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Scotland Adventure - The Elen Chronicles --Of Love and Blood

Sharon Brubaker Start Date: Oct 13, 2024 - End Date: Sep 11, 2025
  • Scotland, United Kingdom

My Travel Story

by: Sharon Brubaker Start Date: Oct 13, 2024 - End Date: Sep 11, 2025
Help nationally award-winning author Sharon Brubaker and her son and co-author James travel to Scotland to complete their research for their upcoming book The Elen Chronicles – Of Love and Blood. Healer Elen, shocked at the travesty of loss of life at the Battle of Culloden in 1746, returns home to find her young daughter, Helen, and her friend, Flora, have been taken prisoner by British soldiers. Elen seeks her daughter through war-torn Scotland, battling prejudice and whispers of witchcraft. After years of searching with few clues, she continues to hope, with an inner knowing Helen is alive somewhere. When America faces war with Britain in the fight for Independence, Elen must decide whether to use her healing gift for good or revenge. Thrust back into the horrors of war, will she finally find her daughter?

Sharon and James plan to travel to Scotland in September 2025 for hands-on research at Culloden Battlefield, various libraries, and museums. They also plan to follow Elen’s path through Scotland to 18th-century Liverpool, where Elen leaves for America.

Sharon and James are researching and writing the 18th-century American portion of the novel, which is slated for publication in 2026. Donors can follow along on social media and via the blog at www.sharon-brubaker.com.
  • Scotland, United Kingdom

Updates

9

  • Hard Wiring

    Hard wiring
    Many, many thanks for the recent donations. As I write this, there are only 69 days until we leave for Scotland. My suitcase is already half packed.

    Elen keeps swimming in my head, eclipsing other creative projects. I do believe in this book – or books, as my son suggests. He thinks the Elen story should be at least two books. He is suggesting a separate book for Elen in Scotland in 1746 and Elen in America in 1777. I have thought of a book with her best friend, Flora, and her journey as an indentured servant. We’ll see.

    I bemoan to family and friends that my dream is to be able to write full-time and not have to work another job. In reality, I think most authors work one or more jobs and write whenever they can. The truth is that my life (and I suspect other writers and creatives as well) is “all about the books.” They are all-consuming, and everything I do, despite interruptions from family responsibilities, work responsibilities, and the responsibilities of adulthood, is about living the creative life. The stories are waiting to be told, sometimes more impatiently than others, slipping out at unexpected times. My very patient family and friends listen as I reveal new 18th-century facts, take them to various spots where the book is set, imagine the area in the 18th century, and scour the area for a reasonably priced, authentic 18th-century costume. I have stacks of books for research and are winging their way to me via online book purchases.

    Writing is in my hard-wiring. There’s no escape. And, I wouldn’t want it any other way. The Elen story proves it over and over again, as do the other stories crowding my head. I spend moments in wonder as the Elen story unfolds, and I hope abundantly that I put what’s in my head onto paper to be a beloved read. Writing Elen’s story is a unique experience compared to any other book I’ve written. I am in awe of this character and love watching how the book and story grow.

    Photo by Thought Catalog on Unsplash

  • Little By Little, Bit By Bit...

    Little By Little, Bit By Bit...
    Thank you for the recent donations. We're working hard to make this dream of Scotland and the dream of a book come to fruition.

    Two helpful books in my research for Elen are:
    "The Domestic Life of Scotland in the 18th Century" by Marorie Plant and "Agnes Finnie, the Witch of Potterrow Port" by Mary W. Craig. Enlightening books of the 17th and 18th centuries in Scotland. Marjorie Plant’s book resides in the Public Domain, but is one of the few works available on this topic. Mary Craig’s book is an outstanding tale of the witch, Agnes Finnie. Craig spins the tale about the unusual trial of Agnes Finnie and the 18th-century lifestyle. It’s fascinating and an excellent read.

    During times of strife, feelings run high, especially towards those who differ from the norm. Elen is a healer, not a witch, but rumors begin and tensions run high. The danger is high for any woman who is different. More to come in The Elen Chronicles, of Love and Blood.


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