I love reading novels with nobility in them, but I’ve been a little intimidated to write one, until now. Get ready to meet Alex Sinclair. The Scottish hero in my new novella, No Plan at All, which releases Tuesday November 4, 2025.
Alex is from Scotland. He has come to America for eight years to live on his own, before he’s to return and marry. He speaks with a brogue and uses words such as lass, aye, and nae. He’s a peddler selling wares to small communities he travels through, in his wagon with his best friend – his horse Berrymin. He also plays the guitar, reads his Bible, and writes in a journal every day.
When he meets Sarah, she is drenched from the rain, her hair hanging in her eyes.
And she only knows him as Mr. Smith. Because he doesn’t want anyone to know he’s Lord Berrymin from the town of Bruin (yes I went with an entire bear theme as a nod to our dog Bear, who was still with us when I wrote the first draft).
I had a lot of fun writing a Scottish hero. Particularly my hero, Alex Sinclair. He’s kind, good-hearted, and wants to help people, including protecting Sarah’s reputation.
Scottish Hero Research
In May of this year, I was fortunate to go to Scotland and see Edinburgh, tour the castle, and find goodies in the gift shops that got me excited to launch this book. See, when I picked the last name Sinclair, to me it was a Scottish name that fit my character. I had no idea the crest included a rooster.
For those that have read my debut novel, When Plans Go Awry, you all know how much a connection this is, with my character Bert. I love the way God connects things. (and thankful it didn’t take too long for me to see it!).
I also love the insignia on the crest – Commit Thy Work To God.
Which is exactly what Alex is doing in California in 1867.
I also learned highland cows are BIG in Scotland and I was so excited to find a variety of merchandise to choose from.
I now have my own collection, causing me to call it my highland cow era.
I’m loving how easy it is to find highland cow merchandise everywhere now, I may or may not have gotten a few goodies for my launch team members and I also have this flag waving in my front yard, to remind me of my trip to Scotland and my Scottish hero, Alex.
All of this is to say how excited I am for you to meet Alex (and Sarah), and read about their journey together as they travel from town to town, camping in the outdoors, and selling his wares.
If you want to find out more about No Plan at All, check out my book page. If you’d like to learn more about the series, I share more on the series page. You can order any of my books, print or e-book, on Amazon, and after release day on Walmart.com and Barnesandnoble.com.