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Local antique store find sparks book series for author Heather Grothaus’ Sons of Scotland romance novels


Special to NKyTribune

Author Heather Grothaus’s stop into Twice as Nice Antiques and More in Bellevue was done on a whim.

“I’m a bit of an Anglophile,” Grothaus admits, “and was hoping to find some English plates to add to my collection.”

What she found in the eclectic shop was much more than a faded saucer.

“I saw the spine within a stack of other books right away,” Grothaus said. “Lodge’s Peerage of the British Empire. And I thought, ‘No way.’”

No way, because what the author had discovered was an encyclopedic volume of the genealogy of the British nobility, circa 1839.

The tome turned out to be a genuine mystery for the admitted history buff, containing handwritten notes, perhaps by the Peerage’s original owner, as well as a newspaper clipping from 1843 detailing the scandal surrounding a man fighting to receive his title.

“The article moved me,” said Grothaus, a Kenton County native whose 12 previous historical romance novels have earned starred reviews from industry giants such as Publisher’s Weekly.

Heather Grothaus

“I found myself wondering about this man, about his circumstances and his family, and what had happened to him to bring him to this pivotal moment in his life. My imagination took over, and I came up with the Sons of Scotland series.”

While the Peerage and the article are Victorian, Grothaus’s new series is thoroughly medieval — her specialty — and also Scottish. Although the article sparked the storyline, none of the books are based on any real family.

“The series revolves around the story of a young lord framed for murder and on the run from the villains out to steal his inheritance. He’s forced into hiding in Scotland, leaving a string of love affairs and illegitimate children in his wake. THE LAIRD’S VOW is the story of the first son.”

The author has dedicated a page on her website to the Peerage and the article, in hopes that some of her readers from around the globe might have information about the book’s original owner or the family in the newspaper clipping. A national article highlighting the mystery is slated for publication in October.

When asked if she would return to Bellevue to shop in the future, Grothaus replied, “Of course! Not only did I find the English plates I was looking for, but the beginnings of four novels!”

THE LAIRD’S VOW released this week. You can connect with the author through social media or www.HeatherGrothaus.com.


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