**One commenter today will win a free copy of my book Highland Quest or they may choose a copy of the first book in the series Highland Legacy. While a series, both can be read as stand alone titles.**
Blurb:
No longer content in
the shadows of his older brothers, Bryce Fraser rejoins the fight for Scottish
independence, but arrives too late to inform his fellow patriots of a surprise ambush.
Seriously wounded and left for dead, Bryce awakens to find Fallon MacCrery
tending his wounds, a twist of fate that rekindles passion and desire he’d
vowed to forget.
Gifted with second
sight and having lost everyone she ever held dear, Fallon believes her ability
and her love are curses that if pursued
will mean Bryce’s demise. But when she learns the English army plans to destroy
the Bruce and his followers, she risks all to warn them, even her heart.
Can their unspoken
love stand the test in a time of uncertainty and war, or will the plans of
their enemy, a traitorous laird from a rival clan keep them apart forever?
Author Bio
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 PAN 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
Excerpt
“Wa . . . water,” Bryce mumbled,
but there was no one there to listen.
His throat was parched and he ran his tongue
over dry, cracked lips, but his action offered no relief. An entire loch lay
only a few feet away, but he couldn’t muster the strength to drag himself to
the bank and quench his thirst.
“Cold . . . so cold.”
Despite the sun beating down on him, he’d
swear he was encased in ice. His life’s blood seeped from his wounds, soaking
the ground beneath him. He tried to raise his head, but the excruciating pain
radiating across his chest stole his breath away.
Was this what it felt like to die?
If so, he prayed the Almighty would be merciful and take him now.
Bryce moaned, a shift in his
position bringing on another nauseating wave of agony. He sucked in a
short, sharp, gulp of air and stretched his arm out as far as he could, his
fingers grappling in the dirt.
If only I could reach my sword.
Beads of perspiration dampened his
brow. As the strength slowly drained from his body, drawing a simple breath
became more difficult. The end grew near. No time to make amends for sins of
the past, and he had committed his share.
Regrets? He had those, too.
“Fallon.” He whispered her name then heaved a ragged sigh. He could see her
beautiful face, her soft, porcelain-like skin with just a sprinkling of
freckles across her nose. Raven tresses hanging loose in a riot of curls down
her back. Her petite, slender body had just the right curves to drive a man
wild with desire. Mysterious sapphire eyes that held him captive and a
heart-shaped mouth he’d never tire of kissing. If he had one wish before he
died, it would be to hold her in his arms one more time, to find himself nestled
between her thighs, making love until neither of them could take anymore.
But he’d missed his chance when
she left Fraser Castle after his brother’s wedding, returning with her clan to
their home in the borderlands. Determined not to allow Fallon, or any woman, to
breach the protective wall he’d built around his heart, he’d let her go.
A restless spirit, he longed for
adventure. While he admired his two older brothers, he was tired of living in
their shadows. Alasdair had turned down the position of Laird when their father
and older brother were killed at Berwick on Tweed .
Connor, the next in line, had accepted the responsibility and did the Clan
proud. He was happily married and Bryce was certain his wee son, Andrew, would
be raised to follow in his father’s footsteps.
Bryce held no land or title. Until he had made
a name for himself and earned these things, he had nothing to offer a wife. But
marriage and family were not part of his immediate plans. He loved women, all
women. Be they large, small, short, tall, fair, or plain, it made no difference
as long as they were willing to warm his bed, and expected no long-term
commitment in return.
A rogue many would say, but he
made no secret of his intentions. So far, this way of life had served him well,
and should he die in battle, he’d leave no one behind to mourn his loss.
When he was a lad of sixteen, he’d
made the mistake of falling for the daughter of the village smithy. Totally
enamored with each other, they’d vowed their eternal love and he believed they’d
marry some day.
He swallowed hard at the ball of
emotion rising in his throat, and clenched his teeth against the sudden ache
gripping his heart. He’d heard when a man is about to die, his life experiences
flash before his eyes. But some memories were far too painful to revisit.
He balled his fists at his sides,
his nails digging into his palms. He didn’t want to think about the past and
didn’t want a woman in his life. While Fallon was the only lass who had tempted
him to stray from his chosen path, she was better off without him. Or so he’d
told himself when he returned from a morning ride to learn she’d left Fraser
Castle without saying goodbye.
Clinging to the memory of their
brief time together, Bryce closed his eyes and waited for death to take him.
