Click here for the Bigtime Blooper podcast

3 minutes 9 seconds

A home made recording by Tom and Ingrid during their book 3 (untitled as yet) writing spur in Scotland; January 2019.  (with a wee apology for the sound quality. It was a sponteneous act)

Location: Bargany’s B & B, Troon

Continue reading for the full text:

Tom narrating: One of the joys of writing as co-authors is that you get to laugh at your own writing mistakes. Three examples spring to mind that left us simply in stitches; serious laughter, tears in our eyes, hiccups, The Lot!

Here’s example blooper number 1:

Ingrid narrating: We are in the habit of reading finished chapters out loud to each other, so the other author can listen intently for errors, sentence structure and so on.

It so happened that Tom was reading out a chapter where character Laird Gordon Macpherson was explaining over dinner what had happened to the gamekeeper’s son, Alexander Stewart. Suddenly, halfway a sentence Tom stopped, looked at me if he’d seen a ghost and said:

“Ingrid, this is not right; this can’t be happening’

‘Why?  Ingrid asked, a bit annoyed (sounding like Cathy the cop) What’s up? It’s good! I heard nothing wrong!

‘ Except for the fact Gordon can’t be making this speech’ Tom replied. ‘He died two chapters ago”.

Ingrid narrating: Bloopers Number 2.

Another blooper that got us into a fit involved a chapter about Laird Angus Macpherson. Whenever we read a chapter out loud we very much follow the exact spelling without thinking too much about what we literally read. All went fine until I came to a line where a typo had left the G out of Angus. So here I was; reading out very convincingly what supposedly this Anus Macpherson had said. We laughed till our jaws ached.

Tom: ‘Those Scottish lairds are so clever! I’ve heard of the expression, talking out of your backside but we sure had to correct this error.’

Ingrid narrating: A third example of what can go wrong is when we were reading out a long stretch of narrative on Alexander Stewart; just to see if the chronological order of events had been put in the right chapters.

Tom continuing: Alexander’s Journey was quite arduous, leaving Ballindalloch, visiting the Lagmore Stone Circle, boarding a train; sailing across the Atlantic. It was when we were reading all these adventures in one go that we discovered Alexander desperately needed a doctor.

While writing, we had failed to notice that if Alexander’s stomach churned once, it gurgled twice, it heaved three times and his belly ached at least four times, he felt sick, his skin was sticky and moist, he must have a fever, his throat was sore and as the Scots would say, he had ‘the dry boke’. How he ever made to the other side of the ocean in one piece was basically a miracle.

Ingrid: And we never used the expression ‘his stomach churned’ ever again.

With Family History Greetings,

Tom and Ingrid

••••••••

It all started because authors Tom McKerley and Ingrid Schippers, each in their own way, have an interest in family history. Tom researched his ancestry going back to northern Ireland circa 1780, while Ingrid has a natural  and partly professional interest in people’s life stories

In 2009, following a conversation between Tom and Ingrid on how ancestry influences who you are today, Tom came up with a synopsis about a feisty American cop, Cathy Macpherson who gets lured to the Scottish Highlands where her husband travel writer David Stewart wants to find out what prompted his great great great grandfather, Alexander Stewart to leave Ballindalloch Castle in 1895. In turn this inspired Ingrid to create the lifetime of Victorian character Katherine Macpherson, daughter of the Laird of the estate where Alexander was born.

It is all pure fiction, yet to the authors it became very real. They felt the characters tugging at their sleeves as if they were real and wanted their life stories told. Sometimes it seems to be the story that seeks the storyteller.

In these blogs and podcasts, Ingrid and Tom recount the high’s and low’s they’ve encountered du quest of writing.

To listen to the recorded introduction click here: introduction bloodlines blog

Download our Free Bloodlines  Family History Guide November 11 2018 HERE
and explore the past guided by your very own ancestors.

