April | 2018 | K.J. Scrim, Author

Z is for Zoo

Posted on April 30, 2018 2 Comments

I can’t believe that this is the last day of the A to Z Blog Challenge! I hope you enjoyed reading about the Isle of Man and are as excited as I am about The Manx. On this last day I want to share one last bit about the Isle of Man and it’s zoo.** Currahs […]

Y is for YOY? (Why Oh Why?)

Posted on April 28, 2018 3 Comments

Tonight I am asking myself, Why oh why did I wait until 10:00 at night to write this post?” I could have pre-written it, put up it on the scheduler, and had it automatically post today. But did I do that? No. So, here I am, 10:00 at night (yes I know, that’s not late to […]

X is for X Words

Posted on April 26, 2018 2 Comments

We are getting down to the last letters of the A to Z Blog Challenge. Through the challenge I have been writing daily about the Isle of Man where my book, The Manx, takes place. Besides all the wonderful characters and the folktales, I also included posts about visiting the island and some of the […]

Witches of Slieau Whallion

Posted on April 25, 2018 Leave a Comment

Slieau Whallion is a hill located on the Isle of Man near St. John’s just off of Gleneedles Road. It has a grisly history of being the execution place of accused witches. They would be put into a barrel with spikes driven into the sides of the barrel, pointing inward. Then the barrel, with the […]

V is for Vampire

Posted on April 25, 2018 1 Comment

In a churchyard in Malew parish, Isle of Man, there is a grave that is said to be that of a vampire. It is eerie to look at photographs of the strange grave, and not surprising that a vampire legend would be born from it. It is interesting to have the juxtaposition of a vampire […]

U is for Universe

Posted on April 24, 2018 Leave a Comment

When the sun goes down and the stars come out, how many can you see? Where I live the night sky is getting filled with flood lights from shopping centers and parking lots. 18 years ago we could go out in our backyard and were able to see quite an abundance of stars. Today the […]

T is for Tourist Trophy Races

Posted on April 23, 2018 1 Comment

My main character in The Manx, Kaitlin Manning, and her father, Charles, are on the Isle of Man to photograph the TT races when Kaitlin stumbles across the first piece of a puzzle that takes her far from the races. I became fascinated by these races when looking for a reason for Kaitlin to visit the […]

S is for Mt. Snaefell

Posted on April 21, 2018 3 Comments

I had to giggle – just a little bit – when I first learned about Mt. Snaefell (see this map for location). When I looked at photographs of the mountain I scratched my head and thought, “That’s not a mountain…it’s a big hill.” I live near the Rocky Mountains and am used to the high […]

R is for Rhumsaa (Ramsey)

Posted on April 20, 2018 2 Comments

Rhumsaa is the Manx term for Ramsey which is located on the northern end of the Isle of Man. It was named by the Norse (hrams-á) as the “Wild Garlic River” due to all of the wild garlic that grows nearby. Ramsey is the second largest city only bested by Douglas. It is also where […]

Q is for Queenies

Posted on April 19, 2018 2 Comments

On the Isle of Man they have a delicacy called Queenies. I have never tried them, but when I get to the island it will be one of the first things I’m going to taste. What are they? They are Queen Scallops also called Manx Queenies. The scallops are fished around the island starting in […]