Cathy MacRae's Blog, page 11

Medieval Monday with Ashley York

Today marks week 3
of our fall
Medieval Monday posts.

You'll find me on
Ashley York's blog here: 
https://www.ashleyyorkauthor.com
Follow me next week to Barb Bettis' blog :  http://barbarabettis.blogspot.co.uk

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Ashley's excerpt today is from her book, Daughter of the King.

EXCERPT THREE:
It was suddenly very hot. Brighit dropped down again, collecting the dandelions from the ground. “No good wife gets into mischief.”
She smiled at her choice of words.
“So ye wish to not be a good wife?”
Her gaze flew to Darragh to find him grinning at her. She sensed no anger, so he must not have heard any more than what he’d repeated.
She stood.
                                           * * *
Excerpt four will be at Ruth A. Casie’s blog.    http://ruthacasie.blogspot.co.uk
Come on by and say hello!
                                            * * *
     Daughter of the King – book three in The Derbfine Series
A mistaken identity. A gruesome murder. The uniting of two powerful clans.
 
Trained as a warrior…
Brighit of Clonascra is the only daughter of the fearsome overking, Sean, but despises the trappings and demands of womanhood. She’s far more comfortable training for battle than preparing a meal. Long held alliances require she set aside selfish dreams and take Darragh as
her husband. The union intended to promote peace between the clans is interrupted by the shocking murder of a neighboring king and she quickly discovers there are far worse things than being wed.
 
Trained to be king…
Darragh of Drogheda has no wish to follow in the path of his father, Tadhg, but he is an obedient son and supports his father’s plans. His marriage to Brighit, however, will be no hardship at all since he finds her most intriguing especially when she fights him at every turn. A she-warrior indeed. Her persistent dismissal of him merely blows the fire aflame and sets him down the path to discovery of all her most tightly held secrets.
When she stands accused of the murder, can they finally come to an agreement that will give them each what they truly desire?

Buy all my books here:  www.ashleyyorkauthor.com/books

Medieval Monday with Judith Sterling

Please help me welcome Judith Sterling to the Medieval Monday blog today.

You can find my excerpt on her blog here:    https://judithmarshallauthor.com/blog/
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Next week is the final post for the Fall 2018 Medieval Monday blog, so check back here for the end of my excerpt and a final chance to enter to win an ebook copy of The Highlander's Crusader Bride! Here is Judith's excerpt from her book, Flight of the Raven.

William spun around. “You’re a fine one to preach! I’ve not seen you drop to your knees to renew your faith in God and the Holy Church.”
Robert’s face darkened. “And you never shall.”
“Then why pressure me?”
“You’re married, Brother. You have more than your own needs to consider.”
                                          * * *
Make sure to comment below for a chance to win a digital copy of Flight of the Raven (or if you already own a copy, your choice of another of Judith’s books). A winner will be randomly chosen and announced on December 31.

Follow along next Monday on Judith Sterling’s blog: https://judithmarshallauthor.com/blog/

                               FLIGHT OF THE RAVEN

How eager would the bridegroom be if he knew he could never bed the bride?
Lady Emma of Ravenwood Keep is prepared to give Sir William l’Orage land, wealth, and her hand in marriage. But her virginity? Not unless he loves her. The curse that claimed her mother is clear: unless a Ravenwood heir is conceived in love, the mother will die in childbirth. Emma is determined to dodge the curse. Then William arrives, brandishing raw sensuality which dares her to explore her own.
William the Storm isn’t a man to be gainsaid. He’ll give her protection, loyalty, and as much tenderness as he can muster. But malignant memories quell the mere thought of love. To him, the curse is codswallop. He plans a seduction to breach Emma’s fears and raze her objections.

What follows is a test of wills and an affirmation of the power of love.
                                              * * *
Buy Links
Amazon http://buff.ly/2eRAwRW
Barnes and Noble http://buff.ly/2eWWIx3
The Wild Rose Press http://buff.ly/2eRuYXX
Audible https://www.audible.com/pd/Romance/Flight-of-the-Raven-Audiobook/B07D6VCGVH

Medieval Monday with Elisabeth Hobbes

 I'm excited to welcome Elisabeth Hobbes to Medieval Monday.

You'll find my 2nd excerpt on her blog here:   https://elisabethhobbes.co.uk/
And be sure to follow me next week to Ashley York's blog:    https://www.ashleyyorkauthor.com
Remember to comment on my excerpts weekly for a chance to win a copy of The Highlander's Crusader Bride!

