Friday, October 2, 2009

Guest Blog & Giveaway with Sue-Ellen Welfonder


I'm excited to have Sue-Ellen Welfonder visiting. Her latest book A Highlander's Temptation was just released. Today she will be talking about...

SPOOKY SCOTLAND

I’m so happy to be here today. And I’m especially pleased that A Highlander’s Temptation (GCP, Oct. 2009) is an October release. Autumn is my favorite time of year. I love the changing colors, the brisk days and chilly nights, the scent of wood smoke on the air, and – of course – the season’s association with all things spooky.

I love the paranormal!

Long-time readers know that I always have such threads in my books. If you didn’t know, I’ll say it here: I’m fascinated by the supernatural and love weaving these elements into my stories.

Just don’t expect demons, vamps, and werewolves. My interest is in haunted and atmospheric places, Celtic and Norse magic and lore, and the fascinating beliefs and folklore of Highland tradition.

I’ve done several guest blogs on why I include such things in my Scottish medievals. So I won’t go into detail about those reasons. It’s enough to say that myth, legend, and superstitions were a very large part of life in medieval Scotland. Fabled creatures like selkies, water horses, women who can change themselves into a cat or a hare, sound fantastical to the modern mind. But these things were accepted as real by the ancient Gael.

They also believed in ghosts.

Scotland abounds with haunted places. That was so in medieval times and it’s still that way today. There are haunted castles and country houses, hotels and pubs and restaurants with ghosts. Battlefields and abbey ruins burst with them. And there are also hills, woods, and beaches where many insist the unholy can be found. Private homes aren’t immune and if I weren’t so discreet, I could share some hair-raising tales told to me by Highland friends about their own four walls.

I could also tell you a tale or two of my own eerie encounters in Scotland. But this is the Internet, after all, so I’m not so inclined.

I will mention Asa Long-Legs. She’s a ghost you’ll meet in A Highlander’s Temptation (GCP, Oct. 2009). Asa was once the vivacious young daughter of Norse nobleman. But she met her doom in the person of Rhun MacConacher, a true scoundrel. Rhun was an ancestor of Darroc MacConacher, hero of A Highlander’s Temptation (GCP, Oct. 2009). I don’t like to give spoilers, so I’ll just say that because of what happened between Rhun and Asa, she became a ghost. She haunts the uppermost tower room at Clan MacConacher’s Castle Bane and her plight is touching. At least I thought so when she appeared to me, sharing her fateful tale. I knew then that she needed to be in this book and I enjoyed working with her. Wherever she is now, I hope she’s at peace.

Asa Long-Legs is entirely my creation, of course. But her tale, both the events of her earthly life and her existence as a ghost, could well be true. Medieval history is full of accounts of fair young women who suffered fates such as hers. And many of Scotland’s recorded hauntings tell of heartbroken spirits like Asa.

But gentle, quiet ghosts like her aren’t the only ones said to roam Scotland’s misty hills and dark, mysterious glens. The spectral roll call is long and varied and I’d need an entire book to honor them all.

I’ll leave out the most famous hauntings. Everyone has surely heard of the piper who is always sent into secret tunnels or vaults beneath a castle, never to be seen again. The eerie strains of his pipes can still be heard, of course. And sometimes the piper himself appears. Culloden is a veritable hot-bed of ghosts. Stories range from the notorious Well of the Dead where faces of slain Highlanders peer up from the well’s murky waters, to accounts of full-fledged battle scenes, to Bonnie Prince Charlie himself, often reported to have been seen at Culloden House, a nearby country manor house hotel. And who hasn’t heard of Glamis Castle and its secret room? Not to mention the castle’s reputation for being the most haunted place in all Scotland.

Maybe you can tell from this photo that Glamis has atmosphere. I took this photo on a cold autumn afternoon.




But did you know that Glamis Castle can also lay claim to one of Scotland’s only vampire tales? (I’m mentioning this for vamp-loving readers – you know who you are) A female servant was chanced upon as she sucked blood from her victim. She was immediately seized and locked away in hidden part of the castle. She was left there to die, but as vampires are immortal, many believe she walks still….

