Tell us about your book(s)!

  Well, I am very excited about my new duology, THE HIDDEN BLADE and MY BEAUTIFUL ENEMY. The two had originally been written as a wuxia (martial arts) semi-epic, spanning twenty years. But then I decided there was no way to sell such a story and instead split it up. The second book MY BEAUTIFUL ENEMY, which comes out from Berkley tomorrow, is a historical romance. The first, THE HIDDEN BLADE, is a middle-grade/young adult historical action/adventure.

They follow the same two people, Leighton and Ying-ying/Catherine.  In THE HIDDEN BLADE, we meet them as children, Leighton on the run from his malicious uncle, and Ying-ying living a double life, a sweet, obedient girl in appearance, but secretly training to be a deadly martial artist. They do not know it yet, but their lives are about to intersect in ways they cannot imagine…

In MY BEAUTIFUL ENEMY, Leighton and Ying-ying, now grown up, meet, fall in love, and go through all the trials and tribulations that true love must be tested by.

You can definitely read and enjoy MY BEAUTIFUL ENEMY on its own, but I think the two together is a much richer experience. And THE HIDDEN BLADE is on sale now for $0.99. So no excuse not to! J

 Which actor/actress would you like to see playing the lead character from your most recent book?

  I almost never see my characters as actors—I don’t see them at all, facially. But for this duology I researched some half-Asian actresses to see just how wide a range of looks they come in. And I think Kristin Kreuk really has that delicate beauty that I see for Catherine.
 
Any tips on how to get through the dreaded writer’s block?
 
I don’t get writer’s block. My problem is that I can write 50,000 words of crap and not realize it until someone takes the trouble to tell me.

What are your thoughts on good/bad reviews?

Reviews are for readers to find books they might enjoy. Whether good reviews or bad reviews, people have found books that way. As an author I don’t dwell on either good/bad reviews. Both serve as publicity for my books and I’m grateful always to anyone who takes the time to read my books and then the additional time to review them.

 

Writing Related:

Tell us about your book(s)!

I fell in love with romance novels when I was a teenager, and I’ve been addicted ever since.  As the years went on, I also became interested in writing my own stories.  Shortly after Amazon announced their KDP program, I decided to take the plunge and self-published my first historical romance novel, Until You.  I was surprised, and continue to be, at the love/hate reactions this book receives.  While most people seem to truly enjoy the book, a handful of reviewers have left some very scathing reviews, primarily due to the main character, Nicholas, and his “cruel” treatment of the heroine, Ashleigh.  Personally, I love Nicholas.  I don’t see him as cruel at all, just a man trying to protect himself in the only way he knows how, a man who has been deeply hurt and just needs the right woman to fight for him and break down his emotional barriers.  Regardless, it was an amazing feeling to be able to put my story out there for people to read, and hopefully enjoy.

Since then, I have self-published three more historical novels and one contemporary novella.  While historicals are by far my favorite, I am currently working on my first full-length contemporary novel which I hope to have finished by the end of January. 

Any tips on how to get through the dreaded writer’s block?

Unfortunately, no.  I’m still trying to figure that out myself.

What are your thoughts on good/bad reviews?

I love reading positive reviews.  When my self-confidence is faltering, as it often does, they are just what I need to give me the motivation to keep on writing.  Unfortunately, negative reviews can often do just the opposite.  Regardless, I do read every review, good or bad, and though it’s sometimes difficult, I always try to learn from them, especially the bad.  However, I have to say that some reviews can be downright mean, and those do hurt.  

How do you relax?

I love to read.  I used to read about 4-5 books a week when I was younger, but since having kids I’m lucky if I can read 1 or 2 a month.  But when I do manage to get some free time, reading is my favorite thing to do to unwind.

What is your favorite motivational phrase?

“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.”  Wayne Gretzky 



What is your favorite book?

The Twilight Series (Yes, I admit it.)

Who is your favorite author?

Judith McNaught

What is your favorite movie?

An Officer and a Gentleman

Which famous person, living or dead would you like to meet and why?

This may sound silly, but I would love to meet Robert Pattinson in person.  He’s just so darn handsome.  His is the face I picture whenever I think of the heroes in my books.


What is the most interesting trip you have ever taken? 

I recently went to Hawaii (the big island) with my family.  Living in the Midwest, it was very different from what I’m used to and a wonderful new experience.  Next stop – Paris.

