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Fascinated By The Unseen World
Knowing this novel is based on real people and events makes it even more fascinating. What was the idea, or spark, that first set off the need to write Sisters of Castle Leod?
I have always been fascinated by the Unseen World. In fact, in junior high school I wrote my term paper on extrasensory perception. But at this juncture of my life, my thoughts were turning to the problem of faith and where my own spirituality had led me. So I decided to explore the history of spiritualism, and in the process I came across the name of Sibell Mackenzie, Countess of Cromartie, early 20th century spiritualist, and believer in ghosts and reincarnation. That she lived in the iconic Castle Leod definitely tweaked my imagination. After I read about her sister, Lady Constance–swimming champion, big game hunter, and barefoot dancer who was eventually thrown out of King Edward’s court–I was hooked. I wanted to share these bold and quirky women, still largely undiscovered, with the world!
Did you find anything in your research of this story that surprised you?
I was kind of surprised by how much information was out there waiting to be uncovered. Most was in the form of archived newspaper articles. Since both sisters were members of the British nobility, they were frequently written up in the society columns. Later, Sibell became well known as an author of mystical romances, and Constance was always doing something to shock her peers in the aristocracy. So I had plenty of reading to do! There were, of course, a lot of “blanks” to be filled in, but that is the fun of writing historical fiction rather than biography. Each character is like a puzzle to which some of the pieces are missing. How the writer chooses to fill those empty spaces makes all the difference.
Hollywood is knocking, and they want to make your book into a movie. Who do you cast as the leads?
Funny you should ask, because I just learned that SISTERS OF CASTLE LEOD has advanced to the quarterfinals of the Screencraft Cinematic Book Competition. So, I guess it’s never too early to start thinking about casting! At the same time, I admittedly am not very well acquainted with all the new “hot” actors, so I may well overlook an obvious choice. My selection for Sibell, the reserved and serious-minded spiritualist, would be Emma Corrin (from the 2022 film Lady Chatterley’s Lover). I think that Keira Knightley (Anna Karenina) would do a great job as the boldly unconventional Lady Constance.
What is the next book that you are working on and when can your fans expect it to be out?
That’s a question I wish I could answer! I have several ideas in the hopper, but nothing I’m yet ready to announce to the world. I wish I could be one of those authors who flips out books like pancakes. Maybe if I wrote in a genre other than historical fiction, I could do that. Historical fiction requires so much research that the writing process is likely to stretch out longer than that of your average romance novel or thriller. But, after publishing three historical novels, I’m pretty good at sensing when a story is worth writing. The characters must be as compelling for me as I think they’ll be for my readers. That’s one reason I enjoyed writing SISTERS OF CASTLE LEOD: I found both sisters to be uniquely fascinating characters.
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“Heartbreaking and redemptive…a thoroughly engrossing story that will have readers quickly turning the pages.” –Megan Chance, bestselling author of A Splendid Ruin
Millions are fans of Diana Gabaldon’s popular Outlander books and television series, but few know that Gabaldon’s fictional Castle Leoch was inspired by a real Scottish castle, Castle Leod. The two sisters who lived there at the turn of the twentieth century were among the most fascinating and talked-about women of their era.
Lady Sibell Mackenzie is a spiritualist, a believer in reincarnation, and a popular author of mystical romances. Petite and proper, she values tradition and duty. Her younger sister Lady Constance, swimming champion and big game hunter, is a statuesque beauty who scandalizes British society with her public displays of Greek-style barefoot dancing. The differences between the sisters escalate into conflict after Sibell inherits their late father’s vast estates and the title 3rd Countess of Cromartie. But it is the birth of Sibell’s daughter that sets in motion a series of bizarre and tragic events, pitting sister against sister and propelling Sibell on a desperate mission to challenge the power of fate.
Sisters of Castle Leod, by award-winning author Elizabeth Hutchison Bernard, is the emotionally charged story of two sisters torn apart by jealousy and superstition, and the impossible leap of faith that could finally bring them together.
Sisters of Castle Leod
Sisters of Castle Leod by Elizabeth Hutchison Bernard is a fantastic work of historical fiction that will inspire an interest into the true historical facts behind the characters. The intriguing characters drive this story forward and they are the main reason I kept pickup up this book over and over again. Set in the mysterious Castle Leod in Scotland and inspired by the lives of the real people, the novel follows Sibell Mackenzie, the third Countess of Cromartie, and her sister, Lady Constance Stewart-Richardson. This rich story is colored with the supernatural as the reader finds out more about Sibell’s belief in the “Unseen world”, her visions and premonitions as well as the castle’s very own ghost, the Night Watchman.
This riveting historical fiction novel follows the dramatic story of how the birth of Sibell’s daughter and a forgotten family tale set into motion a bitter feud between the two sisters. Sibell and Constance were close in their childhood but as they grew up, jealousy and superstition ripped them apart. Ever since their birth, the sisters had been juxtaposed and labeled as opposites. The conflict only grew worse when their father, the Earl of Cromartie, died and passed on the castle, titles, and land to his eldest daughter Sibell while Constance was left with a comparatively meager dowry. As time goes on, tragedy strikes and leads Sibell on a roller coaster journey in which different people get entangled in the sisters’ lives. Sibell’s grief and passionate belief in reincarnation lead her to different places around the world and events that change her life. All of this flows well because of the author’s superb writing. If the tension isn’t high, then the drama is, and because of this there is rarely a dull moment in this sensational historical fantasy.
On the surface, the story is about the fragile relationship between the two sisters but delving deeper, the questions raised by Sibell’s spiritualism and philosophy are intriguing and might even rearrange the way you think. I would recommend Sisters of Castle Leod to everyone who loves reading about gothic castles, spiritual quests, and complex relationships between family members. This stirring and well-crafted story will keep you entertained from beginning to end!
Pages: 314 | ASIN: B0BG36NZK5
LITERARY TITAN 