Most of Scotland’s haints aren’t as frightening as a true blood-sucking vampire. Many are quite tragic like sweet Asa Long-Legs who stands at her tower room window and pines for what can be no more. These are often ghosts who, like Asa, are tied to a location they knew in life. Quite a few were murdered or took their own lives, frequently as the result of an unhappy love affair.

One of the most common Scottish ghosts is the green lady. She’s a well-known ghost at many castles and is almost always associated with a family. She, too, is said to have become a ghost because of an ill-fated romance. And her appearance is often seen as a warning of impending disaster for the clan she haunts.

Stirling Castle is just one castle with a green lady ghost. Another green lady can be found at Dunstaffnage Castle near Oban. Also known as the Ell-maid of Dunstaffnage, she’s a Campbell ghost and her sightings herald good or bad tidings for that clan. If she is smiling, they can expect something joyous to happen. But if she weeps, the clan must brace themselves for trouble. I used Dunstaffnage’s Ell-maid in my first Allie Mackay Scottish-set paranormal, Highlander In Her Bed, (NAL, Nov. 2006).

One of my favorite Scottish Castles, Crathes Castle near Banchory in Royal Deeside, also has a green lady. You can see Crathes here….

Crathes is a castle I visit almost every time I’m in Scotland. It’s extra-special and also has a lovely walled garden and wonderful woodland trails. The sightings of this green lady most often occur in the Green Lady’s Room where the ghost is seen pacing about the room or holding a baby near the room’s fireplace. Many highly respected people have seen her, including Queen Victoria. I haven’t seen her, sadly. But I have spent much time in the haunted room and can vouch for its chilly, otherworldly feel.

I’m sure the Crathes green lady is there. She’s also a green lady whose tale has substance because a very young child’s skeleton was discovered hidden in a recess beneath the room’s hearth stone during renovations. The tragic find lends credence to the tales that Crathes’ green lady is the ghost of young servant girl who became pregnant by an important man-of-the-castle.

There are many other types of female Scottish ghosts. I used the gruagach in my second book, Knight In My Bed, (GCP, April 2002). These ghosts also have a tinge of tragedy as they are believed to be spirits of women who died in childbirth. They can also have lost their life through some kind of enchantment. Either way, they tend to be bound to an area rather than a particular family. They are largely benevolent and enjoy looking after crops, cows, and sheep. They expect offerings of fresh milk in return and can become angered and cause havoc if this gesture is forgotten.

A glaistig is very similar because she, too, is believed to be the spirit of a woman who once lived in a locality and has returned to look after area crops and cattle. Like the gruagach, she expects milk as a reward. But unlike her sister-ghost, the glaistig appears in the form of a half-woman, half-goat.

The banshee is better known and sometimes called the Washer Woman because she is seen washing shrouds or the shirts of those who are about to die. Her wails are keening, sharp, and soul-rending. If a warrior sees her, he will know he’s about to fall in battle.

Many Scottish ghost tales involve the devil. One of my favorite castle ruins has a devil-related haunting. The ruin is Ardvreck Castle which commands a wonderful view of Loch Assynt in Scotland’s far north. This castle is very remote and being there definitely gives you a sense of the supernatural.

This photo shows the ruin from a distance.

The devil-related haunting at Ardvreck is typical. A MacLeod chief gambled his daughter’s hand in exchange for riches. When the ‘bridegroom’ arrived to claim his bride and his true identity was revealed, the poor young girl is said to have jumped from the battlements to avoid her terrible fate. Some say her cries of despair still echo at Ardvreck. Others claim to have seen her walking there.

Below is closer view. And, yes, it’s possible to slip through those arches. Once inside them, you’re surrounded by cold, earthy-smelling dankness and whatever of the past still dwells there

The pitiful young girl isn’t the only ghost at Ardvreck. Nor are they all female. A gray man haunts there, too. He’s said to be a boisterous soul and he speaks Gaelic. It is said that he’ll converse with you if you dare to answer when he confronts you.

