Showing posts with label highland time travel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label highland time travel. Show all posts

Guest: Sarah Hoss and New Release, Highland Savior + Giveaway!

Welcome, Sarah! Congratulations on your new release! Please tell us about your writing.
I write contemporary romance novellas and my novels are historical paranormal romance. Why the two different genres you ask? Well, I hadn’t intended it to be that way. I began writing historical paranormal romance because I love time travel and going into the past. I enjoy the research involved. If you take a person from the future and place them in the past or vice versa, I find it interesting on how they would interact with  the people, adapt to their surroundings, and try to make a life for themselves in a place so foreign to them.  I like how it brings out their true nature.
My contemporary novellas began with one called Heaven Sent. I began writing it for a contest and from there, it became published. I decided then to continue to write them. One- because it gives my readers another genre to read plus it might bring in new readers who may not like the other genre. Two- I can put out the novellas in between the novels so that everyone has something to read while they are waiting.
You would think contemporary romance would be fairly easy to write considering we live in the here and now, but that’s not always the case. Because we live in this time, it can be harder to impress the reader.  No matter the genre, no matter the theme, we authors put our hearts in every book.
I want to thank the ladies here for having me. I appreciate the opportunity to speak and meet new people.
Thank you so much for being our guest today, Sarah!
***

Highland Savior

Two Lifetimes – Two Hearts – One future, if they can only survive the past.

Hamish Macpherson is surrounded by turmoil: an arsonist is on the loose, he’s in the middle of a feud with a local clansman, and just as he’s trying to save his sister from a burning cottage, he appears in the middle of a foreign living room three hundred years past his own time.

Gillian Meadows thinks she’s self-sufficient and can handle anything until she witnesses a murder in the alley next to an Olde City tavern. In a desperate run to escape being the next victim, she stumbles into a wiccan store and accepts the help of the shop owner. Little does she know that one mis-spoken word of a simple incantation can change everything.

Neither world is safe, but Hamish can better protect Gillian if he returns to his own time. Gillian has no choice but to go with him if she wants to escape the danger closing in. Little do they know that his past could be the biggest threat of all to their future.
***
 Excerpt!
Loud shouts grabbed her attention. She stared forward, trying to ignore the fighting. A woman’s scream echoed from the alleyway, sending a shiver up her back, making the hair at the nape of her neck stand up.
The man yelled on the top of his lungs, something about her never doing it again. How he trusted her and he was a fool, that all women were the same. The crying woman pleaded.
Gillian stopped and searched the streets in both directions, praying the cab would come soon. She heard a slap, then another. She would have to cross the alley to get back to the bar and she stopped, not sure what to do. She had no desire to be stuck outside, listening to a man beat his girlfriend. Once inside the bar, she could tell someone and they could come and help her. Rat bastard deserved a little taste of what he was dishing out.
Her lips puckered and she blew out a long silent breath, trying desperately to steady her nerves. She walked on her tip toes, slowly approaching the alley. Her heart raced. Silently, she said a prayer asking to not be seen. Panic coursed through her veins like ice and she shivered.
She stood immobile with her toes touching the edge of the alley as she listened to the man’s degrading words. The woman’s sobbing gripped her heart and squeezed. She should do something, but what? She was no match against the brute. She had to get into the bar. The safest route was to cross the street, walk down a block, then cross back over to the bar. The fastest, was to cross the alley.
Staring straight ahead, she made it halfway across when a gunshot pierced the night air and broke her resolve. She stopped, covered her ears and bowed her head. Instinct told her to run but she couldn’t help but peek down the alley. The woman slid to the ground and fell hard on the cement. She didn’t move. Gillian willed her feet to go, but they had a mind of their own. The man stood still as he watched the woman collapse, the gun held tight in his hand at his side. Gillian’s entire body shook and she dropped her purse.
She screamed, then bit down on her fist to stifle the sound. The man turned toward her. Time seemed to slow down.
The lighting wasn’t the best and she couldn’t make out a lot of details, but he was tall.
He stepped toward her as she unconsciously took a step back, kicking her purse, and she bent over to pick it up. She turned to run, then her heel caught in the sewer grate, causing her to fall and lose her shoe. She was vaguely aware of a plastic bag as it blew down the street like tumbleweed. A street lamp flashed on and off at the corner. Faint music played from within the tavern. She was aware of the searing pain that shot through her knee and elbow and the overwhelming desire to get up and run into the bar. She scrambled to her feet, stumbling awkwardly with only one heel.
Before she’d taken two steps, he reached her and grabbed her arm. “Come here, bitch.” His words came out in a tone just above a whisper. It was creepy and grated against her nerves. He pulled her back into the edge of the alley.
Gillian was frozen in place. All of his attention stayed focused on her. The gun was still in his hand. She willed her mind to work and tried to slow her breathing before she hyperventilated. She needed to come up with a plan for escape. She turned quickly to look out into the street. People came in and out of the bar all the time, why didn’t someone come now? There were no cars, no nothing. Was the night conspiring against her?
He grabbed her by the arms, forcefully pulling her against his chest. She struggled but he was too strong.
“Let me go!” she screamed.
“You saw, didn’t you, blackbird?” His hot breath stung her ear. It reeked of whisky. Bile rose in her throat as he fisted his hand into her hair and forced her to stare at him.
She swallowed. “No, sir. I swear I didn’t.” Tears danced in her lashes, then fell down her cheeks at the pain of her hair being pulled.
“Bullshit.”
Spittle flew against her face as he spat his angry words. A car roared around the corner and she stole a glance. Her taxi. Here was her chance to get away before this turned uglier than it already was.
After sucking in a breath of courage, she yelled, “Go to hell!” then brought her knee up hard against his crotch, dropping him to the ground. His ring caught in her hair as he grabbed his injured manhood, causing her to jerk backward for a second. She spun on her feet, tearing her panty hose and ran for the taxi.
A gunshot echoed in the night for a second time. The bullet hit the decorative street lamp above her head, making a funny tinging noise. She reached the car just as another shot rang through the air, striking the back window of the car. Glass shattered and she ducked down into the seat.
“Drive me to Bradford Place Apartments,” she hollered as the driver was already putting the car into gear. As he dialed 911, she clutched her purse to her chest and cried. All she wanted to do was lock herself away in her apartment forever.
The cab sped away as the words of the man trailed her. “I will find you!”