But distant voices and the sound of approaching footfall alerted him to the
fact that he was no longer alone.
“Over here,” a man shouted. “I
think this one is still breathing.”
“Aye, he’s alive, but for how
long? The lad has lost a lot of blood,” another man commented and clucked his
tongue.
Hovering on the edge of
consciousness, Bryce heard the conversation going on between two men, maybe
more. He tried to open his eyes, but the lids proved too heavy.
Judging by the familiar burr,
these men were Scottish, but so were the traitorous bastards who had attacked
them.
For a sennight, he’d ridden day
and night. However in the end, he was too late to warn the Bruce’s brothers and
their small group of Irish and Scottish islanders of the impending threat. Rushing
headlong into an ambush and outnumbered four to one, their fate was sealed.
This wasn’t the first time the
MacDougall Clan sided with the English. Staunch supporters of John Comyn’s bid
for the Scottish crown, they’d turned their swords and their loyalty against
their countrymen when Comyn was murdered at Grey Fryer’s Abbey and Robert the
Bruce was accused of the deed.
After the massacre at Methven—the
last major battle fought between the English and the Bruce before he went into
hiding—the buggers lay in wait, attacking the Scottish survivors as they tried
to make their way to the Argyle Mountains
Nor would he forget their leader.
Today he’d had the long-awaited chance to make good on his oath to see the
blackguard pay for his treasonous acts, but he’d failed. Instead, he’d found
himself on the receiving end of Dungal’s sword.
“I canna believe Scots would kill
Scots. These poor fellows dinna have a prayer of making it to shore unharmed,”
the first man said.
“Aye, the ship was run aground and
there must be at least fifty dead men on the bank of the loch. There appears to
be a mix of Irish and Scots, but nary an English soldier or a MacDougall plaid
among them.” The man speaking nudged Bryce’s shoulder with the toe of his boot.
“This appears to be the only one alive.”
A dizzying wave of excruciating
pain shot through Bryce’s chest as he was rolled onto to his side.
“What do you plan to do with this
fellow, Donald?” the second man asked. “We canna just leave him here to bleed
to death.”
“We’ll take him with us. My niece
has some knowledge of healing. She cared for my wife when she had the pox . . .
rest her soul.” Donald paused for a moment before he continued. “After Mairi
died, the lass decided to stay on for a while. Mayhap there is something she
can do for him. Best we make haste. I dinna want to be here if the bastards
return.”
“I’ll be surprised if he survives
the journey. But we can always bury him along the way if need be,” the second
man responded.
Strong hands slid beneath Bryce’s
shoulders, raising him to a sitting position, then someone grabbed his legs. A
few garbled words of protest were all he could manage before darkness closed
around him.
Web site www.authorbjscott.com
http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Highland-Quest/book-3h45k9pPxkaA9JX
Book trailer for Highland Quest http://youtu.be/P-T5WWSFBGI
*******
Book one of the Highlander
FINALIST IN THE 2012 OKLAHOMA
ON AMAZON BEST SELLER LIST FOR HISTORICAL ROMANCE JAN AND FEB 2012!
ON AMAZON BEST SELLER LIST FOR HISTORICAL ROMANCE JAN AND FEB 2012!
Blurb:
Faced with an abhorrent betrothal, Cailin Macmillan flees her father's castle and quickly learns that a woman traveling alone in Medieval Scotland is an easy target for ruthless English soldiers. WhenHighland
patriot Connor Fraser comes to her aid, his steadfast dedication to king and
country is challenged by his overwhelming desire to protect Cailin--even if he
must marry her to do so.
Accused of murdering one of her attackers and determined to rely on her own resourcefulness, Cailin dresses as a lad, intent on seeking refuge at the camp of Robert the Bruce. Can she elude an enemy from her past--a vindictive English lord bent on her utter demise--or will she fall prey to his carnal intent and be executed for a crime she did not commit?
Faced with an abhorrent betrothal, Cailin Macmillan flees her father's castle and quickly learns that a woman traveling alone in Medieval Scotland is an easy target for ruthless English soldiers. When
Accused of murdering one of her attackers and determined to rely on her own resourcefulness, Cailin dresses as a lad, intent on seeking refuge at the camp of Robert the Bruce. Can she elude an enemy from her past--a vindictive English lord bent on her utter demise--or will she fall prey to his carnal intent and be executed for a crime she did not commit?
Trailer
Highland Legacy
is on sale for $2.99 from until the end of Jan 2013
