In my latest release, TAKE ME NOW from The Wild Rose Press, Nairn Malcolm’s island base is a small Scottish island called Lanera. What’s Aela Cameron, his new assistant, going to find to love about it? Aela’s fromVancouver,Canada, so the variable Scottish weather doesn’t bother her one single bit. She loves to be out and about, finding the best places and the best people to hang out with; wants to explore everywhere around the island of Lanera.

If you got out a map of Scotlandand scrutinised the west coast, I’d be extremely delighted if you find an island called Lanera-since I made up that name-but you could say it was with informed decision. I’ve been many times to the area in question as my fictitious island is somewhere near the small fishing town of Oban and also close to the island of Mull.

 

What will Aela find to love in Oban?  The history will fascinate her. Oban, often referred to as the unofficial capital of the West Highlands, celebrated an official 200 year birthday of town status, in 2011, though evidence of occupation of the site has been found to date back to Mesolithic times. Oban’s oldest building, Dunollie Castle, has Bronze Age foundations, the viewing of them making it worth a steep climb from the roadside. Throughout the 12^th century, the Clan MacDougall chiefs ruled Scotland from strongholds in Argyll, and at the height of their power, had eight strategically positioned castles (mostly around the coastline) which allowed them to rule Dalriada (ancientScotland). Dunollie House, near Oban, shelters the treasured MacDougall collection which is not regularly available for public view, yet, but can be seen by appointment. I’m pretty sure Aela will be phoning up to make an appointment to view that collection.

Over the centuries, Oban grew slowly. Once Oban Distillery, founded in 1794, began production of its whisky, grew was more rapid. Oban Distillery shipped the alcohol along with wool, slate and kelp south to theport ofGlasgow, and toLiverpool, in England-thus widening trade even more. Aela’s not averse to sampling a little tipple, so she’ll definitely be in the queue at the distillery to do a tour. If she tries really hard she might persuade Nairn to go around with her, though he’s been many times before.

Today, Oban is a busy, functioning port with well-worn fishing craft, and spanking clean pleasure boats moored alongside each other, and sometimes the opposite can also be seen. Famous for its seafood restaurants, the fish is literally picked from the boats after they arrive at the harbour. Aela loves seafood, and would love Nairn to book them a table at somewhere like ‘Coast’ http://www.coastoban.com/ – a wonderful restaurant a few steps away from the harbour. Aela will find Oban’s architectural style similar to towns and villages on the Scottish west coast. Hotels jostle for space, along with all the other business concerns, but what Aela will love best is the structure that sits atop the hill.

High up on Battery Hill stands a prominent colosseum-style folly, built between 1897 and 1902 by a wealthy banker, John Stuart McCaig. He commissioned the building as a lasting monument to his family, and being a lover of all things Greek and Roman his plans included a museum and an art gallery. Within the structure his plans also included a central tower where he intended to place statues of himself, and of his family members. His philanthropic intentions sadly did not come to fruition. He only managed to use the local stonemasons during their winter ‘lean months’ for some five years before he died in 1902, after which work on the building came to an abrupt halt.

The empty shell of McCaig’s Tower is now a public garden which draws thousands of tourist, and local, visitors every year. At the moment Aela can easily make the climb, but she’ll have to wait a while for Nairn to join her at the top for a leisurely stroll around the gardens!

The view from the tower, looking across the waters of Oban bay she’ll see the little island of Kerrera with its marina jam packed with expensive pleasure boats of all sizes, and many types, which vie for attention with the larger ferries-since Oban is also called the gateway to the Isles.

Aela could take one of the ferries from the town’s south pier toMull, the island where her forebears came from, or she could go to many of the other Hebridean islands. Mull is the second largest island of theInner Hebridesand home of the only Scottish Munro (hill over 3000 feet) that requires a ferry crossing to access it. (Recently constructed bridges, from mainland to island, have solved the transport problem to a few other island Munros) OnMull, as well as making contact with relatives of her grandfather, Aela will find pristine beaches and a wildlife extravaganza on its unspoiled landscapes.

She’ll find the coloured houses of Tobermory absolutely fascinating. The whole island is steeped in history, so she’ll love to explore that and its absorbing geology. She’ll love to sample the local culture in its restaurants and bars, and perhaps hear enthralling stories of the peoples of long ago who inhabited the island form her grandfather’s cousins.

As a child of seven or eight I learned a song aboutMullin my school choir. The haunting words of the gaelic tune have never left me. It’s an English translation here, though, since I have to cringe and say I don’t speak the Gaelic! I think Aela will love to hear this song very much. These are the words to the first verse, more verses available at the site mentioned below.

