WELCOME to the All-New, Completely Redesigned, and—with luck—Totally Updated Diana Gabaldon Official Website!
Many, many thanks to the very talented Jeremy Tolbert of Clockpunk Studios (www.clockpunkstudios.com), who did the new design (and guided me through the maze of learning to work with WordPress).
And many thanks to the lovely Rosana Gatti, who designed (more than once {g}) the original Diana Gabaldon website, and has run it for more years than I care to count.
(Thinking especially of longevity these days, as a) it’s my birthday {g}, and b) OUTLANDER (the novel) was published twenty (yes, 2_0) years ago!)
Now, there will be a few spots where I’ll add new material, links, excerpts or whatever as we go on, but I think the new site is essentially complete.
(There will be a link to a Facebook page, for instance, but that’s not quite available yet.
And my blog will now be an integral feature of the website, as well.
I hope you enjoy exploring the new site!
Do please let me know—there’s a place for comments, below, and on other parts of the site—if you see anything that doesn’t work, or have suggestions for things we may not have thought of that you’d like to see.
(And you can use the “Follow” links to talk to me via Twitter, if you’d like.)
Thanks-Diana
I am the president of the Nevada Women’s History Project a nonprofit, part of the Nevada Women’s Fund. http://www.nevadawomen.org Our mission is dissemination of Nevada Women’s History. One major accomplishment was placing a state statue of a a historic woman, Sarah Winnemucca, in Washington DC.
We have an annual Writers’ Luncheon every fall in Reno, Nevada and I would like to know if Diana Gabaldon ever does fundraisers and would consider being the keynote speaker.
Having her as a keynote speaker would be such a dream. We have many fans in our organization and community.
Please reply and advise,
Dear Lisa-Marie–
Congratulations on the Sarah Winnemucca statue! I do occasionally do fund-raisers (mostly for libraries), though I’m trying very hard not to go _anywhere_ this year, so that I can get a couple of books written. {g} If you’d like to check back with me toward late summer, though (and if you haven’t found another keynote speaker by then), I’ll know whether I’ll be doing any book-touring in November. If I am, it’s much easier to fold in something like your event, than to do it by itself, thus losing two days of work.
I’m much obliged to be thought of, though–good luck with your event!
–Diana
Hi Diana,
Congratulations on all your books!! We are huge fans of them, especially the Outlander Series. One of the reasons to contact you is because although we think that all your ideas about the books, art book or even the musical so far have been great. We just would like to give you some ideas about a couple of actors who would be amazing as a James Fraser like Gerarad Butler or Alexander Skarsgard.
Thanks a million for all the good moments you´ve been given us with the books and please continue entertaining us with all your stories.
Kind regards,
Rosa & Rosa from Spain
Dear RosaRosa–
Well, both Mr. Butler and Mr. Skarsgaard are beautiful men {g} and fine actors. I think they’re both quite a bit too old to play a 22-year-old virgin, though. Jamie would need to be played by a reasonably _young_ (hence probably not well known) actor.
–Diana
Happy Birthday Month Diana!
So glad I found your websight. I love it! I read the Outlander when it first came out and fell in love with the characters. I had the first 3 books in hard back. Long story short,(lots of things happen in 20 yrs) I never got to read the rest of the series. Then Hurricane Ike hit my area and we lost everything. I had loads of books that I lost, yours included. Then this Christmas my sweet husband bought me a Nook Color and I found the Outlander series for the Nook and I’ve been catching up ever since! (or shall I say reading like a mad lady. I couldn’t stop reading! lol) Hope you’ve had a great birthday and have a wonderful New Year. Looking forward to book 8 and also sharing the series with my daughters when they’re old enough. My oldest is a big reader, must run in the family.
Desiree
Hi Diana,
I am a relatively new fan… I stumbled across “Outlander” on the Amazon Kindle free books list a couple months ago, read it and was hooked from there! Actually, I’ve found many great book series that way.
I really enjoyed the Outlander series and am looking forward to Book Eight. However, I was wondering if your website has some sort of “e-mail update” list so the fans can receive e-mails about things like your upcoming appearances, book release notifications, etc.? I tend to get pretty absorbed in whatever series I’m currently reading, and might not remember to check back and find out when your new books are being released… e-mail updates (or something like that) would really help! I’d also love to know when you schedule your next visit the Washington, DC area so that I can stop by.
