“Spirit of the Revolution” and Our Amazing American Rangers...

Cover Art by Angela Anderson - The Wild Rose Press Graphic Artist

Blurb:

Only divine intervention could have guided Jolena Leigh Michaelsson to the doorstep of a ramshackle manor in Pennsylvania, bringing her face-to-face with the man she has waited her whole life to find. There is just one problem. Mathias McGregor died two centuries ago…

Mathias, Revolutionary War ranger and spy, battles his conscience and his heart when he finds himself falling for the beautiful violinist invading his home. Jolena is mortal and deserves far more than what he as a spirit can offer her.

When Jolena’s family motto leads them to unearth a valuable coded message—the very message Mathias died trying to deliver to General Washington—Jolena vows to unravel the mystery surrounding the cryptic document. But someone else wants the message, and he’ll stop at nothing to get it, not even murder.

Divine intervention brought them together—will it also allow them to find forever?

You know, until I wrote this book, I didn’t know that Rangers existed during the Revolutionary war. I thought they were far more contemporary. For me, Army Rangers conjured images from the movies. In Private Ryan, Tom Hanks led a group of Rangers to save—well—Private Ryan. In The Longest Day, Rangers fought their way up the cliff to destroy the German coastal artillery, only to find the guns had never been installed in the bunkers.  And of course, we have our real-life Rangers (heroes every one) during the recent wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

During his mortality, Mathias McGregor, my handsome, ghostly hero in Spirit of the Revolution was a member of the elite Morgan’s Rangers. (He also involved himself in highly secretive missions of reconnaissance, facilitating espionage and conducting other covert missions for Major John Clark but that’s another blog altogether.) In my novel, Mathias served under the leadership of Daniel Morgan from the unit’s inception. Yet, the Rangers in the Americas have a long history even before the Revolutionary War began.

Colonel Daniel Morgan

Mistletoe and Christmas kisses....

Mistletoe

Sitting under the mistletoe

(Pale-green, fairy mistletoe),

One last candle burning low,

All the sleepy dancers gone,

Just one candle burning on,

Shadows lurking everywhere:

Some one came, and kissed me there.

Tired I was; my head would go

Nodding under the mistletoe

(Pale-green, fairy mistletoe),

No footsteps came, no voice, but only,

Just as I sat there, sleepy, lonely,

Stooped in the still and shadowy air

Lips unseen—and kissed me there.

(Walter de la Mare 1913)

Lovely tradition that...kissing underneath the mistletoe.

But did you know it originated with a Norse myth?  One telling of this myth states that the Goddess Frigg, queen of Asgard and wife of Odin bore a son named Baldr, known as ‘The Beautiful.’ Baldr reigned over vegetation, sunshine, and summer. Because Odin sensed an unknown danger that threatened the life of his son, Frigg visited all living things on earth and made them each promise to refrain from harming her son. For if something happened to Baldr, all life on earth would end.

Margaret Cochran Corbin... An American Hero...

Here in the United States, November is a time for giving thanks for all that we have. Our nation has also chosen this month to express our love and gratitude for those who serve and have served in the armed forces, for and in behalf of our beloved country, our democracy, and our freedoms.

So with that in mind, I decided to fill my personal blogs this November and each November thereafter, with a few of this nation’s heroic soldiers, who have fought in wars long past and all the way to the present. And, I thought it would be appropriate to begin this series with the Revolutionary War.

Ghosts of Oak Alley Plantation...

Imprint on time, vivid imagination, or do ghosts really haunt our nation’s antebellum mansions?

Take Oak Alley for instance, the very mansion that graces the cover of “Spirit of the Rebellion.” According to witnesses, this plantation home, facing the Mississippi River in Vacherie, Louisiana, is a place where supernatural events are commonplace.

