Aloha to Patience Griffin and BLAME IT ON SCOTLAND - Book Review

The quilters of Gandiegow expand more than their quilting enterprise into the village of Whussendale. They bring along a heavy dose of good-hearted meddling, too. What’s the outcome? Love will never be the same… 

When Tuck MacBride, Gandiegow’s favorite scapegoat, is blamed for a fisherman’s tragic accident, Tuck takes on extra work to secretly funnel his earnings to the maimed fisherman’s family. Haunted by the mistaken turn of events, Tuck is working night and day. Even so he can’t stop thinking about the new lass who has just arrived in town.

Ryn Breckenridge has no one left in the world. To fulfill her mother’s last request, Ryn travels to Scotland to return a quilt to her long lost cousin. Hoping to rebuild family ties, Ryn volunteers to help her cousin at the upcoming quilt retreat. But there is more than quilting on Ryn’s mind. The irresistible Tuck MacBride is proving to be a dangerous distraction.

Ryn’s past is riddled with bad boys like Tuck, who have left her alone and broken. She vows to stay away, but can’t help taking a closer look when she realizes there is more to Tuck than meets the eye. Both of their pasts contain shattered promises, but Scotland is known to bring reluctant hearts together. Will the two of them be willing to cross the deep chasm between them and find love? If they do, they will only have Scotland to blame…

William Wallace statue in Aberdeen

Public Domain (link) 

Every man dies. Not every man really lives. - William Wallace

Tuck McBride is not really living.  He roams from one job to another, trying to avoid the whispers that he is no good.  His only stake in Gandiegow is his brother who reminds him daily of forgiveness and redemption.  

Kathryn "Ryn" Breckenridge is also a shell of her former self.  After quitting her job to care for her mother, she feels empty once her mother succumbed to cancer.  Dipping into her savings, she travels to Scotland to return her mother's "Goodbye Quilt" to a distant cousin.  Upon arriving in Gandiegow, she is unable to connect with her cousin - Maggie is distracted by her husband's recovery from loosing his arm during a storm.  The townsfolk rally around a dazed Ryn, drawing her into the quilting retreat that has become an alternate source of income for the fishing village. Their efforts make her realize she has worth - she has a talent in modern quilts. The Scots' generosity to Ryn contrasts with their quick judgement of Tuck; he failed to accompany the fisherman who lost his arm.  Here in lies the beauty of Griffin's writing - she features imperfect characters who embrace their own flaws.

No sooner do Ryn and Tuck find themselves attracted to each other in Gandiegow, they are both "relocated" to the neighboring estate of Whussendale.  Ryn is tasked to lead quilting lessons at the new retreat; Tuck is hired as a a "jack of all trades".  He enjoys working in Whussendale where he is not reminded of his failures.  But Ryn distracts him from dwelling in his misery.  She makes him feel alive again ... and he inspires the same in her.   Griffin features secondary story lines, including Maggie and James working through the impact of his injury to their family.

I felt Griffin was heavy handed with melodrama ... but I was still intrigued to read BLAME IT ON SCOTLAND many a night well past my bedtime for a work night. Likewise, I appreciated how Griffin incorporated Scottish culture in a modern world and the unique bond of the quilting community.  She creates a nurturing atmosphere that comfort readers as we considers what makes us feel alive.  I am not a quilter, but I welcomed the sense of achievement that comes from making art from one's own hands with help from a few friends.  I am a fan of Scotland ... and men in kilts ... so I applaud Griffin for reminding us why we all still rally to the call of William Wallace. 

BLAME IT ON SCOTLAND is Book 7 in the series.  I have read the previous books and felt right at home in Gandiegow. Still, Griffin wrote BLAME IT ON SCOTLAND as a stand alone novel, allowing readers new to the series to jump right into the Scottish hospitality that is Griffin's writing.

I received a copy of BLAME IT ON SCOTLAND from Griffin for an honest review.

I am giving away Scottish swag to one randomly selected commenter.  To enter the giveaway,

1.  Leave a comment about quilts or kilts - do you have a favorite pattern?

BTW, today, April 6, is National Tartan Day in the US!