Take care and best wishes,
Laura
Dear Laura–
I think we _do_, but am not sure yet how that works. {g} I’ll ask.
–Diana
Thanks Diana! Should you find there is such a list, I’d like to be on it.
Hope you are enjoying your vacation!
I have just finished An Echo in the Bone and have read all of the previous Outlander books. You are a very exciting and gifted writer and I thank you for the time I spend with one of your books.
Le gach miann `s gach beannachd dhut.
Dear Mairead–
Moran taing!
–Diana
Hi Diana,
You are one heck of a story teller! I have read the Outlander series over the years and just finished the latest two (I actually found A breath of Snow and Ashes in an airport bookstore ~lol!).
I am half Scottish, and am lucky enough to have spent a lot of time in Scotland (Caithness county) visiting relatives, regularly. Back in the 80s, I visited my aunt and uncle in Harris and Lewis in the Outer Hebrides and got to see the stones of Callanish. I always think of that place when I read your books (especially the first one) and hope you will keep it in mind as a portal for a future book.
Take your time with #8 and enjoy life!
Hi and thank you for the website. Just thought of letting you that the link to see the gallery of fan art directs to a Russian escort service: I think you have been hacked…
Dear Marie–
Dear me! Thanks for letting me know. I’ll have a look a little later today.
–Diana
Happy Belated Birthday! You share a Birthday with my husband
Love the new website.
Hello Diana, your new website is lovely!
I discovered your books through Audiobooks.com and I will now consider myself a fan of yours for life. I haven’t read your books in print (yet) :-), but have listened to all unabridged audiobooks of the Outlander series. I just finished with An Echo in the Bone this morning and I will now begin the Lord John series. I love to read, and always have, but I especially love your style and the characters in this series come alive through your words. I’m torn between buying the Lord John series in print and listening to them as audiobooks. I somehow feel that I’m not doing you justice, “just” listening to the books instead of reading them and so I plan to buy the books in print as well and read them again while I await Book 8. I began listening to audiobooks on a road trip with my daughter and granddaughter to Oregon last year to visit my Dad. After that, I found that being able to do something with my hands at the same time (e.g., cross-stitching or housework) brings me even greater joy – and my house gets cleaned much more often! Davina Porter does an excellent job, with her accents bringing each of the characters alive and into the room. I will anxiously await Book 8 (thank you for the excerpt on your website). Again, thank you so much for your dedication and your wonderful talent for writing. Your family and friends are very blessed to have such a multi-talented woman in their midst!
Lori J.
Dear Lori–
Thank you! {smile}
I love audiobooks, for all the reasons you mention (always listen to one while walking)–but print text has some advantages. Being able to easily flip to and fro, or pause to read over a scene or page you like, for instance. And then there’s the tactile pleasure of holding books. {g}
Glad you like them, though, in whichever form you prefer!
–Diana
Hello Diana,
The website is beautiful!
I want to follow your new blog, but can’t seem to find the “follow” link? I am following the old one, but can’t get signed up for this one? Help please? I’m probably looking right at it, but can’t see the forest for the trees…….
I also wanted you to know that I am addicted (who isn’t that’s read them) to your series. LOVE them and am looking forward to the next book (live for the “spoilers”).
My father-in-law reads all the time, but mostly political or mystery books. We were visiting and he had finished one of his books but couldn’t get out (weather) to get a new book. I had Dragonfly in Amber with me to finish reading, as well as the next novel. I loaned him Dragonfly, with a promise of swift & terrible retribution if I didn’t get it back. All done while giving him the stink eye, a raised eye brow and a smile. He is now addicted. For Christmas we got him a reader loaded with the entire series. He saw the picture of you, with the plate, on your blog. He said he couldn’t believe a woman who looks like you, would have such a dirty mind!
Keep it up, your writing is incredible!
Take care,
Hazel
Dear Hazel–
I _think_ the “follow” thingie is the little icon on the left in the “Follow Diana Online” box on the front page (it shows on some of the other pages, too, I think).
