Michelle Styles: Holiday Traditions old and new

The other day I discovered that I mess with my children’s notions of Christmas traditions at my peril. That my children are all in their twenties does not seem to make a difference. They want Christmas as they remember it rather than allowing me to tweak or change things that I feel have become outmoded or past its sell by date. I had not realised that my actions as a young mother to make my life easier would have consequences for my older self!

My advent calendar with instruments
not in the proper order

My latest transgression involved the advent calendar. The calendar I use is the one my aunt gave me when my children were tiny. She sent it as a present from California as I had complained that UK advent calendars were not up to much (at the time they were very different to US ones and filled with cheap chocolate) My daughter who is now 26 was a babe in arms. It involves sticking Velcro backed musical instruments on to a tree of angels.  When they were young, I put the instruments in the various pockets in a specific order to make it easier for me. Over the years about 5 have gone missing. This year, I decided as I was the person who would be doing the advent calendar, I would put them in random order and have the blank ones at the start. Cue outrage from my daughter who then texted my sons to complain — I had changed the tradition. Same advent calendar but it bothered her in a way I’d not anticipated. I am afraid she is going to have to deal with a new tradition as I find it fun and I am the one putting up most of the instruments, but I had not understood how important she felt the putting up in a specific order was.

I suspect that it is how traditions get started — people do things  because it makes their life simpler at the time but then the reasoning behind the decision becomes forgotten and  the action becomes written far larger than the originator intended.

As a historical romance author who has written about Christmas (the Victorian set A Christmas Wedding Wager and the Viking set  Sent as the Viking’s Bride), I love investigating the traditions of Christmas — where they came from and what their first meaning were.  It has long been my belief that one of the stronger parts of Christianity is its willingness to embrace different cultures and to allow them to celebrate in familiar ways.  This certainly proved the case with the Vikings. We owe things like yule logs, wassailing,  wreaths and  the eating of ham/pork to them.  

A Christmas Wedding Wager is set in early Victorian England just after Charles Dickens reinvented Christmas with A Christmas Carol and it was lovely to find out the why of certain British Christmas traditions. Having grown up near San Francisco, I used to go to the Dickens Christmas Fayre but the actual British Christmas I experienced when I first moved over here was very different. I will admit that at first I struggled because I thought (and sometimes still do) that Americans, particularly Northern Californians keep Christmas a more agreeable way. It took me a number of years to get my head around mince pies at every gathering, flaming Christmas puddings and iced Christmas cakes which are made months before as well as Christmas crackers with silly jokes and paper crowns. After 31 years of living here though, they have become part of my Christmas tradition, including the British way of wishing people a Merry Christmas.

  I like to think the Christmas season is more enjoyable because of those long-standing traditions.  And it is equally good that we are constantly adding new traditions or ways of celebrating as families grow and change.

However, you celebrate with traditions old, new and as yet undiscovered — may I wish you a Happy Christmas and a Joyous New Year.

Michelle Styles writes warm witty and intimate historical romance for Harlequin Historical in a wide-range of time periods. Her most recent  A Deal with Her Rebel Viking was published at the beginning of December. Her next  book  Conveniently Wed to the Viking which is the 3rd book in the Sons of Sigurd Harlequin Historical continuity series will be published in July 2020. You can find out more about Michelle and her books on www.MichelleStyles.co.uk 

Discover the Origins of Christmas Traditions: Michelle Styles

Where do Christmas traditions come from? Some we can date to specific events such as the publication of Dr. Suess’s When the Grinch Stole Christmas or Dickens’s  A Christmas Carol. Other traditions have been acquired from other cultures or are lost in the mist of time. Some last a few years or even several generations but a special few stand the test of time, until sometimes the original meaning is long forgotten.

When I first started writing Sent as the Viking’s Bride (to published 18 December 2018), I deliberately set it during the Jul season which was roughly the same as our Christmas season. Jul lasted from November to 20 January. The Christmas season used to end on Candlemas, the presentation of Jesus at the temple  or 2 February (even though today it tends to be on Epiphany or 6 January or even on the 1^st) so you can see why it was easy to roll the two into one.

  I knew in order to make it easier for people, they co-opted some of the Jul traditions into the Christmas festival. You can hear in  some of the names – yuletide or yule log. The tradition of having ham/pork also goes back to the Viking culture because the boar was a sacred animal, particularly for swearing oaths and Jul was a time of renewing oaths. In Scandinavia, marzipan pigs are still considered lucky at Christmas and many children find them in their stocking.

 Food and drink along with the festivities were important parts of the celebration (there are reasons why Cromwell banned Christmas celebrations as not being Christian!). In common with many Germanic people, the Vikings would sacrifice some of the Jul ale to the fruit trees. We still get this with the tradition of wassailing.

