Monday's Ramblings.

I stayed up late last night to watch the closing ceremony of the Paralympics.  Now I'm not really a sports fan - the only sport I really enjoy is equestrianism, being a horse owner and lover myself, but am filled with awe and admiration for each and every competitor at the Paralympics, whatever their nationality of specialist sport they were all amazing and to be congratulated on their achievements. Truly an example of what the human spirit is capable of!

They really made me feel very humble and had me watching events that normally I wouldn't have been interested in, but were compelling watching when the competitors were missing a limb, sometimes two, had vision impairments or other obstacles to overcome.  I won't call them 'disabilities' because truly these athletes showed their abilities and inspired us with their courage, focus and determination and can do attitude.

Congratulations to them all, whether they won a medal or not, they were a real inspiration.

I thought you might like this 'behind the scenes' video of some of the 2016 Paralympic riders and their horses.  (I love the appaloosa (the spotty one) unusual colouring for a dressage horse.)

For insider news and subscriber-only info, subscribe to my occasional Newsletter. I promise not to spam and your in-box will only see an email from me every 3 or 4 months or so - unless of course I have something really Newsworthy to share! http://madmimi.com/signups/196357/join Every new subscriber will get a FREEdownload of my fantasy novella 'Dancing With Fate' (If this doesn't arrive within two days just email me at hywelalyn@btinternet.com)

Marilyn Baron - Stumble Stones, Interview and spotlight.

Stumble Stones a New Novel by Marilyn Baron

Delivers Dark and Humorous Romancing the Stone-style Suspense

I'm so happy to welcome Marilyn Baron, a fellow Wild Rose Press Author, to the Flight Deck today.

I asked Marilyn about her latest release and her favourite part of writing this book:

Stumble Stones: A Novel was just released August 19 and I’m very excited about this book. Stumble Stones has elements of romance, humor, suspense, mystery and intrigue. Set in contemporary and 1940s Europe, it’s about a cache of priceless diamonds hidden in World War II that holds the key to an unsolved mystery and a promise of lost love. It incorporates a lot of my favorite things: Travel—it is set in Rome, Baden, Switzerland, and Berlin, as well as on a Scandinavian cruise. I like to set books where I’ve vacationed and I definitely tap into that in this book. I spent six months in college in Florence, Italy, so that’s one of my favorite settings. At the beginning of the book, the heroine is on her way to Italy, to get away from her ex-husband and spend as much of his money as she can. As a matter of fact, that was the opening line. “Life was better in business class, especially when your cheating ex-husband was paying for it.”

I’m also very interested in World War II and a big portion of the novel flashes back to the Holocaust stories of two women. My father was a top-turret gunner on a B-17 during the war and I’ve always been fascinated by his stories and the journal of his flight missions. Most of the books I read and enjoy are set in World War II. That was the part of the novel I enjoyed researching and writing the most.

I love watching soap operas so I made my heroine, Hallelujah Weiss, a writer for the soap opera As the Planet Spins and most of the chapters in her point of view begin with a soap opera script, revealing the parallels in her life and the life of Polly Winthrop, the character she writes. It is my most serious book to date. It’s a multilayered dark and humorous suspense and I tried to achieve the perfect balance between darkness and light with a hopeful, surprise ending.

HL: What do you do for fun when not writing?

I read. I’m in two book clubs and on the steering committee of an organization that plans and holds a communit ywide book event. I’m never without a book and I enjoy all genres from literary fiction to young adult. Likewise, I write in a variety of genres, from humorous coming-of-middle-age women’s fiction to historical romantic thrillers and romantic suspense, to paranormal/fantasy. To me, reading other authors’ books isn’t a time drain. It helps improve my writing.

HL: When did you start writing?

I wrote my first “novel” called East-West Island when I was in third grade and my teacher read it to the class in installments. All of the characters were kids in my class. I majored in journalism and public relations and minored in creative writing and I have a public relations firm so I wrote for a living before I started writing fiction.

HL: So What comes first: the plot or the characters?

The title. I can’t start a book without a title. Then I have to name my characters. The plot isn’t fleshed out when I start. I am a “pantser,” which means I write by the seat of my pants so the plot develops as I go along. Often, the ending surprises me.