2.  Comments are open through Monday, April 30, 10 pm in Baltimore.

3.  I'll post the winner on Tuesday, May 1.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore

Aloha Spirit in Charm City

National Tartan Day: Aloha to Patience Griffin and THE TROUBLE WITH SCOTLAND - Book Review

Today is National Tartan Day (link), celebrating the signing of the Declaration of Arbroath  in 1320 in which the Scottish lords claimed independence from England:

...for, as long as but a hundred of us remain alive, never will we on any conditions be brought under English rule. It is in truth not for glory, nor riches, nor honours that we are fighting, but for freedom – for that alone, which no honest man gives up but with life itself.

Four centuries later, Scottish descendants drew upon the Declaration of Arbroath to frame the Declaration of Independence in Colonial America.

Enter Patience Griffin's THE TROUBLE WITH SCOTLAND. Return to the Scottish Highlands in the latest Kilts and Quilts novel.  The quilting ladies of the Scottish village of Gandiegow are known to piece together more than just fabric . . .

Life isn’t going as planned and (American) Sadie Middleton is rethinking her whole future. Thankfully one thing is staying the same: she’s able to share her love of quilting with her grandmother Gigi. The two of them enter a contest and win an all-expenses-paid trip to the Kilts and Quilts retreat in the Scottish Highlands. But their victory turns hollow when Gigi passes away before they can go. Sadie is grief-stricken, but her brother convinces her to take the trip to Gandiegow anyway.

There she meets a charming circle of quilters who remind her of her grandmother—and Ross Armstrong, a handsome fisherman who brings a smile to her face. Newly single, Ross intends to enjoy his freedom. That plan goes awry as he comes to know Sadie—and a surprising spark is lit. Too bad some well-meaning folks want to protect Ross from getting hurt again and are determined to keep him and the American lass apart.

When the sun is shining I can do anything; no mountain is too high, no trouble too difficult to overcome. - Wilma Rudolph

Like Wilma Rudolph, Sadie Middleton has a handicap to overcome. Shortly after she was diagnosed with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD), her beloved grandmother passed away. Alanis Morissette would find it ironic that after Gigi's death, Sadie received notice that their quilt block won an all expense paid trip to Gandiegow, Scotland.  Her brother, Oliver, insists she travel to Scotland to claim the prize, with him overshadowing her the entire way.  

Once they arrive in Gandiegow, Sadie extracts herself from the crowd of other quilters who remind her of Gigi, only to bump into Ross, a local fisherman. She saves him from an aggressive suitor.  In return, Ross takes Sadie away from town to simply breathe. Over the next two weeks, they find themselves drawn to the other as they share their desire to escape family expectations.  Ross and Sadie encounter misunderstandings and misdirection only to realize they are the better half of the other.

THE TROUBLE WITH SCOTLAND is Book 5 in Griffin's Kilts and Quilts series.  She delivers her trademark warmth with themes of crippling grief, overbearing family, the Ugly Ducking, and Wilma Rudolph's triumph.   

(Wilma was born on June 23, 1940.  June 23 was later proclaimed Wilma Rudolph Day in her home state of Tennessee. June 23 is the anniversary of the First Battle of Scottish Independence in 1314 when the ragtag Scots routed the English Army at Bannockburn).

I enjoyed my visit to Gandiegow through the eyes of Sadie. I appreciate how Griffin delivered authentic characters who embrace their imperfections. They gather their family together, wrapping up in the quilts made with love by the townsfolk. Griffin incorporates Scottish culture, ancient and modern, for a "feel good" read. Let me add that I do not quilt, knit, or even sew. Yet I understood how the craft bound together the quilting ladies, created a viable business for the small town, and served as a metaphor of how different pieces sewn together makes a beautiful, but strong, community.

Recommended read for fans of small town romance, Scottish culture, and characters who overcome adversity.

I received a print copy from the author for an honest review.

I am giving away Scottish swag to one randomly selected commenter.  To enter the giveaway,

1. Leave a comment about someone you know who overcame adversity. I would credit my father as an inspiration.  Although he grew up in a poor Mississippi town with limited opportunities, he joined the Army, took advantage of the educational benefits, and provided his family with a comfortable life.

2. Comments are open through Saturday, April 9, 10 pm in Baltimore.

3. I'll post the winner on Sunday, April 10.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore

Aloha Spirit in Charm City

Learn more about Patience, her books, and her quilts at patiencegriffin.com.