Wreaths of evergreen were fashioned and put a blaze to help bring the Sun Maiden. In Norse legend, every mid-winter, the Sun maiden is swallowed by Fenrir the Wolf and is rescued through the efforts of Thor. You can see how a festival of light and re-birth  lent itself easily to being refashioned.

The Scandinavian goat (not a reindeer) – the red and white figurine is because Thor’s chariot, the one he used to rescue the Sun Maiden was pulled by two goats. They still play a prominent part in many people’s Christmas celebrations in these countries.

The nisser or house-elf who ensures good fortune still has a part to play in  Scandinavian celebrations. In Norway people put out rice pudding or porridge on Christmas eve for the nisser to ensure they will get good luck. If you happen to have a gnome looking Santa, it is probably a nisser rather than a Santa.

The Vikings brought the concept to Britain and it is where we get the term elf, pixie or brownie from. And because I happen to like the idea of having a house-elf  very much,  I made sure they played an important part in my latest novel.

It was fabulous being able to learn about Jul and its traditions and how those traditions have been passed along.

You can read the first chapter of Sent as The Viking’s Bridefor free here.

Michelle Styles writes warm, witty and intimate historical romance for Harlequin Historical in a wide range of time periods. Her next book Sent as the Viking’s Bride will be published on 18 December 2018 in the US, 27 December in the UK. Learn more about  Michelle and her books at www.michellestyles.co.uk.

Michelle Styles: A Roman era set book and its author Jenni Fletcher

As long time readers of this blog may recall, my first published book for Harlequin Historical was a Roman set historical The Gladiator’s Honor. It was the first time Harlequin (or indeed any major publisher) had published a romance set in that. I now write other ears, mainly Vikings, but Harlequin has a few intrepid authors who have taken up the baton and started writing in that era. First Greta Gilbert and now Jenni Fletcher.

I asked Jenni to explain about how she came to write her book, The Warrior’s Bride Prize. She also kindly allowed me to read it. A happy evening of reading ensued and if you love historical romances which really capture the time period and make you feel like you are there, read Jenni’s latest.

You can read the first chapter for free at overdrive.com

If you are more interested in other time periods, Jenni writes Victorian and Medieval for HH as well. You can learn more about Jenni by visiting her website. www.jennifletcher.com 

Here is what Jenni wrote about how she got the idea:

 The idea for my new book The Warrior's Bride Prize first came to me in the heart of Wordsworth country, wandering around the ruins of a Roman fort on the outskirts of Ambleside in the Lake District. Honestly, it would have been hard not to feel inspired, standing on the shores of Lake Windermere in the autumn sunshine, surrounded by so much history and breathtaking scenery, although at the time I was busy with a Victorian story. Nonetheless, I allowed myself to get distracted briefly, imagining a tale about an aristocratic Roman lady travelling to the edge of the Empire and meeting a Pictish warrior.

     At the time, however, I wasn't ready. So I went home and wrote two other books, but the idea of a Roman-set romance never completely left me. Over time, the particulars of the story changed. I watched King Arthur with Keira Knightley and my heroine turned from an aristocrat into the daughter of a Caledonian former slave, while my hero changed allegiance completely and became Roman. The action shifted inland too, staying on Hadrian's Wall, but moving closer to Corbridge and Chesters Roman fort, where the second half of the story is set. 

     What really inspired me to start writing, however, was a visit to the Eboracum Festival in York in 2017. I loved the enthusiasm of the re-enactors (one of whom turned out to be my son's ukelele teacher) as well as meeting lots of Roman authors, all of whom were so inspired by their subject.So I started to write, but after a while I got bogged down in detail. There was so much research to do, not least in terms of military history, which was more complex than I'd imagined. Eventually I had a rough draft, but something wasn't quite right. I couldn't put my finger on the problem exactly, but I knew it had something to do with the atmosphere. I could see my book, but I couldn't feel it. 

     For me, geography is integral to a story (I often think of locations before characters) but for this book that statement was truer than ever. My husband suggested we take a trip north to Hadrian's Wall and once we reached it, everything fell into place. I stood on the edge of the wall, which was even more impressive than I'd remembered from school trips, and imagined how it might have looked almost two thousand years ago. That was when my characters - Livia and Marius - really made sense to me. I wrote another draft and I was finally happy. Which meant that they could have their happy-ever-after too!

     So that's how this story happened. It was probably the hardest thing I’ve ever written, but in retrospect (now the difficult part is over) that makes it extra special to me. It's my small contribution to the Roman genre and I hope you enjoy it too.