HL: What have you learned about writing since you were published that surprised you the most?

It’s hard work. It takes focus to sit down at the computer and write and revise, rinse and repeat until you get a product you are happy with. When my characters stop talking to me, I know the book is ready. The amount of time it takes to promote a book once it’s released is much more than I ever imagined.

HL: What’s your writing process? Has it changed since writing your first book?

Yes, I used to write longer books and now my books are getting shorter as I get older. I don’t have a set writing schedule. I write when I have time, between writing for clients. I wish I had more time to write.

HL: Do you listen to music when you write and if so, what kind of music – or do you find it distracts you?

I don’t do that much anymore, but when I first started writing I definitely listened to music of the period I was writing about. For Under the Moon Gate, a WW II romantic thriller, I listened to Big Band music and music of the ‘40s, which I love. For Stones, my women’s fiction, I listened to all the songs I grew up with. Music never distracts me.

HL: What is your personal definition of success?

Putting my books out there so I will leave something behind. Having readers tell me they loved one of my books.

HL: What is your favourite source of inspiration?

Inspiration can come from anywhere and everywhere, from anything that sparks your imagination. In fact, ideas can come when you least expect them, and when inspiration strikes, ideas just might come from the heavens.

Here are my Top 10 sources of inspiration:

Eavesdropping

Titles and Character Names

Travel

Dreams or Daydreams

Conversations

Real-Life Experiences and Events

Hobbies or Interests

Reading other Books

From Other People

The Cosmos

HL: Is there any advice, as a new writer, that you were either given, or wish you had been given?

Every well-known author I’ve ever met or interviewed has a common piece of advice for new writers and that is—Finish the Book! You can always revise and improve a manuscript, but you can’t fix a blank page.

HL: What sort of research do you do for your books and what’s your favourite source of information?

For my book set in Bermuda during WW II, I did extensive research by reading archived New York and Bermuda newspapers from the 1940s to find out little things like what people ate, what movies they watched, what style of clothes they wore, what things cost, etc., and that helped to give the book dimension and immerse me in the times I was writing about. Thank you so much, Marilyn, it was so interesting to find out more about you - now let's see some more of the book itself.

Synopsis

Hallelujah Weiss, writer for the steamy sudser As the Planet Spins, gets a second chance at love when she flees to Italy to get over her recent divorce, courtesy of her cheating ex-husband’s credit card. A woman scorned, Hallelujah has sworn off men and is determined to reinvent herself. The new Hallelujah is eager to live life on the edge, more like Polly, a character she writes and idolizes.

Lonely Berlin hedge fund manager Alexander Stone, a number cruncher who puts his faith in numerical data, still believes in destiny, despite the fact his fiancée just dumped him. Always a man with a plan, Alexander did not plan on Hallelujah.

After a chance encounter on a flight to Rome, the unlikely pair faces danger when they team up to return to their rightful owner a stash of WW II vintage jewels. The hidden diamonds hold the key to an unsolved mystery and a promise of love.

 Stumble Stones is available at:

Amazon UK Ebook

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Stumble-Stones-Novel-Marilyn-Baron-ebook/dp/B01HLSSXSY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1473286816&sr=8-1&keywords=stumble+stones+baron+kindle

Amazon UK Paperback

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Stumble-Stones-Novel-Marilyn-Baron/dp/1509209115/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1473286816&sr=8-1

Amazon US (Ebook and paperback)

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=stumble+stones+baron

Stumble Stones E Book The Wild Rose Press

http://catalog.thewildrosepress.com/all-titles/4473-stumble-stones-a-novel.html

Stumble Stones Paperback The Wild Rose Press

http://catalog.thewildrosepress.com/paperback-books/4433-stumble-stones-a-novel-paperback.html?search_query=Stumble+Stones+Paperback&results=1

Barnes & Noble Nook

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/stumble-stones-marilyn-baron/1124055735?ean=2940158118838

About the Author, Marilyn Baron
Marilyn Baron writes in a variety of genres, from humorous coming-of-middle age women’s fiction to historical romantic thrillers and romantic suspense to paranormal/fantasy. Stumble Stones is her 11th novel published with The Wild Rose Press.

