knights, who studied together under the Bishop of St. Andrews and became members of a secret brotherhood that he formed, but they never knew each other’s full names at St. Andrews. They will do whatever they must to support the rightful heir in his battle against the murderous efforts of his wicked uncle to seize Scotland’s throne. Each knight also has a particular skill at which he is either Scotland’s champion or one of the best in Scotland.

A- HIGHLAND LOVER is the story of Captain Sir Jake “Sea Wolf” Maxwell and Lady Alyson MacGillivray, a cousin of Sir Ivor “Hawk” Mackintosh (HIGHLAND HERO) and friend of Fin of the Battles (HIGHLAND MASTER). Lady Alyson, recently married, has seen almost nothing of her husband Niall since their wedding, because he serves the Earl of Orkney. So when Niall agrees to take Alyson with him when he sails with the earl to France, she hopes they will enjoy a romantic journey. She soon discovers, however, that the ship is secretly carrying Jamie Stewart, the young heir to Scotland’s throne, to safety in France and away from his villainous uncle, the Duke of Albany, who currently rules Scotland. Albany wants nothing more than to get his hands on Jamie, so he can continue to rule the country when the aging King dies. When “English pirates” attack the ship in a storm and leave Alyson locked in a chest to drown, Jake Maxwell witnesses the attack and rescues Alyson and a boy. They are miles from home, and although they are off the coast of England, it’s a good distance away and Jake’s ship has vanished in the raging storm.

Can you tell us a bit about The Wolf, Captain Jake Maxwell? What is it about him that you believe will capture readers’ attention?

A- Jake Maxwell was a boy in KING OF STORMS (Warner Books, Aug 2007). His father was ship’s captain to the Duke of Albany until the hero of that tale needed a ship and “borrowed” Albany’s Serpent Royal with Jake and his father aboard. In the meantime, Jake has lived in the western Highlands and at St. Andrews as a student under Bishop Traill, who began the long tradition of education there. Jake won his knighthood and now has his own ship, the erstwhile Serpent Royal, rechristened Sea Wolf, which was the name that Jake assumed at St. Andrews (like Sir Ivor’s “Hawk”). What I love about Jake is that his feistiness as a child has led him far. His boyish Borders accents have mostly vanished but pop up now and again, and his stubborn determination to do the right thing remains. He is, however, a man who values his freedom (especially on the sea) above all else. Lady Alyson, on the other hand, is an heiress, has a clinging family that she dearly loves but from whom she would like some distance, so she wants nothing more than a home of her own with a husband at her side to help her run it. Jake and Alyson are both extremely competent, capable, intelligent people, accustomed to doing things their own way, which proves to be a very good thing at the end of the book when everything they come to believe turns upside down and inside out.

Many considered you to be an accomplished historical author. Can you share some of your favorite historical authors? What is it about their work that resonates with you?

A- I rarely read historical romances, but I do love Sharon K. Penman’s books, and my all-time favorite historical author is still Jan Westcott (Border Lord, The Hepburn) with Dorothy Dunnett (Game of Kings, et al) a close second. In both latter cases, what resonated was the accuracy of their research and the fact that they were telling tales about my own ancestors (although the plain fact is that when I first read their books I had no idea that I had any kinship with their heroes…so, go figure. They were favorites then and still are now.) The history that I read is nearly all for research: clan histories, Scottish history, and primary sources (documents, historical manuscripts, and family histories when I can find them).

Along the same lines, what book(s) have you read recently that you would like to share with our readers?

A- I’m always at a loss when people ask this question, because I rarely read the competition and, for pleasure, prefer to read books far removed from those I write myself. Accordingly, my favorite downtime authors are Lee Child, Kate Wilhelm, Robert Crais, Vince Flynn, Greg Iles, Brad Thor, Daniel Silva, Nelson DeMille, and others of their ilk. In other words, I prefer legal and political thrillers over books that I find myself editing as I go. Escape for me, as for nearly everyone else, is reading something that takes me away from my everyday life.

When you aren't reading or writing, what hobbies keep you busy?

A- I used to say “family history” when asked this question. However, it’s been a very long time since I’ve had time to work on that. I don’t have hobbies, but I enjoy traveling and spending time in the mountains, where I swim, canoe, hike, and spend more time with friends than I do when my office is right upstairs. For some reason, sitting on the porch at the cabin or in a deck chair in the middle of the cabin’s front room with my laptop, feels much more like a vacation than my office does and I stick to my work hours more firmly. At home, the temptation to get “one more thing” or “one more scene” is harder to ignore.