What was your most embarrassing moment?

When I was 20, my friend and I wanted to go to a sold-out Garth Brooks concert.  We entered a radio contest to try and win tickets and back stage passes.  We dressed up as pigs and stood in a large barrel filled to the top with pork and beans and oinked to the lyrics of Shameless in front of a huge crowd of people.  Unfortunately we didn’t win the backstage passes, but we did get tickets to the concert.  And yes, it was worth it.

 

Lighting Round:

White wine or red?  Neither.  I just don’t like the taste.

Coffee or tea?  Neither.  I’m addicted to Vanilla Coke.

Cook dinner or order take-out/delivery? Take out/delivery.  I’m a terrible cook.  (But I do make good lasagna.)

Vanilla or chocolate ice-cream?  Vanilla ice-cream with chocolate syrup on top, then I mix it all together.  Yummy!

Pancakes or eggs?  It’s a tie.  I love them both.

Sleep in or get up early?  I love to sleep in.  I need at least nine hours a night to function.

Laptop or desktop for writing?  I prefer using a desktop.  I just can’t get find a laptop keyboard I like.

 
To receive a free digital copy of The Hellion and The Heartbreaker just answer the following question, "Who were the lead actor and actress in the movie An Officer and a Gentleman?"
 
Please be sure to include your email address and how you would prefer to receive your copy, through Amazon or Barnes and Noble.

Happy New Year!!!!

Writing Related:

Tell us about your book(s)! 

I write mainly romantic intrigue, and like to write across different historical periods.  So I have novels set in the Regency era, some in the Victorian era, then the 1920s, 30s, 40s, 50s and 60s, right up to the modern era.  I’m very much inspired by Alfred Hitchcock and Agatha Christie, and I like their use of sparkling dialogue in their films and novels to bring characters to life.  But I’ve also written science fiction novels. I tend to go where my inspiration takes me at any one time.

My latest release (at the time of writing) is Loving Protector, a romance sent in the late Regency period.  It has my usual dash of intrigue.



Which actor/actress would you like to see playing the lead character from your most recent book?

I’m often inspired by actors/actresses when I write my books.  It helps me to see them more clearly.  But to be honest, I hadn’t really thought of an actor for Brook Windebank in Loving Protector.  But thinking about it, I think James Purefoy would be rather nice and he’s the inspiration for my character, Tony Marcus in Take My Breath Away.

The only problem with picking an actor to ‘play’ your characters and letting people know about it is that if the reader doesn’t much like that actor.  It’s much better, I think, for them to see the hero and heroine in their own way, and we just give them brush strokes to work from.



Any tips on how to get through the dreaded writer’s block?

 It doesn’t hurt to sometimes allow yourself time to not be a writer.  Ideas need room to grow and I think writers’ block comes from trying to force ideas.  So what I tend to do is allow myself a few days of not being a writer, then I try and get on with it, writing through the block.  Sometimes what I’ve written is rubbish, but it does oil the cogs so that newer ideas can have room to grow.


What are your thoughts on good/bad reviews?

I think they’re part of being a writer, and that if we get bad reviews, we have to take it on the chin.  Of course we’d all like good reviews all the time, but that’s not likely to happen, and if it does, then readers probably think we had relatives and friends write them all.  So a few bad reviews add a bit of balance.  I don’t think it’s ever right or professional to respond negatively to a bad review, however much we might want to.

How do you relax?

 Watching TV boxed sets, reading, playing Candy Crush on Facebook, or just generally chilling out online with my fellow writers.  Facebook is our equivalent of the water cooler and it can make being a writer a lot less lonely.

What is your favorite motivational phrase?

 
It’s one from Ray Bradbury, who was a wonderful writer.  He said, ‘If you write what you love, and do it with love, you can’t go wrong’.



What is your favorite book?
 

There are so many to choose from, but I’d have to go with Wilkie Collins’s The Woman in White.  It was the first proper ‘classic’ I read and it’s what set me off on this path to be a writer (in a very roundabout and drawn out fashion involving returning to school and taking a degree).



Who is your favorite author?

I’ve already mentioned Agatha Christie, but I also love Lee Child and Stephen King.



What is your favorite movie?

 It’s A Wonderful Life.  I love the message that all our lives, no matter how small, are important.  But I also think Die Hard is a pretty cool Christmas movie too!