• The Why and How of Family History Research; with excerpts from the Scottish American Genealogy Mystery novels Bloodlines-Touch Not the Cat and Bloodlines -Traces,
  by McKerley & Schippers
• www.touchnotthecat.com

Wedding picture of my parent’s July 13, 1957.
Could not help but notice the ’7′ on the right side

Today held an intriguing coincidence. The date is November 11, 2018,  the day Thomas McKerley and I celebrated the 7 -year anniversary of our first born genealogy novel  published on 11.11.11.

In the afternoon, I was also invited to a concert in the village of my childhood days, to commemorate all villagers who passed away between the dates of November 2017 and November 2018.

The reason I was invited was because of my mother. She passed away on December 7, 2017. The local undertaker from the relatively small community where my mother spend most of her 83 years, organizes a gathering like this every year at the local church, so family members and friends alike, can share their tears and laughter and commemorate their loved ones. One of the advantages of old and smaller communities

It so happened I was seated next to the lady who sat next to my mother for 3 full years at high school, from 1945 to 1948. ‘Days back when’ girls wore ribbons in their hair, television and telephone in each household were non-existant, food was still simple and nutritious and candy or other extra’s were only consumed on Sunday.

It goes without saying that as co-author of a genealogy mystery novel, interest in family history comes natural to me. And in the Family History Guide Tom & I published this November 11th, to celebrate our 7-year Bloodlines-Touch Not the Cat anniversary, we advise family history researchers to talk to old friends of the family, as they sometimes have stories to tell, you would otherwise never hear about. Yet in spite of all this natural interest and well meant advise, I sometimes tend to overlook the true treasure chests of family history.

As my mother’s school friend pointed out to me, my mother and she shared all big events of a life time. Not only did they sit next to each other at school; they also attended their weddings; witnessed the birth of their children and supported each other after the death of their husbands.

I vowed I would come to her house soon to look at old photo albums and listen to her stories.
To myself I vowed to stick to that promise, It is regrettably easy to forget about these kind of promises in the turmoil of daily life; until suddenly…it is too late. I was grateful to realize today’s commemoration had ‘forced’ me to take some time out from busy life and stand still at the lifetimes of my mother’s generation.

When I returned home and switched on the television, I travelled even further back in time to the days of my grandparents and world war I, the war in which we had our fictitious Bloodlines – Traces character, Alexander Stewart, perform great feats in Gallipoli and save the lives of many. Looking at the television documentary, with original footage from 1914 to 1918, it felt almost as if I was given a glimpse into what ‘our Alexander’s’ life had been like.

For that’s what happens when you write a genealogy novel; the characters become like family

Ingrid Schippers, November 11 2018

Family History Guide November 11 2018

Click the link to download for free

Trace the characters from the Scottish American Genealogy Mystery novels, Bloodlines-Touch Not the Cat (WYBT Publishing 11.11.11) and Bloodlines-Traces (WYBT Publishing 21.06.16),
in their quest through the labyrinth of family history research

On November 11, 2018, it is exactly 7 years ago , the debut Scottish American Genealogy Mystery Novel by McKerley & Schippers, BLOODLINES – TOUCH NOT THE CAT was launched.

To celebrate, FREE KINDLE COPIES are given away during  5 day period between the dates of November 11 and November 15, 2018

Get your Free Copy through:

Bloodlines- Touch Not the Cat Free Kindle Copy.

Bloodlines- Touch Not the Cat is the Prequel to Bloodlines- Traces.

Behind the Scenes of the Bloodlines – Series

The year was 2011, the 11th of the month November.  Tom McKerley and Ingrid Schippers could hardly believe it. Two years before, they had started writing on the theme of family history and now, 11.11.11, their debut novel was seeing the light of day.

The sequel Bloodlines-Traces, was to follow 5 years later, June 2016

With Tom having recorded what he could find on his own genealogy, going as far back as 1780 and Ingrid interested in the existential question of how family history determines who you are today; the authors started a narrative, ‘simply for the fun of it’.