Aloha to Patience Griffin and THE TROUBLE WITH SCOTLAND - Art Imitating Life

Patience Griffin joins us today to celebrate the release of THE TROUBLE WITH SCOTLAND ...

Art Imitating Life

We never know when an unexpected event will happen and our life will be changed forever. This is what happened to twenty-two year old Sadie Middleton in The Trouble with Scotland. And to my best friend’s daughter, Amber.

In November 2014, Amber, a seemingly healthy young adult, suddenly felt overtired and not herself. A checkup showed Amber’s kidneys were barely functioning. The diagnosis…Stage Four Chronic Kidney Disease. There was no explanation or no defining moment to blame it on and there was only one way to fix it—Amber needed a new kidney. Since she was young and in good health, her doctor was hopeful to put off the transplant for two to five years.

All of us—her parents, friends, and family—were stunned. This couldn’t be happening to such an amazing family. What was Amber going through? What was my best friend going through? How do you take a diagnosis like this and turn it into a reality that you can live with? I turned my questions into The Trouble with Scotland.

Amber with Patience

When people hear about this book, the number one question I receive is…Does the book have a happy ending? The answer is YES! And Amber?

The two to five year projection for needing the transplant had been too optimistic. Last fall Amber’s kidney function deteriorated rapidly and she needed a transplant immediately. Good news came when her father was cleared to be the donor. Amber’s father, David, gave her a kidney in December 2015.

Amber's mother with Patience

Father and daughter came through the surgeries like champions, with Amber going home from the hospital only six days after her transplant. Both are feeling well and are back at work. And my best friend, Amber’s mother? She’s finally breathing easier. Feeling grateful. So am I. Grateful for modern medicine. Grateful for knowing such an amazing family. And grateful I have writing to answer the tough questions when something bad happens.

I’m working with the National Kidney Foundation to raise awareness for Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) and to raise funds for their organization. CKD is silent; most don’t know they have it until it’s progressed to Stage Four. Fact: 26 million American adults have CKD and millions of others are at increased risk. If you would like to donate or find out more information, please click here: kidney.org/troublewithscotland

THE TROUBLE WITH SCOTLAND:

The quilting ladies of the Scottish village of Gandiegow are known to piece together more than just fabric . . .

Life isn’t going as planned and Sadie Middleton is rethinking her whole future. Thankfully one thing is staying the same: She’s able to share her love of quilting with her grandmother Gigi. The two of them enter a contest and win an all-expenses-paid trip to the Kilts and Quilts retreat in the Scottish Highlands. But their victory turns hollow when Gigi passes away before they can go. Sadie is grief-stricken, but her brother convinces her to take the trip to Gandiegow anyway.

There she meets a charming circle of quilters who remind her of her grandmother—and Ross Armstrong, a handsome fisherman who brings a smile to her face. Newly single, Ross intends to enjoy his freedom. That plan goes awry as he comes to know Sadie—and a surprising spark is lit. Too bad some well-meaning folks want to protect Ross from getting hurt again and are determined to keep him and the American lass apart. . . .

Amazon
Barnes and Noble

The Trouble with Scotland is also in audiobook (link)! Squeal!!!

This is the last Quilt giveaway planned, so get your entries while they’re hot! I’ve given away four quilts so far! (US only. Apologies to my International Friends.)

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Join Patience in Scotland!

This is the only Kilts and Quilts™ tour of Scotland that is planned. Only a few spots left. Join me while we search for Gandiegow. We'll see castles, Scottish quilt shops, attend the Scottish Quilt Championships, ride the "Harry Potter Train", explore Edinburgh and Glasgow, and have the time of our lives. You don't have to be a quilter to attend. Couples are welcome.

Contact Celtic Quilt Tours:
Debbi at 832-492-2205 (US) or Kim at 780-288-9008 (Canada).

Click here for all the details:

celticquilttours.com/2016-scotland-tour.html

Aloha to Patience Griffin and THE ACCIDENTAL SCOT - Audio Book

 

January 25th marks the annual celebration of Scotland's national poet Robert Burns. Find out about his life and poetry, the Burns supper, and this year’s festivities at this link. 

To celebrate Burns Supper, I invited Patience Griffin, author of the Kilts and Quilts series set in Gandiegow, Scotland, as by guest today.  

