Thursday, October 20, 2011

Guest Post & Giveaway: Marie Treanor

UFI welcomes Author Marie Treanor. Thanks for Joining us!!

Let’s Talk Kilts! By Marie Treanor

I know kilts fascinate the rest of the world – I should explain at this point that I’m Scottish! – so I thought I’d talk about why in the world Scotsmen wear them!

Well, actually, they don't wear them nearly as often as you might think! Big party occasions like weddings and New Year, traditional events like Highland games, pipe band marches, or formal events where other people might wear evening dress, are the times you're most likely to see them in any quantities.

Kilts have become a symbol of "Scottishness", of patriotism, but it might surprise you to know that the original kilt looked very little like the Highland dress of today. Today's kilts, grew out of a romanticized version of what was basically poor Highland peasant costume, and Sir Walter Scott generally gets the credit for "inventing" it.

The irony is that Lowland gentlemen, and noblemen, would at once time have despised the kilt as the garb of the Highland lower orders. It was basically a blanket, often brightly coloured, that could be slept under at night, and then wrapped around the body and pinned for day wear. And yet, in the early years of Queen Victoria's reign, it became fashionable on high days and holidays for all Scotsmen from whatever region, including those of the highest rank, to wear a new, romanticized version of the once despised kilt. Why?

Basically, a resurgence of Scottish pride. The Jacobite Rebellion (1745-46) had somewhat unfairly tarred the entire Scottish nation with the same brush of disloyalty and rebellion. Highland culture, in terms of language and dress, was outlawed, and it was very hard for any Scots to thrive in this general atmosphere of mistrust. Victoria, however, fell in love with the Highlands, and with Sir Walter Scott's romantic view of Scottish history. At least partly as a result, the Scots as a whole adopted Highland symbols like the kilt, to represent their own patriotism, their newly rediscovered pride in their own nation.

OK, I know what you’re going to ask me. What do Scotsmen wear under their kilts?

Whatever they like, of course!

Although – sh-sh - just as you hope, it’s traditional to wear nothing at all .

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Marie Treanor lives in Scotland with her eccentric husband and three much-too-smart children. Having grown bored with city life, she resides these days in a picturesque village by the sea where she is lucky enough to enjoy herself avoiding housework and writing sensual stories of paranormal romance and fantasy.
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Find Marie and her books
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Blood Eternal
Awakened by Blood #3
Oct 4, 2011
Despite the growing passion that unites them, all is not well between Elizabeth and Saloman. She refuses to follow him as he builds his influence among the human population and consolidates his rule over the vampire world. A shocking revolt is just the latest crisis that's call him away.

But under Saloman's regime, vampires have become less concerned with secrecy. And after he joins forces with vampire hunters, Elizabeth begins to understand the inevitable collision of the two worlds. She could be a conduit between humanity and the undead-is she can manage to play both sides and stay alive...
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22 comments:

  1. This sounds like a great book thank you for the great giveaway! Love a man in Kilts thanks for sharing!

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  2. Stacy, thanks so much for having me at UFI! Great to be here :).

    Hi Latishajean! Good to hear, and you're very welcome :).

    Marie

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  3. Its kind of weird seeing Kilts on men. They look like a skirt to me lol. Tore923@aol.com

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  4. :) You're right, of course, Tore! I suppose in medieval times and before, it was common for men to wear gowns and tunics of various lengths, but Scotland's always been perverse and decided to go back to their "skirts" when everyone else had given up the fashion :).

    Marie

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  5. I love seeing Scottish men in kilts. I like the mystery of not knowing if they are wearing anything under there. LOL. Your book sounds really good. Love the cover.
    Sue B

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  6. Mystery is all :). Thanks, Sue! I confess I love the cover too - in fact all the Awakened by Blood covers have been beautiful in my view!

    Marie

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  7. I love men in Kilts! Very sexy though I do prefer if they were something underneath....lol...

    junegirl63(at)gmail(dot)com

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  8. I love men in kilts. Very sexy. Love a large Scottish man in a kilt. I don't know what they wear underneath, hopefully nothing. I would love to check for anyone that is sexy and wearing a kilt. I am a fan of Marie's first 2 books from this series and would love to win and read this book. Thanks for the giveaway and the chance to win.
    GFC & blog follower: Chris Bails
    christinebails@yahoo.com

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  9. I love men in kilts :) There very yummy ;)
    and one of my favs to read about.
    Thank you for the great giveaway!
    elliott2668 (at) yahoo(dot)com

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  10. Maria, you're the first person I've encountered who wants something to be worn under the kilt :).

    Chris, nothing is traditional, but I imagine it's an individual's taste :).

    Marie

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  11. I hear that a lot, Temperance :). Fun to read about, but I have to say I've seen some awful sights in kilts, so I guess as in most things it depends on the man!

    :) Marie

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  12. Great post. Love men in kilts. They are so sexy.
    Crystal816[at]hotmail[dot]com

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  13. Well of course the hotness of the man wearing the Kilt is a factor--- that is a must!!!
    audie@wickerness.com

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  14. I dated a fellow in a Highland reserve regiment a few times and he complained about having to go "regimental". Apparently, they were checked for this during inspection.

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  15. Thanks, Crystal :)

    Absolutely, Audra!

    Carol, that doesn't surprise me :)

    Marie

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  16. Hi Marie, Thank you for visiting UFI.

    There will be more books in the series right? I cant wait to see what happens next =)

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  17. I love kilts and I think Scottish men look very sexy in them. I think they wear nothing at all under them, which could get a bit drafty at times, but of course those rugged Scotsmen can take it.

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  18. Hi Stacy! My pleasure! I've really enjoyed chatting to your readers - thanks for having me!

    Hi Barbara - drafty is right :). Have you seen that picture of the marching pipe band where one of them has sort of Marilyn Monroe moment when his kilt blows right up? :).

    Thanks everyone for dropping in! Great talking to you!

    Marie

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  19. Stacy, I just realized I didn't answer your question :). The series was always planned as a trilogy, so I'm afraid that's it, for now. However, I'd love to go back to these characters one day and take the story forward, so who knows? :).

    Marie

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  20. Kilts are hilarious. I love to see men wearing them because they always seem to be goofing off and enjoying it. I think those are probably the ones who don't wear anything at all under them. lol

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  21. Since I went to a Catholic High School, wearing kilts wasn't fun but hot Scots in kilts is a completely different matter! As to what they wear under them well... I think that's best left to the imagination.

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  22. This book sounds great! Thanks for the giveaway!

    shadowhunters_jace_clary@hotmail.com

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Thanks for stopping by =)