Michelle Styles writes warm, witty and intimate historical romance in a wide range of time periods. Her next Viking Sent as the Viking’s Bride will be published on 18 December 2018. To learn more about Michelle and her books, visit www.michellestyles.co.uk

A literary pilgrimage to Abbotsford by Michelle Styles

Over the years, I have enjoyed visiting houses where famous authors created their stories and found inspiration. Literary pilgrimages if you will. Recently  I took a literary  pilgrimage and visited Abbotsford, the home of Sir Walter Scott. While he can be a bit overlooked today, Sir Walter Scott was the first successful commercial novelist so it felt appropriate to visit his house. In his day and for decades afterwards, he was the world’s most popular novelist. In doing so, I was retracing the steps of other writers such Nathaniel Hawthorne and  Charlotte Bronte who had also come to see where the man wrote his books.

Abbotsford from the walled garden

Sir Walter Scott purchased the farmhouse and set out about refashioning it into a Scottish baron’s castle.  At the time, he was  the world’s most popular novelist. The main train station in Edinburgh — Waverley — is named after the novel which made his name, rather than the opposite.

A grandfather clock belonging to Scott

More than anyone else, he did much to popularize certain beliefs about Scotland and Scottish history. He loved Scotland and wanted others to love it to.  His novel Ivanhoe popularized the medieval period as a world populated by  brave knights and maidens who needed rescuing. i It also gave the world the image of Robin Hood as the Earl of Locksley. If you like romances set in the Highlands, again Scott is the writer ultimately responsible for popularizing this area and inspiring generations of writers.

Sir Walter Scott's marriage lines

He was such a Scottish patriot that he obtained permission from George IV to search for the Scottish crown jewels and then actually discovered them in a box in Edinburgh castle where they had been put a 100  years before when the Act of Union happened. Partly as a reward for the discovering the missing jewels, Sir Walter Scott became the mastermind behind George IV’s visit to Edinburgh which among other things resulted in  tartans and whiskey being legalized.

Unfortunately for Scott, shortly after his great triumph with George IV’s visit, his publisher went bankrupt. Because of how it worked back then, Scott also become bankrupt and had to go back to writing (as well as selling his Edinburgh property) to pay off the debts. 

He worked so hard that his health was damaged and he died  in the dining room in 1832.

An outfit belonging to Sir Walter Scott

Shortly afterwards, the family decided to open the house to visitors. They only showed the main public rooms, including Scott’s  wood paneled study while living in the rest of the house. Scott was a great collector of stuff — old armor, arms, books on the occult, locks of Robert Burns and Nelson’s hair etc. The library remains just as it was in  Scott’s day when they used to use it for entertaining.   There are  no bedrooms or backstairs areas open but they have significantly altered since Scott’s day. The main purpose of a visit to the house is to worship the genius of storytelling that was Sir Walter Scott.

He also landscaped the grounds and walled garden. On the day I visited there was a group of artists (including one in full artist regalia – beret and smock) painting in the garden. The grounds also host a number of adventure play areas for children and walks along the Tweed and through the woods Scott planted.

There is also a newish tea room (the food is good and reasonably priced)  above a small museum where items associated with Scott can be found, including his marriage lines to his wife. I will admit to never really having seen the proper document before. It is no wonder they went to simple licenses.  They also have a gift shop where  Scott’s books and inevitable Scottish shortbread is sold.

Apparently weddings are often held in the grounds and the former private area of the house has now become accommodation for guests. There is a

The house is quite close to Melrose Abbey where Robert the Bruce’s heart was buried. The name Abbotsford harkens back to the abbey. It is a forgotten corner of Scotland in many ways but well worth a trip.

In  Other News

My 27^th historical romance  Sent as The Viking’s Bride has been accepted and will be published in January 2019. As it is set on the Scottish Islands of Jura and Colonsay, I feel grateful that Scott first popularized such things all those years ago.

Michelle Styles writes warm, witty and intimate historical romance set in a wide range of time periods, most recently Viking. You can read more about Michelle's books on www.michellestyles.co.uk 

Beating Blue Monday -- Michelle Styles

Today Monday 15 January 2018 is supposed to be the most depressing day of the year also known as blue Monday. However it doesn’t have to be that way. There are a number of ways in which you can beat the January blues. Here are some of my suggestions:

1. 1.      
   
   Watch uplifting or feel good television. My daughter and I discovered The Marvellous Mrs Maisel at the end of  November and binge-watched it. It is a comedy with a little bit of drama about a Jewish woman from the Upper East Side New York City who becomes a stand up comic in the mid-1950’s. Beautifully acted with gorgeous dresses and a great sound track. Beats watching the news, an event which always seems to sap my will to live these days.
   