The list is endless. Lights turn off and on, and rocking chairs rock by themselves. Unseen hands touch guests and employees alike. Some have heard the mournful sounds of either a woman or a child weeping. A lady in black paces the length of the widow’s walk, and at times, meanders beneath the shade of the mighty oak trees. A man dressed in gray, wearing boots, haunts the kitchen. Many have heard the distinctive clip-clop of horses alongside the sound of approaching wooden wheels. Yet, the phantom carriage never arrives. The pleasant odor of lavender permeates the room that once belonged to the lady of the house. Shadows lurk in the corners. And did I mention the candlestick that flew across the room during a tour?

Haunted Carnton Plantation...

For this blog, let's talk about Carnton Plantation in Franklin Tennessee. This mansion has a few things in common with the fictional “Starling Plantation,” featured in “Spirit of the Rebellion.”

Randal McGavock built this antebellum home in the year 1826. Like Starling plantation, Carnton served as a hospital for those wounded in battle during the Civil War. In this case, the Battle of Franklin which took place in November of 1864. The injured as well as the dead filled every bed, nook, crook, and cranny of the main structure and exterior buildings on the property. Laid out on the back porch were the bodies of Confederate Generals Adams, Granbury, Stahl, and Cleburne, covered with a Confederate flag, as they awaited the dignity of burial.

Entering the Twilight Zone on Clinton Road...

Those growing up in the ‘60’s and 70’s will remember such weekly viewing fare as The Twilight Zone, The Outer Limits, One-Step Beyond and Tales from the Crypt. These were bizarre stories of the paranormal that frequently left one—well—feeling a bit unsettled. However, there are places on this earth where the peculiar and uncanny tend to be commonplace.

Take Clinton Road for instance...

Many have experienced a close encounter of the creepy kind on this long, winding road in Passaic county, New Jersey. WeirdNJ.com has devoted many articles to this lonely stretch of asphalt, with multiple tales of the frightening and uncanny.

My husband is a 32 year retired veteran of the Las Vegas Police Department. One fine evening, as we watched a 1950’s horror movie, he said, “Have you ever noticed that the first casualty in these films is the lone cop on duty—and he’s always out in the middle of a deserted desert or something close to it? I think I’m glad my job is more urban.”

Yeah...me too...

Balmoral Castle, Queen Victoria and the ghost of John Brown...

Queen Victoria never fully recovered from the untimely death of her husband, Prince Albert, in 1861. Nonetheless, she found solace in the companionship of John Brown, who acted as the queen’s personal servant. Whispers concerning an improper relationship abounded and to this day, no one knows how deep that relationship truly ran. The 15^th Earl of Derby, Edward Stanley, reported that they slept in adjoining rooms “contrary to etiquette and even decency.” Victoria’s own daughters, in joking manner, referred to John Brown as “mama’s lover.”

So, were Queen Victoria and John Brown star crossed lovers, separated by Royal birth and class, or did they simply have an honorable friendship besmirched by those with a mean, jealous, malicious streak?

Ghostly Residents of Culzean Castle

Culzean Castle with the Fair Coves engraving by William Miller

Overlooking the Firth of Clyde, in Aryshire, Scotland, stands a mighty fortress...”

First known as Coif Castle (House of Cove) in the fifteenth century, and then Cullean Castle in the seventeenth century, castle Culzean took on its present name, during the eighteenth century.

Recorded history first speaks of Culzean castle in 1569. At this time, the 4^th Earl of Cassillis, member of the powerful, ancient Scottish clan Kennedy, gave the estate to his brother, Sir Thomas Kennedy.

As you can imagine, the castle is home to several ghostly residents...

The Haunting of Sker House

Neath Abbey

The time? Halloween night. The place? Celt Central, the land of the druids, the very area the celebrated and near mythical King Arthur may have once hung out. Ogres, giants, ghosts, faeries, (and who knows what else) cavorted about in the darkness...an inky black darkness.... 

This scenario brings to mind a guy from Missouri that once worked with my husband, a police officer at the time. The man said there were three things one never should mess with:  The mafia, the IRS, and the unknown.  

Anyway... On this particular night, three teenage adventurists tempted fate and leaped headlong into breaking the third rule...you know...the one about messing with the Unknown?