There are many other kinds of ghosts waiting to greet you in Scotland. Spectral dogs are known to roam the high moors of Sutherland. Like their counterparts in England, these beasts are most often black with glowing red eyes. They sometimes have a human-like face and to see them always means your death. There are also tales of ghostly horses. Of course, stories abound about phantom monks and nuns. There are also a few haunted theatres such as the Theatre Royal in Glasgow or Aberdeen’s His Majesty’s Theatre.

This photo of Deer Abbey, a Cistercian abbey built on the remains of an even earlier monastery, shows how easy it is to believe in ghostly monks. The day I took this photo, I kept feeling the urge to glance over my shoulder….

As noted at the beginning of this essay, I won’t detail my own personal experiences. I will say that I have had them. Some of those experiences have sparked books. Such as something I saw during a picnic at Skye’s cliff-top castle ruin, Duntulm. I was there alone, enjoying the solitude and exploring. What I saw that day inspired my Allie Mackay Scottish-set paranormal, Highlander In Her Dreams, (NAL, Nov. 2007). During that book’s deadline, I also saw some something very strange during a walk along a deserted North Sea beach near Aberdeen. Readers can see photos relating to these incidents at my Allie Mackay website. Just click on ‘see the inspiration’ next to the book cover for Highlander In Her Dreams, (NAL, Nov. 2007).

So, yes, I do believe in ghosts.

My Highland friends in Scotland do as well. And they certainly should know, living there. Several good friends there run B&Bs and have ghostly residents. Other friends have taken me to haunted pubs where they’ve had experiences. And some work for Historic Scotland or the National Trust for Scotland and have shared many behind-the-scenes tales with me.

So even if you are visiting such a site and ask the guide if the castle (or battlefield) is haunted and they smile indulgently and say, “No, of course, not,” well, I’m here to tell you that they likely sing a different tune when they are off duty and speaking to a trusted friend.

One such National Trust for Scotland site that shall remain unnamed and where an old friend once guided, is apparently so wickedly haunted that staff cringe at the idea of being there alone after hours. Weird noises and voices then echo from the castle’s great hall and booming footsteps are heard in the stair towers. Yet when this chaos erupts, there is no one present except the one or two NTS guides or manager. No one of this world, that is.

I could keep on, but time and space is limiting. I will promise that, if you enjoy ghosts and a touch of the otherworldly, you will always find such threads in my books. As for real life, I know what I have personally seen and heard in Scotland. And I have absolute faith in the integrity of my Highland friends who have shared their own eerie experiences with me.

So what about you?

Do you believe in ghosts and things that go bump in the night? Or are you a skeptic? Maybe even a dyed-in-the-wool nonbeliever? Either way, I’d love to know. And if you have an experience to share, please do.

Visit my website to learn more about A Highlander’s Temptation, (GCP, Oct. 2009) and to see setting photos of Asa Long-Leg’s world: http://www.welfonder.com

Sue-Ellen Thanks again for stopping by and sharing your wonderful pictures, insight and stories of Spooky Scotland!!


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Giveaway:

To celebrate her latest release Sue-Ellen is giving away 5 signed copies of A Highlander's Temptation and 1 signed copy of the anthology Tails of Love. To enter leave a comment with your email address. Open to everyone. Winners will be announced on October 9th.

47 comments:

  1. Thank you for sharing those pictures! You make me want to go back there!

    Please enter me!
    Thanks!
    Morning Glow

    ohmorningglow AT aol DOT com

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  2. Sounds nice, count me in!
    battyaboutbats at gmail.com

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  3. I am a believer. It may be that Celtic blood that makes it so but I believe some people are truly sensitive to these sightings and sounds and will experience them more. I love all your info, pics and stories. I will still get to Scotland but in the meantime I will rely on all your info. :)Thanks again for sharing Sue-Ellen.
    Carol L.
    Lucky4750@aol.com

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  4. What beautiful pictures! thanks for sharing.