She’s also published five short stories with TWB Press and self-published three books, including a musical about Alzheimer’s called Memory Lane. AmazonEncore republished her book Sixth Sense on September 15, 2015. 

She’s received writing awards in Single Title, Suspense Romance, Novel With Strong Romantic Elements and Paranormal//Fantasy Romance. She is a Georgia Romance Writers (GRW) Maggie Award winner, a PAN member of Romance Writers of America and GRW and winner of the GRW 2009 Chapter Service Award. A public relations consultant in Atlanta, Marilyn graduated with a BS in Journalism and a minor in Creative Writing from the University of Florida. She worked in Public Relations for AT&T in Atlanta for 13 years before starting her own PR firm. She was a 2016 Nominee for the 52nd Georgia Author of the Year Awards in two categories—Detective/Mystery for Landlocked and Romance for The Widows’ Gallery. Read more about Marilyn at:

Author Media Links

Website www.marilynbaron.com

Twitter https://twitter.com/MarilynBaron

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Marilyn-Baron/286807714666748

Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4722647.Marilyn_Baron

Amazon Author Page

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Marilyn-Baron/e/B008PJFQPC/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1

For insider news and subscriber-only info, subscribe to my occasional Newsletter. I promise not to spam and your in-box will only see an email from me every 3 months or so - unless of course I have something really Newsworthy to share! http://madmimi.com/signups/196357/join Every new subscriber will get a FREEdownload of my fantasy novella 'Dancing With Fate' (If this doesn't arrive within two days just email me at hywelalyn@btinternet.com) For insider news and subscriber-only info, subscribe to my occasional Newsletter. I promise not to spam and your in-box will only see an email from me every 3 or 4 months or so - unless of course I have something really Newsworthy to share! http://madmimi.com/signups/196357/join
Every new subscriber will get a FREE download of my fantasy novella 'Dancing With Fate' (If this doesn't arrive within two days just email me at hywelalyn@btinternet.com)

Diane Burton's Mission To Earth - background and #contest

It's always a pleasure to welcome a fellow SF romance writer to the Flight Deck. I've just read this book and can thoroughly recommend it as an entertaining and realistic vision of what life for future pioneers, about to embark on a voyage to colonise a new planet might be like.  It's not only a great read, but food for thought as well. I think we should all be concerned about global warming and the way we have treated our planet.

I asked Diane to  give us some background about how she came to write 'Mission to New Earth'.  Enjoy her post, and the excerpt from the book - and don't forget to enter the Rafflecopter contest at the bottom of the page.  

Background to Mission to New Earth:

I’ve often wondered what it would take for space exploration to move faster. Blame it on Star Wars and Star Trek. Those movies assumed we would go into space. That we would explore not just our solar system but beyond.

Although many people do not believe in global warming, I think it’s coming, along with over population plus the results of all the awful things we’re doing Mission To New Earth.

not just to the earth but to the air and water around us. I worry about what we’re leaving our children and grandchildren. Perhaps we’ll all pitch in and do more than our part to prevent the catastrophes that play a part in my science fiction novella,

Like most writers, I begin with a thought and then ask “what if…” This story was originally a short story I wrote for a holiday anthology on The Roses of Prose blog, titled “Christmas in Space” that I more than tripled in word count.

I’ve been fascinated by the Mars One project, a commercial venture to put people on Mars. I found the concept of starting off on a one-way trip to discover a new world intriguing, if not a little scary. I loved the characters in that short story so much that I had to find out more about them and their journey. What would motivate people to leave everything and everyone behind to set off on a one-way trip? All six of my characters have their reasons, and their secrets. The question is whether they’ll find a new home in time.

Mission To New Earth: a novella

By Diane Burton

Genre: science fiction romance

Release date: August 31, 2016

Length: 88 pages (25k words)

Amazon ~ Kobo ~ iTunes ~ ARe ~ Smashwords ~ Barnes & Noble

Blurb:

Would you go on a one-way trip to explore a new planet? Would you do it to save humankind?