Here is the excerpt from Elisabeth's book, A Wager for the Widow

 ‘Yes, she’s beautiful,’ he admitted. He thought back again to their first meeting and his lips twitched. When she had rounded on him with such indignation on the ferry it had taken all his self- possession not to silence her fury with a kiss! Will ran his fingers through his hair, thanking his good fortune he hadn’t done so.
‘I think prickly would be a fair description,’ he conceded.
‘I always imagined taking a tumble with her would be akin to falling into a holly bush!’ Rob laughed.
Will snorted noncommittally, wondering what his brother would say if he knew how close to the holly bush he had got. The way her green eyes had widened as he’d pulled her close to him had sent a throb of raw desire through his entire body that even now threatened to return.
Enticing smells drifted from the kitchen so Will struck the large brass gong sharply. Whisking away their goblets, he took his position by the double doors to greet the household.
Presently the family and household servants began to make their way into the hall. Sir Edgar and Lady Fitzallan led the procession followed directly by Edmund Fitzallan escorting Lady Peyton on one arm and Anne Fitzallan, fourteen and the youngest of Sir Edgar’s children, on the other. Will bowed deeply as Sir Edgar led his family to the table on the dais, but could not resist casting a surreptitious look at Lady Peyton. She caught his eye and her step faltered. A rose-coloured flush
appeared enchantingly on each cheek.
                                       * * *
What has caused Eleanor’s reaction? See if next week’s excerpt contains the answer on Ruth A. Casie’s blog    https://www.RuthACasie.blogspot.com
For last week’s excerpt visit www.barbarabettis.blogspot.com
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                        A WAGER FOR THE WIDOW

Widowed Lady Eleanor Peyton has chosen a life of independence. Living alone on her rocky coastal outcrop, she's cut herself off from the world of men—until William Rudhale saves her life
and demands a kiss!
As steward to Lady Eleanor's father, Will knows the desire he burns with is futile—but he'll still wager he can claim Eleanor's kiss by midwinter. Yet when the tide turns Will realizes vulnerable
Eleanor is far too precious to gamble with. Can he win his lady before it's too late?
                                            * * *
Buy links
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Wager-Widow-Elisabeth-Hobbes-ebook/dp/B00SFSZXXS
B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-wager-for-the-widow-elisabeth-
hobbes/1121093242?ean=9781460384640
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/a-wager-for-the-widow-mills-boon-historical-1
Mills & Boon: https://www.millsandboon.co.uk/p45341/a-wager-for-the-widow.htm

New Christmas Collection!

Sherry Ewing and the Bluestocking Belles have a lovely Christmas collection just right for this holiday season! Check out the books in the set and get the buy links here: Follow Your Star Home Here is the blurb from Sherry's contribution to the set,

One Last Kiss: The Knights of Berwyck, A Quest Through Time novella

Banished from his homeland, Thomas of Clan Kincaid lives among distant relatives, reluctantly accepting he may never return home… Until an encounter with the castle’s healer tells him of a woman traveling across time—for him.
Dare he believe the impossible?

Jade Calloway is used to being alone, and as Christmas approaches, she’s skeptical when told she’ll embark on an extraordinary journey. How could a trip to San Francisco be anything but ordinary? But when a ring magically appears, and she sees a ghostly man in her dreams…
Dare she believe in the possible?

Thrust back in time, Jade encounters Thomas—her fantasy ghost. Talk about extraordinary. But as time works against them, they must learn to trust in miracles.

Can they accept impossible love before time interferes?
                                                * * *
​Grab your copy of this wonderful set before the season ends!
​Click HERE

Welcome back to Medieval Mondays with Sherry Ewing

 Welcome back to Medieval   Mondays! If you Tweet,   follow  #MedMonFall18 for   all the great excerpts from   some pretty fabulous books!

 Here's what it's going to   look like:
 Every week from now until   Dec. 24, the Medieval   Monday  authors will host   each other's books in a set   of round-robin posts.



All blogs will have exciting posts with snippets from excerpts each author has chosen from the book she is showcasing for the next 8 weeks. Be sure to follow along. Links to previous and prior weeks will be posted.
Some blogs will have giveaways attached, so don't forget to comment!
You'll find my excerpt this week on Sherry Ewing's blog here: https://sherryewing.com/blog/
​
And now, from Sherry Ewing, a bit from her book, To Follow My Heart: The Knights of Berwyck, A Quest Through Time (Book 3)

Excerpt:

The knight took her hand and placed it on top of his own, his arm raised high. A jolt of electricity went racing up her arm, much like the feeling she’d get from a shock when she skidded in socks on carpet and then touched something metal. She dared a peek at him, not realizing just how far she needed to lean her head back. Good Grief...the man must be over six feet tall.
He began to move, and the scene reminded her of her beloved Errol Flynn movies. She followed him mutely across a floor filled with straw or rushes. Everywhere her gaze landed, there was some new wonder for her to behold, including the man who gently ushered her through the hall.

