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M C Mackay

@ballochbrae

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Author, eternal optimist. Writes gritty crime as Claire MacLeary.
THE BALLOCHBRAE BOOK CLUB MYSTERIES
Order now at the links below!

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Interview with an Indie Author…
M C Mackay @ballochbrae - please give her a follow!
Already a traditionally published author under another name, Claire took the bold step to self publish The Ballochbrae series, which has been extremely well received by readers of women’s fiction and cosy crime.
I spent a lot of time on Royal Deeside in my younger days and can categorically confirm that her characters are a true reflection of some of the people I met!
She is super talented, a lovely person and always one of the first to like or comment on anything I post on Bookstagram.
I share 4 of her answers…can you guess which ones?

Books one and two in her series are available from Amazon in paperback and on Kindle (FREE with Kindle Unlimited).

THE BALLOCHBRAE BOOK CLUB
On the doorstep of Balmoral Castle, beloved Scottish home of the British Royal Family, four women of a certain age form a book club. There’s just one problem: nobody wants to read the books.
Then a body is dragged from the River Dee. Was foul play involved? Led by ex-district nurse Flora MacPhee, the four set out to pursue their own enquiries, uncovering secrets and lies in Ballochbrae, their sleepy Highland village.
But when they start asking questions, it emerges their suspects aren’t the only ones with guilty secrets. The other members of the group – schoolteacher Heather, farmer Morag and guesthouse owner Chatty – have guilty secrets of their own.
When their investigation gains pace, a series of setbacks causes tensions to escalate. After local cop Alex (Big Eck) MacDuff warns them off, the amateur detectives give themselves forty-eight hours to solve the mystery.

DEATH ON THE DEE
When incomers, Rupert and Ollie, take over the Ballochbrae Arms Hotel, they are met with a mixed reception. But the two fall victim to malicious messages, and the would-be detectives can’t resist getting involved.
Their investigation is dogged by a series of setbacks. Then it emerges one of their new-found friends is in mortal danger. With the clock ticking, can the Ballochbrae Book Group save him before it’s too late?

#interviewwithanindieauthor
#mariannecrichtonauthor
#indieauthorsofinstagram

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Am I random or am I hungry? 😋🤤 #indiebooks

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Looking back at Bloody Scotland 2018, one of the things that stands out most isn’t just the incredible panels or the authors I got to see. It’s the people I met along the way.

Book festivals have this wonderful way of bringing people together. You sit beside someone at a panel, start chatting in a queue, bump into the same faces throughout the weekend and suddenly friendships begin.

So many of the people I met through Bloody Scotland are people I’m still lucky enough to call friends today. There are far too many of you to name, so I’ll be tagging instead! ❤️

And, of course, there were some brilliant events.

The Swedish Crime Wave with Will Dean, Johana Gustawsson and Christoffer Carlsson, chaired by the fabulous Jacky Collins.

M. C. Beaton and Ashley Jensen talking all things Agatha Raisin at the Albert Halls.

And Pitch Perfect, which is always such a brilliant part of the festival and a reminder that you might just be watching the very beginning of someone’s publishing journey.

That’s what I love about Bloody Scotland. It’s not simply a weekend of crime fiction. It’s conversations, connections, friendships and memories that can last long after everyone has gone home.

Looking back at these clips eight years later makes me realise just how many people Bloody Scotland brought into my life. ❤️

#BloodyScotland #BloodyScotland2018 #CrimeFiction #ScottishCrimeFiction #bookfestival

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Bloody Scotland Memories | 2018

Next stop on my trip through my Bloody Scotland memories is 2018.

After falling in love with the festival the year before, of course I had to come back!

Another weekend in Stirling filled with brilliant authors, fantastic events, books, laughter and more memories being made.

One of the moments captured in this reel is Liam McIlvanney winning the 2018 McIlvanney Prize for The Quaker. What a special moment to have witnessed as part of the festival.

Looking back at these early years now, I can see just how quickly Bloody Scotland was becoming a permanent fixture in my bookish calendar.

