Here I am among the other adjudicators at the conference, held in Cumbernauld in March 2024. I was delighted to be invited to adjudicate the historical novel competition and also to give a talk about how to write dialogue in this genre of writing.

Friendly people, a varied programme of events and excellent food all made for a thoroughly enjoyable weekend.

I was delighted to be invited by the Gaelic Society of Inverness to give a talk about Skye during the Second World War, in connection with my latest book, “Had we never loved so blindly”. In walking around the city I discovered the wolves outside the Town hall and the blue plaque for Josephine Tey, the author of, “The daughter of Time,” an historical detective novel suggesting that Henry VII rather than Richard 111 was responsible for the murder of the princes in the Tower.

A very busy and lively Christmas Fair with lots of stalls, refreshments and Christmas spirit. I enjoyed buying gifts as well as selling books.

I enjoyed a couple of days at John o’ Groats giving a book talk. I suspect that I have Viking genes so I couldn’t resist doing a Viking impersonation.

‘Northwords Now’, a magazine that  features new Scottish writing, features a review by Cynthia Rogerson of ‘Had we never loved so blindly’. This is what she writes:

“Shaw effortlessly pulls you into a convincing wartime past, into a beautifully evoked Skye landscape, and into parts of southern England that I know feel I know. And then, while your imagination is still reeling, she pulls you into the very heart of her characters. From the first page, I felt not just sympathy, but empathy with John Norman and Felicity. I’m a slow reader normally, but I finished this book in 2 days. At 325 pages, it still ended too soon for me.

John Norman is the son of an island fisherman and Felicity is the only daughter of an embittered wealthy widower from London. The elements, I thought, were in place for a Romeo and Juliet scenario of thwarted love. Class obstacles would daunt them! But neither of Shaw’s characters are your typical hero and heroine and they defy stereotypes. They are not beautiful, merely memorable. They do not fall in love instantly, steal kisses and struggle melodramatically against societal disapproval. Instead, they meet briefly, mumble a few words, go fishing, then separate. For the majority of the book, the narrative is not concerned with their relationship at all, and yet their separate story lines arch inevitably towards each other.

And what happens to them? I won’t say, but I can tell you this – it’s not what you think. Shaw doesn’t overly manipulate readerly emotions, and yet I don’t think that I’ve ever enjoyed  being misled in a book so much before. Perhaps it’s because her protagonists are just weird enough to feel real. And I cared about them. To my mind, this makes Shaw a kind of magician.”

A new pop-up shop has opened in Portree, selling all sorts of interesting items made by local people, including my books.

Every time we travel along the M6  I notice the turn for Carnforth and say,’  We should go and have a look at the station.’ Finally we did! The main reason for going is of course the central role that the station buffet played in the film, ‘Brief Encounter,’ but also because the film’s themes of love and loss chime with those in my latest historical novel, ‘Had we never loved so blindly,’.The volunteers who organise the displays have used fittings from the old station which capture a convincing 1940s ambience.

 

Here are some pictures of a Skye terrier puppy, an endangered breed which is fortunately increasing in numbers. Like all terriers they are tough and resilient. One of them features as a character in my latest novel which I’m currently revising. It’s set during the First World War and has the working title, ‘A Summer Project’. The most famous Skye terrier is ‘Greyfriars Bobby’ who is commemorated by a statue in Edinburgh and has featured in two films.

Now that everywhere is opening up again I’ve been having an enjoyable time travelling to craft fairs on the Isle of Skye and  the mainland. These include Dornie, by the iconic seat of the MacRae clan at Eilean Donan castle, picturesque Plockton, Glendale in North west Skye and Minginish,near the Talisker Distillery. It’s been a delight to meet so many friendly people and sample delicious home made baking.

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Really excited to share this with you – my first Eventbrite online Book launch! There’s a button to book tickets at the further down on this post, and I hope to see you there.