As background to the book, I should explain that in order to write any historical novel, it is vital to carry out a huge amount of research. Granny Kempock for example came into being as I originally come from Gourock. Despite Granny Kempock being our most famous monument, I did not know her story. Local folk would tell wooly tales about a witch being turned to stone, but who did it and why? To find out I started my research, but rather than unearthing one story, each time I found an answer it led to more questions.
What is the connection between the worship of the Phoenician God Baal and the sinking of a fully armed Russian attack submarine? Was King James IV of Scotland a mass murderer or was he so caught up in events that he really believed that witchcraft should be punished by death.
I have created these pages and links that explore some of our darker and inexplicable history many of which are contemporary accounts and translations into modern English.
The background to the book is a combination of fact and fiction. I have based the novel on the facts that could be found and infilled details with a background of what could have happened. Most of the characters are based on historical figures at the time and these are interwoven with fictional accounts to provide continuity to the stories.
To say that truth is stranger than fiction in these stories is an understatement.