AUTHOR BIO:
Sarah Hoss grew up believing she could try anything and if she set her mind to it, she would succeed. Sixteen years of dance lessons, Cheerleading, and school plays proved to her that her parent’s words rang true. Writing was no exception. Reading the Outlander series made her fall in love with time travels and the historical places books could take her. Always a child with a vivid imagination, she realized as an adult, she could put her imagination to good use and began writing. Marrying her very own hero, they live in Indiana in the town where she grew up. They have three beautiful children and one hyper dog. When Sarah isn’t writing, she enjoys gardening, camping, and watching her kids’ play sports.


Where to find Sarah-



Twitter- @SarahHoss1

Facebook- 
Sarah is giving away an ebook copy of Highland Savior to one lucky commenter!


Guest: Nancy Lee Badger

Award-winning author, Nancy Lee Badger, loves chocolate-chip shortbread, wool plaids wrapped around the trim waist of a Scottish Highlander, the clang of broadswords, and the sound of bagpipes in the air. After growing up in Huntington, New York, and raising two handsome sons in New Hampshire, she moved to North Carolina where she writes full-time. A former EMT, volunteer firefighter, and 911 Dispatcher, Nancy writes about kilted Highlanders, heart-broken dragons, and romantic thrillers and is a member of Romance Writers of America, Heart of Carolina Romance Writers, Fantasy-Futuristic & Paranormal Romance Writers, Triangle Area Freelancers, and the Celtic Heart Romance Writers.  

Welcome, Nancy! Please tell us about your new release.



The idea to add pirates to My Hunted Highlander, the final book in my Scottish time travel series, came out of the blue. The blue being my love of the sea. I grew up within walking distance of beaches on the north shore of Long Island in New York and as older kids, we traveled in packs on weekends to Jones Beach or Fire Island. Visiting Scotland is on my bucket list, and the North Sea is at the top of the Scottish vistas I mean to enjoy.

