MacCorp News June 2023

June 17, 2023 | Leave A Comment

The Celtic Brooch Series Timeline: Time Fix

When I started writing the Celtic Brooch Series, I only planned to write three books (Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald). I did my best to keep up with all the names and ages, but I didn’t always get it right. That’s how Patrick O’Grady became Rick O’Grady after Patrick Mallory showed up and how David went from David Warner to David McBain.

The same goes for ages, but it’s too late in the series to go back and fix the inconsistencies. So we’ve established a time fix so you’ll know how much time has elapsed.

The time fix is rooted in James Cullen Fraser’s birth at the end of The Last MacKlenna.

The Sapphire Brooch takes place three years following the end of The Last MacKlenna.
The Emerald Brooch takes place three years after The Sapphire Brooch. This three-year gap is the pattern between the end of a book and the beginning of the next until The Sunstone Brooch, which starts six months after the conclusion of The Topaz Brooch.
The Bloodstone Brooch and the upcoming Moonstone Brooch both follow the previous book in a matter of days, so from the start to the conclusion of the Sunstone-Bloodstone-Moonstone trilogy, only about six months will have passed.

The above means there is a 28-year period from the end of The Last MacKlenna through the conclusion of The Moonstone Brooch.

I sure hope that helps!

Character Profile: Erik Fraser, Viking

First introduction: Jarlshof, Shetland Islands; The Topaz Brooch

Birth Family: His parents are Malcolm Fraser and his Viking wife, twin brother Sten, and his five children: David McBain, Mark Stuart, Tavis Stuart, Paul Brodie, and Ensley MacAndrew-Williams, plus a crop of grandchildren.

Description: Erik is a giant of a man, about six feet tall, muscular, with arms like tree trunks. He has glacier-blue eyes, shoulder-length black hair, and tanned skin with only a few wrinkles. He has a number of tattoos, from his neck to his fingertips, including a blue bear tattoo. He has a scar on his cheek as well as around his ankles from Sten hacking off his feet.

Current occupation: Elliott’s advisor

Last Appearance: The Bloodstone Brooch

Next Month’s Character Interview: Patrick Wilson Mallory

Excerpt from Chapter 2 of The Moonstone Brooch

They (Patrick and Tavis) left the research room and returned to the cleanroom. Tavis grabbed a sports drink out of the refrigerator. “Your dad has done an incredible job of incorporating work-life balance in his life and Amy’s. I might have to sit down with him to learn how he manages during baseball season.”

“It’s easy. Dad compares Mom’s calendar to his and then eliminates everything on his calendar that conflicts with hers.”

Tavis chuckled and pressed his palm against the security panel. “According to Braham, Elliott put Meredith on a pedestal almost thirty years ago and expects all the men in the family to do the same. And because of the way women are validated and appreciated, the family has developed into a matriarchal society. Elliott thinks he’s in control, but we all know it’s Meredith. Even the kids understand that you’ll get whatever you want if Granny Mere agrees.”

They walked outside, skirted the covered swimming pool, and climbed into a golf cart they found in the adjacent parking lot. Since Patrick was the first to reach the driver’s side, he automatically got to drive. “You wouldn’t believe how often I went to Granny Mere to run interference. It didn’t always work, but it made punishment lighter.”

“Even Joseph has figured that out, and he’s only three.”

“That’s because the cousins share everything they know.”

They found Remy in the weight room, and for the next two hours, they sparred and lifted weights until they finally agreed to quit torturing each other and go to the cafe for beers.

When Remy finished his beer, he said, “I’ve known you guys for a while, and I can tell when something is happening. Tavis being quiet and distracted isn’t unusual, but both of you? Nah. That’s not fucking right. Might as well fess up. What’s going on?”

Patrick glanced at Tavis, and he shrugged. “Okay,” Patrick said. “A friend of mine, Clay MacIntyre, went to his uncle’s house in Buffalo. There’s a blizzard there, and he’s not answering his phone.”

“He’s that investigative reporter for The New York Times. Right? He wrote that series on Russian Oligarchs. Do you think they got to him?”

Patrick flinched. “No. I’m afraid he flipped his Jeep while plowing snow off the drive.”