   2.       Book tickets to a great live action event. Last year, my daughter booked Hamilton tickets on blue Monday for December. She had to do as it was when they went on sale but the unexpected benefit was when ever something was not quite right or I felt a bit blah, I’d go ‘ah but we have Hamilton tickets’ and put the music on. But anything you can look forward to will work. It does need to be live and therefore what you are going to see will be unique.
   3.       Go see a great exhibition at a museum. I was lucky enough to see two brilliant exhibitions in December at the V&A – the Winnie-the-Pooh exhibit and the Balenciaga exhibit. The first allowed me to release my inner child and the second allowed me to indulge in my love of great clothes (see above for more about my love of great clothes). But any exhibition will do – go with an open mind and see what you can learn or simply enjoy.
   4.       Go for a walk and release your inner child as you do. Getting outside with natural sunlight can be a great way to lif your mood. If it is horrible out, consider wrapping up well and going puddle jumping or if icy, find some place to slide a bit. Watch the clouds and make up stories about what they represent. I find releasing my inner child is a great way to lift my mood. It means I don’t have to be serious and weighed down with responsibility.
   5.       Put on some favourite music and dance like no one is watching.
   6.       Make time to see an old friend and have a good natter about nothing in particular.
   7.       And last but by no means least, read a romance – something that will allow to escape into another world where you know the Happy Ending is guaranteed. It can be one you enjoyed in the past or a new one by a favourite author or even a new to you author.
   What ways  have you found that work to beat the Bluest of all Mondays?
   
   
   
   
2. 
   

Michelle Styles writes warm, witty and intimate historical romance in a wide range of time periods for Harlequin Historical. Her latest The Warrior’s Viking Bride will be released on 22 February 2018.

You can learn more about Michelle and her books on www.michellestyles.co.uk

Michelle Styles:Polishing the Clock Face

Writing a historical romance can feel like juggling three balls with one hand while simultaneously keeping three plates spinning in the air with the other and balancing a few objects on your head for good matter. Yes, it is your circus and those are your monkeys and you can lose your focus very quickly and end up writing a different sort of story than the one you had planned. The more you know about the majestic craft of writing, the more you realise that part of its appeal is that it can never be fully tamed and there is always something more to learn.

There are plot points, character conflicts, world building, and writing into the mist. There is learning to revise while still believing in the essence of your story. Your ultimate aim is to create an emotionally satisfying story which has the reader turning pages at great rate.

It took me a long time to realize that I write for the readers who get my writing. I can’t write for my eldest son, the recent recipient of a history Phd who considers historical romance beneath him (the poor dear – we all have our crosses to bear and one of his is having me for a mother). Neither do I write for my husband who prefers angsty detective stories with disillusioned male protagonists. Or indeed my youngest son who prefers fantasy and natural history but knows when to keep quiet about his mother’s work.

 I write in part for myself but mostly for readers who enjoy the sort of historical story I tell – ones with a strong female protagonists who eventually find love and an equal partnership with a strong male. It took me a long time to realise who I wrote for and that I didn’t have to change the way I write for anyone (not even my eldest whom I love dearly).  The realisation made bad reviews easier to take and I didn’t have to retreat to my bedroom with a bottle of gin (or indeed listen to helpful suggestions about my manuscripts or my career path for the male members of my household).

However, one of the compacts  I make with my readers is that I strive to get them the possible Michelle Styles I can produce at any given time. And this means that I always have to keep working on my craft. Craft is such a big topic that I prefer to concentrate on little pieces and work my way around. Thus sometimes, I feel like I am rusty on plot or character and at others on setting. Sometimes it is emotional response. Sometimes it is creativity as a general topic (aka refilling the well). (Have I mentioned that I love books about writing?) Twyla Tharp in The Creative Habit  suggested the clock face metaphors as a way for dancers to concentrate on their craft. I feel it is also a metaphor which works for authors.

I am self-taught author – basically I have a degree in Economics (with an emphasis on historical econ) and have never taken a course in writing. A friend is currently doing her Masters in Creative Writing – we have been talking. I lent her one of my favourite books on Point of View and Character (Orson Scott Card’s Characters and Viewpoint). I think she was pleasantly surprised that it was actually very good and full of useful tips.

Because I am waiting on my agent to get me her notes about how I can improve  my latest Viking before submitting it to my editor, one of the things I have been doing is reading Donald Maass’s latest  The Emotional Craft of Fiction about  creating emotional responses in the reader. It plows the same trench as Orson Scott Card and Karl Igleias Writing for Emotional Impact but approaches in a typical Maass sort of way (including a few snide remarks about romance authors). Like any writing craft book, there are parts which speak to me and parts which don’t.  I have tried out some of the exercises and it is interesting to look at my manuscript in a different way (currently I think something does not quite work – among other things, it keeps hitting the same note) But what is interesting is that some of the exercises I go to do them and then think – hey I have already done that because it is good practice to have your reader engaged with your protagonist. Backing myself and my writing ability is something I should do more often – even when I am trying to polish the clock face.

IN OTHER NEWS:

This last month has brought my cover for The Warrior’s Viking Bride – both the Harlequin Historical version and the Mills and Boon one. I love them both. The new look Mills and Boon covers are utterly fab, particularly for historicals. The ampersand between Mills and Boon is the combination of a heart and a kiss.