Earth’s overpopulation and dwindling resources force the United Earth Space Agency to expedite exploration of new planets for a possible new home. When new crises ensue—a giant tsunami and the threat of nuclear winter—the timeline changes. Eight years of training crammed into four. Sara Grenard and her team prepare for launch, but are they ready for the one-way trip? Will the Goldilocks planet prove just right for Earth’s inhabitants? Before time runs out.

Excerpt:

As we followed, Marsh strode across the corridor to the left. The only private place down there was a lavatory. Not my favorite destination for a team meeting. But beggars couldn’t be choosers, as my mom used to say.

“We screwed up again,” Marsh announced as soon as the five of us joined him. His voice echoed off the hard surfaces. “In RT, it could kill us.”

“You and your damn RT,” Tom spat out. “Why can’t you just say real time like a normal person?”

Marsh shot him a look, one I’d hate directed at me.

Military background evident, he stood in the middle of the area near the showers, his feet wide apart, hands clasped behind his back. The others were more casual. Bill held up a white-tiled wall across from the showers. Ana and Gloria sat on a fake wood bench. Meanwhile, I crossed my arms and leaned against a sink. I tried to look casual even though my nerves were strung tight. We had to be ready for the launch. Earth was dependent on us.

All of my team, except Tom and Marsh, wore hang-dog expressions. At forty, Tom was the oldest on the team and a damn fine pilot. His red face and mutinous expression as he confronted Marsh belied his usually even-keeled manner.

“You’re exaggerating, Rayburn.” That was more than angry. Tom was defiant. “You always exaggerate. Worst case scenario? Is that all you think about?”

I’d never seen Tom so worked up. Gloria walked over to him and rubbed his shoulder. Usually in stressful times, her gentle caress calmed him down. Not now.

When he shrugged off her hand, I caught the hurt in her eyes.

“C’mon, Bill. Back me up on this.”

Bill held out his hands in a don’t-get-me-involved gesture. He was our engineer, both formal and practical. He could fix anything from wonky engines to food replicators.

Tom turned to me. “Sara?”

I knew that was coming. I tried to let my team work things out by themselves. Soon we’d be living in close confines, not just on the ship but on our Goldilocks planet. If we couldn’t live in harmony during training, we would be in deep trouble once we reached our final destination. We’d be in even worse trouble if we couldn’t work out our differences here. Marsh was right to pick the only place that wasn’t monitored. We absolutely didn’t want the directors to think we weren’t a well-functioning team.

They could pull us and put in the Shadow Team. Our replacements.

“Okay, guys, what did I miss?” With a forced grin, I raised my right hand. “I swear I wasn’t dreaming about a day at the beach during the sim.”

About the Author:

Diane Burton combines her love of mystery, adventure, science fiction and romance into writing romantic fiction. Besides the science fiction romance Switched and Outer Rim series, she is the author of One Red Shoe, a romantic suspense, and the Alex O’Hara PI mystery series. She is also a contributor to two anthologies: Portals, Volume 2 and How I Met My Husband. Diane and her husband live in West Michigan. They have two children and three grandchildren.

For more info and excerpts from her books, visit Diane’s website: http://www.dianeburton.com

Blog: http://dianeburton.blogspot.com/

Twitter:  http://twitter.com/dmburton72

Facebook:  http://facebook.com/dianeburtonauthor

Goodreads: Diane Burton Author  

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/dmburton72/

Amazon author page: http://amzn.com/e/B00683MH5E

Sign up for Diane’s newsletter: http://eepurl.com/bdHtYf

GIVEAWAY

Diane offers a chance to win a $10 Amazon Gift Card. Answer the following question in the comments then check the Rafflecopter for more chances to win.

Would you go on a one-way trip to a new planet?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thank you Diane, it was really interesting reading about you and your book!
Hywela Lyn










For insider news and subscriber-only info, subscribe to my occasional Newsletter. I promise not to spam and your in-box will only see an email from me every 3 months or so - unless of course I have something really Newsworthy to share! http://madmimi.com/signups/196357/join Every new subscriber will get a FREEdownload of my fantasy novella 'Dancing With Fate' (If this doesn't arrive within two days just email me at hywelalyn@btinternet.com)

Monday's Ramblings: The lonely mountain - an ice volcano

I came across this on the Nasa website the other day -

"An isolated mountain near the equator of the dwarf planet Ceres resembles a volcanic dome, according to new observations from NASA's Dawn mission. Like the "Lonely Mountain" Erebor in J.R.R. Tolkien's mythology, Ahuna Mons on Ceres was once occupied by a dragon, but one that "breathed" ice, not fire. The mountain likely formed as a salty-mud volcano. Instead of molten rock, salty-mud volcanoes, or "cryovolcanoes," release frigid, salty water sometimes mixed with mud."