Which famous person, living or dead would you like to meet and why?


I would love to have met Agatha Christie so I could ask her what she got up to when she disappeared for 11 days.


What is the most interesting trip you have ever taken?

My husband and I went to Venice on a short break several years ago.  It was early February and it was snowing when we arrived.  There was snow on the Basilica, making it look like a chocolate box.  The next day was bright and mild, so I think we were really lucky to see Venice in the snow.  It was beautiful and as such I have used that image in my novel Command Performance and in my short romance, Her Friend From the North.


What was your most embarrassing moment?

I was working my first day as a receptionist and the local Mayor came in. I looked at him askance, wondering what on earth he was doing there. Then I found out that my new boss was his wife and consort. I took a keener interest in local politics after that!



Lighting Round:

White wine or red?  Rose



Coffee or tea?  I’m British so it has to be tea!


Cook dinner or order take-out/delivery?  Order take out/delivery, though I do cook a rather nice roast dinner.


Vanilla or chocolate ice-cream?  Baileys Haagan Daas


Pancakes or eggs?  Eggs.  In Britain, pancakes tend to only be for Pancake Day.


Sleep in or get up early?  I’m very much a morning person.  Not that I wouldn’t mind a lie in.  But my brain won’t let me.  Then by early evening I’m ready for bed again.


Laptop or desktop for writing?  A laptop … on a desk.


Sally is Generously giving away a signed copy of Mistletoe Mystery (in large print).  All you have to do for your chance to win is answer the question, "Who would you like to kiss under the mistletoe and why"?   She has also provided free Amazon links to her books Loving Protector & Imitation of Love in ebook form to ALL her readers until Tuesday.  MERRY EARLY CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY!!  Don't FORGET TO FILL out the QUESTION Below!!! :-)  THANK YOU SALLY!!!  


Loving Protector: http://www.amazon.com/Loving-Protector-Sally-Quilford-ebook/dp/B00G5WYG02/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1386840702&sr=1-1 

Imitation of Love: http://www.amazon.com/Imitation-Sally-Quilford-Pocket-Novels-ebook/dp/B009B94Y1M/ref=sr_1_4?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1386840702&sr=1-4
 

Writing Related:

Tell us about your book(s)! 
My next book, THE EARL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE, is the fourth book in my Muses of Mayfair series.  The series features a group of friends who all have secret artistic passions - the first book starred an actress, the second featured a writer, and the third was about a painter.  This book’s heroine may be my favorite, though - Miss Prudence Etchingham has a secret penchant for history.  When the book opens, she has decided to use her knowledge to forge antiquities.  It’s not a great life, but it’s better than making hats or becoming a governess.  But this puts her on a collision course with Alex, the Earl of Salford - the man she’s pined after for ages, and the only collector in London who can see through her schemes.

Which actor/actress would you like to see playing the lead character from your most recent book?

I would love to cast Emily Blunt as Prudence, although Prudence probably wishes she were more like Keira Knightley.  For Alex, I’m going to have to go with Ryan Reynolds - he has the right mix of hotness and general good-guy nature.

Any tips on how to get through the dreaded writer’s block?

I’ve slowly started to come around to the idea that writer’s block usually isn’t writer’s block.  For me, if I can’t make progress or feel stuck, it’s almost always because a scene or plot arc isn’t working and I’m not yet willing to admit that I have to rework it.  Once I sit down and really think through what the problem is, I can usually start writing again.  Also, switching writing mediums (going from laptop to pen/paper, or from Scrivener to Google Docs) helps, for some reason.

The other 10% of the time, I’m burned out. In that case, I recommend a strict diet of red wine, steak, chocolate, and whatever leaps out from the TBR pile.

What are your thoughts on good/bad reviews?

I don’t read my reviews (cue hysterical laughter).  Seriously, I read almost all of them, even though I know I shouldn’t.  The good ones are so lovely that they outweigh the pain of the bad ones, and I really appreciate the time that readers take to recommend books to each other.  I find almost all of the books I read through recommendations from trusted sources, and reading reviews plays into that - so I think they’re a really important part of the whole reading/writing/publishing ecosystem.