Harlequin Historical version

MIlls and Boon version

I am really proud of this book and am so hoping that my readers enjoy it. (I have not bothered asking the peanut gallery of the male members of my household for their opinion – my daughter approves of the cover though…)

Michelle Styles writes warm, witty and intimate historical romance in a wide range of time periods for Harlequin Historical. Her latest The Warrior’s Viking Bride will be published in March 2018. You can learn more about Michelle and her books on www.michellestyles.co.uk

Michelle Styles: Historical fact-checking can be rewarding.

People like their history to be the way they think it was. They tend to get upset when a historian or a historical novelist makes a change that  seems different than their perceived notion. It can be the things you think you know because they are widely accepted fact that can get you into difficulties.

Recently there was a social media kerfuffle about a Roman British cartoon by the BBC. One of the characters was an African military officer supposedly serving in the Britannia. In one picture, he was flanked by his wife. Apparently people on the both sides of the Atlantic (who thought they knew history) screamed – Impossible, political correctness gone mad. Everyone knows Roman Britain wasn’t like that. There were no sub-Saharan Africans there and other such exclamations.

Photograph BBC

 I rolled my eyes. I have spent many hours along the Roman Wall, researching the period and I am happy to report that yes, there were African officers on the Wall. Some of whom may have their families (officially or unofficially) with them. There is a story that the Roman emperor Septimus Severus (a man with North African roots,  it was where the money was during the 2nd century AD) encountered an Ethiopian legionary officer when he arrived at the wall. There were others, including a troop of Nubian cavalry officers who probably were stationed at Chesters. (They may have been responsible for the re-dedication or rejuvenation symbol aka the phallus tile in the floor of the headquarters building which made my children giggle). The Roman Empire was ethnically diverse and they moved trouble-makers from one region to be soldiers in another, but Rome was not multi-cultural. When in Rome, do as the Romans do was an apt saying. It always surprises me when film-makers or other people depict Rome as one single national type. The Roman empire was huge and people did move about.

My problem with the cartoon was that having gone to the trouble to get the skin colour correct, was it too much trouble for the BBC to get woman’s costume correct? Her hairstyle and dress were all wrong for that era.  If you look at tombs of Romano-British women, particularly the famous Regina tomb, Romano British women tended to be all covered up in what has been termed a Gallic robe. Wearing something bare armed would have resulted in the woman being cold and several of tablets found at Vindolanda complain about the cold!  The woman on the tombs had big hair. But that is an aside. The BBC was right to point out that Roman Britain like the rest of the Roman Empire had many hues of skin contained within it. This is far better than assuming African people only really reached Britain after the World War 2 which some people myopically seem to think. 

One question is what happened to these African legionaries and possibly even merchants?  The short answer is we do not know.The large scale excavation of Roman cemeteries really has not happened. They could have served their time and retired back to their homeland. They could have retired in Roman Britain or even beyond the wall (the wall was more like a porous border control) and married local girls or other Romano-British inhabitants. They might have left when the legions left and the entire economy collapsed. Why stay in such a lawless and cold place? They might have been killed during the plague of 541 when approximately half the population of Britain, Europe and the Byzantium empire died. And some might have stayed and intermarried. There could be people whose families have been in the North of England for nearly two thousand years who had an African legionary as an ancestor and that is kind of cool to think about.

In short, checking facts can lead to interesting discoveries.  Given what passes for news these days, it can be helpful to go back to primary sources.  It is always useful to remember that history by its nature is always written through a dark and shadowy mirror and sometimes those reflections are not entirely accurate.

IN OTHER NEWS:

My latest Viking set historical romance THE WARRIOR’S VIKING BRIDE will be published by Harlequin Historical in March 2018. It features a Viking Shield Maiden and a Celtic warlord who has been sent to  return her to her long-estranged father. 

Michelle Styles writes warm, witty and intimate historical romances set in a wide variety of time periods from ancient Rome to the Victorian. Her most recent SOLD TO THE VIKING WARRIOR was set on the Western Isles of Scotland in 875. You can read more about Michelle and her books at her website www.michellestyles.co.uk. 

Michelle Styles: My latest Book Hunting Expedition

The late Phyllis Whitney famously never went on vacation but always went on book-hunting expeditions. It is simply a matter of tailoring where you go to coincide with what you want to write. Sometimes this is easier than others as I do have to take other members of the party into account.

Thus it was last weekend when my daughter and I departed for an expedition up to the wilds of the Scottish highlands. Because Vikings were not really up there in that area, I could not research them. I could however look at the Victorians, how they had changed things and what was going on.