    Honestly, I don't know where I stand on the whole thing. I don't know that I believe in ghosts, but I do sometimes think that we see or feel things to make ourselves feel good. My grandfather loved ducks, he had pictures and wooden statues of them around the house. He passed away 8 years ago, and he died at home, and we all went over there shortly after they came and took his body. While we were all sitting there, 2 ducks came up into the yard, and just kind of hung out. I don't know that I think it was him, but maybe in some way it was there for comfort.

    And my Granny loved birds, and she passed away a few years after my grandpa. Some days when I am feeling lousy, I will look outside and there will be some strange little bird (not always the same one, but something that I couldn't even name) just hopping around on the deck, just hanging out.

    I think that I believe that the people we love are there and they are watching over us, and maybe send us little reminders that they love us and are still there even if we can't see them.

    Whew, that was way longer than I intended :)

    Amy M

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  5. Please enter me in this book giveaway.

    jsrogers at shaw dot ca

    Jasmine

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  6. Good morning! I am a fan of Sue Ellen's I love her books b/c I have a paranormal facination along with an obsession for the Scottish. I would love to win either of these books!

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  7. sorry email is crystal72206@yahoo.com

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  8. Great pictures and stories! I say I dont' believe in ghosts, but late at night while my husband's at work and the kids are asleep, I sometimes change my mind :)

    Great contest - please count me in!

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  9. What a wonderful post. Please count me in.

    cindyc725 at gmail dot com

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  10. I'm intrigued to read these two books, especially "A Highlander's Temptation." Please do enter me forthe giveaway. :D

    linna.hsu at gmail dot com

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  11. Beautiful pictures!

    I don't believe in ghosts. But that doesn't mean I won't be afraid of the dark and scary things lurking behind the next corner ;)

    chayanna82(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  12. Great post. Love the photos. I do believe in ghosts.

    Crystal816{at}hotmail{dot}com

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  13. Hello, Ladies - It's so nice to be here again. Anna, the post looks so nice. You did a fantastic job presenting it beautifully. Thank you so much.

    Let's see who is here....

    Morning Glow - Hello! I just love this dog, everyone. I'm a huge dog lover, so I always smile when I see these dog pictures. And this dog is just so cute.

    Anyway, thanks for looking in, Morning Glow. I'm glad you enjoyed the photos. I understand the wish to head straight to Scotland.

    Beleth - Thanks for looking in. And the good words. I appreciate them.

    Carol L. - I'm delighted to see you here. Yes, I'm sure the Celtic blood has something to do with it. Definitely. Thanks so much for your good words. You always make me smile. And when you do head to Scotland, you better let me know. I'm keeping my fingers and toes crossed for you.

    AmyM - I'm so glad you enjoyed the photos. Those are all amazing places.

    I loved hearing about your grandfather and the ducks, and your grandmother and her birds. I absolutely believe that our loved ones can use such signs to let us know they're still around and looking after us. Those are just beautiful and heartwarming experiences you shared and, honestly, I do not believe in coincidence. I'm sure the ducks and the birds were very special gifts sent to comfort you and your family.

    My own father collected pennies. After his death, I started findings pennies everywhere. Often in really odd places and also, quite often, just then when I might have been anxious about something. Bam! There would be a penny winking at me. This still happens and the pennies always make me feel close to him.

    Thank you so much for sharing such beautiful sentiments, Amy M.

    Crystal Adkins - Hello! Thanks so much for looking in here. And thanks, too, for your kind words. I appreciate that very much. We certainly share a passion for all things Scottish and also the paranormal. I hope you'll enjoy these books.

    Patti - Hello! good to see you in here, too. You're probably in the majority. I'm sure most people don't believe. But, as you say, many do get a shiver now and then....

    I'm so glad you enjoyed the photos and the tales.

    Linna - Thanks so much for your good words. I'm delighted that you'd like to read both of these books. Thank you!

    Maija P - I'm so glad to see you in here, too. Yes, there are lots of things in the dark that can be scarier than ghosts! That's sadly too true. Good luck in the drawing!