Or, put it another way - sometimes a meal is great, and sometimes it makes you feel a little ill, but you’ve still gotta eat even if you get something bad once in awhile.  I’d rather get honest reviews that are occasionally painful than not get any reviews at all.  And I really treasure the nice reviews where the reviewer clearly got my voice.

How do you relax?

My commute is ninety minutes each way, so I spend a lot of time staring out the window and listening to music.  I also love going out for brunch or dinner with friends.  Other than that, I’m pretty bad at relaxing, so I’m more likely to take short breaks throughout the day to make tea or catch up on the Duchess of Cambridge’s latest outfits than I am to do something for several hours.

What is your favorite motivational phrase?

It’s a tie between “The wisest men follow their own direction” by Euripides (yes, I’m a dork) or “Your life is now” by John Mellencamp.  Not sure that either of them thought of themselves as motivational speakers, but I’ll take it.

What is your favorite book?

This is impossible!  I’ll give you three: Sunshine by Robin McKinley (a great vampire non-love-story that should have had the success of Twilight but wasn’t YA enough to hit a massive audience); The Masqueraders by Georgette Heyer (great romp/dialogue/double love story); and Romancing Mr. Bridgerton by Julia Quinn, which made me want to be a romance novelist.

Who is your favorite author?

For setting/description, I really adore Robin McKinley, even though she doesn’t write romance.  I’ve also been reading anything and everything that Kresley Cole writes - her worldbuilding is to die for.

What is your favorite movie?

I don’t watch a lot of movies, thanks to an ill-fated trip to the movies a few years ago in which I convinced fifteen people to see King Arthur with me (the Clive Owen/Keira Knightley vehicle that has a 31% on Rotten Tomatoes).  No one goes to see movies with me anymore, thanks to that. But I adore Zoolander, the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy (with special tip to The Two Towers), and Love Actually.

Which famous person, living or dead would you like to meet and why?

I would love to meet Eleanor of Aquitaine - I can’t even imagine how crazy/cool/crazy she must have been to pull off marrying a French king, going on a Crusade, leaving the French king for an English king, fostering the concept of courtly love, and having a bunch of sons who all tried to murder their father and each other.

What is the most interesting trip you have ever taken?

I lived in Hyderabad, India, for six months when I was working for a tech company in 2005.  I spent a lot of time in the office, but it was amazing to live someplace where such an ancient culture is in constant collision with the modern world.

What was your most embarrassing moment?

There are multitudes, since I’m a klutz. But the worst was sophomore year in high school, when I slipped as I was getting off of the school bus, bounced down the steps, and landed in my derriere in a mud puddle. When I called home to ask for new clothes, my father (bless his heart) didn’t understand the severity of a sixteen-year-old’s shame, so I spent an hour dripping during band practice while I waited for him to show up.

Lighting Round:

White wine or red?  Red

Coffee or tea?  Tea in the morning, coffee in the afternoon, tea in the evening

Cook dinner or order take-out/delivery?  Cook whenever I can, order takeout more often than I’d like

Vanilla or chocolate ice-cream?  Swirl!

Sara is giving away an ebook copy of her next novel, THE EARLY WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE upon its upcoming release later this month.  All you have to do to enter is answer the question, In The Earl Who Played With Fire, Prudence is saving money to run away to the Continent.   If you had unlimited funds, which city/country would you run away to?  Don't forget to leave your email address.  Good LUCK!!

Featuring four of the TQ ladies, we bring you this delightful collection of Regency Christmas novellas...

After attending the funeral of an old school friend, six Regency gentlemen make a pact never to marry, convinced it will save them from meeting the same fate...


COLLECTION 1:

In Ava Stone's A BIT OF MISTLETOE, Everett Casemore, the very serious Marquess of Berkswell, returns home for Christmas, slightly shaken by the death of an old friend. Determined not to suffer the same sort of fate at the hands of a woman, Berks resolves himself to eternal bachelorhood. Unfortunately, both his resolve and his peace of mind are threatened by the arrival of a beautiful, thoughtful, but mostly unsuitable lady. * Miss Theresa Birkin knows better than most that an error in judgment can lead one down an unfortunate path. If only she'd been wiser when she was younger. If only she hadn't followed her foolish heart. If only she'd met Lord Berkswell long before now.