If you could go back in time, what would you do?

A- Find some extraordinarily rich person to adopt me and see that I had access to all the finer things the period had to offer. Otherwise, the cabin life is rustic enough for me, thanks.

What is one thing you require in order to write a book?

A- Solitude enough to research it, outline its plot, write it, and edit it. Writing books is not something easily done in small bits and pieces when the rest of one’s Life allows it. One must be willing to sacrifice other things to gain the space, time, and peace to think, to do the reading necessary to collect new details for each book, and to experiment with plot elements—organizing and reorganizing them—as one outlines the story. Then one has to write the book, revise it if editors request revisions, proofread, deal with copy-editors, production, promotion, travel as required, and so forth, and so forth, and so on.

What does your writing space look like? Neat and tidy? Or cluttered and stacked with papers? Any visual would be nice.

A- As I look around right now, it’s fair t’ middlin’. This morning, piled on one desk, I had Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, the Scots Thesaurus, two brainstorming pads of wide-margin ruled paper (one white for current notes, the other yellow for wild or crazy ideas), a folder containing the questions for this blog, a few remnants from finishing ups taxes, promotional material for the next Scottish games I’ll attend to sign books for a vendor, a Highland clans almanac, the notes for the next chapter of the book I’m currently writing (the sequel to Book 1 of my Lairds of the Loch trilogy, THE LAIRD’S CHOICE (Forever, December 2012). I loathe clutter (another reason I like to get away to the cabin), but when I “submerge” to write, I can easily get snowed under. That desk also holds a sometimes-neat row of books under the window it faces, books about character, character names, and setting information, and a few other things to which I refer often. My computer desk sits at a right angle to the one under the window (which is also the famous one my husband bought me when I said I’d like to write). The computer desk holds my computer, a giant monitor, laser printer, and scanner, as well as a few reference books that are specifically Scottish, and a file with costume information. It also has two shelves of references such as thesauruses, usage, phrase and quotation books. Two full walls of my office contain books, one has cabinets under the shelves, the other shelves all the way down. The window wall also has two filing cabinets, one built into the wall, the other not. Where the built-in one is, I also have book shelves for larger books. One is nearly as long as the file cabinet is. Oh, behind the computer desk is a wall to wall bulletin board that I try to keep uncluttered. It has family pictures and funny things, a huge map of Scotland, and a picture of my cat. He, of course, considers the office, like everything else in the house, to be his.

Three copies of HIGHLAND LOVER are up for grabs! US only. 

HIGHLAND DANGER

Ever inquisitive, Lady Alyson MacGillivray embarks on a sea voyage and makes a shocking discovery: The young future king of Scotland is secretly traveling on board. Yet her surprise soon turns to terror when pirates attack the ship, take the boy prince hostage, and leave Lady Alyson to drown.

HIGHLAND WOLF

Known to the world as the The Wolf, Captain Jake Maxwell had been commissioned by the King to follow the prince's secret transport. When he spies Alyson struggling against a violent sea, he moves swiftly to save her. Soon desire sparks between them, bringing them pleasure-powerful and deep. But the young beauty's connection to the prince's abduction puts her in danger. And if their love is to survive, Alyson and Jake must play a game of intrigue with royal-and lethal-consequences.

To enter:
1. Be a follower
2. Fill out the form below

Interview and Giveaway with Amanda Scott!

Holla Maidens! It's almost the end of A Scandalous Affair. But fear not, we have another great author hanging out with us today. Please help us welcome historical romance author, Amanda Scott! Amanda writes very historically accurate love stories, so make sure you check out her books here.

Thank you for participating in A SCANDALOUS AFFAIR and welcome to Under the Covers! Can you tell us a bit about your Scottish Knights Trilogy?

Highland Hero (Forever, October 2011) is book 2 in my Scottish Knights trilogy. Book 1 was Highland Master, the story of Fin Cameron and the lady Catriona Mackintosh [Forever, February 2011] and Book 3 will be Highland Lover [coming from Forever the first of April 2012]. These three stories take place in early fifteenth-century Scotland at a time when the third person in line for the Scottish throne was absolutely determined to rule Scotland. The heir to the throne was a reckless, womanizing profligate, and the second in line was a seven-year-old boy. The three heroes are close friends, all knights, who studied together under the Bishop of St. Andrews and became members of a secret brotherhood that he formed, but they never knew each other’s full names at St. Andrews. They will do whatever they must to support the rightful heir in his battle against the murderous efforts of his wicked uncle to seize Scotland’s throne. Each knight also has a particular skill at which he is either Scotland’s champion or one of the best in Scotland.

