Fresh FIction Box Not To Miss
Jennifer Trethewey | Here’s to the Rescuers
Author Guest / April 2, 2019

I like to read the dedications in novels. It feels like the author is sharing a tiny personal connection. I dedicated Saving the Scot to all the men, women, and animals who risk their lives to save others. I hope people will read it and remember all the unsung heroes and heroines who put on gear and walk in when others run away. I was delighted when one lovely reader made mention of the dedication in her review. So, I thought I’d talk a little bit about why I chose the dedication, pose some ways we can actively recognize their courage, and hopefully generate more ideas from you. Last October, Hurricane Michael caused death and destruction in the Florida Panhandle like the US has never seen. One of my writer friends, April Moran, had just released her second Regency novel when the hurricane destroyed her house and leveled all the trees in her yard. Nearly six months later, she and her husband are still living in a trailer while they rebuild. But rather than post about her new novel or her losses, she posted about the EMTs, the overworked powerline repair guys, the neighbors helping neighbors, the people rescuing animals,…

Jennifer Trethewey | Tall Scots and Big Horses
Author Guest / October 26, 2018

Horses. I love them. The bigger the better. Horses are featured prominently in my Highlanders of Balforss series. They frequently reflect and compliment the character of their owners and they are used symbolically to represent physical strength, power, loyalty, friendship, and love. In TYING THE SCOT, Alex’s horse, Goliath, is described as “the tallest thoroughbred anyone had ever seen. Seventeen hands high and a deep chestnut brown. Just seeing the spirited warmblood made Alex’s heart rate slow.” It is Goliath’s speed and endurance that help Alex save Lucy’s life. In BETTING THE SCOT, Declan’s horse, Gullfaxi is described as a “muscular dark gray gelding with a white main and tail.” Declan is influenced by his Viking heritage and holds great stock in Norse mythology. When Caya asks Declan why he named his horse Gullfaxi, he says, “Gullfaxi is the horse the Norse god, Thor, gave to his son. I ken the name means something like one with the golden mane.” In my latest novel, FORGETTING THE SCOT, horses play an even bigger role. Magnus’s horse Finbar has a personality of his own. Like Magnus, he is giant. Finbar is a Brabant, a Belgian breed of draft horse that would have…

Jennifer Trethewey | What is it with Highlanders?
Author Guest / April 16, 2018

My friends often ask me, what made you choose to write romances about Highlanders? My answer: I fell in love with the Highlands of Scotland, the people, the history, and the landscape. But I have another secret reason that I’ll share with you. I believe the myth. I believe the myth of the Highland warrior, the myth born of legendary giants like William Wallace, and Robert the Bruce, and most recently, Diana Gabaldon’s fictional character, Jamie Fraser. And thank you Sir Walter Scott and Robert Burns for creating a poetic foundation for the Highland myth. I love believing that Highland warriors were all seven feet tall, built like brick houses, ruggedly handsome, unbeatable on the battlefield, courageous to a fault, honorable, loyal, and, most importantly, amazingly skilled lovers. And I shamelessly perpetuate that myth in my most recent Highland romance, BETTING THE SCOT: Highlanders of Balforss Book 2. Let’s start with the kilt. From an American girl’s stand point, it takes cojones to rock a kilt. Wearing a kilt almost demands that a guy swagger a bit. It’s a tease. We get to see some leg (always nice) and we know he goes commando so, we’re waiting for that breeze….