We stayed at the Grant Arms Hotel in Grantown-on-Spey. Queen Victoria and Prince Albert famously stayed the night here (incognito) back in 1860. Victoria wrote about in her journal. There is an exhibition about her stay in the vestibule outside the dining room. The Queen and Prince Philip also have stayed (1961) but far more openly. The hotel is a great base for exploring the area and boasts a wildlife club. If you happen to be in the area, you could do far worse as the rooms are comfortable, the food plentiful and tasty and the welcome warm.

Carriages at Balmoral

One of the days we traveled to Balmoral which is open April – September of each year. It remains very much a private residence for the royal family. However, the public can go into the ballroom (far smaller than I had thought it would be) and wander around the grounds. One of the big highlights for me (besides seeing the three tea sets the Queen uses to take tea – the gold and white is used for the morning and she alternates between the plaid rimmed and the strawberry one for afternoon tea) was the carriages. There was a splendid sleigh as well as a dogcart and a governess cart. I later learnt that Prince Philip used the Balmoral dogcart in his carriage racing and regularly smashed it up. He was the man to invent disc brakes for carriages. It rather begs the question as to what they were using before that!

The Balmoral Dogcart

I was also able to peer into the Garden cottage where the bedrooms are done up how they would have been during Queen Victoria’s time. The grounds were good but it was very clear that they managed so that they come into their splendour when the Queen is in residence during August.

Flowers in the greenhouse at Balmoral

The tea rooms are good. The Palace has just released a book of recipes, including the Queen’s dropped scone recipe that she gave President Eisenhower called Royal Teas. In the book, they mention that most of the recipes are about a 100 years old and that many were preserved by one of the housemaids writing things down.

Another focus of the trip became whisky tasting. Although whisky has been around for a long time, it did not become a legal drink until 1823. The first license to produce whisky is not granted until 1824 and that was to George Smith who produced the Glenlivet. Some distilleries claim to be older than that but they were operating beyond the law and whisky was not really drunk outside of Scotland.

In 1822, George IV travels to Edinburgh at Sir Walter Scott’s behest and tries the drink (as it happens it was George Smith’s whisky).  He likes it and of course the king cannot drink something which is illegal so Parliament legalises it in 1823. This is also the visit which sees the tartan becoming popular after Sir Walter Scott organises a grand ball and all the men have to go kilted. George’s bill for his tartan (the Royal Stuart) was over £110,000 in today’s money! The man who won the catering contract for the ball was one Ebenezer Scroggie whom a certain Charles Dickens apparently used as inspiration for a character…. But it is this visit that sets the Scotland craze going.

Most of the whisky you drink today tastes nothing like the whisky that would have been drunk pre end of Prohibition in the US. After the Prohibition ends, the whisky distillers begin to use American bourbon casks to mature their product but before that they used sherry casks, in particular oloroso casks. Some distilleries such as Glenlivet and Aberlour have started make whiskies which go back to the original which are only matured in sherry casks, Glenlivet Nadurra and Aberlour A’Bundah. During the Glenlivet tour we tasted some whisky straight from a cask which tastes different again – far rougher. I also learnt about flour flash fires and how they had to be very careful in the warehouses because whisky can go up in flames very easily.

There was plenty to digest from my book hunting expedition and I do foresee writing a Scottish Victorian in the near future (or possibly set slightly before Victoria). And I remain firmly of the opinion that book hunting expeditions are the only way to travel.

Michelle Styles writes warm, witty and intimate historical romances for Harlequin Historical. Her latest Sold to the Viking Warrior is set on Islay was a result of another book hunting expedition. To learn more about Michelle and her books visit www.michellestyles.co.uk

Priviledged Childhoods

A privileged childhood. It is a tricky word as many people these days associate it with class, creed or colour. It is why it was so refreshing to read an interview with Peaches Golding, Britain’s first black woman lord lieutenant. Peaches grew up in South Carolina and has slavery ancestry but she married a British man (they bonded over a passion for  poisonous snakes) and has spent many years in Britain. The position of Lord Lieutenant is a position founded by Henry VIII and is largely ceremonial – she becomes the Queen’s representative in Bristol.

 In the interview, she stated that she wanted to talk about the privileges that come from  books on the wall, a dedicated place to do homework and parents who believe in education. These privileges transcend class, creed and colour but are absolutely vital to the future success of children. They are aspirational in the extreme and yet we so often take them for granted.

Her words made me think about the things that I took for granted growing up that are truly privileges. For example, my library card. I can remember the pride I had when I could get my very own library card. It was orange and I practised signing my name so many times so it could be perfect.  Then when I grew up enough, I was able to exchange it for a yellow adult card and all the books in the library were open to me (at which point I discovered Harlequins). Several years ago, I was struck at how lucky I was to have an excellent library when I heard Sharon Kenyon speak about her experiences growing up and how she lived for the library and how having reference books made it possible for her to go to college as she couldn’t afford the textbooks. It is why in the past I have fought to keep my local library. I am a big believer in the power of libraries.