–Diana
Thanks! I just saw your reply. You answered me on my birthday! How nice, thanks again!
Hazel
Hi,
20 years wow. My husband just finished “A Breath of Snow and Ashes” and it was my third read I believe. I am getting LJ for him next before Echo. So, well written. Thanks again for all the books. Love the new website.
Susan Stark (Williams)
Devoted Fan
While reading “Into The Wilderness” by Sara Donati, I was so surprised to find Jamie, Claire & Ian there too! A great story to read while waiting for your nest book Diana!
As always,
Your Number One Fan
Just finished the seventh book! I’m at a loss what to read now. What about “into The Wilderness”?
When will the eighth book be out? Hurry, hurry! Never have enjoyed a series so much. Try not to finish Claire & Jamie – keep them going or Brianna & Roger for many more enjoyable reads.
Thanks so much for the wonderful adventures.
Sharon
Dear Diana,
I was wondering about the movie that I hope is finally going to be made. There was another movie recently, a syfy movie called “Outlander”. If and when your movie gets made, what would the title be? I know there are others that would probably make the final decision on this, but what do you think it should be called?
Someone sent this to me and it reminded me so much of your books that I had to post. It is a bit long, but IMO very interesting. Looking forward to book 8 and thanks for spoiling us with the excerpts!!
They used to use urine to tan animal skins, so families used to all
pee in a pot & then once a day it was taken & sold to the
tannery…….if you had to do this to survive you were “Piss Poor”
But worse than that were the really poor folk who couldn’t even afford
to buy a pot…………they “didnt have a pot to piss in” and were
the lowest of the low.
Most people got married in June because they took their yearly bath in
May, and they still smelled pretty good by June. However, since they
were starting to smell .. .. . brides carried a bouquet of flowers to
hide the body odor. Hence the custom today of carrying a bouquet when
getting married.
Baths consisted of a big tub filled with hot water. The man of the
house had the privilege of the nice clean water, then all the other
sons and men, then the women and finally the children. Last of all the
babies. By then the water was so dirty you could actually lose someone
in it. Hence the saying, “Don’t throw the baby out with the Bath
water!”
Houses had thatched roofs-thick straw-piled high, with no wood
underneath. It was the only place for animals to get warm, so all the
cats and other small animals (mice, bugs) lived in the roof. When it
rained it became slippery and sometimes the animals would slip and
fall off the roof.. Hence the saying “It’s raining cats and dogs.”
There was nothing to stop things from falling into the house. This
posed a real problem in the bedroom where bugs and other droppings
could mess up your nice clean bed. Hence, a bed with big posts and a
sheet hung over the top afforded some protection. That’s how canopy
beds came into existence.
The floor was dirt. Only the wealthy had something other than dirt.
Hence the saying, “Dirt poor.” The wealthy had slate floors that would
get slippery in the winter when wet, so they spread thresh (straw) on
floor to help keep their footing. As the winter wore on, they added
more thresh until, when you opened the door, it would all start
slipping outside. A piece of wood was placed in the entrance-way.
Hence: a thresh hold.
(Getting quite an education, aren’t you?)
In those old days, they cooked in the kitchen with a big kettle that
always hung over the fire. Every day they lit the fire and added
things to the pot. They ate mostly vegetables and did not get much
meat. They would eat the stew for dinner, leaving leftovers in the pot
to get cold overnight and then start over the next day. Sometimes stew
had food in it that had been there for quite a while. Hence the rhyme:
Peas porridge hot, peas porridge cold, peas porridge in the pot nine
days old.
Sometimes they could obtain pork, which made them feel quite special.
When visitors came over, they would hang up their bacon to show off.
It was a sign of wealth that a man could, “bring home the bacon.” They
would cut off a little to share with guests and would all sit around
and chew the fat..
Those with money had plates made of pewter. Food with high acid
content caused some of the lead to leach onto the food, causing lead
poisoning death. This happened most often with tomatoes, so for the
next 400 years or so, tomatoes were considered poisonous.
Bread was divided according to status. Workers got the burnt bottom of
the loaf, the family got the middle, and guests got the top, or the
upper crust.