And we were only just getting started… ❤️

#BloodyScotland #BloodyScotland2018 #McIlvanneyPrize #ScottishCrimeFiction #BookFestival

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Bloody Scotland Reflections: 2017 ❤️

My 2017 Bloody Scotland memories continue, and there were so many brilliant events that year.

One of my highlights was hearing Claire MacLeary at Crime in the Spotlight. I absolutely loved listening to her and it was such a memorable part of the festival for me.

Then there was my favourite panel, Four Broads in Search of a Serial Killer, with Helen Fields, Steph Broadribb, Susi Holliday and Colette McBeth.

What a panel! Four fabulous crime writers together, lots of laughs and one of those festival events that has stayed with me all these years later. I absolutely loved it.

Looking back through these photographs brings back so many happy memories. I went to Bloody Scotland on my own that year, with no idea just how much this festival and the people I would meet through it would eventually become part of my life.

And my Bloody Scotland story was only just beginning. ❤️

#BloodyScotland #BloodyScotland2017 #CrimeFiction #BookFestival #BookishMemories

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I was challenged by @robertas_bookstagram_xo to make a book colour palette…so here is my indie version!
Please follow these talented authors.
The good news is that almost all of these fantastic indie books are available on Kindle Unlimited…so please download them and give them a try, you won’t be disappointed ❤️❤️❤️
The Starling Dance by @lucyelenabooks
The Word Keepers by @teawiththedutchess
Love Lindisfarne by @love_lindisfarne
The Wonder Of You and The Devil Inside by @bethanyrussowrites
Death In The Salt Flats by @amandajudsonauthor
Serendipity Valley series by @kayleigh_evans_author.94
The Ballochbrae Book Club by @ballochbrae
Britannia Rises by @russ2000_uk
Malaria by Suede D Goldmann
Eight Million Minutes by @booksbysamanthakay
The Lies That Find Us by @rebeccaswwriter
Sigil and Tenebris by @alnicholsonbook
New Beginnings at The Buckley Hotel by Me!
The Boulangerie On The Corner by @authorsusanbuchanan
Life Between The Mountains and The Sea by @marymtrant
Corrour by @aidan.blackwood
Rope My Heart by @kerrykennedyauthor
The Couple in The Lodge & The Night He Disappeared by @ajwills_author
The Secret Van Tams by @carlybishopauthor
Nacho’s Grand Pizza Quest by @l.r.sykes_author
Bottled Up by @exeter_steve

#bookstgram
#indiebooks

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Travel around the British Isles
with Indie Authors.
Take a journey to the far north of Scotland with…
Corrour by @aidan.blackwood and
The Ballochbrae Book Club by @ballochbrae

…tour around England with…
Love Lindisfarne by @love_lindisfarne
New Beginnings at The Buckley Hotel by @mariannecrichtonauthor
The Messenger by @clairebamfordwrites
Sigil by @alnicholsonbook
The Lies That Find Us by @rebeccaswwriter
Dream Catch Me by @bethanyrussowrites

…then to the Welsh Valleys with…
Serendipity Valley, How It Begins by @kayleigh_evans_author.94

…and finally cross the Irish Sea to enjoy…
Life Between the Mountains and the Sea by @marymtrant

If you’re spending the summer at home this year, what a perfect way to travel around, from the comfort of your garden chair ❤️📚❤️.
PS I’m planning a ‘Travel Around The World with Indie Authors’ post soon!
#mariannecrichtonauthor
#newbeginningsatthebuckleyhotel
#christmasatthebuckleyhotel
#thebuckleyhotelseries
#indieauthorsofinstagram

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Deeside Books specialise in used, rare, hard to find books but they also have a nicely curated selection of new books.
I picked one author I'm already familiar with, Ian Moore. Book 1 of his Loire Valley Mysteries.
And to support a local self published author I picked up Death on the Dee by M C Mackay.
#bookstagram
#writingcommunity

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Nine years ago today it was @noirbaredinburgh and I organised a meal beforehand at the @makarsmashbar. It was superb to meet and make so many new friends and to have watched their careers thrive. Organised by the vivacious and super supportive @jackydrnoir it was a truly memorable night.
#authors #readers #crimefiction #edinburgh

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FAVOURITE SCOTTISH READS!!! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Scotland always feels like coming home, so in honour of my upcoming trip to Edinburgh, here are some of my favourite Scottish reads of the year so far.