My Hunted Highlander’s plot can be described this way:  Plucked naked from the North Sea, bruised and nearly drowned, Niall Sinclair wakes bound to the mast of the pirate ship, The Black Thistle. Hiding his identity, and brutalized by the first mate and other seamen, their captain comes to his aid. Her identity, and gender, are a surprise, and his physical reaction to her makes him nearly forget his need to escape, and return to his clan.

When kidnapped from her shipbuilding business in modern day Portsmouth, New Hampshire, the last place Blair MacIan figured to end up, was at the helm of a pirate ship in 1603 Scotland. With her abusive husband dead, and the ship, the crew, and their people under her care, the last thing she needed was to fish a naked man from the sea. His ravaged face and ragged sandy hair could not detract from his magnificence, and she sensed in him, a means for her own escape.

A woman pirate? Why not! Mixing a modern woman making the best of a horrid situation, and a scarred and lost Highlander, gave me plenty of opportunities to twist this story into a scary, upbeat, kilted, romantic romp. My research into pirates plying the North Sea off Scotland’s eastern coast was spotty, but what little I found was enough to create a crew, a ship, and a plot.

This book follows My Lady Highlander and My Dark Highlander, and is the last time travel romance I will be writing (for a while), but not the last of books with a Scottish theme. I plan to volunteer at the 40th annual New Hampshire Highland Games and Festival this fall, something I share with my family. While surrounded by thousands of men dressed in Highland kilts, with dirks on their hips, and whisky on their breath, the next book will easily write itself!




Excerpt from My Hunted Highlander
“What be this?”
 “An eye patch. It’ll keep your damaged eye from straining to stay closed. Keeping it covered will let it heal. Tie your hair at the back of your neck with this, and I will show you how it works.”
Niall shoved his fingers through his hair, then accepted a short strip of thicker leather. He tied his hair into a short queue, then lowered his arms.
Blair stepped closer and positioned the wool over his left eye. It rested alongside the left side of his nose, running from his brow, to below his eye. The darkness and softness of the wool was not as pleasurable as the gentle touch of her fingertips, as she centered the cloth. The leather ties pulled across his forehead and above his left ear. She walked behind him and tied them at the back of his head.
“Too tight?”
“Nay.” The strings were fine, but he lied about the tightness, elsewhere. Feeling like a green boy, alone for the first time with a tavern wench aiming to share her wares, he stifled a groan and waited.
She returned to her side of the table, and stood gazing down at him. “How does that feel?”
Settling back in the creaking wooden chair, he glanced around the room. His damaged cheek felt the slight pressure of the cloth, but the strain to keep his left eye closed had disappeared. “Aye, ‘tis fine. I thank ye, lass…Captain.”
She cocked her head to the side. “You look like a pirate.”
“I would like to join yer crew.”
“What?” she cried, as she tumbled onto her seat. The chair teetered backward, and as her arms flailed, he raced to her side. When the chair stopped bobbling, and the front legs slammed back onto the wood floor, she glared up at him.

Nancy is giving away a $25 Gift Card to Amazon or Barnes & Noble. Enter HERE.
Please visit Nancy online:
Blog                              http://www.nancyleebadger.blogspot.com
Website                         http://www.nancyleebadger.com
Twitter                          https://twitter.com/NLBadger
Facebook                      http://on.fb.me/KMGS4z                    
Goodreads                    http://bit.ly/Vd1Usg
LinkedIn                      http://linkd.in/1N902go
Amazon Author Page   http://amzn.to/13ICHLq

Nancy's new book, My Hunted Highlander, is available at the following links.
Amazon ebook            http://amzn.to/1GYQqpr
NOOK                        http://bit.ly/1KZjE7h
Smashwords                http://bit.ly/1fha0kp   
iTunes                         http://apple.co/1GzRhq4
AllRomance                http://bit.ly/1G3xEaG
Amazon print              http://amzn.to/1GT84sI

Thank you, Nancy, for being our special guest today!

Guest: Nancy Lee Badger - Why Time Traveling Hunks-in-Kilts?


Nancy Lee Badger loves chocolate-chip shortbread and wool plaids wrapped around the trim waist of a Scottish Highlander. Her stories tempt you with the clang of broadswords, and the sound of bagpipes in the air. With her notebook at hand, and her camera ready to capture the next example of a perfect ‘turning of the caber’, Nancy can be spotted at various Highland games and festivals ‘soaking up the culture’.