Tom went on the Internet and chose the existing Ballindalloch castle in the Scottish Highlands as a stage, adding his own cultural inheritance to the scene.  It turned out to be fertile soil for the Bloodlines characters to be born on.

“It was as if the characters began to tell us what they wanted to have written about their lives”, the authors comment. ”  They seemed to come alive within our research. Before we knew it the narrative took us past important historical events in Victorian and Edwardian times on both sides of the ocean, Scotland and the USA.  Birth, Death and Marriage certificates became treasure chests of historical fiction inspiration.

While writing Bloodlines – Touch Not the Cat seemed to be directing itself; the birth of Bloodlines – Traces was another matter completely.

The authors:

“We had never written a sequel. Even more so, Bloodlines – Touch Not the cat was the very first novel each of us ever wrote. How to write a second book in a series without giving in to the urge to explain what happened in first? It posed a huge challenge. Nothing was ever planned. Basically we started writing Bloodlines – Traces, because we had a lot of material left over and our readers were asking us what happened next in the lives of our characters.

On a personal level, we had ‘other’ lives at different sides of the English channel. When we started working on Bloodlines – Touch Not the Cat, Tom was still working and living in The Netherlands. While writing ‘Traces’ we had to bridge a whole lot more.

In the end it all really comes down to 10% inspiration and 90% hard work, although it has to be said we laughed a lot as well; like the time we discovered we had a Victorian character make an announcement at dinner, when we had already killed him off two chapters before. Apparently, he wasn’t ready to leave us yet.

We also disagreed at times about character or narrative development. And rather than keeping our creative process to ourselves, we had announced ‘Traces’ was being written; even when we hardly knew where we were going. An enthusiastic beginners mistake. But…we made it happen.

Bloodlines -Traces differs from Bloodlines – Touch Not the Cat in that it contains more historical facts and goes deeper into the subject of heritage. Even when the first book has often been described in reviews as very well written and researched; the authors certainly show their writer’s development in the sequel.

As a spin off from the genealogy novels Tom McKerley tours Scottish libraries and bookshops to deliver talks on family history research. (For more information on this please contact Tom via: info@touchnotthecat.com)

Another direct result from writing the Bloodlines novels is a Family History Guide, giving information on how to do family research, using excerpts from the books describing the way the characters explored ‘real life’ certificates and other genealogy tools.

The Family History Guide will soon be made available to be downloaded for free.

On book 3: Yep, Tom and Ingrid are writing and certainly back in the flow, but the drumroll will have to wait for a while. Uncle T. has a few tricks up his sleeve to be considered.

It has been a while since you last heard from McKerley & Schippers and what goes on in the sometimes surprising world of family history research and genealogy mystery writing.

Tom McKerley is at present entangled in writing about his very own family history as a result of finding a newspaper article on a Scottish ancestor who turned out be a locally famous!

Events- Booksignings – Family History Writing

Tom has also been doing quite a few events in Scotland for our Bloodlines -Touch Not the Cat and Bloodlines-Traces genealogy Mystery Novels,ranging from book signings at Waterstone’s, to book readings at reading/writing circles and libraries.

To contact us for promotional activities, – including your local (Netherlands or Scotland) reading circle- send us a mail at info@touchnotthecat.com or use the contact form of this website.

The McKerley & Schippers Family History Document

Together we have been working on a ‘real- life’ family history document to use for ‘family history gatherings’, highlighting the main things-to-remember when researching your own (Scottish-American) genealogy. In Scotland Tom is available to speak about his own family history research; the do’s and don’t's and how to get to the core of your question.

For more information about family history writing document or to contact Tom, send us a mail through the contact form

Behind the scenes stories and personal pictures

While you are here, take a look around in the blog section and ‘the books’ page, revealing behind the scenes stories on how Bloodlines Touch Not the Cat & Bloodlines- Traces were unexpectedly and mysteriously written by two first time mystery authors.