She noticed his tunic for the first time. Was it her vivid imagination running a tad wild, or were they dressed in a similar color? His clothing was a far cry from the black getup he had worn when she first saw him on the beach where he had scared her nearly to death.
                                              * .* *
Follow along next week (November 12 th) to Ruth Casie’s blog here:
www.RuthACasie.blogspot.com

Blurb:
Love is a leap. Sometimes you need to jump…
After a gut wrenching break up with her fiancé, Jenna Sinclair heads to the coast to do a little soul searching. To say everything is subject to change is putting it mildly. Her world is not only turned upside down, but pretty much torn asunder when she is pulled through a time gate on the beach beneath the Cliff House and transported more than eight hundred years into the past.
Fletcher Monroe, captain of the garrison knights at Berwyck Castle, has wasted too much time pining for a woman who will never be his. When he finally decides to move on with his life and focus on his duties, he is suddenly confronted with a woman who magically appears at his feet. This could either be the best thing that has ever happened to him or another cursed event in a string of many. He soon finds he is wildly attracted to her, but she’s scared to death of him ─ not a very encouraging beginning.
From the shores of California to twelfth century England and back again, Jenna and Fletcher must find a way to reconcile their two different worlds before Time forever tears them apart.
Buy Links:

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1TWTF15
Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/29jPdiT
iBooks: http://apple.co/247Nb53
Kobo: http://bit.ly/20Cc08b

Research and The Highlander's Welsh Bride

The Highlander's Welsh Bride is officially finished. (And don't you just love this cover?!)

It has been a labor of love, though I'll have to admit to shaking my head more than once as spell-check cranked out its version of Carys, Terwyn, Llywelyn, and scores of other Welsh names and words. It had no idea what hit it.

And when I started this book, neither did I.

DD dreamed up the hero and heroine, the timeline (DD loves using historical turning points), and the plot high points, then tossed it in my lap and said, "Let's see what you can do with this." (I think I saw a smirk--but perhaps it was merely challenge). DD kept up with the fight scenes (they're as real as possible, y'all), and disagreed whenever I wrote Carys as 'too soft'. I think you'll agree she is deserving of 'Hardy Heroine' status.

OK. So, a year later (with pauses for 2 novellas that 'had' to be written), here it is. Currently with beta readers and one over-worked editor, we believe The Highlander's Welsh Bride will release shortly after Christmas.

Here's where it's about to get fun.

This book has a novella's worth of notes to help keep the story on track with history--and all that other cool stuff called 'research'. I'm going to share a bit with you between now and the book's release so you can join in and anticipate Carys and Birk's story.

Today I'd like to share a Welsh folk song Carys sings as a lullaby to three children she's 'adopted' (2 by marriage, 1 by circumstance). It's called Dacw 'Nghariad (link here: YouTube)
 
The words and translation are on the YouTube page. I thought the melody was lovely.
 
I'd love it if you shared a favorite lullaby in the comments below.

Check back later for another bit from Carys and Birk's story. It might be a battle, it might be a maelstrom, it might be something to melt your heart. You just never know.

Historical Romance Halloween Sale!

I've joined with Madeline Martin and many other authors for this Historical Romance Halloween Sale! ​ For one week only, these 20+ books are on sale for $0.99!

Just what you need to have a spooky cool Halloween. Check out the sale here: http://hyperurl.co/HRHalloSale
​
You'll find both Malcolm and Patrick (2 of my Ghosts of Culloden Moor stories) here!

99 cents For a Limited Time!

If you're expanding your Ghosts of Culloden Moor library, or if you've never read a GOCM book before, don't miss this opportunity to grab Patrick's and Malcolm's stories for only 99 cents each!





Here are the links:
Malcolm: https://www.amzn.com/dp/B01AX22UPM
Patrick:  https://www.amzn.com/dp/B01NBPDMAP

Please spread the word!! Thank you!

October 22nd, 2018

Research Rabbit Trails

I'm deep into wrapping up the next story in the Hardy Heroines series, and suddenly realized I needed to do a bit of research.

This series has really tested my historical knowledge, and this particular story involves the Battle of Orewin Bridge (Wales) and the state of affairs in both England and Scotland.

In 1283/4, England and Scotland were pretty much in accord. Edward Longshanks was too involved with supressing the Welsh to pay much attention to the Scots. Scotland had signed the Treaty of Perth seventeen years earlier, so they weren't butting heads with Norway any longer, and Alexander III had married his daughter Margaret to King Eric of Norway.

Things were fairly quiet at Morvern--until Birk met Carys.

That's our current book, The Highlander's Welsh Bride.

And today's research was on cursing like a Viking. I kid you not. There is more than one blog/website for that. Apparently Vikings had some pretty awful curses, ones that allowed the cursed one free shot at killing the person who spoke the curse. We're not going there.

At some point in this book, our hero Birk does something that makes his ma really angry with him. She's Hanna from The Highlander's Norse Bride, and falls into her Norse roots for a really good shot at her son.

Any idea what a 'raven-starver' is?

It's pretty cool to follow the reasoning behind this curse. Ravens were an integral part of Norse legend. They were large birds, uncannily intelligent, and carrion-feeders. Imagine being only moments away from battle and seeing the ravens gathering around the battlefield. They know what is about to happen. They seemed to have the knowledge of who would die and live--perhaps they spoke with the Valkyries and therefore had the power of gods?

The men and women who bravely went to battle stood a good chance of dying--and feeding the crows. Someone who was cowardly and chose not to fight would not end the day as carrion and feed the crows. Such a person was a raven-starver.