I don't know about you, but I find this really fascinating.  I wish I'd written an 'ice' volcano' into the  snowy landscape of Nifleheim, my icy planet in 'Children Of The Mist'! Ah well, perhaps I'll use it for a future novel!

For insider news and subscriber-only info, subscribe to my occasional Newsletter. I promise not to spam and your in-box will only see an email from me every 3 or 4 months or so - unless of course I have something really Newsworthy to share! http://madmimi.com/signups/196357/join Every new subscriber will get a FREE download of my fantasy novella 'Dancing With Fate' (If this doesn't arrive within two days just email me at hywelalyn@btinternet.com)

Just five talented authors from the Rose Press

I love to promote fellow authors here and I'm thrilled to feature five wonderful new stories from my own publisher, The Wild Rose Press

Not2Nite by Barbara Burke

Not2Nite is part of the Candy Hearts series and it's a sweet historical romance set during WWII.

BLURB:

When ARP warden Molly sees a light shining through the darkness of London on a cold winter's night in the middle of the blitz she's infuriated with the careless American who struck it. Doesn't he know there's a war on?

Guy's just trying to find his way through a maze of unlit streets. He's very sorry and Molly reluctantly forgives him. When he accompanies her on her nightly rounds the two learn about each other, themselves and whether it's really possible to fall in love in only one night - especially when there's no guarantee of tomorrow.

BUY LINKS:

Amazon / Indigo Books / The Wild Rose Press

SEISMIC CRIMES by Chrys Fey

Seismic Crimes is a romantic-suspense and Book 2 in the Disaster Crimes Series. Tsunami Crimes will be coming out 2017!

BLURB:

An Internal Affairs Investigator was murdered and his brother, Donovan Goldwyn, was framed. Now Donovan is desperate to prove his innocence. And the one person who can do that is the woman who saved him from a deadly hurricane—Beth Kennedy. From the moment their fates intertwined, passion consumed him. He wants her in his arms. More, he wants her by his side in his darkest moments.

Beth Kennedy may not know everything about Donovan, but she can’t deny what she feels for him. It’s her love for him that pushes her to do whatever she has to do to help him get justice, including putting herself in a criminal’s crosshairs.

When a tip reveals the killer's location, they travel to California, but then an earthquake of catastrophic proportions separates them. As aftershocks roll the land, Beth and Donovan have to endure dangerous conditions while trying to find their way back to one another. Will they reunite and find the killer, or will they lose everything?

Buy Links:

Amazon / Barnes & Noble / KOBO / The Wild Rose Press

HAUNTED SOULS by Kathryn Knight

Paranormal Romantic Suspense (Military Romance + Ghost Mystery)

BLURB:

Four years ago, Emily Shea and Staff Sergeant Brett Leeds agreed to part with no strings attached. Sparks flew during their brief affair, but fate intervened, sending Brett overseas. When an unexpected pregnancy derailed Emily’s own plans, her attempts to locate Brett were soon overwhelmed by the challenges of single motherhood. Now, Brett has returned home, and Emily is forced to share her secret.

Despite feeling betrayed, Brett is determined to forge a relationship with their son, Tyler. As the former lovers battle both their inner demons and their mutual desire, another presence enters their lives—Tyler’s imaginary friend.

Soon, however, the chilling evidence points to a different conclusion: a ghost has formed a dangerous connection with their son. Emily’s attempts to help both a lost soul and a friend in need spiral toward a deadly confrontation, and Brett must race to save Emily before he loses her again—forever.