Legend of the Arapaho Warrior and his Ethereal Visitor

A bit of background. Historians tell us that the Arapahos lived on the eastern plains of Colorado and Wyoming after migrating from Minnesota and North Dakota. They lived in transportable tipis so they could follow the bison, and provide meat for their families. They were skilled hunters. Therefore, they had plenty of hides to attend their needs and some to spare. They became great traders and often sold their furs to whoever might desire them. Until they encountered the horse, they used a team of dogs and the travois to move from one place to another.

As with all cultures, the Arapaho have their own spooky stories... Tales of ethereal creatures that rove around in the dark...

They give us a legend that originates long before the coming of the horse and it goes something like this:

Carew Castle...Where Things Really DO go Bump in the Night...

In keeping with the spirit of Halloween... I dedicate this month's blogs to ghosts that endlessly wander, and things that go bump in the night...

And we'll start with Carew Castle, Pembrokeshire, Wales...

A bit of history....

Carew Castle. engraving by William Miller

This castle, overlooking Carew inlet, had its origins in a stone keep, built around the year 1100 by Gerald de Windsor. The castle passed from Gerald to his son William who took the name “De Carew.” Eventually, the castle landed in the hands of Edmund Carew who fell on hard times and mortgaged the Castle. In 1480, Sir Rhys ap Thomas moved in. Henry Tudor knighted Sir Rhys and made him Governor of Wales. Rhys died in 1525.

Now for those...in the dark of the night...bumpy things. 

Cover Reveal - Hollywood Holiday!

The Cover!!

The Blurb:

All she wants for Christmas is for Hollywood to love her again. But once she meets him, her Christmas list changes.

Jen’s only Christmas wish: Hollywood falling back in love with her. Meeting ex-Marine Gunner was a bonus. She likes that he isn’t impressed by celebrities or the movie biz. She likes that he’s funny and sweet … and drop-dead gorgeous. And she loves that he has no idea who her alter-ego is: Jen Fleming, Hollywood bad-girl and paparazzi target number one. Why ruin an amazing affair when he’s leaving after the new year?

But the closer they get, the harder she falls, and the more she wants to tell Gunner everything. Especially once he shares his secret with her.

Her new Christmas wish: Gunner accepts and loves her for who she really is.

Why the Trees Shed Their Leaves...

To celebrate the arrival of Fall, in all her splendid, colorful glory, and because I have a love for all myths as I have so often reiterated in my blogs, I thought I’d share a few Native American legends surrounding the autumn season.

The Cherokee speak of a time when animals could talk to the trees and the trees could respond because they lived so closely and could share so much with each other.

During this wondrous era, autumn finally arrived and the cold season began to overtake the warm summer days. The birds, needing the warmth of the sun flew south...all but one, that is. A small, injured sparrow didn’t have the strength to travel with his companions. So, in a bid to survive the harsh cold of winter, he began asking the majestic trees, one by one, for permission to shelter in their leaves. They all refused. Sorrow crushed his tender soul.

"The Star Child" Release Day Party!

I invite everyone to come and join in the fun of Stephanie's "Happy Book Birthday Party!"

Book Excerpt

The moment he released his grip on me, I gasped for air. With not a moment to lose, I raised my sword above my head with a strength and agility I didn’t know I possessed. Then I was charging at Cabhan, who met my challenge running toward me.

 “Kellen, no.” I was frozen in mid-air. Calienta had crooked a finger at me and frozen me in place. “You can’t kill him, Kellen, you’re a mortal. He’ll take your life. Please back down.” She released me and I dropped to the ground, my knees like jelly.

Color flooded my face as humiliation coursed through my veins. I was about to tell her my real thoughts when I glanced down at the sword in my hand and noticed an inscription on the hilt: Claíomh Solais.

 I rose to my feet, gripping Calienta’s arm. “Look, you have to trust me on this. I know what to do.”

 Her eyes met mine, confused, afraid. I sensed her anger and fear all at once as she spoke. “How do you know what to do? How could you?”