The Isle of Mull is of Isles the fairest,
Of ocean’s gems ’tis the first and rarest;
Green grassy island of sparkling fountains,
Of waving woods and high tow’ring mountains.

Use the link to take to hear Valerie Dunbar. http://www.electricscotland.com/poetry/henderson/singalong/page33.htm

Thank you, Alana, for allowing me to share a little of the Oban and Mull that Aela, from TAKE ME NOW, might see if she goes around doing touristy things with the handsome hero, Nairn Malcolm.

**My-TAKE ME NOW-Tour Contest**

To celebrate the launch of Take Me Now I’ll be giving away 2 e copies of Take Me Now, 2 e copies of Monogamy Twist, and 4 goodie bags of Scottish Castle Gift Cards and Tags to some lucky winners. At each tour stop I’ll be asking a different question. To be entered into the draw find the answer to the question set and send the answer to me at nan_jar@btinternet.com before Saturday the 11^th August 2012. The more questions you answer, the better your chance will be! (ie send in four answers your name’s in the draw four times) The draw will take place at noon (GMT/ UK time) on Sunday 12^th August. 

 For the URL details of the other tour stops (and special giveaways) please check the calendar on Nancy Jardine’s blog: http://nancyjardine.blogspot.com

 Today’s question (2^nd August): What’s the name of the tower that is high on the hill above Oban?

BLURB:

Nairn Malcolm’s looking for the impossible. He needs a highly skilled, enterprising aide who’ll be at his beck and call 24/7. No ordinary Jane Doe will do. He doesn’t expect the only candidate who drops in at his Scottish castle for an interview to be so competent…or so stunning.
Aela Cameron’s got exactly the right mix of talents to satisfy all Nairn Malcolm’s needs, and more. She loves the jobs he needs done, adores his castle, and finds his frenetic lifestyle energising. But she’s only looking for temporary: not to fall in love with the man.
Can Nairn convince Aela she’s tailor-made for him in every way…and not a passing fancy?

EXCERPT:

Unadulterated vigor oozed from every last bit of him—overall a dangerous concoction. Something stirred way-down-low inside Aela again. He was a real honey, and the bee in her wanted to be very sticky.

Her mind whirred. The man bore a vague resemblance to the ruggedly handsome thirty-two year old Nairn Malcolm of the internet photograph, but would the blonde limpet in the recent celebrity snapshot want to curl herself around this forbidding wreck of a man? Aela thought not. She wondered, though, if his blank expression was caused by current circumstances, or if this was his normal demeanor, since he hadn’t been smiling in the photograph either.

With the high granite wall as his backdrop she could easily imagine this man lording over the castle, ruthlessly challenging any invaders to his domain. Taking any woman he wanted? Now there was a thought she was happy to entertain. A tiny smile broke free. Tamping down her crazed imagination she re-assessed him.

What had the guy been doing to get himself in such a state?

Who was he?

 Take Me Now YouTube Trailer link  – http://youtu.be/stDC4Yhm2r0

 

Buy links:

TAKE ME NOW from The Wild rose Press:

Print:  http://bit.ly/MrlI8x   E book formats: http://bit.ly/MQJXvw

Amazon: Print: http://amzn.to/LEUb1g

Bio-Nancy Jardine

Nancy Jardine finally gave up teaching 11-12year olds in the autumn of 2011. During the last few years she’s written a historical novel and three contemporary novels -two of which are what she calls her history/mysteries. All of those will be published by the end of 2012. She’s also written the first of a time-travel series of novels for children aged 9-12years, and a family saga is her current work in progress.

Nancylives in the picturesque castle country of Aberdeenshire,Scotland, with her husband who cooks up a much finer meal than she’s doing these days! Ancestry research-if you hadn’t already guessed-is one of her hobbies, as is participating in exciting events with her family which drag her away from the keyboard. Working in her large garden, she tends real flowers and now grows spectacular weeds which she’s becoming very fond of! She cherishes the couple of days a week when she child-minds her gorgeous granddaughter.

Nancy can be found at:

Website: http://nancyjardineauthor.weebly.com

Blog: http://nancyjardine.blogspot.com

Facebook: http://facebook.com/nancy.jardine.56

Twitter: http://twitter.com@nansjar

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/6166205-nancy

Other Books by Nancy Jardine:

MONOGAMY TWIST

THE BELTANE CHOICE will be available in ebook formats from Crooked{Cat}Publishing 31^st August 2012. Print will follow.