New Grandson!
The family is thrilled and delighted to announce the safe arrival of a lovely baby boy. 9 pounds, 2 ounces, a very solid citizen with extremely good lungs. His parents haven’t yet decided on a name and we won’t know for sure what color his hair is until he has his first bath tomorrow, but we love him dearly, and are so grateful to all of you for your thoughts, good wishes, prayers and sweet gifts. Moran taing!
Social Media Hashtags: #DailyLines, #BookNine, #GoTELLTheBEESThatIAmGONE, #TakingLeave, #IdbewritingmoreifIwasntinSanDiegodoingComicCon, #Orwatchinggrandsonbeingborn, #orotherfunstuff, #ButIamsoImnot, #Ididpromiseyousomethingentertainingtonightthough
She sat, unobtrusive in the shadows. Head bent, the soft shush of her charcoal lost in the clearing of throats, the rustle of clothing. But she watched them, in ones and twos and threes, as they ducked under the open tent flap and came to the general’s side. There each man paused to look on his face, calm in the candlelight, and she caught what she could of the drifting currents that crossed their own faces: shadows of grief and sorrow, eyes sometimes dark with fear, or blank with shock and tiredness.
Often, they wept.
William and John Cinnamon flanked her, standing just behind on either side, silent and respectful. General [ ]‘s orderly had offered them stools, but they had courteously refused, and she found their buttressing presences oddly comforting.
The soldiers came by companies, the uniforms (in some cases, only militia badges) changing. John Cinnamon shifted his weight now and then, and occasionally took a deep breath or cleared his throat. William didn’t.
What was he doing? she wondered. Counting the soldiers? Assessing the condition of the American troops? They were shabby; dirty and unkempt, and in spite of their respectful demeanor, few of the companies seemed to have much notion of order.
For the first time, it occurred to her to wonder just what William’s motive in coming had been. She’d been so happy at meeting him that she’d accepted his statement that he wouldn’t let his sister go unaccompanied into a military camp at face value. Was it true, though? From the little Lord John had said, she knew that William had resigned his army commission—but that didn’t mean he’d changed sides. Or that he had no interest in the state of the American siege, or that he didn’t intend to pass on any information he gained during this visit. Clearly he still knew people in the British army.
The skin on her shoulders prickled at the thought, and she wanted to turn round and look up at him. A moment’s hesitation and she did just that. His face was grave, but he was looking at her.
“All right?” he asked in a whisper.
“Yes,” she said, comforted by his voice. “I just wondered whether you’d fallen asleep standing up.”
“Not yet.”
She smiled, and opened her mouth to say something, apologize for keeping him and his friend out all night. He stopped her with a small twitch of fingers.
“It’s all right,” he said softly. “You do what you came to do. We’ll stay with you, and take you home in the morning. I meant it; I won’t leave you alone.”
Visit my GO TELL THE BEES THAT I AM GONE (Book Nine) webpage….
The birth announcement was posted on my official Facebook page on July 19, 2017. “Taking Leave” was posted on same official Facebook page on July 23, 2017 at 12:08 a.m..
Congratulations and best wishes to the parents, too!
Best regards
Yvonne
Reading this posted chapter “taking chances” has me intrigued and wanting to read more. One of the things I’m most looking forward to is William coming to know and love the Frasers, especially Jamie. To understand his fathers background and how he protected William as a baby and why he gave him up. The beauty and complications of this relationship is what I hunger to see develop. your writing is something I never seem to tired of and have read your books several times. It is with enthusiasm I wait for the “Bees Book ” to be released. I know your life is very busy and writing is a time consuming process but you have said you are close to finishing and we are ready.
Sincerely
Karen
Dear Diana,
I am probably on the wrong side of the Internet, but chance is, these lines will be read. Have recently purchased Seven Stones. I, too, am one of those readers who sometimes gets a little dubious whether I will live long enough to read the next book, even though I am “only” 59. I have also occasionally rolled my eyes at the latest book being released, especially when it is not involving Claire and Jamie.
BUT: Seven Stones is fantastic, I really appreciate your “Vorwort”, explaining the chronological order of the books, including tips etc., you are an exceptional person, and I can only underline the lady thanking you full of appreciation, not only for your time in research and writing, but also your intelligent approach in all aspects of book-writing. I look forward to No. 9, and my friend (German) is also looking forward to the translation, which is very well translated and in accordance with the “feel” of your books, happily often within days of the English release. Stay healthy and witty!
Best wishes,
Yvonne
Congratulations on your new grandson!!! They ate truly a joy well worth the wait. And thank you for writing such awesome books. Can’t wait for #9.
Dear professor gabaldon,
In your introduction to the modern library edition of Ivanhoe, you complained about the prevalence of archaic and turgid language in Scott. Well, you hit the nail on the head: The nineteenth century historical novel is loaded with pretentious obscure prose. But if you take away the difficult prose, you kill off half of the excitement of a book like Ivanhoe or A Tale of Two Cities.
In our day, readers are spoiled. They do not want to strain their meager faculties. Therefore the modern heirs of Walter Scott and Alexander Dumas need to coddle their mass readership with non-threatening paragraphs written in simple senntences.
Sincerely,
Steve Harvy
Am looking forward to seeing you again at the Library of Congress Book Festival. Will you be autograping books? I would love to get Seven Stones signed.
Lisa
Hello Diana,
I just wanted to tell you that I have loved your series. I will finish book 8 this weekend, and will watch for the 9th. I have my own backlog of books to read in the interim. Your characters are so interesting, individual, nuanced. You are so patient in developing plot lines. The Prose is detailed but never bogs down. I love the representation of science and history from the perspective of time.