 “You have to trust me. You asked me to trust you once; do you trust me?”

Her eyes lingered on mine, intense, concerned. “I do.”

The Wicker Man...

The Welch call it Gwyl canol Hydref, the other Celts refer to it as Mabon, the Harvest Home, or Harvest Tide. This celebration runs from September 21 through September 23, coinciding with the annual astronomical phenomenon that gives us nearly equal hours of daylight and night. (Okay...okay... the Autumn Equinox). During this phase, the sun enters the sign of Libra, and brings balance to the earth. The vivid colors of fall, oranges, reds, and browns are associated with this festival.

Also on this day, the god of darkness, known as Goronwy the Horned King, defeats his twin brother Llew, the mythical god of light. Llew transforms into an Eagle or Scorpio. Goronwy then sits on Llew’s throne as King of our world and as a lover to Blodeuwedd, the Goddess who betrays Llew. (Aren’t myths fascinating?) Goronwy now functions as the King even though he has to wait six weeks for his coronation at Samhain (Halloween)—or the beginning of Winter. He mates with Blodeuwedd, and sires his own incarnation, the Dark Child. Eventually, Gwydion, Llew’s uncle, hears this news. He sets out to find and cure his nephew. He finds the wounded eagle perched on the branch of an oak tree and restores him to human form.

Moving right along...

Glorious Autumn... A Time to Give Thanks... Part Two

~ Mabon ~

In continuation of Harvest celebrations and the autumn equinox...

Emilie Preyer

Mabon is an old Celtic mid-harvest celebration, which occurs during the Autumn Equinox. This particular celebration, one of three Pagan Harvest Festivals, honors Mabon, the Welsh God of male fertility. This is a time designated to give thanks, and to celebrate the ‘second-harvest.’ The Druids refer to this celebration as Mea'n Fo'mhair, in honor of the God of the Forest or The Green Man. They offer gifts of wine, cider, and herbs to the trees. They also celebrate Alban Elfed, a time of balance between the light and the dark.

Thomas Moran - Under the Trees

The autumn season is a time to gather and store crops—and marks the beginning of the hunt. Traditionally, men hunt game animals, such as deer, elk, and other wild animals to provide food for the winter table. Symbols of Mabon include mid-autumn vegetables, like squash, gourds, apples, pies, and cider. Seeds, pods, sickles, scythes and baskets all symbolize harvest gathering.

Other worldwide myths and legends emphasize these themes of life, death, and rebirth, as the earth enters her death-like sleep of winter. As we discussed last week, Demeter and her daughter Persephone, kidnapped by Hades has to return to the Underworld once a year, which brings on winter. 

The Autumnal Equinox and the Harvest Moon... A Time of Balance

Our pagan ancestors, by necessity, immersed themselves in the rhythms of nature. We see the proof for that in ancient archeological sites all over the world. Within agricultural societies, seasonal or astronomical occurrences were critical to their survival. Over the centuries, some of these events have become Christian holidays, while others remain routed in our pagan past. For many, the Autumn Equinox is a period of feasting, thanksgiving, and contemplating the approach of winter.

An equinox, by definition indicates equal periods of light and darkness, suggesting balance. After the day passes, the northern latitudes slips day by day, into the long night of winter. The Autumn Equinox stands opposite the Vernal Equinox, also known as the spring equinox. In the spring, we celebrate rebirth as the earth awakens from the winter, sheds her drab winter coat, and adorns herself with vivid, beautiful colors. But I digress. We were talking about the equinox of autumn, were we not... And did I mention the pomegranates?

By Simone Pignoni

As one version goes, the Greeks labeled this delightful, delicious fruit as the “food of the dead,” and it’s all because of Persephone. Persephone is the daughter of Zeus and Demeter, the Greek goddess of the harvest. According to the myth, the beautiful Persephone captured the attention of Hades, ruler of the Underworld and he wanted her for his own.