In Jane Charles's LADY DISGUISED, Mr. Sebastian Stanwick never intended to marry. It was bad enough that his father gambled away everything they owned and then drank himself to death, leaving his mother broken until she could not go on. But the death of his good friend at the hand of the man’s wife only solidifies Stanwick’s decision to remain a bachelor. Women were simply unpredictable and unstable if not taken care of properly. * Hélène Mirabelle wants few things in life. One, is to perform on the stage, and the other, is to be out from under the roof of her overbearing new family: Lord Bentley and the Trent brothers. Since her mother’s recent passing, Hélène's desire to return to Milan and the stage has only grown. A husband could never fit into the plans because no decent man would take an actress as a wife. * One fateful night leaves Hélène questioning if being an actress is the only thing she wants, while Stanwick begins to wonder whether all women are truly prone to madness and if they are, he may never get Hélène off of his mind.

In Catherine Gayle’s Thick as Thieves, David Hounslow, the Marquess of Preston, will not stand aside while those he loves are hurt. When it becomes clear his brother-in-law’s guest is up to no good, Preston determines to scrutinize every move of the would-be thief. Not that he minds such a task—Lady Frederica is as beautiful and intelligent as she is enigmatic. Considering her close relation to a wastrel brother and her current proclivity for the less-than-savory, Preston never expected to be won over to the lady’s charms. Yet she just might steal his heart. * Desperation has become Lady Frederica Bexley-Smythe’s constant companion due to her brother’s recent affinity for gambling and carousing. With the fate of both her mother and sister resting upon her shoulders, perhaps the time has arrived for Freddie to bend the rules. How else can she secure their future? Unfortunately, Lord Preston’s scrutiny is complicating her task. Far more perplexing than his perusal is his caring nature, which is distracting her from the treasures she intends to steal. But desperate times call for desperate measures…


COLLECTION 2:

In Jerrica Knight-Catania's ALL HE WANTS FOR CHRISTMAS, Rowan Findley can't imagine a fate worse than what his friend suffered at the hands of his mad wife, so he's made the decision to remain a bachelor for all eternity. That is, until Olivia walks into his cousin's drawing room for a Christmas party. Her fiery red hair and sweet demeanor remind him of a night so many years ago that he would never forget. * Olivia Edwards can't quite believe her eyes when Rowan Findley waltzes back into her life, as handsome and charming as ever. It's been almost seven years since she's seen him, and the secret she's been harboring all that time has her on edge whenever he's about. Yet she can't deny that she's still drawn to him, nor can she deny the desire she's kept hidden in her heart these many years.

In Aileen Fish’s CHASING LORD MYSTERY, Lord Northcotte is not in the holiday spirit when he joins his sister’s family shortly after the brutal death of a friend. Discovering a matchmaking scheme is afoot, he tells them he will never marry Lady Miriam or any other woman. Now if only his heart would listen. * Lady Miriam’s mother accused her of chasing Lord Mystery after a noble act by a handsome stranger six years ago became the measure of all other men. Now he’s staying at the home where she’d hoped to escape a summons from her grandfather, the Duke of Danby. Terrified Northcotte will recognize her and reveal the contents of the scandalous letter she wrote him years ago, she can’t decide which is the bigger threat: the duke armed with a special license, or Lord Mystery, who carries a secret she’d never live down.

In Julie Johnstone’s ’TIS THE SEASON FOR SURRENDER, Lillian Lancaster would rather catch the plague than a husband. Unfortunately, her abusive, recently deceased father’s will stipulates her inheritance hinges upon her marrying a lord. With time running out, Lillian proposes to the guilt-ridden, marriage-adverse Lord Edgeworth after securing his agreement to a marriage in name only. * Edgeworth feels responsible for his former betrothed’s death and believes he doesn’t deserve love, which makes Lillian’s proposal oddly perfect. Commanded by his grandfather to marry by Christmas or become penniless, the obviously perfect choice is a woman who wants nothing to do with him. * When Lillian displays a brave and true heart and Edgeworth reveals his honorable, protective side maintaining a marriage of convenience becomes harder than these two wounded souls imagined. Now, Lillian and Edgeworth must decide if they are courageous enough to risk their hearts and surrender to love.


Available now at the following retailers:
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
iTunes: Collection 1 ; Collection 2

Summons from Abroad, originally published in the Regency Christmas anthology, is now published as a single novella for just .99 cents! 

On sale at Amazon, B&N and Smashwords now! I’m sharing a blurb and an excerpt from my favorite scene in the book today! 