I am 50% Scot and interested in the culture and history. My paternal grandmother’s family are the MacDonnell’s of Glen Gerry, who you know had a long standing feud with the McKenzie’s and faired the worse for it. Having supported Charles, they were finally forced to leave the beautiful Valley after Culloden and finally settled in Judique on Cape Brittan Island. I just visited Scotland last year including the Valley. I have been to Judique on multiple occasions and am amazed at how the Celtic Culture and music are preserved there. My paternal Grandfather was a Williamson and came from the Gunn Clan. He immigrated to the Canada and then the US at age 17. They of course were on the other side of the 2nd Jacobite Rebellion. My Grandfather was a Mason.
I currently live in Malvern, PA and was delighted to have it referenced as you wrote about the Paoli Massacre. You also referenced ‘The battle of the clouds’ which happened, or rather didn’t happen, in my neighborhood. I was so impressed with how accurately you represented that little known (but known by me) part of history.
Best wishes to you. You are an amazing prolific writer and I am a huge fan!
I JUST FINISHED READING ” TAKING LEAVE” AND AM HAPPY TO REPORT MY EYES ARE FULL OF TEARS. …HAPPY TEARS. WHEN I ENDED THE LAST SENTENCE I REALIZED I WAS FULLY DROPPED BACK INTO OUTLANDER, EXCEPT IT WAS WILLIAM WHO WAS STEALING MY HEART AND CORRALLED MY FEELINGS. WOW, WHAT A SURPRISE. I NEVER THOUGHT ANYTHING COULD SURPASS JAMIE AND CLARE FOR ME, BUT THE SISTER/BROTHER RELATIONSHIP HAS MORE DEPTH THAN I COULD HAVE EVER IMAGINED. WOW!!! FASTER AND FASTER WITH THE PEN, DIANA, PLEASE. I THINK I’M GOING TO FALL IN LOVE AGAIN, BUT HIS NAME IS WILLIAM (HA, HA….MY FATHER’S NAME). BRING ON WILL’S THOUGHTS AND PROGRESSION. YIPPEEEEEEE!
Is ‘Taking Leave a book ?if so which on can’t seem to find it xxx
Hi, Annie,
Diana posts short samples of her books from time to time here on her website and aon social media (Facebook and Twitter), which she calls “Daily Lines” or “Excerpts.” These short samples have temporary titles so you can tell them apart.
“Taking Leave” is one of the excerpts, or short samples, from GO TELL THE BEES THAT I AM GONE (nicknamed “BEES”), the book Diana is writing and working on now. BEES will be the ninth book in Diana’s Outlander series of novels. The titles of excerpts (such as “Taking Leave”) are temporary and won’t appear in BEES when it comes out.
So in Diana’s blog post above, the short excerpt titled “Taking Leave” begins with the words “She sat, unobtrusive in the shadows.” This is a piece of Diana’s new book!
If you’d like to read more samples from BEES, click here to visit Diana’s BEES webpage. The Daily Lines, or excerpts, are listed on the right side of the BEES webpage, by temporary title.
Thanks!
Loretta
Diana’s Webmistress
webmaster@dianagabaldon.com
I am so excited for your new book and the show! Some stories have the power to change so many things, if not the world. I am definitely a better person for reading the Outlander series. Thank you!!
I just wanted to add my voice to the millions you’ve heard before that this Outlander series has been a wonderful and exciting reading and listening experience…… I’ve listened to Davina Porter’s flawless, brilliant narrative of each of the books, twice! I do hope that the audio version w/Ms. Porter reading comes out at the same time as the written version of Go Tell the Bees….. It seems I can’t get enough of the 18th century romance you so brilliantly write.
I also hope you never stop writing!! Thanks for recommending Louise Penny on the methadone list — I now find that in addition to wanting to visit Scotland, I also want to visit 3 Pines.
Thanks for writing! Thanks for these excerpts…. let’s keep Jamie & Claire alive for a very long, long time!
Many thanks and best wishes for your continued success!
Jo
I’m totally enjoying re-reading your books (I read them when they first came out) and started reading them again when the TV show aired (I didn’t watch the show when it first came out; however, I started watching it and I’m hooked. I’m always rooting for Claire and Jamie (hoping that fate will bring them back together, and crying for them when they have setbacks. I’m buying the more of your books, so that I can complete the series. Looking forward to more.
Watching the TV shows makes me want to visit Scotland, and see all the sites that you have so eloquently written about.
One last question, in the beginning of the Outlander book, when Frank saw the Scotsman during the rainstorm looking in Claire’s window, was that Jamie or Dougal?
Dear Karen–
It’s Jamie’s ghost that Frank sees. We’ll explain that, but it will be the last thing in the last book, and we’re not there yet.
–Diana
Just a note to say how much I appreciate the Outlander series, both moviies and books. I was not familiar with Scottish culture and love the way you write about history and character development. The romance helps thisb70′yearbold boomer reminisce. Thanks!
Thank you, Janice!
-Diana
Always happy to see new tidbits from your work. This one is a good example of your research style of storytelling in leaving out parts that need further checking. In this case, you have left out the name of the Continental general who is being mourned. I keep coming back to see if you have injected Casimir Pulaski’s name to the story.
With your moving the tales of Jamie and Claire to America I have been reading more accounts of our earlier history. I am sure that similar statements can be made from the citizens of Scotland! We think we know so much, but there is always so much that is left out, especially the life and activity of the average person. Thank you for bringing this texture to our awareness, Diana!
Casimir Pulaski | American Battlefield Trust
https://www.battlefields.org/learn/biographies/casimir-pulaski
“Pulaski became a general in the Continental Army, created the Pulaski Cavalry Legion and reformed the American cavalry as a whole. At the Battle of Savannah , while leading a daring charge against British forces, he was gravely wounded, and died shortly thereafter.”