Inspirations

visithighlands.com
A wonderful overview of the Highlands . Take a look at "Northern Highlands" to see the area I love best. Or explore "Skye & Lochalsh" to learn more about "DEVIL IN A KILT Territory" - hint: Duncan 's real castle is located near Kyle of Lochalsh.

BBC Weather
BBC 5-day Weather Forecast for Inverness ~ a favorite Highland city of mine ... especially for its proximity to Culloden Battlefield and the delightful seaside town of Nairn, and the lair of the magnificent Wolf: Lochindorb Castle on Dava Moor, three very special places that have been, are, and ever shall remain exceptionally dear to me.

Holiday Cottages in Scotland
It should come as no surprise that it is my great and burning desire to one day own and live in just such a cozy Scottish cottage as these, but for now, the cottages-to-let as seen on this website sure do make for some wistful dreaming and lots and lots of sighs...

Megalithic
Welcome to the ultimate online resource for Standing Stones and
Ancient Sites in Europe

Eilean Donan Castle
The inspiration for DEVIL IN A KILT

The Chatelaine's Scottish Castles

Dark Isle -
Castles, Manors, and Abbeys of Scotland

Rampant Scotland Directory

The Internet Guide to Scotland
A stellar site run by Joanne Mackenzie-Winters. This has to be the most comprehensive all-around Scotland site available. As Marie Cruickshank of Scotland Made Easy says, - "it's like an encyclopedia on Scotland!"

Dalriada Celtic Heritage Trust
Scotland's Celtic Resource Centre

ScotFind.com
Scottish Link Directory

Lothene Experimental Archaeology
All about early Scots ... a goldmine of information

scottish treats

Eileen Carney Hulme
To experience Scotland's beauty in hauntingly evocative words, please visit the website of my Scottish friend, the incredibly gifted poet, Eileen Carney Hulme.  Her poems go deep, squeezing the heart and touching even the most intimate, secret corners of the soul.  I keep a copy of her book, Stroking The Air, on my desk and reach for it often, revisiting each page gladly.

House of Tartan - Interactive Weaver
A Highland delight - peek inside here to design and weave your own tartan!
(This gem of a fun site comes to you c/o my wonderful web designer, Ruth Mann)

The Scottish Grocer
For a yummy Scottish fix when the gotta-be-there-woes are nipping at you and a plane ride across the Big Pond is not practical, a visit to The Scottish Grocer, Supplier of Scottish Specialty Foods might be just the thing. A favorite of mine to try: the delicious Nairn's Oatcakes. (The oatcakes carry the name of one of my most cherished Highland towns: Nairn on the Moray Firth )

Leith Patter: A Glossary of Words and Phrases

Although most of my time in Scotland is spent above the Highland Line, I remain quite fond of Edinburgh, so I was especially pleased when one of my readers, Denise E., a native Leither, shared this sure-to-bring-a-smile glossary of old Port of Leith dialect with me:

http://www.oldleither.com/Leithpatter.html

And to journey deeper into the colorful and lively Port of Leith itself, just click here:

http://www.oldleither.com

Highlander/Celtic Radio: A Very Special Treat
For everyone who, like me, can never get enough of Scotland... or,
in this case, Ireland , too.
Sometimes beautiful and haunting, sometimes incredibly rousing,
this music will take you there!
(a thousand thank yous to my good friend
DeborahAnne MacGillivray for sharing this gem with me)

Clans and Castles
To experience Scotland at its finest, please visit Scottish Clans and
Castles Ltd, a Scottish touring company based in my own well-loved Nairn
(near Inverness ) and run by Alastair Cunningham, whose enduring passion for
his native Scotland and its castles and history assure that any trip
arranged by his company will enable you to truly live your own Scottish dream.

As Alastair and his colleagues say,
"Come with us, and glimpse the soul of Scotland !"

And please take a peek at Alastair's two books on Scotland:
a wonderfully informative guidebook for Dunnottar Castle , the inspiration
for the setting of my own BRIDE OF THE BEAST,
Sir Marmaduke's book; and his other fabulous book, a
general introduction to Clans and Tartans. See more at:
http://www.clansandcastles.com/about.htm
(then scroll to the bottom)

Scotland Made Easy

Those who know me, know I love Scotland 's wild places the best. And an excellent way to experience 'the spirit of these places' is on your own, by car. Such independence enables you to not just drench yourself in the beauty of hill and glen, but to really seek out the hidden places. The ones where, if you are receptive, you will feel as if you are stepping into the past, actually walking through layers and layers of history.

