I regularly post a recommendation read for the weekend and this weekend I’m so pleased to be introducing Marlow Kelly’s A Woman of Honour. Kelly’s writing superpower is the ability to put her reader in the time and place her story is set. She writes strong female characters who challenge their male counterparts.
Below, please find a little taste of both Kelly’s book and Scotland. In the author’s own words:
Dee, thank you for inviting me to Dinner and Good Book. I had a hard time picking just one or two recipes for this post. My novella – A Woman of Honour – is set in Scotland and although Scotland isn’t known for its cuisine the Scottish diet is famous for its whole and hardy foods. Stews, fish, and baked dishes made of oats are satisfying and tasty, and the perfect food on a cold winter’s night. Oh, and we mustn’t forget that it’s the Scots that perfected the recipe for whiskey.
My first dish Baked Salmon with Tarragon is the perfect dish for a warm fall evening. It can be cooked in the oven or on the BBQ.
If its cold out and you want something that’ll warm you all the way down to your toes then I recommend Beef in Claret. It’s a stew that can be cooked ahead of time and frozen in portions. Then you can just pop it in the microwave after a hard day’s work.
And let’s not forget dessert. One of my family’s favorites is Flapjacks. In North America flapjacks are pancakes, but in Scotland they are a delicious, sweet oat square, my mouth waters just thinking about them. My family prefers them with melted semisweet chocolate on top, but traditionally they are served plain.
I’ve saved the best for last, The Whisky Toddy. This is a warm comforting drink for a cold winter’s night, but I use a little less whiskey than the recipe requires. This drink was used as a cure for colds. It calls for a wine glass of whiskey. J If I drank a wine glass of whiskey I’d forget I ever had a cold, but I’m sure I’m remember the resulting hangover.
So there you have it. Some traditional Scottish dishes to flavour while you enjoy a book set in Scotland …
A Woman of Honour by Marlow Kelly
Worldwide Release Date: 27th August 2014
A Woman of Honour is available at
Wild Rose Press
Blurb: A Woman of Honour
Marlow Kelly
Duncan Campbell wakes to discover he is imprisoned with a woman in his enemy’s dungeon in the Highlands of Scotland. The disenchanted warrior hopes his last few moments on Earth will be spent in the arms of the sweet-voiced Isabel. If only she will cooperate.
Isabel Douglas has no intention of obliging the crude captive. The penniless noblewoman considers herself too tall and thin to be desirable. She intends to become a nun. But first, disguised as a boy, she must deliver an important letter to Scotland’s hero in hiding, King Robert the Bruce.
Together, the pair make a daring escape that plunges them into the bleak countryside in the middle of winter. In the struggle to survive, they learn the true strength of their feelings for each other. But when Duncan’s animosity towards the king becomes evident, Isabel must decide between her heart and her country.
Excerpt: A Woman of Honour
“And even though we’re going to die, you still can’t find it in your heart to forgive me?”
“Maybe if you were very nice to me and warmed me with your sweet, little body, I could see my way to absolving you.”
She gasped and he couldn’t help but smile at her outraged reaction. He had no idea why he enjoyed baiting her, but he couldn’t seem to stop.
“You’re the most sinful man I’ve ever met. I take it back. I don’t want your absolution. How can you think about your carnal needs at a time like this?” The ire in her voice made him want to continue their argument, but his headache was worsening by the minute.
Marlow Kelly Bio
After being thrown out of England for refusing to drink tea, Marlow Kelly made her way to Canada where she found love, a home and a pug named Max. She also discovered her love of storytelling. Encouraged by her husband, children and let’s not forget Max, she started putting her ideas to paper. Her need to write about strong women in crisis drives her stories and her curiosity regarding the lives and loves of historical figures are the inspiration for her characters. You can visit Marlow at www.marlowkelly.com, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads and Pinterest
Dee Van Dyk 