Blurb:
Blackmailed by a British Naval Commander, Captain Randall Whitton, a smuggler with a penchant for gold is rescued by Jewel Derington, a feisty plantation owner and the very woman who betrayed him in the jungles of Barbados. Escaping danger has never been so thrilling. Together they are drawn into a political game of winner takes all from which only his grandfather, the Duke of Danby, can rescue them.

  Fascinated by the glitter of his Caribbean Jewel, Randall's lust for gold soon fades. His quest to tame this fiery treasure catapults them both into an adventure where the stakes are higher and the prize greater than either of them have ever dared dream.

Excerpt:

Jewel raised her dual pistols and blasted through Captain Whitton’s two closest armed guards. Blood splattered across the commander’s shocked features. Randall Whitton plowed a fist into Blythe’s face, and the commander dropped like a sack of grain. Tossing the pistols, she shoved the captain down the short embankment, raised her lady’s boxlock pistol, and fired another shot before sliding down the embankment behind him.

“Get up and run!” she yelled, seizing his hand as the return fire peppered the ground at their feet. They raced deeper into the palm trees.

Volcanic cannon fire exploded from the ships in the harbor, splitting the silence of the jungle and launching the tropical birds into a frenzy of screeches and chatter. Pistol balls pelted and pinged into the trunks of the banana trees. She ducked with a gasp. That was too close.

Shouts split the air as the soldiers gave chase. Seconds later, the two of them stumbled into a clearing as a river rushed past them in a roar of powerful currents.

Jewel rushed to the canoe she’d placed there the day before. “Help me!” Together Jewel and Captain Whitton pushed the vessel into the water and climbed in. Picking up the oars, they set to work.

“Did you plan this?” he asked.

“I always have an alternative plan, Whitton.”

She tried to fight against the current to get to the opposite side of the river, but it forced them downstream.

“What the hell are you doing?” he shouted. “Go with the current, not against it. We’ll get away faster.”

“We can’t!” She swung to face the captain.

“Why not?”

The roar of the current increased with deafening intensity. He stopped rowing. “What the devil is that sound?” His eyes widened with clarity, and she knew an answer wasn’t necessary. “A bloody waterfall? Are you insane?”


Thanks for stopping by so I could share my good news and I wish you many happy reading hours!  

Jerrica and Ava have teamed up to bring you the ultimate sale! BOTH of their best selling historical romance series are on sale for just $0.99/book!

Click on their names above to find buy links!

Scotch Whisky, from the Gaelic uisge beathat, meaning water of life...


Several years ago--and I can't remember why or how now--but somehow, my husband and I became interested in Scotch Whisky. Not whiskey, mind you. Pure, single malt whisky, straight from Scotland. We tried new ones at restaurants and bars, or we'd buy sampler packs from the liquor store and do blind taste tests at home, to see if we could pinpoint the region, flavors or various vintages from a single producer.

Eventually, we branched out to Irish whiskey (Middleton Very Rare is a favorite, though it's not too hard to understand why it might be when you look at the price tag), and then we even branched out to blended whiskey.

The blended obsession began thanks to exclusive invites to Johnny Walker tastings when we lived in NYC. They were great events! Always at some swanky hotel or restaurant, with passed hors d'oeuvres, and a very sophisticated and intimate presentation by one of their charismatic orators, who walked us through the tasting of whatever their newest offering was. My favorite thus far has been the Double Black, which we refer to as "Sweety Peaty."

I love to look back in history and realize just how legendary some of these distilleries are. A couple very recognizable names in the industry surfaced in/around the Regency era: Lagavulin being one, and Glenlivet another(they took out a license in 1824 but didn't open an actual distillery until 1858.)

Due to high taxes, the amount of illegal distilleries in Scotland in the 18th and 19th centuries far outnumbered the legal ones (400 to 8!!), until new legislation came about in 1823. It grates on many a purist's nerves to see a Regency gentleman drinking scotch, as it was illegal to bring it into England. And indeed, it would not have been served in a public establishment, like White's or Brooke's. But I like to imply that my heroes are a little on the wild side, so I often have them drinking whisky from their own private (ahem, smuggled) stash.

I could go on for days, I'm sure, on the history of Scotch whisky, but hopefully this has whet your whistle to go out and give it a try!

-Jerrica