The Joy of Being Read To

Who as a child didn’t love to be read to? As the fourth child in four and half years, the adults around me were so busy that when someone did read to me, it was a huge treat. I remember cuddling with my grandmother in her padded rocking chair—the same grandmother who taught me to sew—with her reading Green Eggs and Ham and The Cat in the Hat. Leaning against my grandmother, hearing her heartbeat while she read, I fell in love with the cadence of story as it came alive.

My love of stories-being-read-aloud continued into elementary school. Sadly, at around fifth grade, teachers quit reading to us. When I hit high school, I thought I’d outgrown hearing stories until my sophomore year, when a new English teacher arrived on the scene, shaking up the establishment. Her first rebellious act was to move the straight columns of desks into a circle, with her occupying one of them. Because she was part of the classroom circle, she felt more like an equal than a superior. When she announced she would be reading various books aloud throughout the year, a collective groan went up across the room. But within minutes of the opening lines of Pigman, she proved to a bunch of fifteen-year-olds that we weren’t too old to have storytime.

We loved it! She educated us about mental illness in Lisa, Bright and Dark, how things can go terrible wrong in Lord of the Flies, and showed me a different life from my small town roots in the The Outsiders. Because no one had read to us in so long, we soaked it up. The words poured over us, calming our teenage angst, nurturing our souls. Being read to fed my need for story and touched me way behind high school as I’m sure it touched my fellow classmates, too. 

After high school, life got busy. Work. Marriage. Then Reading to my own kids—Goodnight Moon, The Friendly book, Little Critter, Little Women, Harry Potter—you get the picture. Then there was university—yes, I finished my two engineering degrees as a single mom of two, but reading to my kids was always a priority. The next time that I would be read to was when I took an engineering job, commuting three and half hours a day.

Oh, the wonder of audiobooks!

It was as if heaven opened up and dished out a heaping helping of love in the way of story. I ate it up. Story became my addiction. I couldn’t wait to get on the road in the mornings, or leave work in the evenings to find out what the characters were going to do next. Though I was a huge letter writer growing up, and I knew that one day I would write non-fiction, it wasn’t until I devoured audiobooks that I got the fiction bug…especially in writing it.

Last year, after the release of my debut novel, To Scotland with Love, I was ecstatic when I found out that my book was going to audiobook. I think I jumped around and hooted and hollered for a full fifteen minutes! This fall I found out the rest books in the Kilts and Quilts series will be in audiobook as well. I never dreamed such a wonderful thing would happen to me!

At quilt shows, I speak with many quilters—men and women—who love to listen to books while they work. I love to listen to books when I walk, but my favorite by far is on long road trips. Books, snacks, and hours of listening time; there’s nothing better!

On December 1st, The Accidental Scot, book four in the Kilts and Quilts series was released, and its audiobook came out on January 21st for your listening pleasure. PhD, my husband, is my biggest audiobook fan. He thinks Kirsten Potter, the narrator, is the best. I have to agree with him. For a sample, click at this link.

How do you feel about audiobooks? I’m always surprised at those who don’t listen to them on a regular basis; but then I remember, if it wasn’t for my long commute, I wouldn’t have been as exposed to audiobooks the way that I was.

What are your favorite books that you’ve listened to, either as a child, or as an adult, either in audiobooks or in person?

For your chance to win one of five Mp3 copies of THE ACCIDENTAL SCOT, please enter below. (US only. Sorry to my international friends.)

Award-winning author Patience Griffin has been sewing her whole life but didn’t discover her love of quilting until her late thirties. She decided the best way to acquire her first quilt was to make one for herself. At nearly the same time, she started commuting three and half hours a day for her dream engineering job. To pass the time on the long drive, she got hooked on audiobooks—especially books with love stories. Within a couple of years, she was writing stories of her own. It was no surprise to her family and friends when she combined her love of quilting, her small town roots, and her obsession with Scottish romances into novels. She has gained some recognition with her September 11th Story Quilt which has toured the country as the property of the Pentagon. She has a master's degree in nuclear engineering but spends her days writing stories about hearth and home, and dreaming about the fictional small town of Gandiegow, Scotland.

patiencegriffin.com
facebook.com/PatienceGriffinAuthor
twitter.com/patiencegriffin

Blurb for THE ACCIDENTAL SCOT:

Christmas in the small village of Gandiegow brings holiday cheer—and a chance for love between two strangers…

When her father is injured in an accident, Edinburgh engineer Pippa McDonnell comes home to Gandiegow to take over the family business, the North Sea Valve Company. Now she’s working overtime trying to fix NSV’s finances and find the cash to get her father proper medical care.

One possibility is to accept a partnership with MTech, an American firm desperate to get their hands on her da’s innovative valve design. He was against bringing in outsiders, but Pippa is desperate enough to at least listen to MTech’s charming representative Max McKinley.

As Christmas approaches and with the help of Gandiegow's meddling quilters, Pippa and Max slowly find themselves attracted to each other. Max seems honorable, but is he there to steal the valve design…or Pippa’s heart?

Check out my review of THE ACCIDENTAL SCOT at this link.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Aloha to Patience Griffin, SOME LIKE IT SCOTTISH, and the Kilts and Quilts series

I have Scotland on my mind ... enter Patience Griffin, author of the Kilts and Quilts series.  From her bio, 

Award-winning author Patience Griffin has been sewing her whole life but didn’t discover her love of quilting until her late thirties. She decided the best way to acquire her first quilt was to make one for herself. At nearly the same time, she started commuting three and half hours a day for her dream engineering job. To pass the time on the long drive, she got hooked on audiobooks—especially books with love stories. Within a couple of years, she was writing stories of her own. It was no surprise to her family and friends when she combined her love of quilting, her small town roots, and her obsession with Scottish romances into novels. She has gained some recognition with her September 11th Story Quilt which has toured the country as the property of the Pentagon. She has a master's degree in nuclear engineering but spends her days writing stories about hearth and home, and dreaming about the fictional small town of Gandiegow, Scotland.

Patience joins me for a cozy chat ....

Kim:  Texas - what is your favorite sight, sound, and smell of the Lone Star State?

Patience:  When I moved from Iowa to Texas, the first thing that stood out to me was how big the sky was here and how blue. After eleven years, I’m still amazed by the big sky and the gorgeous shade of blue when I’m out walking in the mornings.

I love the late fall in Texas when the wind is blowing and my chimes outside my back door are singing to me.

Finally, the smell of the Lone Star State is epitomized in the aroma of Salt Grass Steak House. Pure yumminess.

Kim:  Tell us about the September 11 Story Quilt - I've seen it at the Pentagon.

Patience:  On September 11, 2001, I was home from work with my youngest child and watched on TV when the Twin Towers came down. Along with the rest of the country, I was devastated. To try to make sense of the tragedy, I made a story quilt of the events of the day.

When the quilt was completed, I wasn’t sure what to do with it. I spoke with the owner of Iowa Star Quilts, Cynthia Stary Drajna, and she suggested I donate it to the Pentagon. You can’t imagine my shock when I called the Pentagon, told them I had a quilt to donate, and they said, “Yes, let me connect you with the person who oversees the quilts.” I wasn’t the only one who had used quilting as therapy to get through those early days after the tragedy.

The quilt went on tour across the country as the property of the Pentagon. The woman in charge would send me pictures of servicemen and servicewomen hanging the quilts in their locations—Presidential libraries, big quilt shows, etc. My family was invited to Washington D.C. to tour the Pentagon when few others could get in. We were fortunate enough to see my quilt hanging in the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center while we were in Washington.

For many years, I lost track of the quilt. Recently, while posting my quilts on Facebook, I came across a picture of the September 11th Story Quilt. I took a chance and made another call to the Pentagon to see if they knew what had happened to the quilt. Last I knew, my September 11th Story Quilt was hanging in the National Women’s History Museum. The operator at the Pentagon immediately connected me to the right person who said my quilt was indeed still around. The September 11th Story quilt is hanging in the Pentagon, along the tour route, and had been for several years.

I’m sure at some point, the quilt will be packed and stored away, but it makes me smile that so many people have been able to enjoy a quilt that gave me comfort to make.

Kim:  Who or what helped you along the path to publishing?

Patience:  The list is long, encompassing all of my family, RWA in general, and a few key people specifically.

From the first moment I said I wanted to write a novel, PhD (my hubby) and my three children have been behind me one hundred percent. My children love to write as well.

While I was working on my first manuscript, I found RWA on an Internet search which led me to my local chapter, Iowa Romance Novelists, and then to Dallas Area Romance Authors. Both of those groups are filled with giving, talented writers.

But the number one person who has been my cheerleader and mentor is Kathleen Baldwin who invited me to join her critique group when I went to her booksigning in the fall of 2004. I have been involved in the multi-genre critique group ever since. Grace Burrowes is someone else who I owe a lot to for being my champion. Finally, Kevan Lyon of Marsal Lyon Literary Agency is my wonderful agent who found the right place for my book and series. She has also answered a ton of questions for me along the way.

Kim:  How did you research for your debut series, KILTS AND QUILTS?

Patience:  First of all, I’m a quilter and have been fascinated with the strong bond within the community of quilters. Our group in Iowa met the first Saturday of the month where we sewed our projects together, had potluck meals together, and laughed together. I didn’t know it, but I think I must’ve been doing research even back then because my journals have little snippets from those times of us together.

I’ve bought a lot of books and have done a lot of reading about Scotland. I’ve spent a huge amount of time on the Internet pouring over photos and gathering information, and enjoying every second of the research hunt. Finally, I’ve gone to Scotland and traveled to many small fishing villages and other sites around the country. It’s incredible to walk in the same places that I’ve seen in the pictures that I love so much.

Finally, I think it comes down to putting it all together in my imagination. I grew up in a small town of roughly six hundred people. I’ve taken bits and pieces of what I know, what I’ve learned and experienced, and came up with Gandiegow and my other villages in Scotland. When people ask me if I have based my books on one specific town, the answer has to be ‘It’s a lot of places.’

Kim:  What's next for Patience Griffin?

Patience:  I’m off to Scotland in mid-September, doing research in a small fishing village and then I’m off on a quilt tour. I’ll be speaking at the International Gathering of Guilds in Glasgow while I’m there. I’m so excited about this trip that I’ve been packing for weeks! While I’m in Scotland, I’ll be finishing book five in the Kilts and Quilts series, The Trouble with Scotland, release date April 5, 2016.

Right now, I’m also gearing up for the release of The Accidental Scot, book four in the Kilts and Quilts series, which comes out December 1, 2015. For anyone who quilts, the next Quilt Block contest will be starting near the end of September which will ultimately lead to us giving away then next quilt by the end of the year. I’ll post the contest details around September 15th and of course, send out a newsletter to let people know.

Shortly, I’m going to start something fun on Facebook. I’m crazy about the feature quilt for The Accidental Scot, called the Gandiegow Hometown Quilt. I’m going to make time to get the quilt started—pick out some fabric while I’m in Scotland (with the help of readers), post pictures and videos of my progress, and hopefully finish the quilt in the next year. Here’s the draft of the quilt designed by Iowa Star Quilts. Cynthie wants everyone to know that this is a preliminary design because she plans to add a thistle applique around the motif. It will be lovely. But I can get started on the Jacob’s Ladder quilt blocks now. I hope everyone will help me pick out fabrics and join in the fun. 

But I can get started on the Jacob’s Ladder quilt blocks now. I hope everyone will help me pick out fabrics and join in the fun. 

Lastly, in October, I’ll start work on the sixth book in the Kilts and Quilts series. I know what the story is about but I don’t have a title or a release date yet. I’m having the time of my life with this series, writing about the quilters and the trouble they can get into.

Kim's picture from Alba

Mahalo, Patience, for sharing your love of kilts and quilts! Patience is giving away a copy of SOME LIKE IT SCOTTISH to one randomly selected commenter.  To enter the giveaway,

1.  Leave a comment about quilts - do you have a treasured one?  I have three made by my husband's fourth grade teacher (and family friend).  She made one for our wedding, my oldest son's birth, and my youngest son's birth.  She make the final quilt two years after his birth, when we were living in the Netherlands, so she incorporated "Dutch boy" into the pattern. I look forward to hanging them in our new home (we are closing today, transforming us from renters to owners).

2.  Comments are open through Saturday, August 29, 10 pm in Baltimore.

3.  I'll post the winner on Sunday, August 30.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore

Aloha Spirit in Charm City

Learn more about Patience and her books at patiencegriffin.com.

Check out my review of her Rita nominated debut book, TO SCOTLAND WITH LOVE, at this link.  Stay tuned for more reviews from the Kilts and Quilts series.