Highland Homecoming
by B.J. Scott
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BLURB:
The last thing Alasdair Fraser expects to find on an isolated beach in Northern Scotland is a beautiful, unconscious lass. Unable to turn his back on someone in need, he delays his journey and tends to her injuries–an act that has him questioning his destiny and his plans to rejoin the fight for Scotland’s independence.
Will he drop the shield that guards his heart or will the secrets she fails to reveal and his own stubbornness keep them apart forever?
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Excerpt:
Northern Coast of Scotland. Summer 1308
Hooves pounded against rocks, surf, and sand as Alasdair Fraser pushed his mount beyond reasonable limits. Few things rivaled the thrill and exhilarating rush of mastering the powerful destrier between his thighs, controlling the magnificent beast with reins and will. The wind whipped through unbound hair and the tangy scent of the salty sea air filled Alasdair’s nostrils.
He’d ridden hard all afternoon, hoping to reach the stronghold of his longtime friend, Jayden Sinclair. But the sun had slipped below the horizon, the twilight sky ablaze with orange, red, and purple hues. Darkness would soon be upon him and he’d be forced to make camp for the night. He licked his parched lips and his stomach rumbled. Many hours had passed since he’d last eaten, but a hot meal and a tankard of ale would have to wait. Water, oatcakes, and a bit of dried venison would suffice until he reached his destination.
He dug in his heels, and the steed surged forward. The more distance they covered before nightfall, the shorter the journey would be on the morrow. But as they rounded a bend in the shoreline, Odin faltered, reared up on his hind legs, then began to dance nervously from side-to-side. The battle-hardened warhorse didn’t spook easily so Alasdair took heed of the animal’s uneasiness.
With one hand resting on the hilt of his sword, the other fisting the reins, he carefully surveyed the immediate area. Nothing appeared out of the ordinary, yet the niggling of trepidation gnawing at his gut led him to believe there was something amiss. He nudged the horse’s flank and the pair advanced with caution.
They’d only traveled a short distance up the beach when the sight of something a few yards ahead at the water’s edge brought them to an abrupt halt. With his heart hammering in his chest, Alasdair cupped his hand over his brow and narrowed his eyes, trying to get a better look. The image came into focus and he could make out the unmistakable outline of a person sprawled out on the shore.
“What is it, Odin? Or, should I say, who is it?”
While this could be someone in need, it might also be a trap, an enemy or bandit lying in wait. Without hesitation, Alasdair slid from the saddle, pulled a claymore from the baldric slung on his back, and raced down the beach on foot. Stopping a few feet away, he sucked in a sharp breath.
“Mo chreach!”
He sheathed his weapon and took a step closer. A young woman, wearing nothing more than a thin nightrail, lay motionless in the sand, the waves of the incoming tide lapping at her bare feet.
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AUTHOR Bio and Links:
With a passion for historical romance, history in general, and anything Celtic, B.J. always has an exciting work in progress. Each story offers a blend of romance, adventure, suspense, and, where appropriate, a dab of comic relief. Carefully researched historical facts are woven into each manuscript, providing a backdrop from which steamy romance, gripping plots, and vivid characters—dashing alpha heroes and resourceful, beguiling heroines you can’t help but admire—spring to life. A member of RWA, World Romance Writers, Celtic Hearts Romance Writers, and Savvy Authors, B.J. also writes contemporary, paranormal, time travel, and romantic suspense.
C.S. Lewis first captivated B. J.’s imagination in the fourth grade, and her desire to write sprang from there. Following a career in nursing and child and youth work, B.J. married her knight-in-shining-armor, and he whisked her away to his castle by the sea. In reality, they share their century-old home in a small Canadian town on the shore of Lake Erie with three dogs and a cat. When she is not working at her childcare job, on her small business, or writing, you will find her reading, camping, or antique hunting.
http://www.authorbjscott.com/home
http://www.soulmatepublishing.com/highland-homecoming/
http://www.amazon.com/B.J.-Scott/e/B006NSQR9G/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1
Buy links
Highland Homecoming( book 3 of Fraser Brother Trilogy)
http://www.amazon.com/Highland-Homecoming-Brothers-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B00F9U3SBO
Highland Quest (book 2 of Fraser Brother Trilogy)
http://www.amazon.com/Highland-Fraser-Brothers-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B00AQKYPU0
Highland Legacy: (book 1 of Fraser Brother Trilogy)
http://www.amazon.com/Highland-Legacy-Brothers-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B0065KX8P8
email: bjscott@authorbjscott.com
blog: http://authorbjscott.wordpress.com
facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Author-BJ-Scott/308663055834706
How to research before writing your book
(Guest Post by the Author)
While it is always good idea for an author to do some research before starting a book, it is a must for authors of Historical Romance. True they are works of fiction, but they are still set in a time periods that have well-known customs, settings and traditions. For an author’s work to be well receive, they must transport the reader back in time and hopefully share some interesting facts about the time period they might not have known.