With the help of mighty Zeus, Hades kidnapped Persephone and without a backward glance, carried her off to his gloomy realm. When Demeter discovered her daughter missing, she sunk into despair. While she mourned, all green things ceased to grow and earth fell into perpetual winter. Zeus had no choice but to order her release.

BUT...

Abraham Lincoln and the Battle of Chickamauga

Since the release of “Spirit of the Rebellion,” I have received a lot of questions about a great many things in the story. So, today I thought I’d address one of the questions concerning the Battle of Chickamauga. Readers wanted to know if Rosecrans really received faulty information on that battlefield. Did he truly create a hole in his line that the Confederate army promptly exploited because of that information? And if so, what, if anything, happened to Rosecrans since the battle ended in a Union defeat? Although fictionalized to some extent in the book, (I am a novelist, see the disclaimer...) let me give you some of the facts.

In late 1863, President Lincoln desperately needed some good news. In fact, he was desperate for a substantial Union victory. Opposition in congress from moderates who wished to end the war, rioters in New York who opposed the draft, foreign policy breakdowns and facing the election in 1864, weighed heavy on his mind. Needless to say, Abraham Lincoln had his worries. He wanted a win at Chickamauga.

Battle of Chickamauga

The Battle of Chickamauga was indeed, a Union defeat, but this battle ultimately led to the demise of the South. How can defeat be a good thing? Set backs are usually followed by change. The Union general, William Rosecrans’ Army of the Cumberland had recently defeated General Braxton Bragg of the Confederate Army of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Rosecrans was a competent leader, a good strategist, and his career was on the rise. But even the best make mistakes. However, Lincoln was in no position or mood to tolerate mistakes.

Oceans of Mystery...mixed with a heavy dose of romance!

The troubling, mystifying, Bermuda Triangle... Is it just folklore fodder for the masses? Or do we have true paranormal phenomenon going on here? The mere mention of the name conjures visions of unexplained events, unearthly storms, paranormal activity, and perhaps...an uneasy feeling.

Known also as the Devil’s Triangle, the mind conjures the haunting tale of twists in time, improbable losses of ships, planes, and people who have vanished without a trace, leaving their ships eerily abandoned. Of a certainty, theories abound. But who can explain the final, evocative, and inexplicable radio contact recordings of the doomed Flight 19? Or the enigmatic loss of the PBM Mariner as it searched for the survivors of TBM Avengers of Flight 19. Comprised of the triangular area from the tip of Florida to Bermuda and on to Puerto Rico, the Bermuda Triangle enflames the imagination.

To many in the western hemisphere, far less known is the Dragon’s Triangle. Between the years 1952-54 the Japanese navy lost 5 military vessels, with crews of over 700 people in a region surrounding Miyake Island, about 60 miles south of Tokyo, Japan.

Gates into the unknown? Urban legend?  Maybe...

The Next Big Thing Blog Challenge

Lovely Lisa Voisin tagged me in The Next Big Thing Blog Challenge, wherein you get to learn all about someone’s book/WIP/ms.  Read about Lisa’s novel, The Watcher here.

The requirements of the challenge:

                               

First: Answer the questions below.

Then:  Spread the fun and tag 5 more awesome people to participate.

It’s also nice to link back to the person because "Sharing is caring, y’all."



So... here we go:

 What is the title of your book / WIP?

Well, let’s see... I have two books that are already published and available. “Spirit of the Rebellion,” and “Shadow of the Witte Wieven.” I have one book, “Spirit of the Revolution,” that is heading into galley as soon as the copy editor is finished going through the manuscript. Once there, I will finally get a release date. I have one book under consideration at a publishing company as we speak, and another, waiting in line at Wild Rose Press. And..., I have just completed the second chapter in my still untitled, WIP.

However, for this blog, I think we’ll go ahead and talk about “Shadow of the Witte Wieven.”

Trailing Clouds of Glory...

Between the years 1802 and 1804, William Wordsworth, the famous English Romantic poet, penned one of his greatest poems, "Ode: Intimations of Immortality." I don’t remember the first time I heard it, but I do know it was familiar to me when my seventh grade English class studied it over the course of several weeks.

