trueromance

What would you do if you were awakened in the night by a savage beast of a Highlander with wild vengeance in his eyes?
That’s what happens in the first scene of my new historical romance, CAPTURED BY THE HIGHLANDER, and let me tell you, it was the most fun I had writing an opening scene in ages.

Those of you who have read my books before will know that I’ve been writing romances set in the late-Victorian period, and have written my share of ballroom scenes. Sometimes, however, a writer needs to shake things up a bit and explore new territory, which is why I was itching to dive into a different setting and time period.
I couldn’t have chosen anything more dramatic than Scotland during the Jacobite Rebellion of 1715. These were turbulent times, and I’m quite sure that ballroom gossip was the last thing on a Highlander’s mind when he was charging across a battlefield with a terrifying war cry, drawing his claymore to meet his foe.
Okay, let’s stop right there.

THAT is the reason I wanted to write about the Highlands. Sure, the mountains and the mists are beautiful and all that, but it was the notion of the rugged, brawny warrior who borders on the barbaric that stirred my imagination.

What is it about a big, dangerous, savage in a kilt that gets under our skin?
I openly confess that I enjoyed exploring this question in all three books in my Highlander Trilogy. Each “first meet” scene was a thrill to write on every level. The heroine in the first book is an English debutante traveling north to marry her scarlet-uniformed gentleman fiancé, and when the hero breaks into her room, she is terrified of him – and rightly so, because he’s looking pretty angry and carrying a big, heavy axe. Then he drags her off into the night to parts unknown.

There were so many complex emotions and conflicts to delve into. The characters were at war with each other in the opening scenes, which made the story arc a challenging roller coaster of discovery and transformation. There were days when I, as the writer, didn’t know how the heroine was going to survive the situation, much less grow to love her enemy.

But isn’t that what we love best about romance novels? Even the most tortured, conflicted characters can overcome their demons and learn how to be gentle, and how to love.

My Highlanders are rough and frightening, at least on the surface. But by the end of each book, a strong and loving woman helps him to find peace.

Thanks for joining me today, and please leave a comment about what kind of hero you love best – the polite gentleman in a top hat, or the rugged Highlander in a kilt. I’m going to give away a copy of CAPTURED BY THE HIGHLANDER to one lucky commenter, so don’t be shy!

Hey Susan! Thanks for inviting me to guest blog. My two books currently out are completely opposite from each other. Both are historical, yet they lead down very different paths. Here’s a bit about the first one.

DEVIL IN A RED KILT is about a married couple who have lost their way.
Here’s more about it:
For more than twenty years, Evan and Evie MacDonald were the couple “meant to be.” Their marriage now in tatters, they throw one final family Halloween party to honor Evie’s recently deceased mother. But, as Evan’s hand hovers over divorce papers, the ancient Celtic secrets Evie’s mother always spoke of spring to life.

Transported in flames to thirteenth-century Scotland, Evie and Evan land on opposite sides of the feud raging between Clans MacDonald and McLeod. Dubbed the Red Devil, Evan’s skills as a leader and warrior bring him into the enemy camp—and back to Evie. Now, faced with an ancient evil they never imagined, the two must rekindle the “forever and ever” kind of love they once felt, and bargain for a bit of Fae magic to flip the hourglass right side up again—before time runs out.

So yeah, it’s a Scottish, time travel, historical romance. I’m really good at genre hopping, eh?
I’ve always been a huge fan of Highlander romance. Since I first sat down and devoured Karen Marie Moning’s Highlander series, Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander – I had it bad. Give me guys in kilts! Claymores and brogues! I’m in heaven!

Yet, it’s rare that I read anything about married couples. I kept thinking of all the trials married couples wade through in a day. I wondered what would happen if they were stripped of their current comforts and thrown on opposite sides of a centuries old feud? Could they adjust? Could they figure out how to get back to one another? Would they want to or would they carry on with their lives in the past?

This was a love story for me as well. As this was my debut novel, I fell hard for my characters and they share a special place in my heart. Evan’s charm and honor tripped me up along the way. His faith in his marriage and himself is tested around every bend. Evie’s sharp tongue covering up the hurt she holds over family secrets were daunting at times. Trying to dig out their past and repave their future was a fun and enlightening ride.

My next release, THE ELECTRIFYING EXPLOITS OF THE ENGLISH THREE, is a fast paced, character filled Victorian London Steampunk romance. Got all that? Yeah, about those genres again…

Eliza, Miriam, and Jillian are friends by fate, employment, and society. In the London of 1894, they receive a directive from their mysterious boss to investigate, and stop, the Countess Wilmont’s plot to destroy the newly erected Tower Bridge.