Being a history buff, especially when it comes to anything Scottish or Celtic, has served me well. I love the research part almost as much as the writing. I love learning new things about an era, a battle or cause and enjoy sharing that information with my readers. However, my books are historical romance and must be careful not to get carried away and turn it into historical fiction. What is the difference? In a historical romance, the romance drives the story and the history is added to set the scene and enhance the book. In a historical fiction, the history drives the story. If there is elements of romance, the relationship is secondary to the history.
If you know the time period you with to write or perhaps have already written books in that era, you have a good start. Especially if you have a rough idea in your head about how the plot will unfold. But if you are starting fresh, from scratch, research plays an important role. Lovers of historical romance are often well versed in the time period so you must be accurate. This is not always easy. TV and movies often show thing that are not time period accurate. An example being the movie Braveheart. Kilts were not worn by the Scots in the early 1300s. They came about a lot later. The same with clan tartans. They did not come about until the 1630s. The word plaid did not refer to tartans, it was actually the Gaelic word for Blanket. It is details like these that help to make a book authentic. Language, traditions and actual historical facts always enhance a book and help to set the stage. While actual events might be used, the author must remember this is fiction and not actual fact. Readers are often frustrated by the dynamics between men and women in the book, another bone of contention and challenge for the author. While many readers want a historical, they forget about the fact that it was not until the early 1900s that women were even considered persons under the law and the interaction between men and women was much different. Historical times were also very stressful and one never knew if they would live to see another day so often acted on impulse rather than taking time to get to know each other or to worry about the consequences at the time. The challenge for the author is to maintain the past and present the story in an engaging way.
When I start to research a book, I first decide what time period in history. I can then utilize the resources in the library and online. I try to keep my plot as close to historically accurate as I can, but my main characters are always fictional. There is always a bit of wiggle room for creative license, but the true historical romance fan will call you on it if you stray too far. Once I have my facts in order, I can apply them to my book. And if I can share something new with my readers, that is always a bonus. If you are writing a series, a lot of the research is already done. The challenge now is to find something else that makes your story interesting and unique.
B.J. will be awarding a $50 Amazon gift card, Scottish shortbread cookies, can cooler and mouse pad (US/CANADA ONLY) to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour, and a beaded book thong with silver charms, book marks, pen, and canvas tote to a randomly drawn host (US/CANADA ONLY).
Follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here:
http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2013/10/virtual-book-tour-highland-homecoming.html
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26 Comments
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I think I really need to visit Scotland and see all its beauty. Especially if the sunsets are anything close to what your excerpt describes. ghwasd at gmail dot com
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I’d love to read Alasdair’s story. Sounds like a great book. Good luck to you and thanks for the review!
michelletucker at baconnation dot net -
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Sounds like a great read! thanks
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Sounds like a great read!!
Thanks for the chance to win!
natasha_donohoo_8 at hotmail dot com-
Thanks and good luck with the draw
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This looks wonderful! Thank you so much for this! Can’t wait to check it out. ^_^
cloud.weaver.girl at gmail dot com
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Thanks Melinda
hope you enjoy the book if you get the chance to read it. As mentioned earlier it is book 3 of a trilogy but people who have read them out of order find it is not a problem
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Ohhhh! So looking forward to this novel!
justforswag(AT)yahoo(DOT)com
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Nice blurb
bn100candg at hotmail dot com
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Thanks BN
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Thank you for sharing! Your post was very illuminating! 🙂 I hope you are having a great holiday weekend! 🙂
andralynn7 AT gmail DOT com
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Hope you had a great holiday weekend Andra. I am Canadian so we had our thanksgiving in Oct. Just another weekend for us.
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I love historical settings and always looking for a new author. Putting this one on my to-buy list.
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Thanks so much for dropping by. If you get the book, I hope you enjoy it. This is book 3 of a trilogy but I wrote all of them in such a way that you can read them out of order and not be lost.
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What a exciting excerpt. This sounds like a really good story.
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Thanks for dropping by Mom Jane. Hope you get a chance to read it.
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looks good!
hope Im the winner!
groogruxking40 at gmail dot com-
Thanks Steve and good luck
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I enjoyed the excerpt, thank you.
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Thanks Rita
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Thanks for dropping by Catherine. Library research is a vital part of an author’s foundation research.
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Thanks for dropping by Lisa and good luck with the drawing
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I want to take this chance to thank you for hosting me on your blog today. I look forward to spending the day with you and your visitors. Commenters, please feel free to ask is you have any questions and I will do my best to answer.
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As a librarian, I like learning more about authors’ research processes. Thanks for mentioning the Library.
catherinelee100 at gmail dot com -
Thank you for hosting
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thank you for the chance to win 🙂
jslbrown_03 at yahoo dot com