After growing up in Huntington, New York, and raising two handsome sons in New Hampshire, she moved to North Carolina where she writes full-time. Nancy is a member of Romance Writers of America, Heart of Carolina Romance Writers, Fantasy-Futuristic & Paranormal Romance Writers, Triangle Area Freelancers, and the Celtic Heart Romance Writers.  

Why Time Traveling Hunks-in-Kilts?

A reader recently asked me why I decided to write another Scottish time travel romance. My Lady Highlander, though the first in my Kilted Athletes Through Time series, is my fourth Scottish time travel. My answer was this: sometimes the characters write the story. I am not saying I have no control. I like historical novels…to a point, but I wanted to do something different.
Turning the Caber
Since I have attended Scottish Highland games and festivals from Canada to Georgia, I wanted to incorporate their festive atmosphere, mouth-watering foods, hunky men in kilts hefting telephone poles, and bagpipe-playing rock bands ‘bringing down the house’. Historically inaccurate as some things might seem, such as the kilted hottie with a cell phone in his sporran, adding real history to my stories blends the best of two worlds.
Seven Nations
The early seventeenth century was a world of upheavals and grim tales of hunger, piracy, battles, and death, but the people always found time to celebrate the harvest (Samhain) or the coming of spring sunshine (Beltane). Many of the feats of strength I see at modern-day games came into being quite naturally. The longbow competition, the hammer throw, and even wrestling are reminders of battle scenarios.
Today’s ‘battles’ are quickly ended, and toasted with a glass of ale, or a dram of Whisky. Why not show the battles and swordplay in my book, then remind my readers that they can see examples of these at Highland Games held around the globe.
My Lady Highlander Excerpt:
The fist landed on Bull’s left cheek, slamming his head against the tree. He saw stars, and his stomach lurched. As the dizzy spell worsened and his knees buckled, he wanted nothing more than to vomit on Niall’s boots. A rustling of branches and a flurry of Gaelic curses in a woman’s voice brought his head up.
Izzy? No!
“Leave him be, ye ornery, loud-mouthed, son of a defiler. He saved yer brother’s life, and this is how ye repay the man?” Izzy said, and walked slowly toward Niall.
Bull stared, shocked and worried that she’d left her perfectly good hiding place for him. With a smile on her heart-shaped face, her beauty was like the sun after a storm. Moonlight sparkled in her stormy eyes. Groaning, as she raised the sword he’d hidden with her, and rested the tip on the curve of Niall’s left pectoral muscle, Bull wanted to laugh.
Or, cry.
“She’s too close to him,” Bull muttered.
Her womanly fragrance of flowers, pine and moss, eased his body and calmed his stomach. Struggling to stand, he wished he could take her place. It should be him, who held a sword to Niall’s chest.
Her eyes flitted sideways, watching Bull rise and lean against the tree, then she turned back to Niall. He could grab the sword out of her hand, any second.
“Izzy, love. Why didn’t you stay hidden?” Sucking in more air, Bull’s voice croaked.
“The wildcat has risen from her den. What’s this ye say? Who be defiling who?”
My Lady Highlander is available at:
Amazon                              
AmazonPrint                     
NOOK                                
Barnes &Noble Print         

What’s next for you?
I was invited to join nine other authors in a boxed set titled ‘Ten Timeless Heroes’. Readers new to my writing can try My Honorable Highlander, which is in the boxed set, and is Book #1 in the Highland games Through Time series. I am also currently writing the second book in my new series, in between visiting Scottish Highland festivals.  

10 Timeless Heroes
Nancy Lee Badger’s My Honorable Highlander is one of the books where magic & destiny unite lovers across time and space in this epic collection of award-winning, chart topping tales. From sweet to sizzling romances, 10 Timeless Heroes has a little something for everyone. Over fifteen hundred pages!
 