Highland Hero is your latest release. Give us a little teaser for what's in store for Hawk and Marsi.

In Highland Hero, Sir Ivor Mackintosh of Clan Chattan is the finest archer in Scotland and a member of the (fictional) secret brotherhood of St. Andrews. He was known during his school days there only as “Hawk.” The King of Scots asks him to transport his 7-year-old son, in secrecy, across Scotland to the safety of St. Andrews and the guardianship of its powerful bishop. The King wants to keep Jamie out of the clutches of his wicked uncle, the ambitious and ruthless Duke of Albany. Jamie is second in line for the throne (and later James I of Scotland). But little does the King know that in the course of trying to fulfill his mission, Ivor will also have to deal with another member of the royal family, who will use her feminine wiles and her gift for telling a tall tale to throw obstacles in his path. Not that she means to…such things just happen.

Sir Ivor’s heroine is Lady Marsaili “Marsi” Drummond Cargill, a niece of the late Queen Annabella’s and therefore Jamie’s cousin, who decides to use Ivor (unbeknownst to him) to help her avoid an undesirable marriage. Marsi therefore decides to accompany the willing Jamie as a nursery maid, thereby deceiving Ivor (EE-ver), who has a legendary temper and loathes deception (or thinks he does until…but that would be telling). The inspiration for this plot came from a Scottish bard’s tale, which also resulted in Ivor’s being named Ivor (meaning archer) and his having become the finest archer in Scotland. Imagine my astonishment when my research into Mackintosh history revealed that Ivor was a name quite common in that clan at the time! The first chapter of Highland Hero is posted on my website at www.amandascottauthor.com.

What is it about Scotland and its history that appeals to you? 

Scotland has fascinated me for as long as I’ve known it existed. My ancestors on both sides came from Scotland, the first ones in the mid-to late 18th century. They settled in New York, Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, then Arkansas, the Northwest Territory, and Missouri, and later moved west to California. One great-great-great grandfather, Judge Andrew Scott, was the first “Supreme” Court justice in Arkansas. His brother was the first senator from Missouri and named the state of Arkansas…oh, and in a fit of nepotism, appointed his younger brother the first judge for the “Post of Arkansas,” which is pretty much all there was then. Judge Andrew served a number of terms, fought and won at least two duels (one of them against another judge over a card game), and lived a wonderfully colorful life. I have a copy of a letter that he wrote to his wife then to open in the event of his death. My mother was a Douglas, my father a Scott, and we also have Logans, Jamisons, Fergusons, and a host of other clans in the various lines. My paternal grandfather loved family history and told me stories culled from ours from the time I was small, so writing about Scotland came naturally to me. I began with the 16th century but moved back to the medieval period and am now moving forward again. I’ve written books set in the English Regency and Victorian periods and in Wales, as well as the Scottish Historicals I’m writing now – 57 books to date, plus the just-finished manuscript for The Laird’s Choice, Book 1 in my next trilogy (Forever, Winter 2012). I have a Master’s Degree in History, and my field is Britain with an emphasis on England and Scotland. Most of my Scottish ancestors hail from the Borders (Scott, Douglas, Logan), and the rest are Jamisons from Clan Gunn and Orkney. I tell people I have horse thieves (reivers) hanging from every branch of the family tree.

What are five things you can't live without?

Books, family ties, the mountains, a cat, and open spaces that are safe to walk

Do you have a writing process? Do you have to listen to music, have complete silence, write only on a full moon?

I definitely don’t wait for a full moon. I write every day, often all day, and at the end of a book usually into the wee hours. In summers, I write in a cabin in the High Sierras with no land-line, no Web, no road, no sewer, and no electricity. The most efficient way to reach it is by water. I do have a solar panel there for the computer and a good deal of company from jays, squirrels, and the occasional neighbor who drops in for a sip of something (or I drop in on one of them). I love it there. I do have a family, and the rest of the year, I have an office in my home, and yes, it has music available when I want it. However, I do best when I can concentrate, and then I turn into a hermit and evict even the cat (or especially the cat, since he likes to edit what I write whenever I turn my back for a moment or two). Also, I’m very organized in the way I approach a book. I do detailed outlines before I begin to write, although I usually know what the first chapter will be before I finish the outline, and I’ll write that, so they can use it as a teaser chapter in whatever book I’ve just finished.