The first part of the second movement was then, and still is, my favorite part of the poem. Over the years, it fed my imagination in a thousand different ways as I scrutinized each line. And I loved the experience of allowing my imagination free reign. For those unfamiliar with this particular portion, it reads:

The Fork in the Road...

At the age of twenty-seven, George Bond, first-born son of Hugh and Elizabeth Linaker Bond, said goodbye to his home and family in North Meols, Lancashire, England. From this beautiful place, countless generations of Bonds had lived out their lives. They worked the sea as well as the farms...and had been content. But something different stirred in George. He saw a great big world out there and he wanted to explore it. And so one day he traveled to Liverpool. He booked passage on the SS Lucania and during the summer of 1898, arrived at Ellis Island in New York.

From there, he intended to work his way across the United States, save up some money, and then by way of San Francisco, book passage on a ship sailing to Australia. 

Frisco Utah, Ghost Town

All the Pretty Horses

The love of horses is a family tradition--that through documentation-- we can at least trace back to my great-great-great grandfather, Charles Earl. Grandpa Charles was born July 4, 1819, in Howland Township, Trumbull County, Ohio, the son of John and Mary Earl. The "Biographical Memoirs of Wells County Indiana” states “Charles Earl was the fourteenth child of the family and was reared on his father's farm in Ohio. As a boy he showed a fondness for horses and has owned some fine animals in his day...” We can deduce from this statement that his father also had a love of horses. As did all those who followed down through the generations. Of this I know, first hand.

Edward H Buskirk,  Pleasant Township, Allen,Indiana

Real life "Story Book Love"

...Or The Picnic Box Lunch...

A writer of romance imagines countless scenarios for their hero and heroine to meet and fall madly in love with each other, because despite all else, the relationship is central to the story and it has to be perfect.

I remember as a young child reading the romantic fairytales over and over again and they thrilled me all the way down to my little bare toes. My favorite? Beauty and the Beast and it remains my favorite to this day. I loved the way this unlikely couple worked through a very rough beginning and in spite of all the obstacles placed in their path, they found their happily-ever-after. Snow White, Cinderella, Rapunzel, and the Swan Princess, (to name a few) all managed to find their own happily-ever-after as well and I was content when I reached "the end."

So, I’m sure, you can imagine my delight when I find a few such stories when I’m digging around in my own family history...  

I thought it might be fun to share some of them with you from time to time. So... I'll start with this one today..

An Interview with author Brooke Moss!!

I’m happy to once again, welcome the very talented Brooke Moss. This time, she has agreed to answer a few burning questions I know you all have! 

“Spirit of the Rebellion” takes a page from my personal family history...

          As many of you know, I am a family history buff and genealogy enthusiast. Digging into my family roots borders on obsession. I love it when I find bits and pieces about my ancestors that bring them to life—a notation, here or a story there, that make them more than a name with just places, and dates attached. And so it was with William Confer, my great, great, granduncle. The man first piqued my interest, then tugged at my heart, and, after a fashion, finally found his way into to my novel, “Spirit of the Rebellion.”

A Visit with Author Melissa Keir

I’m so excited you’re here!  Thank you for coming.

Thank you for having me visit your blog today.  I’m excited to share with you my writing and my thoughts.

So, tell us, what inspired you to write your first book?

Believe it or not, my mom inspired me to write my first book.  My mom passed away almost fifteen years ago, but she was a huge inspiration to me.  When I was a teenager, I remember my mom trying to get her manuscript published. She typed it up on the electric typewriter we had and then mailed copies off to publishing houses.

After my mom’s death, I began to get serious about my writing.  My poetry and my musings were ways to write about the feelings I had about facing life without my mom and trying to cope with my crumbling marriage. When I finally decided to write my first manuscript, I did it in her honor and really wished she could see me now.

The Carny - Free Book Giveaway!