Amazon    http://amzn.to/RuFTub
NOOK       http://bit.ly/1ntUSi5
What is your idea of the perfect ending to a day spent at a Scottish Highland festival? One person’s comment will win an ebook copy of My Lady Highlander. Contest ends. April 26th. (Please remember to leave your email address in some form so we can contact you if you win.)
Connect with Nancy Lee Badger
Blog                                      http://www.nancyleebadger.blogspot.com
Website                                 http://www.nancyleebadger.com
Twitter                                  https://twitter.com/NLBadger
Facebook                              http://on.fb.me/KMGS4z                    
Goodreads                            http://bit.ly/Vd1Usg
Amazon Author Page           http://amzn.to/13ICHLq

Thank you for being our guest today, Nancy!!

Guest: Eliza Knight + Something Wicked This Way Comes Book Giveaway!

Eliza Knight is the multi-published author of sizzling historical romance and erotic romance. While not reading, writing or researching for her latest book, she chases after her three children. In her spare time (if there is such a thing…) she likes daydreaming, wine-tasting, traveling, hiking, staring at the stars, watching movies, shopping and visiting with family and friends. She lives atop a small mountain, and enjoys cold winter nights when she can curl up in front of a roaring fire with her own knight in shining armor. Visit Eliza at www.elizaknight.com or her historical blog, History Undressed, which was recently mentioned in a feature article in The Wall Street Journal.
Q: Welcome, Eliza! We always love it when you visit our blog! Please tell us about Highland Tryst in the Something Wicked this Way Comes anthology. And do you have a review you could share with us?
A: Highland Tryst by Eliza Knight:
Having sworn off love, Kari Howard isn’t adverse to a little lust when a hot Highlander lands at her feet. Literally. Fin has traveled through time, and given what he’s packing under his kilt (good Lord!), Kari expects the sexy Scotsman to make her quake. But she doesn’t expect Fin to shake her very foundation…or cherish her for who she is.
From Black Raven’s Reviews: I was so enthralled with the HighlandTryst that I wished he lived in this century. Ms. Knight’s writing is smooth and relaxing but has a powerful sexy edginess that draws the reader into the story making you feel as if you are one of her main characters. Highland Tryst is a great adult bedtime story. I know I had pleasant dreams.
Q: Awesome! What inspired this story?
A:  I love funny, sexy, time-travels with Highlanders. It’d been awhile since I wrote the last one (Take it Off, Warrior), and when I saw the call for SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES, I thought there was no better opportunity than to write the story that had been niggling in my mind. HIGHLAND TRYST was born. It’s a quick fantasy—totally out of the realm of reality, where a jaded, modern day gal gets the man of her dreams—literally he drops at her feet.
Q: This sounds like fun! I love time travels, especially those involving Highlanders, and can't wait to read this. How did your story’s setting impact your plot or characters?
A: The setting in this story, the beach of Ocean City, MD, is actually quite important because it helps the hero realize his skills as a good swimmer and life-saver can transfer into this new world. Additionally, I wanted it to be near a university, which Salisbury University is right near there (about 15-20 min) and is used fictionally in one scene. There is also a hospital close by (about 10 minutes away), which I needed since my heroine is an E.R. nurse. I grew up visiting Ocean City several times a year, and actually we have a house near there now so we visit the area several times a year.
Q: How do you choose names for your characters?
A:  I chose the heroine based on one of my good friends, who asked me to write a story for her. HIGHLAND TRYST does not have anything to do with her real life, and is purely a work of my creative mind, although I did toss in a few jokes she’d recognize! As for the hero, his name is more of a joke between my husband and I. There is a street we drive by often called MacClintock, and we shout it out every time—yes we are dorks. And I really just liked the name Finley.
Q: That's so neat that you used your friend in the story. Did you choose the title of your book and if so how did you do it?
A: The title of the book was originally TRYST WITH A HIGHLANDER, but alas, it didn’t work for the publisher, so they shortened it to HIGHLAND TRYST.
Q: Which element of this story was the hardest for you?
A: The hardest part for me when writing a time-travel is trying to figure out how they will stay together. It has to be major. We’re talking about transcending time. The hardest part about writing a short story is making their love and attraction believable. I love the idea of love at first sight and soul-mates, but readers don’t always, so trying to mix that element with real life chemistry and character traits can be tough when you only have a certain number of words to work with.
Q: Yes, I can see how that would be difficult. What’s next for you?
A: I’ve just finished another short time-travel and now I’m working on a full-length time-travel. I’ve yet to write one (although I have several other romance/historical fiction novels under my belt.). I really want the length of a novel to explore all the aspects of a time-travel. I’m excited, the characters are great and the first scene is vivid and filled with tension!
Q: Sounds fantastic! Would you like to ask readers a question?
A: I’d love to ask readers a question!  Do you like time-travels? What aspect of a time-travel draws you in?
Eliza will be giving away an e-copy of SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES to one lucky commenter! When you comment, please remember to leave your email address in some form so we can contact you if you win. Thanks!
Please visit Eliza Knight online: 
Thanks so much for being our guest today, Eliza!!