Lead cups were used to drink ale or whisky. The combination would
sometimes knock the imbibers out for a couple of days. Someone walking
along the road would take them for dead and prepare them for burial.
They were laid out on the kitchen table for a couple of days and the
family would gather around and eat and drink and wait and see if they
would wake up. Hence the custom of holding a wake.
England is old and small and the local folks started running out of
places to bury people. So they would dig up coffins and would take the
bones to a bone-house, and reuse the grave. When reopening these
coffins, 1 out of 25 coffins were found to have scratch marks on the
inside and they realized they had been burying people alive. So they
would tie a string on the wrist of the corpse, lead it through the
coffin and up through the ground and tie it to a bell. Someone would
have to sit out in the graveyard all night (the graveyard shift.) to
listen for the bell; thus, someone could be saved by the bell or was
considered a dead ringer….
And that’s the truth…Now, whoever said History was boring ! ! !
Dear Tracey–
It’s entertaining, but not necessarily “the truth.” {g} I.e., some of the idioms might have come about as described–and maybe not. Some of the customs undoubtedly developed for the reasons mentioned–and others not. The one about tomatoes being poisonous, for instance–1) death by lead poisoning is _very_ slow, 2) nobody recognized lead poisoning until (I think) the early 20th century, and 3) unless you ate tomatoes several times a day (dang unlikely in the Old Days), the amount of lead ingested by any such reaction (and I think it a really low probability that the amount of acid released by the average tomato would result in any noticeable lead formation, even if it’s true about pewter–and that, I don’t know). The odds of anyone linking the eating of tomatoes with death by lead poisoning would be vanishingly small. That kind of stuff. But interesting, nonetheless–thank you!
–Diana
Hi Diana,
Love the new site…i havent been on here for over 12 months…and couldnt bring myself to see what was going on since I was diagnosed with breast cancer a year ago (i’m well and truly over the nasty part of treatment..and have been blessed with glorious curls again!), nor could i finish reading Echo in the Bone, i stopped at the most crucial moment, when Bree’s son is kidnapped!…and couldnt pick it up again, because i’d forgotten everything!….so i’ve decided to start the series all over again…for 5th or 6th time?..i think..my memory is all over the place since treatment but getting better, oooo i get to fall in love all over again with Jamie…..and Claire!…but first i must find my copy of Crosstitch!
I had the pleasure of meeting you in Hobart, Tasmania….I think it was 2009?
Again great work on the new site and hope to hear from you.
Cheers
Dear Marija–
Glad you’re feeling better!
–Diana
oh please dont laugh when you see my email…it has been mine for over 10 years,lol.
It is ironic,,, I spent 10 months reading the Outlander series. I thank you for writing it… I look forward to the next.
Consumed by the tale in every way. Driving down the road bursting out with OMG!!!! then having to tell my husband,lol… he became immune after a bit,,, would just look at me and say, “that good eh?”
Laughingly I would say,,well you’re just going to have to trust me…better then tv or internet.
In any case… Just wanted to say thanks from a slow reader. I do read painfully slow but thats ok… I truely didn’t want to put any of them down…
Sincerely,
Garisanne
I just finished An Echo in the Bone. All seven books were absolutely wonderful. But I feel so lost now…so many questions left unanswered, so many lives left hanging. I hope against hope that you will be writing an eighth book – and soon. Its been a very long, cold winter in New York and I could use a great book to take me away from it all.
Dear Leslie–
Well, if you go look at the front page of this website, you need hope no longer. {g}
–Diana
Hello Diana,
I was fifteen when we went to live in the “far north” of Scotland. I hated my Dad for taking me away from our home in Central Scotland, my friends, the bright lights and the exciting buzz of the early seventies. What followed was the most magical, spiritual, amazing, life changing time of my life . I’m fifty-four years old now and your stories are like an old friend visiting . I’m amazed at how well you have captured the essence of Scottish folklore. Think you must have been here before!! So looking foreward to your next book.
Diana, I have been meaning to ask you……..in todays diagnosis, just what is “the Morbid Sore Throat?”
I have wondered what it is, just askin!
Deborah
Your Number One Fan ; )