    Everyone - I'll look back in later tonight. For now, thanks to each of you for looking in. I apreciate it. I wish you good luck in the drawing, everyone!

    For now... have fun!

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  14. Hi CrystalGB - I'm just popping back in to say hello to you, too. Thanks so much for looking in. I'm so glad you enjoyed the post and photos. And I'm glad you're another believer. I could share one or two personal experiences that could probably convince the staunchest disbeliever, but as this is the Internet, I won't. But I do believe, oh yes.

    Back later, Ladies!

    Keep having a good time.

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  15. Hi Sue-Ellen,

    I'm glad it turned out so well. Very glad to have you here. :)

    I have never had a ghost or haunting experience myself. But I have heard other people's stories, enough that I'm a believer.

    I love haunting stories. During the month of October I love watching The Discovery Channel and The History Channel they always have some interesting haunting shows going on.

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  16. I'd love a chance

    jadewolff at gmail dot com

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  17. I'm a believer, I'd like to be included! tWarner419@aol.com

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  18. Beautiful pictures...and yes I definitely believe in ghosts. My maternal lineage is from Ireland and I grew up in the hills of Eastern KY with talk of spirits and ghosts. My uncle to this day will not be in the hills after dark. An unpleasant man to my aunt when in his cups received a visit from my deceased Grandma while visiting the hills some years back.

    In the heat of the summer he woke up icy cold after a binge and bash. Grandma looking as she did right before she died in '54, same nightgown and floor length grey hair, was there beside the bed. He says her lips never moved, but in his head he heard her say "you'll be in the dark". My uncle was terrified of the dark for some reason. The entire family left that night and he never came back when my aunt and cousins came for the yearly visit. I'd like to say he changed after that, and in a few years he was somewhat slowed down by blindness - complete blindness. My mother says his karma finally caught up with him. annhonATaolDOTcom

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  19. Thanks so much for the gorgeous pictures! Wish I were there now!

    And I think I'm more of a sceptic when it comes to ghosts. I've never had any experiences with the spooky and whenever I catch an episode of Ghost Hunters they never find proof of the paranormal (which always bums me out).

    joderjo402 AT gmail DOT com

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  20. The book sounds awesome and Scotland is a wonderful setting!

    lilazncutie(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  21. I'm a believer in ghosts and romances!

    delilah0180(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  22. I'm a believer!!

    aliciahall0605(AT)yahoo(DOT)com

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  23. Great pictures!
    I'm a skeptic.

    chey127 at hotmail dot com

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  24. Woohoo! Another blog with a chance to win an awesome book!
    Amy J
    djsfoxylady@gmail.com

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  25. Hi Sue-Ellen,
    Congrats on the new release. I do believe they exist, but have never encounter one.

    janie1215 AT excite DOT com

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  26. I've never seen a ghost personally but I don't discount it at all.

    Thanks for the wonderful photos of Scotland, one of the most beautiful places on earth!

    The book sounds great!

    karenwitkowski AT aol(dot)com

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  27. Evening, Ladies!

    I'm looking back in and am delighted to see more of you in here.

    Mina Wolf - Good luck in the drawing! Thanks for dropping in.

    Tetewa - Same to you and I'm so pleased to see that you're a believer, too.

    Cybercliper - I'm so glad you enjoyed the pictures. And I'm delighted to see that you're a believer. I'm not at all surprised you are, seeing your Celtic bloodline. Likewise having grown in Eastern KY where there are so many Scots and Irish.

    Beautiful pictures...and yes I definitely believe in ghosts. My maternal lineage is from Ireland and I grew up in the hills of Eastern KY with talk of spirits and ghosts. My uncle to this day will not be in the hills after dark. An unpleasant man to my aunt when in his cups received a visit from my deceased Grandma while visiting the hills some years back.

    As to your experience with your uncle... WOW!!! Thank you so much for sharing it. It's such a classic example of Celtic sight and ghost visitations. My own father's people, all Hebridean and Highland Scots, and many of my Highland friends could have told this tale. Every word of it rings of those ancient hills and how such things happen to those with the Auld blood in their veins. And your uncle, I agree. Karma caught up with him. Definitely.