But what if you do not know where these special hidden-away places are? Or, if you are so inclined, what if you can't determine which well-kept and well-known castle or distillery might best suit your taste? And where to stay? A cozy and warm family-run inn or 'Scotland Grand' ala the spectacular castle hotels dotted across the land? Locals know the answers, and blessed is the traveler who has local friends to turn to for guidance.

Blessed as well, are those who turn to Scotland Made Easy: Itinerary Planning and Accommodation for Self Drive Tours. Run by Marie Cruickshank in Nairn (one of my special places) they are experts at arranging a customized itinerary to suit your interests, budget and time available. Marie was recently honored as one of
Highland Scotland's Top Three Businesswomen of the Year.

So if you want to enjoy Scotland on your own (as I do) and you would appreciate a local's expertise, be sure to visit
http://www.scotlandmadeeasy.co.uk

The Shady Old Lady's Guide to London

Although I rarely get to London these days, preferring to spend all my available holiday time in Scotland, I used to visit London frequently and always enjoyed my stays there. I recently discovered this really neat visitor info site and sure wish it'd been around back in the days when I was hopping every other plane to Heathrow or Gatwick. If you are heading to London or just want a taste of London's one-of-kind atmosphere, visit the Shady Old Lady. She'll delight you, guaranteed.

Visit Scottish Highlands

It's no secret that Nairn is my favorite Highland town and ... no surprise ... many of my most-loved Scottish friends can be found there. Iain Fairweather is one of them and now, like the two above-mentioned Nairn friends, Iain has created a wonderful new site designed to help visitors to the Highlands make the best of their stay.

As Iain's friend, I've spent many happy afternoons exploring Nairn and the surrounding area with him. Our jaunts are always highlights of my time in Nairn. Iain knows the Highlands and he's very active in the community, especially in Nairn's annual Book and Arts Festival. Click here to see the site he designed for this exciting event: http://www.nairnfestival.co.uk

Iain excels at sharing the Highlands with visitors. If you are planning to visit my favorite place in the world, please take a look at Iain's site:
http://www.visitscottishhighlands.com

Novel Explorations
Where Fiction & Travel Merge

Lakeland Cam

Cornwall Cam

North York Moors Cam

Livesights Cam

Fort William Scotland Cam

CamVista ~ Scotland

CamVista ~ Scotland Panoramas

MacFie Clan Society of North America

Clan MacAlpine Society
Sue-Ellen's clan, Clan MacFie, was a part of the ancient Siol Alpin group of clans, and as such, was present at Dunadd for the crowning of King Kenneth, the first King of Scotland.

Hebridean Isle of Colonsay
The home of my ancestors.

Clan MacFie

Hebrides.com

Petfinder.com

Jack Russell Terrier Club of America

Jack Russell Online
Your JRT Connection

Best Friends Animal Sanctuary

(A portion of my book profits will be donated to these rescue organizations.)

Professional Links

Sue-Ellen's publisher has a wonderful monthly newsletter for romance readers
called the Warner Romance e-newsletter.
Click the link if you would like to subscribe.

To order lovely hardcover copies of my books, please visit
Doubleday Rhapsody Book Club

Romantic Times Magazine

Bella Online
The voice of women on the web.

Teresa's Historical
Romantic Fiction & Research Site

Leland and Leslie
Leslie depicted Linnet, the heroine in DEVIL IN A KILT,
at the RT Convention's Costume Extravaganza in
Orlando.

Hotspring Web Design
Sue-Ellen's much appreciated Webmaster!

Many author websites post writing tips, how-to-write articles by the author and suchlike. My website does not and the reason is because I do not feel qualified to advise others on a process that I myself find mysterious and even mind-boggling at times. Nor do I believe that selling a book automatically imbues a person with teaching skills. But I know that many romance readers also harbor dreams of writing romance, so I will, from time to time, use this section to post links to websites that encourage such readers in the pursuit of their dreams

.The Word Merchant's Society/Romance Writer's
Support Group

SE Notes: This link could be placed under "Professional Links" but I am adding it here because this is a very special website dedicated to encouraging new writers to persue their dreams and, too, because the lovely lady behind it, Roberta DeCaprio, shares my great fondness for Scotland and Eilean Donan Castle. Please visit her website, and when there, be sure to take a peek at these two sections: "A Romantic View" and "The Many Faces of Eilean Donan."

Many readers and website visitors contact me asking for help finding an agent or just seeking general advice on how to write and sell a book. As noted above, I do not feel qualified to write and post 'advice articles' on my website and due to constant deadline constraints and pressures, I also cannot personally respond to every such request. Therefore, I have gathered a comprehensive collection of website links that provide a plethora of helpful information and tips on how to write, how to find an agent, where to look to learn more about writing and the industry, etc .... This list can be accessed by clicking here: