If St. Columba is one of the stars of my series The Chronicles of Iona, Aedan mac Gabran is surely the other. He was the king of the Scots kingdom of Dalriada in the 6th century and was arguably the greatest warlord of his age. In fact, my lightbulb moment in writing these books was … More Armchair travelling 2: To Dunadd, the Citadel of the King
So, one good thing to come from this wretched pandemic is the fact that it has forced me back to my archives. In place of any actual research trips, I’ve been organising my files. I know! How utterly boring! And yet … it has taken me back to all the places I have so loved, … More Armchair travelling 1: To Iona
Book 3 of the award-winning series The Chronicles of Iona is out today. Praised as “mesmeric”, “engrossing”, and “gritty”, Island-Pilgrim continues the enthralling true story of how a 6th-century saint (Columba of Iona), and a warlord (Aedan mac Gabran, king of Dalriada), forged the nascent kingdom of Scotland. On Kindle now for only £2.31. #thechroniclesofiona
You know what I love about what I do? One of the things, in any case? (Because there are many!) The research trips. I sit here in my study, pulling together what I know about the 6th century so that I can imagine how my characters might have felt and thought and acted. Columba of Iona and Aedan mac … More Thank you Northern Ireland!
The Chronicles of Iona:
Island-Pilgrim
Preface
… More Read the Preface to “Island-Pilgrim”, Book 3 in the award-winning historical-fiction series “The Chronicles of Iona”
Here is the cover of my book, The Chronicles of Iona: Exile, on its way in June. The map detail of the Irish Sea, Argyll and the Isles, and Strathclyde is from Scotiae Tabula by Abraham Ortelius in his Theatrum Orbis Terrarum (1592-1606). The map, which I have always loved, hangs on the wall in my study—a … More Here’s the cover of “The Chronicles of Iona, Exile”, coming June 2012.
Just wanted to let you know that my manuscript, The Chronicles of Iona: Exile is done and needing readers, and an agent and publisher. It’s a dual biography of St. Columba of Iona and Áedán mac nGabráin, king of the Scots of Dál Riáta, the first in a series of novels about their lives. Columba is best known for bringing … More My book’s done!
Loch Crinan, gateway to Dunadd, the caput regionis of the Scots of Dál Riata There were four different peoples in Scotland in the early Middle Ages, speaking their own languages, with their distinctive material cultures, myths of origins, religions and ideologies. All have left significant legacies in the history and landscape of Scotland. The … More “In course of time Britain received a third race …” or The Peoples of the North
Paula de Fougerolles 2009 The island of Iona with the modern Abbey left foreground, Dun I center Iona, a small island in the Inner Hebrides off the west coast of Scotland, was a center of Christianity in Europe for much of the Middle Ages. Columba, or Colum Cille as he was known, exiled from … More Iona
Paula de Fougerolles 2009 Looking across Loch Crinan at Duntrune Castle from the Loch Crinan Hotel The early medieval kingdom of Dál Riata (or Dalriada, as it is now commonly known) comprises much of the modern Scottish region of Argyll and Bute. The original heartland of the kingdom of Scotland, this is the part … More Where in the world is Dál Riata?