Our webdesigner Remco Kalf created a lovely slideshow on the www.touchnotthecat.com homepage, also featuring our self-designed ‘GlenFroach home-made whiskey label’, exclusively created for Bloodlines-Traces!

We love receiving reviews!!!!! While in the past we have organized review contests, we will now donate a complimentary copy of either Bloodlines Touch Not the Cat of Bloodlines Traces to the author of the most in-depth (which also means you may be critical) review on or both genealogy mystery novels.

Send your reviews through the contact form or info@touchnotthecat.com

To conclude: Thank you all for your heartwarming responses to Bloodlines Touch Not the Cat and Bloodlines Traces. Especially since these are our first fiction writing ventures we did not know what to expect, but the ride so far has been an absolute joY and meaningful learning experience.

On behalf of us both, wishing you a great day,

Ingrid

Its a bit of a philosophical one; but in light of New Year probably appropriate.
New beginnings bring new opportunities, new resolutions and new intentions.

Today’s life however, can be so overwhelming that we are easily swept off our feet as to how we came this far already and forget all about the roots and preparation it took to put us where we are today in the first place.

In Bloodlines -Touch Not the Cat, character David Stewart is inspired by the courage and strength it must have taken his ancestor Alexander to make the move from Scotland in 1896 to the America’s, where he became a correspondent for the Boston Globe.

Are it those same writer’s genes that makes David decide to trade in his professional life as ICT account manager for the long cherished dream of becoming a travel writer?

In Bloodlines -Traces, we learn even more about Alexander; specifically his quest to save the lives of thousands of soldiers in WW I Gallipoli, which is based on a true story, initiated by no other than Keith Murdoch, father to present day Rupert.

Learning about your ancestors, can not only teach you a lot about who you are, it also makes a great time travel trip. While researching our own genealogy ( Tom McKerley and Ingrid Schippers) we bumped into some amazing and revealing facts that shed a whole other light on what it was like in the life-times of our ancestors. The view history books tend to give, can differ dramatically from what our predecessors have to reveal.

Connected to family history it can be fun and very (story) telling to research the name of a town or the name of an old profession. One of Tom’s forefathers turned out to be a Journey man. Research into this kind of profession told Tom a whole lot more about his ancestors lifestyle. The history of a saying, a song text, a tradition make great discoveries.   In the case of Auld Lang Syne, it was Robert (Rabbie) Burns who wrote the words.

The same Rabbie Burns who was pioneer of the romantic movement; inspirator of socialism and liberalism, cultural icon in Scotland and among the Scottish Diaspora around the world*.

Same Rabbie Burns who was born in Ayrshire, on the 25th of January 1795 and for whom Waterstones in Ayrshire is organizing a special event the coming 28th of January; where Thomas McKerley will be, with lots and lots of copies of Bloodlines-Touch Not the Cat and Bloodlines-Traces and some copies of our new project: Scottish Family History Writing.

Read on…

* source wikipedia

‘You know it saddens me how over the years I never realized I wasn’t taking the time to discuss family history with parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and so on. Now I do not even have a brother or sister to go to’
Cathy gave a wry smile. She could relate to the woman’s regret.

Bloodlines-Traces,  Chapter 25, page 97/98

Our readers of Bloodlines-Traces might well recognize the regret of not haven spoken to their grandparents and other family members while they still had a chance.

Truth, the real life story, can at times be stranger than fiction.

While researching his family history, Scotsman Tom McKerley, co-author of the Bloodlines series, found out he was actually of Irish descend. He even went to visit and walk on the famous carrack-a-rede rope bridge of county Antrim, close to where his ancestors were from. This, as a result of finding a picture, depicting his father and two men unknown to Tom, standing on that very same suspension bridge.

