Fun Facts

1) Sue-Ellen believes in hands-on research. Like Arabella, she’s sailed from Kyleakin on to Skye. But unlike Arabella’s journey on a medieval cog, Sue-Ellen was on a modern sailboat and returned safely to harbor.

2) The Thunder Rod has roots in reality. Sue-Ellen was inspired by a magical stone at a Scottish droving inn. Legend claims the stone has powers similar to Clan MacConacher’s Thunder Rod.

3) MacConacher’s Isle is based on Sue-Ellen’s ancestral isle of Colonsay. Famed for its beauty, strong connections to Scotland’s favorite saint, Columba, and Viking archaeology, Colonsay can be glimpsed in A Highlander’s Temptation.

4) The Seal Isles really exist. Just as they are a short journey from MacConacher’s Isle in the book, the real Seal Isles lie close to Colonsay. Sue-Ellen has been there and promises that the “song of the seals” truly is haunting.

5) Asa Long-Legs and Olaf Big Nose were nods to Sue-Ellen’s fascination with Vikings. Shetland’s picturesque Scalloway Castle was her inspiration for Asa’s home. Sue-Ellen once heard a sweet, Nordic song at the ruin and thought she’d slipped back in time. But the singing was only a re-enactment troupe who’d entered while she was exploring the castle’s upper levels.