What are you reading right now?

I’m never reading just one book. At the moment I’m reading Full Black by Brad Thor, Only Yours by Susan Mallery, Photoshop Elements 10 for Dummies, and a history of Clan Colquhoun by an author whose name I don’t recall offhand.

Who is your favourite author and what is it about their work that resonates with you?

I don’t have a favorite author. I read constantly, voraciously, probably four or five books a week if you count research. I read everything, from political, legal, and medical thrillers to romance, mysteries, science fiction, and more literary books, even plays and poetry, as well as Scottish history. Some of my favorite authors are Jan Westcott, Lee Child, Brad Thor, Roberta Gellis, Janet Evanovich, Tess Gerritson, Emily Dickenson, Stephen J Cannell, Alex Kava, Sir Walter Scott, Charles Dickens, James Grippando, Jane Austen, Vince Flynn, John Sandford, Lisa Scottoline, Stuart Woods, Kate Wilhelm, Thomas Perry, Steve Berry, Dana Stabenow, Robert Crais, Harlan Coben, Robert B. Parker, Daniel Silva, Elizabeth Peters, Greg Iles, Kay Hooper, Catherine Coulter, Deborah Crombie, John Nance…I could go on, but these are the first ones that come to mind, so you probably get the idea.

What's up next for Amanda Scott? What should readers be looking out for?

That would be the third and last book in my Scottish Knights trilogy, the aforementioned Highland Lover [Forever April 2012]. Its hero is Sir Jacob “Jake” Maxwell, who appeared as a boy in King of Storms, much of which takes place on a ship that the then eight-year-old Jake’s father captains until the hero “borrows” it with Jake and his father aboard. [Forever, August 2007]. Now grown, Jake is a knight of the realm and captain of his own galley, the Sea Wolf. To introduce a fictional secondary character from an earlier series as the hero of a new one is a first for me. But Jake’s background eminently qualified him to become a member of the St. Andrews brotherhood established (fictionally) by Bishop Walter Traill, which connects the 3 heroes in the trilogy.

My next trilogy, Lairds of the Loch, is in the works, too. The first book, The Laird’s Choice, is already finished, as I also mentioned above, and I’m currently working on Book 2. The three books in that trilogy will have heroes from clans on or near Loch Lomond, an area that connects the Highland with the Lowlands. Most clans there, but not all, are considered Highland clans.

The loch’s north and west banks are Highland, its south and southeastern areas generally Lowland. But clans in the latter areas often controlled lands on Highland shores too. The heroine of Book 1, Lady Andrena MacFarlan, is based on the Roman warrior-huntress Camilla who was close to Diana, Roman goddess of the hunt. Andrena also has a few extraordinary skills of her own. She can “read” people’s emotions and demeanors with extraordinary accuracy—people, that is, except for the hero, Magnus Mòr Galbraith (“Mag), who is a veritable giant and warrior with a mind of his own. Andrena’s father, Andrew Dubh MacFarlan, is trying to win back land stolen from him by a villainous cousin. Meantime, the lone estate that he still holds, Tùr Meiloach, (meaning “small tower guarded by giants”) does seem to be guarded by particularly fierce birds and beasts as well as aggressively treacherous landscape. The three sisters share an emotional bond so strong that each knows when one of the others is in trouble. To win back his lands, Andrew Dubh wants to marry his daughters to warriors from powerful clans, who will help him defeat his cousin. Meantime, the villains are plotting to bring down the King of Scots, who has recently returned from nineteen years of English captivity.

As book 1 opens, Andrena realizes that intruders have trespassed onto her family’s land and goes out into the woods beyond the tower walls to investigate, keeping herself well concealed. Meantime, the unarmed, nearly exhausted Mag is escaping from three of the villains, so…

Highland Lover will come out in April (which in publisher-speak means near the end of March), so look for its first chapter on my website in the next week or two.

The Laird’s Choice (Book 1 of Lairds of the Loch) will be out in the late fall, 2012, or early winter.

Can't wait! Thanks for chatting with us!

 

Amanda is graciously giving away THREE winners their choice from HIGHLAND HERO OR HIGHLAND LOVER (will be released in April).

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