Mary Wine ponders: What is it about men in kilts?

A fierce Highland laird ready to kill for king and country…

When Torin McLeren discovers his neighbor’s plot against his king, he takes their daughter as his prisoner, thereby stopping her father’s plot from going forward. But that leaves him with a woman under his roof whom he can’t ignore, and not just because she’s his enemy’s daughter…

A woman who’s as much trouble as she is temptation…

Shannon McBoyd decides to use her captor to experience passion for the first time, and then to destroy him. But her plan goes awry because once she has lured Torin into her bed, she no longer wants to hurt the one man who seems to value and understand her…

Even if her father will kill him—and her—when he discovers what they’ve done…

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Well, I think it isn’t so much what they wear as who they are. Those Celts are tough people, Scotland itself isn’t the easiest place to survive. The soil is thin in many places and it rains…a lot! But these northern lands have been home to people that flourish where I fear I might raise my white flag of surrender.

The kilt itself is a garment that comes from practicality. First of all, it’s wool. For centuries, this was one of the only textile fibers being produced in the area. It is the easiest one to cultivate because sheep can graze freely. Wool maintains ninety percent of its insulting factor when wet when cotton keeps only ten. Something very important if you are talking about surviving in a time when there is no central heating. The kilt was a length of wool, which might be sheered off a sheep, carded by hand and spun into yarn which could be woven by even the most rural family.

But that’s not what draws me to the Highlands for my stories. I do love reading the historical facts because it puts me in touch with the time period. I think that’s vital to a good historical novel. As a reader, I want to have enough detail to believe I’m there and as an author, I try to make sure that happens. There’s a delicate balance to maintain it but Highlanders are worth the effort.

They were hardened by the land they lived on but had a great sense of humor too. These men held themselves to noble ideals and that is what brings to my mind as my heroes. The kilt, that so many poke fun at is actually another detail of their ability to preserver. Textiles were hard to produce, meaning you had one garment and they belted it during the day and unpleated it at night to use for bedding. Rather ingenious of them in my opinion.

Beyond that…the clans of Scotland draw the imagination because of the unity they are heralded to have had. I think that’s part of every humans desire to be part of something. There are certainly times that you long for privacy but for the most part, we all value knowing that we are missed. When I’m writing my story, my hero has to care about more than just himself. His dedication is what proves he’s noble. To Conquer a Highlander was my first time moving into the Highlands and I hope you enjoyed it. Look for ‘Bedding the Enemy’ next month for more Scottish heros.

Mary Wine

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Thank you for visiting Novel Thoughts, Ms Wine! To learn more about this novel, visit Ms Wine’s website.

Courtesy of the grand folks at Sourcebooks, two commenters to this post will receive a copy of To Conquer a Highlander. (Giveaway limited to residents of US and Canada)