“They’re getting five to six feet of snow. It’s all over the news. Flipping a Jeep is possible, but how will you find out? Is there anyone you can call? A neighbor, maybe?”

“I called Northbridge,” Tavis said.

Remy wiped beads of sweat off his forehead with the towel around his neck. “There’s an office in Toronto. That’s where your friend Cam works. I’ve met him. If he says he can get there, he’ll do it. But is this serious enough to call in a special ops team? Seems a little extreme.”

“What if Clay flipped his Jeep, and now he’s stuck in the snow? He’ll freeze to death, and we can’t get there.”

Remy leaned back in his chair and drummed only his forefingers on the table. “Either Clay flipped his Jeep, or the family of one of the Russian Oligarchs he exposed had him murdered. So you sent Northbridge to look for a body.” Remy finished his beer and disposed of the bottle in the recycle bin. “I’m not getting the whole fucking story. You’re holding something back, but why the secrecy?”

Patrick peeled the label off his beer bottle and feigned more interest in the task than Remy’s question while Tavis scrolled through his emails.

“Good try. I guess you’re both sworn to secrecy. So let me guess. Your friend found a brooch, disappeared, and Elliott doesn’t want anyone else to know about it.”

“He’s a guy, Remy. When was the last time a man disappeared?” Tavis asked.

“Never—at least none that we know of. So when will Northbridge get to the uncle’s house?”

“If they don’t have trouble, maybe another hour or two.”

“You hired Northbridge to drive through a blizzard to look for a body, and they agreed. What are they? Nuts? There’s no amount of money you could pay me to drive in a blizzard to look for a—”

“Friend!” Patrick interrupted in a razor-sharp tone. “Is that what you were going to say? Shit, Remy. If it were Tavis, me, David, or any of us, you’d drive through a goddamn blizzard without a second thought.”

Remy jumped up, nabbed another beer out of the refrigerator, and took a long pull. “You’re right. I would. What’s the closest open airport? If the Northbridge team believes they can make it, so can we. Let’s go.”

“They’re almost there. We need to wait for them,” Tavis said.

“If you say so.” He took another long pull, watching both Tavis and Patrick. “I’m getting a vibe that something else is happening here.”

“Nothing…we can talk about,” Patrick said.

“Damnit. I knew there was something else. What the hell is it?” When neither Patrick nor Tavis said anything, Remy pushed a number in his contacts and put the call on speaker. “Hey, Boss. I’m sitting here with Tavis and Patrick. They’re acting like they’re protecting the combination to the brooch safe. What’s going on?”

Please do not copy and paste this copyrighted excerpt and post it elsewhere or use it without my express permission. The information in this newsletter appears on my blog and you can share the link to that webpage instead. Thank you.

Family News

Don’t forget the upcoming field trip to the Richmond Highland Games – while mostly planned for the kids, all are welcome! Let Matt know who is interested in the following:

Learning to play the bagpipes
Learning a Highland dance
Learning/participating in a heavy athletic event
Checking out the British cars

Survey Winner

Congratulations to the May giveaway winner, Mary Preston!

The survey results were varied, and while the wedding will have to be held at Mallory Plantation since Erik is confined there and walking Ensley down the aisle, here are your thoughts on where Austin and Ensley should get married:

60% of those who responded thought they should have it in the Denver area
21% said someplace else, with a pretty even split between the Teddy Roosevelt Memorial/Badlands ranch in North Dakota or someplace in Scotland
10% Mallory Plantation
7.5% said Montgomery Winery

If you’re on Facebook, consider joining The Celtic Brooch Series private group for additional content.

Survey Winner

Congratulations to the May giveaway winner, Mary Preston!

60% of those who responded thought they should have it in the Denver area
21% said someplace else, with a pretty even split between the Teddy Roosevelt Memorial/Badlands ranch in North Dakota or someplace in Scotland
10% Mallory Plantation
7.5% said Montgomery Winery

If you’re on Facebook, please consider joining The Celtic Brooch Series private group for additional content.

New Giveaway

For a chance to win an ebook or audiobook of your choice from the Brooch Series, tell me who are the authors in the clan and what types of books they write. Submit your answers HERE!