The first place I ever drove on my own was to the local library, once I had my driver’s license. And having a driver’s license is another privilege – something that is denied to many, including all women in Saudi Arabia.  Hopefully my youngest son has passed the driving test he was due to take as I write this. He has funded the lessons after the initial few, sometimes privileges  mean more when you have to work for them.

I may have hated my mother making sure that I did my homework but it taught me many things — such as self discipline and the fact that she did care. It also taught me that I needed to study and learn things. Some of her lessons did not  go strictly to plan – for example learning how to quickly and efficiently unload the dishwasher because she was about to return from picking my brother up and I had spent far too long reading but we can draw a veil over such things. The important thing is that she taught me that an education matters.

I could go on and on about the many small advantages I had and took very much for granted.

So when I look about, I did have a very privileged childhood and I am very grateful for it and for my parents who ensured that these things happened. And I am very grateful for Peaches Golding’s interview and how it made me think about what is important. I hope everyone who reads this also had lots of books and reading material in their childhood. And if not, that they do now.

Michelle Styles writes warm, witty and intimate historical romances for Harlequin Historical. Her latest Sold to the Viking Warrior is out now. You can learn more about Michelle and her books on www.michellestyles.co.uk

Michelle Styles: Can you train your cat?

Can you train a cat or is this an exercise in futility? was my first thought when I heard of the new book by John Bradshaw and Sarah Ellis —    The Trainable Cat How to make life happierfor you and your cat.  After all dogs have masters but cats have slaves. And then I thought about it — my cats have always been trained to know when food is coming with the words -- trot trot trot They have always come racing. They know how to use a litter tray etc.  After deciding I did know how train cats, I thought little of it because my cat was about 6 and he was a good cat (ie we got on very well).

Unfortunately he developed congestive heart failure at the end of last month and despite the efforts of the vets he died at the beginning of the month. He left behind a very large heart so I went to the Newcastle Cat and Dog Shelter and chose two kittens (Hercules and Persephone) to help fill it   The shelter told me that they were brother and sister but the vet pointed out that they were both girls. Kittens are notoriously hard to sex! Because the Trainable Cat book was being reviewed and it is supposed to be the latest on cat behaviour, I ordered it and read it to see if there were any tips to help them settle. In particular I want them to become comfortable around my collies and to hopefully not get so stressed at going to the vet’s.

Heathcliff last year

It was an interesting read. Training your cat is not about making it into a stunt animal but making it easier to get on with. A lot of it is about working with your cat rather than against its natural instincts. It is about getting your ca to relax and keeping your cat amused. Cats are intelligent and can easily get bored. Cats are also very much hunters and as such tend to need their space and as well enjoying exercising their minds.

I was surprised to discover how much they rely on scent and visual cues, rather than meowing. Feral colonies tend to be quiet places.  Cats save their meows for humans. Apparently humans are very good at deciphering their own cats’ calls but not so good at deciphering a strange cat’s. Thus  researchers believe cats tailor their vocalisation to the specific person.

Hercules and Persephone 

Cats  are also very wary of the unfamiliar, particularly dogs and people. Kittens under two months are adaptable and spend much of their time learning about the world. Researchers think that cats do not really know the concept of *human* until they are introduced to it. During the kitten socialisation period, they build up a picture of a *human* and decide which are friendly and which are not. They do not instinctively recognise children as small humans. Thus it can be helpful if a kitten meets a wide range of people. They also need to learn that being handled and stroked is pleasurable but need to understand on their terms.

Cats in general should ignored when first encountered — the cat should be given time to approach.  Apparently a friendly cat greeting sounds like *prr-up*. They  also hold their tail up.  It is difficult to say but I was surprised that my kittens do greet me with it. They have scent glands in their face (the other place is at the base of their tail). It is why cats do like to be stroked on their face — they are marking you with their scent.

After a week, Hercules and Persephone are beginning to relax

Currently I am trying to get my kittens to relax around the collies. The collies are used to cats and have behaved really well – not making eye contact, preferring to play with toys, not bothering the kittens but allowing themselves to be sniffed etc.  The kittens still hiss and spit a bit but since I took some of the dogs’ bedding upstairs (where the kittens are currently spending a great deal of time) to allow the kittens to investigate the smell, they have calmed down. This is called systematic desensitizing. The kittens have also been fed cat treats when the collies are in the room. Feeding treats and understanding the hierarchy of such things is an important part of training. For my cats, they will work for chicken but do like Dreamies and then there is cat food and biscuits. They also love chasing toys so the fishing rod toys the shelter gave as part of the *cat welcome* pack have come into good use. They are kept for training and luring purposes and should be used sparingly (ie put away before the cat becomes bored)

Persephone on her comfort blanket

With the vet’s, there is a long process to get your cat to feel comfortable in a cat carrier. It all starts with getting your cat to relax on a comfort blanket. I have started doing this and we shall see. Persephone had a reaction to the cat flu vaccine and did seem calmer on the blanket but really going to the vet is no fun — lots of needles and strange people. There  are also tips for getting pills down. You can train cats to accept syringes (filled with tasty meat/pate to begin with).