From cosy Highland romances and charming bookshops to dark, atmospheric crime fiction and twisty mysteries… Scotland seriously knows how to deliver unforgettable book settings!

These books completely transported me to misty lochs, tiny villages, dramatic landscapes, family secrets, kilts, castles and all the cosy vibes I could ask for 🦌

Have you read any amazing Scottish books lately?

Featured Reads:

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 The Ballochbrae Book Club - @ballochbrae
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Death on the Dee - @ballochbrae
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Kilt Trip - @akileybooks
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Seven Bodies - @victoria.j.randle
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Love & Lairds at Highland Hall - @hannahlynnwrites
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Wild About My Scotsman - @ambercooperbooks
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 The Knapdale Murders - @danielsellersauthor
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Poison at the Wild Haggis Bookshop - @jackie.baldwin.1088

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#scottishbooks #bookstagram #scottishromance #crimefiction #readingrecommendations

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Keywords: scottish books, edinburgh trip, scotland book recommendations, highland romance, scottish crime fiction, atmospheric reads, cosy mystery books, scottish settings, bookstagram uk, romance books, mystery thrillers, castles and kilts, travel inspired reads, scottish authors, cosy fiction, dramatic landscapes, books set in scotland, reading recommendations, literary travel vibes, contemporary romance

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📚 BOOK RECOMMENDATION 📚

A really good cozy mystery by @ballochbrae set in the beautiful Highlands of Scotland. The landscape itself is a main character alongside the ladies of the book club.

I loved the diversity of the female characters and how they come together, even when they disagree. My favourite character was Chatty, she’s hilarious!

A highly recommended read, if you like The Marlowe Murder Club and Agatha Raisin books this will be right up your street, and at the moment it is available for free on @kindleunlimitedbooks so go and download it, you won’t be disappointed!

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February = short month, big reading energy.

From twisty thrillers to chaotic reality TV romance, this month had:

• Villain edits & fast sparks
• Domestic danger & buried secrets
• Career vs love stakes
• “Someone’s lying” tension
• Found family moments
• Dystopian fiction

A mix of heart-racing and heart-melting — exactly how I like it.

QOTD: What was your best read in February?

Feb Reads:

• Silent Y - @katherinebenfante
• Shoperapy: Dubai - @stephaniescott_author
• Behind Her Smile - @cazengland1
• Hank Ain't Human - @hankaint
• The Ballochbrae Book Club - @ballochbrae
• Death on the Dee - @ballochbrae
• Life as Planned - @mrsamandaprowse
• Sleep No More - @halewrites
• The Widows' Book Club - @juliajarmanauthor
• Love Ahoy! - @hinnywhowrites
• Studio City Songs - @zaidewilliams
• The Heat of the Moment - @camillaisley
• Castles, Crime & Cake - @johndonoghue64
• The Man in the Dam - @andreabartonauthor
• The Gossip - @ronahalsall
• Selecting the Wrong Love - @authoremasson7
• Seven Bodies - @victoria.j.randle
• Dozen Dates - @megancrawfordwrites
• What's the Worst That Could Happen? @susanjaneedmunds
• A Stranger in the Family - @dianesaxonauthor

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#monthlywrapup #bookstagram #whatiread #readersofinstagram #fictionlover

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Keywords: february reading wrap up, monthly book recap, books I read this month, thriller and romance reads, bookstagram wrap up, reading roundup post, 2026 reading goals, monthly reading summary, fiction book recap, book community discussion

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