Writing this novel has been a blast; Scotland's Stone of Destiny fascinated me from the moment I heard about it. It is the throne used to coronate Scottish kings at the Palace of Scone near Perth going back to 843. It was stolen by English King Edward I in 1296 and taken to London where it spent most of its time in Westminster Abbey. In 1951, a bunch of Scottish University students broke into Westminster Abbey and sneaked the Stone back to Scotland. It was officially returned to Scotland in 1996 and only makes the journey to London to be placed under the British throne for coronations.
There is a very real and lively controversy about whether the Stone on display in Edinburgh is authentic. The docents at the Castle of Edinburgh will swear to you the Stone is authentic, citing studies proving it is made from Devonian Old Red Sandstone from the quarries near Scone. But go to Scone, and they will tell you of course it's made from local sandstone; the monastery there had fully six weeks notice of Edward's impending raid: more than enough time to carve up a substitute from the nearby quarries. The original Stone, you see, is recorded by ancient scriveners to have been transported to Scotland from Egypt by none other than the pharaoh's daughter, Scota.
In my novel, Audrey never believed her mother committed suicide. No way. She comes back to her hometown, Rosemarkie, Scotland, determined to uncover what really happened. She finds out the whole suicide story was a lie. She also discovers her family's ancient covenant to hide the Stone of Destiny. Audrey must decide whether she will join the effort to protect this storied throne. What she doesn't know is that her heartthrob will kill to get his hands on it.
My editor has finished his review and I am starting work on his suggestions. Will keep you posted.