Apparently cats need to scratch on posts that are taller than they are. They also need several places to scratch. In the UK, it is illegal to declaw your cat.

I was interested to learn that the chewing of boxes and paper – something my old cat did is because they like to disembowel their prey.  By playing with your cat and encouraging your cat to look at your home as a *hunting ground* through providing lots of surfaces to jump on and things to hide in, you can help keep a cat’s natural instinct for catching small prey at bay. It is also trying to re-direct the cat’s attention to the toys rather than to attacking feet or hands. Apparently squealing or jumping away if playfully clawed can encourage the cat. Some people have to resort to wearing wellies at home until the cat learns not to attack feet, so it is best not to start such games…

Anyway The Trainable Cat is an interesting read and worthwhile if you want to understand how cats behave.  I believe my new kittens are becoming much more sociable.

When not playing with her kittens, Michelle Styles writes warm, witty and intimate historical romances.  Her next Harlequin Historical will be published in February 2017 Sold to the Viking Warrior. You can learn more about Michelle and her books on www.michellestyles.co.uk

Michelle Styles: Ducklings at Dawn

Back in mid May, a fox managed to have one of our female ducks as a midnight snack. She was sitting on a clutch of 10 eggs. As we had lost several ducks to Mr. Fox and female ducks were getting scarce on the ground, my husband forcefully argued for an incubator.

Duck eggs in the incubator

I agreed to try and see if we could raise ducks that way. The incubator shop duly sent the kit within 24 hours. The kit included – an incubator, a candling device, a brooder for after, a small feeder and water container and a pen. In meantime, I put the eggs in the airing cupboard and began turning them. I also added 2 more ducks that I had collected. I did not really have much hope. At best I thought we might get one or two ducklings.

My cat taking an interest in the moving eggs

The incubator a RomCom 10 was easy to set up and I turned the eggs 3 x times a day 180 degrees each time. I had put x and o’s on the eggs so I knew which way was which. I marked on the calendar when they were due to hatch. I also kept the water filled up. I did not bother with candling the eggs to see if they were viable. My youngest son who is studying zoology at university was convinced that I was just cooking the eggs and I would end up with splattered rotten egg on the inside of the incubator.

Newly hatched duckling

Right on schedule on June 21^st,  we began to hear chirping. I opened the vent of the RomCom and checked all 12 eggs seemed to be chirping. On 22 June, one duckling made a small hole in its shell. It can take up to 48 hours for a duckling to break through. It actually takes a lot of effort and the ducklings need to do it themselves. They need to finish eating all the yolk and detach themselves. If they don’t completely detach, they get a hernia and die soon after hatching.

Ducklings a few days old

Nothing happened for the rest of the day. On the morning of the 23^rd, the eggs were all still there but moving about. I went and did my exercises but hurried back. One shell had developed a huge crack down its side. First one duckling (a yellow one) emerged. It is important to keep the incubator closed at this point so the humidity doesn’t go down. Ducklings emerge wet from the shell.  If the eggshell is too brittle, the chicks can’t push their way out. After the first two, things went quickly but it became apparent the ducklings were getting too crowded. I quickly set up the brooder and the pen in the basement, along with some water and chick crumbs for feed.  Once the brooder was warm, I transferred the hatched ducklings to their new home and put them under the brooder to dry.  I left the rest of the eggs to hatch. They all hatched but one duckling died very quickly after birth. It had developed a hernia and so obviously had not detached properly from the yolk. It also could have been too weak.

Ducklings on top of brooder at about a week

The rest have survived. The brooder remained in the pen for 2 weeks and I lifted it up as the ducklings grew.  After the first day, I introduced bathing and swimming – at first in a paint roller tray and then in our large roasting pan. The first time they encountered water, the ducklings did not like it at all. The second time, however, they realised that they were in fact ducks and loved it.

Ducklings swimming

So I have 11 ducklings in the basement. They will go out to the netted pen when they are 4 weeks old and then when they are about 8 weeks, they will become free range like our other ducks. This is to protect them from predators such as crows and sparrow-hawks which we get in the garden.

They are very cute but rapidly reaching the awkward feathers coming in stage. They appear to be less frighten of people than my other ducks.

In other news:

I sold my latest Viking to Harlequin Historical – Sold to the Viking Warrior will be out in February 2017.

When not looking after ducklings, Michelle Styles writes warm, witty and intimate historical romances for Harlequin Historical. Her latest Summer of the Viking was published in June 2015. You can learn more about Michelle and her books on www.michellestyles.co.uk