Lady Stair’s House

There are prizes connected with this blog hop. The rafflecopter grand prizes are 1 x $50 Amazon GC and 5 x $10 Amazon GCs. Now, how exciting is that. Here’s the link for you to try your luck:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

And if that isn’t enough of an incentive Novels Now is offering an e-copy of my Scottish set book, Bella’s Betrothal, to one lucky commenter on this Novels Now post. Winner will be chosen at random. To be in with a chance, please leave your comment by Midnight, UK time on Monday 27th January. I think several of the other blogs you might be hopping to by clicking on the writer’s name, below, are also offering individual prizes. You could be a click or two away from a huge haul of goodies. Good Luck with that.

Greyfriars Bobby – a capital landmark

This blog hop is organised in honour of Scotland’s National bard, Robert Burns. Burns was a tragic figure in some ways. He struggled financially and with the hardships of the life of his times. He died young and perhaps too soon. My novel, Bella’s Betrothal is set in Edinburgh after Burns’ death.

It is known he visited the capital and several places in the city bear plaques or names acknowledging that. The Writers’ Museum in Lady Stair’s House off the Lawn Market contains standing exhibitions to Burns, Scott and Stevenson. It’s a great place to visit. The restored house gives an idea of what an early and rich city dwelling was like. The houses were much altered and divided over time, but what has been created here is delightful. The courtyard outside is paved with flags paying tribute to other great Scottish writers.

Most people will recognise something from Burns’ pen. Ae fond Kiss, perhaps, that gorgeous love song of despair. Tae a Mouse, the comic, but sympathetic poem from harvest time and the towering Tam O’ Shanter. With its witches and after hours goings on, who can fail to find something in that rich tapestry of Ayrshire life. It often comes to mind when I wander into an old graveyard with an abandoned church reduced to half walls and covered in strangling ivy.

Let’s raise a glass tonight to one of Scotland’s most gifted writers and social observers. Thank you for dropping by. Don’t forget to leave a comment. Tell us which poem or song of the Bard’s is your favourite, perhaps. and then Hop along to one of the other participating blogs to see what’s doing there.

The Other Awsome blogs:

1.	Love, Lust and Lipstick Stains	9.	Inner Goddess	17.	Nina Mason
2.	Samantha Holt	10.	Hunter S. Jones	18.	Kate Robbins
3.	A Dirty Book Affair	11.	Christina Phillips	19.	Scenes from a Chaotic Mind
4.	Anne Conley	12.	Andrea Bellmont	20.	Sarah Bella
5.	Em Taylor	13.	Isobelle Cate	21.	Joanne Wadsworth
6.	Kirsten S. Blacketer	14.	Storm Chase	22.	Anne Stenhouse
7.	Willa Blair	15.	Ceci Giltenan	23.	BJ Scott
8.	Nicole Hurley- Moore	16.	Tarah Scott