J.R. Tomlin Books In Order

Publication Order of Archibald the Grim Books

Publication Order of Sir Law Kintour Mysteries Books

Publication Order of Son of Scotland Books

Publication Order of Stewart Chronicle Books

Publication Order of The Douglas Trilogy Books

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

J.R. Tomlin is a historical fiction novelist who has more than ten works of fiction to her name.

Her father was born a Scotsman and hence she retains close ties with Scotland not to mention that she spent a lot of time in Edinburgh while she was a child. As such, many of the historical fiction novels that she writes are set in several settings in Scotland.
Her love of Scotland can be traced to the stories her grandmother used to tell her about the likes of Good Sir James and Robert Bruce the Scottish king.

Back then, she used to love listening to those stories as they hillwalked through the Cairngorms, enjoying the gorgeous glow of the granite hills in the setting sun.
Aside from Scottish stories, she has also been influenced by the work of authors such as J.R.R. Tolkien, Victor Hugo, and Alexandre Dumas.

When Tomlin is not writing her novels, she can usually be found playing computer games where she kills monsters, playing with her Westie, and hiking.

In addition to spending a lot of time in Scotland, she has traveled in the Pacific Rim, Europe, and the United States. She now makes her home in Oregon.

Similar to many of her contemporaries, J.R. Tomlin has always written. For as long as she can remember, she loved writing and coming up with stories for herself when she was very young.
When she was about nine years old, her favorite works of fiction were the “Nancy Drew” novels and she believes she read all of them.

Once she grew older, she found “The Three Musketeers” and never looked back. As a young adult, she loved everything to do with historical fiction as she read and loved the likes of Mary Renault and Sir Walter Scott.
Since she also loved mystery fiction, it was a no-brainer that when she decided to become a published author, she for the most part wrote historical mysteries.

When it came to publishing, she decided to self-publish given that most people she talked to told her that the medieval historical fiction market was nonexistent despite seeing so many authors become very successful.
Given how much she loved the genre, she decided to have a go at it and has made a living out of it for several years now.

Now a full-time author, J.R. Tomlin does most of her writing from home.
Since she is not a morning person, she does not do any writing in the morning as this is the time she usually takes to check her Amazon sales dashboard, check in on writer forums, and writer blogs, and offer some advice to other authors.
She usually does much of her writing in the afternoons once she has lunch. J.R. has trouble writing over long stretches and hence she usually pens her novels in one-hour stretches interspersed with short breaks.

Sometimes, she fits in some research in between the writing and once she has achieved her goal, she will sometimes take the evenings to download something to read or watch or do a little blogging.
When she has some free time, she usually reads or if not, she listens to music or goes hiking.

“A Kingdom’s Cost” by J.R. Tomlin is an amazing historical fiction work that introduces “The Douglas Trilogy.”

The lead is James Douglas, a young man who witnesses the brutal death of William Wallace the famous Scottish freedom fighter.

He is inspired to join the cause his hero had fought for. It is a noble cause but it comes with a very high price of country and his very life.

It is a time when Scotland is being torn apart with many wavering under the pressure of the powerful forces of Edward Longshanks, the English conqueror.

A few brave men stand up against the invaders as they have high hopes of getting back the freedom their land once had. But the only hope Scotland has lies with Robert the Bruce, the rightful king of the Scots.
James Douglas swears loyalty to Bruce, as he is convinced he is the only one who can lead the fight against the tyranny of the British. The man is a king only in name but many believe in him and have answered his summons to fight the English.
With unstoppable resilience and searing determination, James Douglas throws himself into the fight, as he is determined to restore the freedom and rights of the people of Scotland.

J.R. Tomlin’s novel “Countenance of War” is a fascinating work in “The Douglas Trilogy.”

For the oppressed Scots, the period between the 1307 Battle of Loudon Hill and the 1314 Battle of Bannockburn which was very decisive, is one of little joy, struggle, suffering, and only small victories.
James Douglas who has been nicknamed “The Black Douglas” by the English is still fighting a guerilla war against the English, who have taken all the castles in eastern and southern Scotland.
Douglas manages to take his family’s castle but has to burn it to the ground as he cannot hold it against the English who have superior numbers.

At some point, he falls in love with a local woman, even as he fights with Robert Bruce to bring the Scots together to fight their very effective guerilla war.

With things getting out of hand, Edward brings the largest army ever to crush the Scots. Caught in the clash between England and Scotland, Douglas rushes to his destiny in this story of ruthlessness, passion, cunning, and loyalty.
The conflict comes to a bloody climax as the two nations cross swords in a battle that will determine the very survival of Scotland.

“Not For Glory” by J.R. Tomlin is an excellent work of historical fiction that continues to follow the life and times of James Douglas. He is a man who lived as he died with the heart of Bruce on the battlefield with a sword in his hand.
This story picks up from the time of the end of the Battle of Bannockburn where the Scots had achieved an unexpected victory.

Given their victory, Sir James, the king, and his friends have a little window of opportunity for peace and may just have Scottish independence recognized.

Lands are distributed, children are born and marriages occur but peace remains elusive. Meanwhile, Sir James is living in a loveless marriage even though he is an heir.

As for Douglas, he finds a way to avoid defeat just like he always does on the field when he finds love with one of the most beautiful ladies in waiting for the Queen.

He also takes up his sword to stand by the king as they take on the English, the French, and the Pope in addition to an attempt at treason by some Scottish lords.