    Thank you so much for sharing this experience. I loved hearing it. And, by the way, you've also inherited the fine art of telling a tale well. That, too, is in the Celtic blood.

    Joder - Hello! Thanks so much for looking in. I'm so glad you enjoyed the photos.

    There's nothing wrong with being a doubter. Ghost Hunters... h'mmm. I very rarely watch TV. But I have flipped on their show now and then. I've seen them get some excellent evidence. but honestly, when they do, I'm amazed. I've spent years exploring haunted places in the UK with two friends and our experience was always that things happen then when you least expect it.

    If I were a ghost and saw all those TV vans rolling up and people and equipment, I'd be so out of there.

    I believe you're much more likely to encounter somethin genuine when you are truly alone in such places and also at times when you are doing something totally mundane and not at all thinking of ghosts!

    Jeanette8042 - Thanks so much for the good words. I apreciate them. I hope you'll enjoy the book and - oh, yes - Scotland is a wonderful, wonderful place. Big sigh...

    Etirv _ Good to see you in here! I am so glad you love romances and also believe in ghosts. My kind of reader.

    Alicia Hall0605 - I'm so you, too, are a believer. Thanks for looking in.

    Chey - Ha ha. A balancing voice. As said above, there's room for us all. It is difficult to believe such things, I know. I'm glad you enjoyed the photos.

    Amy - Your enthusiasm makes me smile. Thanks so much! I hope you'll enjoy this book.

    Jane - Thanks for looking in here. I'm so glad you believe. Especially as you haven't -yet- had any personal experiences with such things.

    Karen W - Thanks so much for your good words. I hope you'll enjoy the book. And I'm delighted you believe, again, especially as you haven't seen one personally. I'm so glad you enjoyed the photos. yes, Scotland is incredibly special. There's no place like it on earth. It stops my heart each time I go and I know that awe will never go away. Scotland is just that beautiful, that special.

    Now I'm off for supper, Ladies.

    I'll look again late tonight so I don't miss anyone. Thanks so much for looking in. Good luck in the drawing. And ...

    Have fun!

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  28. Hi Anna - I'm absolutely delighted to be here and have been looking forward to it for some while now. And you really did do a fantastic job with everything. It looks great, all of it. Thank you!

    I'm especially pleased to see that you are a believer. I have had personal experiences, so have no doubts whatsoever. But if I hadn't and, like you, someone I know well and trust told me their own experiences, I would believe them.

    You're right about the Discovery Channel and The history Channel. They do have excellent haunting programs in October. Well done and fascinatingly presented.

    Thank you again for having me here today. I'll look back in later.

    Have fun, all.

    Anna is a great hostess!

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  29. What a wonderful giveaway--a double delight! Sue-Ellen has once again cast a spell with her enthralling Scottish lore and breathtaking photos! I do believe in things "beyond my ken". I have had some unusual experiences which I know to be supernatural communications. Some people have a heightened sense of awareness and are more open to these type of contacts. I also have a very keen sense of smell which has made the recipient of some paranormal perfumery. Talk about aromatherapy! Please enter my name in the drawing. gcwhiskas at aol dot com

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  30. count me in please
    throuthehaze at gmail dot com

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  31. Hi again Sue Ellen, I love the pictures. Wish I were there.

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  32. forgot me email addy.

    klmc_37@yahoo.com

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  33. Hello Sue-Ellen. I've been loving the blog tour, but gotta tell ya, today was my favorite so far!! :D I used to not believe in ghosts at all, but sometimes, I wonder. I've done a ton of reading in the past few years and slowly, I'm kind of becoming a believer.

    The book looks lovely and the story great. Congrats and lookin' forward to checking it out. :)

    rachie2004 @ yahoo (d0t) com

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  34. Hello again, Ladies! - It's so nice to see a few more well-kent faces in here tonight. It's so good of you to pop in on these stops. Thank you!