‘I can only wonder if this was a coincidence or if my father knew Ireland was the home of our ancestors. He was a young man there, I wasn’t even born yet’ Tom recounts.

‘I researched my father; my fathers father and his father.’ he continues. When I went looking for them, I found my great great great grandfather, John McKerley on a census in 1850 on which he was listed as Irish. His wife was Sarah Gibson by the way,’ Tom adds with a wink, Sarah Gibson being a character in both Bloodlines – Touch Not the Cat and Bloodlines-Traces.

‘John was from Londonderry and Sarah from Colraine. They married in County Antrim 1839.
I found them in 1850 (in a manner of speaking), on the census. At that time they had one 2 year old son, a wee boy called Robert. It is very unlikely that after 11 years of marriage that would have been their first child.
The census locates them in a little town called Broughshane. I reckon that is where John found work.
The trail ends with the father of John McKerley, my great great great great grandfather,
Eventually John and Sarah moved to Scotland

From childhood onward, co-author Ingrid Schippers, was told the family rumor of great grand mother Schippers (née Spui), being an illegitimate child from Prins Hendrik, the rather illustrious spouse of Dutch Queen Wilhelmina, great grandparent to the present day Dutch king.
Further research however revealed an even more astounding scenario.

• Huiberdina Schippers, great great great grandmother
• Huibert Schippers, great great grandfather
• Matthijs Coenraad Schippers, great grand father
• Laurens Pieter Schippers, grandfather
• Matthijs Coenraad Schippers, father
• Ingrid Schippers.

‘Nothing extraordinary at first sight’, Ingrid shares. ‘Huiberdina however was a single mother. There is no mention of a male parent and the child, Huibert, is named after his mother, both with his first and family name. There is no mention of other children of Huiberdina Schippers.’

This becomes all the more interesting when the Schippers family member who researched all this, discovered Huiberdina worked at the Royal Palace as a maid for King Willem II.
Willem II was known for his taste for lovers, both men and women. His biographies describe his habit to keep servants at the palace to serve his more intimate needs. There is also mention of his having to pay large sums of money to silence some of his illegitimate escorts.

‘So….even though I do not ever expect to find records stating my great great greatgrandmother was given maintenance fees by King William II, there is a fair possibility Huibert Schippers was one of his illegitimate children’, Ingrid concludes.

A scenario that would have prompted Bloodlines-Traces character Diane Cox, to do some more research…

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We would love to hear your story.

Every lifetime is created out of special stories. Even the smallest of coincidences can trigger an avalanche of events and change. Our genealogy mystery novels and articles, feature amazing accomplishments of people who created special lifetimes and changed the world for the better, perhaps without even realizing it at the time.

In Bloodlines -Traces we describe the heroic journey of Keith Murdoch, who saved the lives of many soldiers in WWI, by smuggling out a letter to prime minister Asquith, who then put an end to the atrocious killings in Gallipoli. This is the same Murdoch who would later become the father of newspaper mogul Rupert Murdoch.

These are famous stories of famous people. We also want to hear about the feats of the ancestors that changed the shape of your life.

Just think about how daunting it must have been for our ancestors of the 19th century to emigrate to the America’s. Apart from the few daring explorers, people often never ventured out of their place of birth for more than 20 miles. Imagine the culture shock in a time when humanity still depended on storytelling and rumor had it the streets in America were paved with gold. When there was no television, no movies, nor hardly any books, let alone travel guides, to give samples of different countries and cultures.

We invite you to share your story, the events and discoveries that made a change. Courageous undertakings in the lives of your ancestors or those of whom you feel they deserve a place in the spotlight.

We will incorporate your contribution into an article on our website,
exclusively written in mutual agreement and only published with mutual consent.

You can contact us at info@touchnotthecat.com

McKerley & Schippers
September 2016

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No longer wish to receive our blogs?
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We vow to only use your address for the purpose of sending you news related to the Bloodlines Series and will not give or sell this information to others.