Buy Links:

Amazon / Barnes & Noble/ The Wild Rose Press

The MARRIAGE ULTIMATUM by Charlotte O’Shay

The Marriage Ultimatum is Book 1 of a 3 Book City of Dreams series. Look for A Model Engagement (Book 2) and An Illicit Affair (Book 3)

BLURB:

Dead-end job? Dreary apartment? Disastrous love life? Check, check, and check. Toddler who makes it all worthwhile? Absolutely. Juggling work, college, and the care of young Alex was never Sabrina's plan.

But Sabrina's dreams are bigger than any curve ball life can throw at her. Her top priority is keeping her small family together, no matter what the cost.

Vladimir Grigory doesn't believe in dreams. He earned his position at the top of New York's corporate ladder with his own sweat. His empire is his baby, and he'll destroy anyone who threatens it. Even the sexy employee who challenges him on every level.

When the New York tabloids and the world call him the baby daddy of Sabrina's son, Vlad believes Sabrina is part of a plot to expose the secrets of his past. He threatens to destroy her future. But since Sabrina has secrets of her own, she has no choice but to agree to Vlad's marriage ultimatum.

Buy Links:

 Amazon / KOBO / Barnes & Noble / The Wild Rose Press

A WITCH’S JOURNEY by Tena Stetler

A Witch’s Journey is a paranormal romance.

The sequel comes out holiday season 2016!

BLURB:

Pepper McKay comes from a long line of powerful witches. Unfortunately, magic brings her nothing but trouble. She learned the love of wildlife rescue and rehab from her Aunt Ashling. After graduating from college, Pepper works for Salem Wildlife Sanctuary and lives from paycheck to paycheck until she inherits the McKay property in Lobster Cove. With the family land and resources, she dares to dream of starting her own wildlife rescue and rehabilitation center.

Lathen Quartz, a former Navy SEAL turned handyman maintains the enchanted McKay property for the estate. But someone is trying to steal the McKay magic. Lathen offers to help Pepper achieve her life-long dream of building a wildlife center. During the long hours spent together on the project, their mutual attraction can’t be denied. But each harbors a deep, dark secret. Will they overcome their demons and give love a chance? Can they save the magic before it’s too late?

Buy Links:

Amazon / Amazon UK /  Amazon Australia / Amazon Canada

The Wild Rose Press / KOBO / Barnes & Noble / All Romance Books

For insider news and subscriber-only info, subscribe to my occasional Newsletter. I promise not to spam and your in-box will only see an email from me every 3 months or so - unless of course I have something really Newsworthy to share! http://madmimi.com/signups/196357/join Every new subscriber will get a FREE download of my fantasy novella 'Dancing With Fate' (If this doesn't arrive within two days just email me at hywelalyn@btinternet.com) 

Dragon Knight's Ring - Spotlight and Giveaway

I'm delighted to feature fellow WRP author Mary Morgan's latest release on the Flight Deck today: - Wishing you much continued success Mary!

Dragon Knight’s Ring

Order of the Dragon Knights

Book Five

Mary Morgan

Genre: Paranormal Time-travel Romance

Publisher: The Wild Rose Press

Date of Publication: August 12, 2016

ISBN: 978-1-5092-0983-5

ASIN: B01HDWY852

Number of pages: 366

Word Count: 89,500

Cover Artist: Debbie Taylor

Book Description:

Death destroyed their love. Yet, can a trio of Fenian warriors roll back time to reunite two lost souls?

Crusader, Adam MacFhearguis is on one last quest to the standing stones in Scotland where he seeks to bury the past. However, a silent prayer sends him to an unknown future and to his beloved Meggie. When he uncovers a shocking revelation, Adam questions everything about the woman he thought he knew and loved. He may have traveled the veil of ages, but time is now his enemy.

Margaret MacKay lives a life in the future without the memories of her past—her death. When Adam arrives at her door confessing he knows her, she is confused and wary. With each passing day, she yearns to learn more from this stranger. Yet, when a truth is revealed, can she trust the man to unlock the chains from her mind and heart?

Will love free the bonds to unite the two lovers who were doomed centuries ago? Or will evil finally claim victory over the Dragon Knights?

Amazon       BN      Kobo     The Wild Rose Press     ARe

Excerpt:

Meggie brushed her fingers over the leather pouch. “It feels empty.”