"Sweet, subtle, heart-warming romance." --USA Today Bestselling Author, Nicola Marsh "Brooke Moss is a gifted storyteller. With a compelling plot and characters who will steal your heart, The Carny is a winner." -- Cate Lord, author of Lucky Girl.

Two people from opposite worlds, one unforgettable kiss. You can't judge a carny by its cover.

Interview with Author T.Michelle Nelson...

I am pleased to share a bit of blog space with the talented Novelist,  T.Michelle Nelson. She has consented to answer a few questions concerning her upcoming novel.

So tell us, how did you come up with the title for Life and Death of Lily Drake?
 


The title was actually one of the toughest things for me.  I had at least five really bad ones first… really cheesy.

Kristy Centeno's "Call of the Wolf"

I'm happy to present Kristy Centeno's exciting new novel, "Call of the Wolf," available through Tease Publishing

Blurb
When desire battles with the forbidden and passion overrules obligation, at the end of the night, which will win?
Victoria Bonvalet, a purebred werewolf, has no desire to mate to an alpha not of her choosing and after a one of a kind encounter with the mysterious blood lord Tristan Garland rattles her existence, she knows that she could never share any part of herself without love being the number one incentive.
Tristan, a vampire of over a thousand years, no longer cares much for the world or the creatures inhabiting it. But when he meets the beautiful she-wolf invading his deep woods territory, he realizes that it’s never too late to find your perfect match, even if she belongs to the opposite branch of all mythological beings. But even as they begin to explore their in-depth feelings for each other, can they find a way to be together without starting a war between two enemy species?

The All Important Book Cover…

I have learned so much on my journey to becoming a published author and over the coming weeks and months; I’ll share some of those things with you. But because I am looking at them right now, I think I’ll share with you what I have learned concerning the all important book cover…

Spirit of the Rebellion Book Review

Spirit of the Rebellion Book Review by Sizzling Hot Books

Tag...you're it!

So, the lovely, talented, Cecilia Roberts tagged me for The Lucky 7 Meme. (Thanks Cece!)
Here are the rules:
Lucky 7 Meme Rules:
1. Go to page 77 of your current manuscript.
2. Go to line 7.
3. Copy the next 7 lines (sentences or paragraphs) and post them as they’re written. No cheating!
4. Tag 7 other writers and pass the meme on.
So, I recently finished my latest novel, and right now, am knee-deep in research for my next. Therefore, in keeping with the spirit of the Meme, I’ll have to cheat a little and give you the designated excerpt from a novel not yet published.
Excerpt:
“I…I didn’t know Evan lived out here,” she stammered. “He never mentioned it.”
The laird nodded. “Until he wis aboot eighteen, Ah wuid think. Then he wanted to venture oot oan his own as most yoong people do. Fine lad. Fine lad, indeed.”
Mariah could hardly wait for the Scottish Laird to finish his visit and leave the premises. The minute the door shut behind him, she whirled around to face the knights. “Does Evan know who you are?” she asked, directing the question to Cailen.
He nodded. “Aye.”
“And I’m assuming he knows the rest of the knights as well?” she asked as she swept her hand toward them.
“Aye, Murriah, he knoos,” he replied.
“I just don’t understand then,” she said. “He looked at all my sketches before I even stepped foot on the grounds. He never said a word. If nothing else, you’d think he would’ve wanted to prepare me for meeting you, so it wasn’t such a shock. Why didn’t he tell me about your existence?”
Writers I’m tagging:
Aubrie Dionne
Lisa Voisin
Annabelle Blume
Stephanie Keyes
Naya Nikki
Alison Henderson
Brooke Moss

Words of Wisdom....from The Scarf Princess: Review for Spirit of the Rebellion by Debbie Peter...

Words of Wisdom....from The Scarf Princess: Review for Spirit of the Rebellion by Debbie Peter...: Souls touch and emotions flare when a historian and an embittered spirit form an unlikely alliance to investigate the centuries-old rid...

ROMANCING THE BOOK: REVIEW

Read Robin's wonderful review for "Spirit of the Rebellion!"