Waking Up in Your Favorite Romance Novel

We all have that one special romance novel that we read over and over again. A part of us fantasizes about waking up in the arms of the hero who’s stolen our heart.

Gabby Stone’s romance novel is Devlin’s Destiny. Who is Gabby, you ask.

Why the heroine in my upcoming release. I am self-publishing a novella tentatively titled, Between the Pages, very soon. Sorry, don’t have a blurb or cover yet, but thought I’d take an opportunity to talk about the story.

You see, Gabby has been obsessed with the Devlin’s Destiny for months. She doesn’t understand why. It’s definitely not because of the crappy romance or the twit for a heroine. But the hero? Man, what she wouldn’t give to have ten minutes alone with the Scottish warrior.

She gets her wish when she wakes up inside Devlin’s keep and takes over the role of the heroine. But granted wishes aren’t always a blessing. With each turn of the page, obstacles are thrown in her path. A war between love and written words ensue. Can Gabby overcome Devlin’s Destiny and win him for her very own?

Here’s a quick excerpt from the first chapter:


“Gabrielle, my bonny lass, how ye taste, ye smell.”

She stilled beneath him, a creepy sense of déjà vu hitting her. “How do you know my name?”

“Ye jest,” he said, jerking back. The desire evaporated from his eyes as a muscle jumped in his jaw.

Gabby blinked as he jumped off her, cursing. “How could ye lie with me when ye doona know me?”

The déjà vu increased and a rock formed in her stomach. Why would she dream this?

Dream, my ass. She was having a nightmare. Only a nightmare would leave her body throbbing the way it was with no relief in sight.

Wake up, fool.

But she was firmly planted, even with knowing exactly where she was now and how this would end.

Her. Unsated.

Lord Devlin McCalister paced the room. The hurt and confusion she’d read over and over again in her favorite romance novel etched on his face, causing her heart to constrict as it did every time she read this scene. Gabby looked away. She guessed it was possible to read a book one too many times and she was a little too obsessed with Devlin’s story, as she’d been told by her co-worker on countless occasions.

How many times had she imagined herself in this very scene, in Devlin’s arms, knowing how relieved he was to finally have the woman he loved show some sort of emotion toward him--that was until he realized she had no clue who he was. She watched him pace, knowing exactly what he was thinking. Calling himself a fool for believing Gabrielle had finally come to her senses.

As expected, Devlin stopped and gave her one more searching glance, sadness exuding off his powerful frame. “Ye doona know me?” he asked, barely above a whisper.

She could have recited the words with him.

Unsure of what to say, she stuck with the book. “Nay, milord. I doonae.”


I got the idea for this story a few years ago as I have my own hero obsession. Anyone know the name Grimm Roderick?

He’s the hero of Karen Marie Moning’s To Tame a Highland Warrior. Yes, sirree. That man totally does it for me. I’ve read that book over and over again. Unlike Gabby, I liked Jillian, the heroine, and believe their love story. Too bad really. LOL.

Since this idea formed, I’ve taken on one more hero obsession, one who has usurped Grimm as my number one hero. Jericho Barrons. Ring any bells?

He’s also a creation of Mrs. Moning. (She really does write some freaking hawt men). Barrons, as he is referred to through most of the Fae series, is the hero. I use that word loosely too, because he even states he’s not the hero, lol.

So those are my two favorite heroes. I’d gladly trade places with the heroines, for a short time, most preferably a love scene, if given the opportunity.

Who is yours?

Esme
www.esmereldabishop.com