“Are you not tempted to take a wee look inside?”

She snatched her hand back. “I’m not peering inside the man’s belongings. As soon as he wakes, he and his horse can leave.” Giving the horse a firm pat, Meggie walked out of the stall and away from her smirking cousin—only to run smack into her other cousin, Lena.

“Blast,” snapped Meggie, grabbing her cousin by the arm to help steady them both. “Sorry, didn’t see ye,” Seeing the excitement in Lena’s eyes, she stepped back. “What?”

“I hear you have a Highlander in the guest room,” she replied, giving Meggie a wink. “Are you going to share?”

Meggie placed her hands on her hips. “He’s not my Highlander. Feel free to have him, though as soon as he wakes he’s gone from here.”

Lucas strode out of the stables, wiping his hand on a cloth. “I think I’ll go introduce myself, since I think this man bothers you. You keep stating he must leave as soon as he wakes.”

Lena pushed her cousin aside. “No, Lucas. I will go check on him.”

“Ye are both crazy,” protested Meggie. “He’s just a man.” Stepping past them both, she marched away from the stables.

Approaching the entrance of the castle, her nerves tingled and the air cooled. Halting on the gravel courtyard, she slowly glanced up at the guest bedroom window. Gazing down at her was the dark Highlander. His hands were braced on either side of the glass, and Meggie could swear for an instant, she recognized him from somewhere. A dream, perhaps? The look he gave her pierced her soul, and she shivered.

“Impossible,” she muttered. “I don’t dream. And ye are leaving now.”

Breaking from his stare, Meggie entered the castle, almost running up the stairs. By the time she reached the guest room, her hands were shaking. Not even bothering to knock, she pushed open the door and stormed inside.

Her mouth became dry, unable to form the words to order this giant out of her home. His bulk blocked the light from the window as he leaned against the ledge staring at her. She was not one prone to swoon at men—any man, but this one made her a jumbled mess. Moving to the table, she picked up his sword and took it over to him. His eyes widened as she approached and she fell into their dark blue depths. 

“I…um…” she stammered before continuing. “Ye should leave.” There, she got the words out.

Instead of reaching for his sword, the man lifted two fingers and caressed her cheek. She gasped, the touch searing her skin, and she took a step back. She could see the look of shock pass over his features, as if he felt the same reaction.

Meggie shoved the sword into his arms and ran for the door. Yet, when her hand touched the handle, she heard him speak.

“Dinnae leave me again, Meggie.”

****

About the Author:

Scottish paranormal romance author, Mary Morgan resides in Northern California, with her own knight in shining armor. However, during her travels to Scotland, England, and Ireland, she left a part of her soul in one of these countries and vows to return.

Mary's passion for books started at an early age along with an overactive imagination. She spent far too much time daydreaming and was told quite often to remove her head from the clouds. It wasn't until the closure of Borders Books where Mary worked that she found her true calling--writing romance. Now, the worlds she created in her mind are coming to life within her stories.

Website: http://www.marymorganauthor.com

Blog: http://www.marymorganromancewriter.com

Twitter: http://twitter.com/m_morganauthor

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/mary.morgan.564

Facebook Book Page: https://www.facebook.com/Order-of-the-Dragon-Knights-1618877245066640/

Goodreads  http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8271002.Mary_Morgan

Amazon Author Page http://www.amazon.com/Mary-Morgan/e/B00KPE3NWI/

Tour giveaway

A signed print copy of Dragon Knight’s Ring. $25 Amazon gift card. Jeweled bookmark, and a Keychain with cover of book.

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For insider news and subscriber-only info, subscribe to my occasional Newsletter. I promise not to spam and your in-box will only see an email from me every 3 months or so - unless of course I have something really Newsworthy to share! http://madmimi.com/signups/196357/join   Every new subscriber will get a free download of my fantasy novella 'Dancing With Fate' (If this doesn't arrive within two days just email me at hywelalyn@btinternet.com) Every new subscriber will get a free download of my fantasy novella 'Dancing With Fate' (If this doesn't arrive within two days just email me at hywelalyn@btinternet.com)