    Virginia C - I'm so glad to see you here. Yes, this a great giveaway chance. Tails of Love is up for winning, too. That's such a special anthology.

    And I'm so pleased that you enjoyed this post and the photos. You're so right - there certainly are many things "beyond our ken". And it is so true that 'some people have a heightened sense of awareness and are more open to these type of contacts.' Especially those with Celtic blood. Smells are often present in active places. I must say, though, that this made me chuckle: "paranormal perfumery. Talk about aromatherapy!"

    Thanks so much for looking in here. It's always a pleasure to see you.

    Through the Haze - Great to see you, too. Thanks so much for popping by.

    Kimmy L. - Likewise. I love seeing your name in these places. Always makes me smile. Thanks so much.

    Rachie G - Bless you! You know that I don't blog often, so I really appreciate your true-heartedness in coming by these stops. Thank you.

    I'm so glad you're enjoying the posts and I'm really delighted that you love this one so much. It's sure a favorite topic of mine. Great that you're researching the paranormal. It's a fascinating subject. I never tire of studying it.

    Thanks again for looking in. And for the good words about the book. I hope you'll enjoy it.

    Anna - Thank you again for fantastic time. I've loved every minute. I'll look in again tomorrow so I don't miss anyone.

    For now, goodnight all. Best of luck in the drawing.

    Have fun!

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  35. Your welcome, Thanks again for visiting I had a wonderful time too.:))

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  36. I don't have an experience but I'm a believer. Always have been, probably always will be! My motto is: I believe in everything until proven wrong, lol.

    Gorgeous photos btw!
    Ladytink_534(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  37. enter me plz!

    haleymathiot at yahoo dot com

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  38. If any of you are curious, here's a review of one of Sue-Ellen's books :)
    http://bookreviewsbycrystal.blogspot.com/2009/01/seducing-scottish-bride-by-sue-ellen.html

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  39. great pictures! Thanks for sharing.
    Count me in!
    milkavainamo@lyseo.edu.ouka.fi

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  40. I think spirits/ghosts/whatever do exist in some sort of form.

    About 20 years ago, my grandfather died in February. That spring, a red bird appeared at my parent's home and throughout the spring and summer it tried to get into the house through their bedroom window.

    I had convinced myself that the bird was my grandfather checking on us.

    Thanks,
    Tracey D
    booklover0226 AT gmail DOT COM

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  41. Beautiful pictures, I'd love to visit Scotland!
    I love your books and I like to read about spooky things, but I have to admit I'm a skeptic.

    eva.silkka at gmail.com

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  42. hi there, gorgeous pics! that and ireland are 2 places i so will spend time someday! Yes, our family has always beieved in things you cannot always see... but then again sometimes you do. Too many personal experiences to list, but lets just say things are never boring, especially when you get my husband and his brothers together.... lots of communication awakes then!

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  43. I do love castles :)
    But as for ghosts, no, I really don't believe in anything like that. But for some reason I still linger by the thoughts about the supernatural beings that can be found in these woods here. Those yeah

    blodeuedd1 at gmail dot com

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  44. Great pictures! And Nice to meet you Sue-Ellen. I've been following you around to get the chance to read your great works! I love paranormal genres.
    I'm sort of believe that supernatural things exist. Sometimes i can feel something will be happen and it happens. I had seen a figure (tall, i mean very tall, dark, couldn't see the face) when i visited one old house (more than 100yos) in my village. It happened when me, my mom, and 4 other families were gathered around to learn the story of the house. Suddenly, i saw this figure. And i pretended not to see it, and i moved closer to my mom. It happened more than 20years ago. And I still shudder when i remember about this:)
    Mariska
    uniquas at ymail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  45. Count me in!! :D
    kiara.dg(at)gmail.com
    I'm from Chile, thanks for this international giveaway!

    ReplyDelete
  46. Please count me in. Thanks for the giveaway. Great pictures.

    lizzi0915 at aol dot com

    ReplyDelete
  47. Lovely pictures, love Highlander and Scotland stories. I would love to be counted in..
    jhoorm01 at yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete

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