THE TORRIDON SERIES: THE LEGEND and THE DESTINY 

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These two books were so much fun to research.  I started with the idea of twin brothers, in Scotland, one of whom would inherit a title, castle, and the leadership of a clan, and the younger, who would not covet his brother’s inheritance, but who would feel suddenly at sea when their father dies.  I researched twins, talked to friends who are twins, to mothers of twins, and my favorite neuro-scientist, and got some great info and personal stories.  I talked to several twins who told me that they and their twin had a kind of telepathy, not precise thoughts that were transferred, but waves of emotions.  That was just too good not to use – so I did. 

THE LEGEND is set completely in Scotland, in 1689, in the middle of the turbulence following the flight of King James to France and William of Orange’s seizure of the thrones of England and Scotland.  It’s a wonderful period to use, full of tension and divided loyalties.  As the book opens, James MacCurrie, the younger twin, is posing as his older brother Neil and on his way to a meeting at which the Highland clans will decide whether to risk their lands and lives by backing King James.  Meanwhile Ellen Graham, the cousin of John Graham, Bonnie Dundee, hears of a plot to murder her cousin John, and rushes to the same meeting to warn him.  Needless to say, James and Ellen meet, and are subsequently caught up in both the political struggles and the murder plot. 

(Spanish)	(Russian)	(German)

THE DESTINY opens in December, 1691, with William of Orange and his wife Mary well ensconced on the throne.  England is a dangerous place for a Scotsman who backed the opposition, but that is just where Neil MacCurrie, returning from visiting King James in France, finds himself.  Seeking what he’d been told was a safe place to spend the night, Neil arrives at Eileen Ronley’s home, never imaging that she is the cousin of the new king and queen – and has ties to Scotland that neither of them can ignore.  While Queen Mary and her sister feud, both publicly and in the courts, Eileen finds herself drawn ever more into the battle between her cousins.  When new information comes to light about her family, she must choose her own destiny. 

(spanish)	(Russian)	(German)

THE DESTINY won the RITA award for Best Long Historical of 2003.  THE LEGEND and THE DESTINY are currently published in English, German, Russian, and Spanish. 

Here are excerpts: 

• THE LEGEND
• THE DESTINY