Hello from Scotland

[Stuart]

Hello to one and all from a new member living in the wonderful country of Scotland, please resist the temptation to mention Braveheart to me, I'm brand new to all this malarkey so forgive me if I make a faux-pas into getting to know you.
I've written, on and off, since my teenage years but only in the last couple of years have I attempted to do it seriously and so far have one book available on Kindle and I am currently slogging through the second book in the series about a sleuth in 18th Century Edinburgh.
I love the freedom that writing gives me, even if the research side of things can sometimes lead me off for days in the wilderness when I should be getting on with actually pen to paper, or pixels to screen as the case may be.
I love historical fiction, comedy and murder mysteries which aren't too graphic in depictions of violence.
Anyhow, that's me.
It's been nice to meet you and thanks for taking the time to read this all :)

[Donna, Co-Moderator]

Welcome Stuart. Lots of fans of historical mysteries here, me included.

[Stuart]

Hi Donna, nice to meet you. I'm looking forward to exploring goodreads properly and taking advantages of the various recommendations for books.

[[deleted user]]

Hi Stuart, thanks for joining us. Good luck with your books.

[Creature]

Hello:
Welcome to the group and...Have a Great Day!!!
The "Creature"

[Stuart]

Creature wrote: "Hello:
Welcome to the group and...Have a Great Day!!!
The "Creature""

Thanks for the welcome Creature :D

[Beth]

Welcome, Stuart! My husband's family originated in Northern Scotland, and I got my last name, Groundwater, from him. It's a great name for an author to have because it's not very common.

[Stuart]

Hi Beth, thank you for the welcome. I think that the Scots have ended up all over the world down the centuries, often herded into ships at bayonet point following the Jacobite Rebellion of 1745 and later by Clan chiefs who saw more profit from their land by having sheep on the hills rather than people. That's one of the main reasons that people visit the Highlands today to enjoy the tranquility of those empty glens but which once were home to thriving communities. Whoops, I'm going to start sounding all political now so I'll stop :D

[Judy]

It it good to have you in the group. You will soon have enough reading recommendations to fill a barn.
Good luck with your books...

[Jim]

I worked in Edinburgh for 30 days in 1995. Wonderful city, great bookstores (James Thin), great bangers and mash, astounding deep-fried fish (good-bye heart) and delightful people. Being of Celtic origin, nobody tried to beat me up. I loved walking from St. Vincent's down to Stockbridge in the the dead of night. Mists and cobblestones. Me looking over my shoulder at every turn. On the horizon the squad cars continually zipped along, blue lights flashing, to the latest crime scene.

Heard this joke that ends with "Meringue?" - as in "am I wrong?" - for the punchline. Can anyone properly tell this joke? The "Lads" in Edinburgh thought this was the funniest thing ever. Really! They did??

[Stuart]

Jim wrote: "I worked in Edinburgh for 30 days in 1995. Wonderful city, great bookstores (James Thin), great bangers and mash, astounding deep-fried fish (good-bye heart) and delightful people. Being of Celtic ..."

The version I know is this; a woman walks into a bakers, points to something in the display case and asks, is that a cake or a meringue? Naw hen, reeplies the baker, yer right enough, it's a cake!
You're so right about Edinburgh at night in the mist. You literally feel that you have just stepped back in time and expect hansom cabs pulled by horses to come rattling over the cobbles while men in long capes and wearing swords at their waist stand on street corners...actually, in some parts of Edinburgh you do still actually see that, minus the capes though. Probably they were the ones the Bobbies were rushing too in their cars with the flashing lights :D

[Jim]

Hey, Stuart! Yeah, that's The Joke. At the time I really didn't know that bakers made a bunch of meringues (like little hats) and they placed them atop a pie. Don't ask me. I just thought the whole thing came straight out of the oven like that. So I was confused from the start. The discussions, per The Joke, went on for days.

Yunno. I was stoked when I saw Tetley Tea coming out of a machine. I didn't know that it's considered crap "over there." (Note: We put the periods INSIDE the quote marks, over here.) I still can't get past the warm beer thing, though. Sorry. Drink my pints cold as Hell, dude. Hah!

[Ian]

There's quite a popular book here right now called "How the Scots Invented Canada" that I understand is quite good.

I'm actually working with a cover artist based in Scotland right now, too, and my sister's husband and family are from Glasgow.

[Jim]

Is that Glasgow you say, or Meringue? Okay. I knew this woman from Glasgow. She said they have festival where they take off their clothes and jump through campfires. I want to see this. When does this happen. I'll C-U there.

[Stuart]

Jim wrote: "Hey, Stuart! Yeah, that's The Joke. At the time I really didn't know that bakers made a bunch of meringues (like little hats) and they placed them atop a pie. Don't ask me. I just thought the whole..."

Naw chief, it has to be cold beer for me too. I leave the warm beer to the English! :D

[Stuart]

L.H. wrote: "There's quite a popular book here right now called "How the Scots Invented Canada" that I understand is quite good.

There was a series on the BBC recently about this very subject and how the early Scots explorers had opened up huge swathes of Canada for trade. It was really entertaining and surprising too. The thing is, these blokes are all but unknown in Scotland but apparently well known in Canada.

[Stuart]

Jim wrote: "Is that Glasgow you say, or Meringue? Okay. I knew this woman from Glasgow. She said they have festival where they take off their clothes and jump through campfires. I want to see this. When does t..."

It's a new one on me Jim. But quite honestly I wouldn't put anything past Glaswegians!!! :)

[Laz]

Hi Stuart! Glasgow is famous for exporting outstanding football/soccer managers, but then what's up with Rangers?

Have you read Denise Mina?

[Stuart]

I honestly don't have a clue Laz. First they are in administration and facing the abyss but then today it seems they might NOT be in administration as the paper work hadn't been filed correctly! Goodness only knows what that means or where the Gers go from here? Not got a clue mate. They were docked 10 points for going into admin' so do they get those 10 points reinstated? Do the pay cuts the players accepted still stand? God knows! The whole thing stinks like a fish left out in the sun for a week. I'm just glad I support a team from Kirkcaldy in Fife (Raith Rovers)so the Glasgow teams can go suit themselves. The whole job is a huge con job to make money for the owners.