Delving into a secret world of masterful training in martial arts, curious new technologies and weaponry, the women are armed and very dangerous.

Their investigation reveals a terrible truth about two of their husbands, and along the way they meet three men who will change their world…and show them that gentlemen aren’t always what they seem.

I have a problem with shiny new ideas. They don’t follow any rhyme or reason and they might be completely different from the one previous, and such is shown with the Electrifying Exploits. I recently read on a review, “If Charlie’s Angels could have been steampunk goddesses, this would be their story.” Which, quite honestly looking back, it really is. Three women, have been employed by a Colonel stationed in India to do an odd job. Two of the three are married, and the other has managed to dodge the marriage bullet by holding a very large secret over her father’s head.

The three men they meet, Devin, Silas, and Kane are very much essential to the plot in ways they never imagined. Devin is the gentleman of gentlemen, Silas is a rake everyone wants to be around and Kane is simply a mystery.

This story was such a break from the Scottish Highlands I had a blast writing it. To be honest, the first draft took only 19 days to complete. Editing was a chore but it was by far, the most fun I’ve had writing a book. The characters are all cheeky and fun and the lack of restraints on a steampunk novel just made it even that much more exciting. I hope to write more of these in the future.

IN fact, I have one more similar in the works now. I’m hoping to complete it within this year. So, yeah, that’s what’s in store for me next. I’ll be finishing up another steampunk in the same vein as EXPLOITS and another trip back into time for DEVIL. Then, who knows, I may take a right turn and end up some place completely different!

Again, thanks for having me, Susan - and thanks everybody for reading!

~Elysabeth

Sue’s stash will randomly given away to 2 commenters below — answer this question: Which of the two genres that Elisabeth writes would you be most interested in reading — Good Luck!

EVENT:
I’ll be at Borders in Austell, GA on the 12th of February from 1-3, hope to see you there!

Author: Sue-Ellen Welfonder
Title: Sins of a Highland Devil

Setting: Scottish Highlands 14th C. The Glen of Many Legends is fictitious but based on a remote and rugged area known as the “Rough Bounds.”

Subgenre: Scottish Medieval Romance

Hero: James Cameron

Heroine: Catriona MacDonald

One sentence summary: A warrior chieftain must fight for his beloved glen only to discover that winning the heart of his enemy’s sister is the sweetest victory.

Scene you like most and would never cut: This is tough because I love the entire book. If pressed, I’d say a scene in chapter four when James is leaving Blackshore Castle, Catriona’s home. He’s hailed by her brother Alasdair and also meets Alasdair’s dog, Geordie. This encounter shows how heroic and noble these two men are.

Thing your heroine would never be caught dead doing/saying: She’d never burst into tears. And she’d never say surrender.

What celebrity is your hero like: None. I don’t keep up with celebrities, so my characters aren’t fashioned after anyone. If James answered this, he’d say he is himself and that’s good enough.

What celebrity is your heroine like: Catriona would give you the same answer as her hero.

What is your heroine’s occupation, or if unemployed, what should she be doing: Catriona is a chieftain’s sister and busies herself with the day-to-day running of Blackshore Castle. Such a responsibility was considerable and required great organizational skills, the ability to act as hostess to a wide range of visitors. She’d also ensure that everyone in the clan was well looked after. And, of course, she’d be capable of holding the castle in her brother’s absence.

If Catriona lived in modern times, I could see her as a renown violin soloist. As fiery and passionate as she is, she’d use her acclaim as a virtuoso to support her beloved Highlands. I’d love to see her play Mendelssohn’s Overture “The Hebrides.”

What is your hero’s occupation, or if unemployed, what should he be doing: James is clan chieftain and devoted to his people and land. His main goal is to save his glen and make certain his clan isn’t banished from their beloved home. As chieftain, his duties are vast and important. Along with seeing to everyone’s good, he acts as arbiter of all disputes within the clan, metes out punishment when required, protects all, is self-reliant, and holds the support and love of his people.

If James was a modern man, he’d still be in his glen. Loving his land as fiercely as he does, he’d surely work as a conservationist, dedicated to preserving the Highland glen that is his life. As a hobby, he’d collect medieval weaponry and perhaps even be a master sword-maker.

What you think readers will like best about this book: The honor and passion of the characters. And the sweeping Highland setting which, I hope, will transport them right into the pages of the story.

The person that readers want you to write about but you haven’t yet: This is hard to answer as Sins of a Highland Devil hasn’t yet released. Of the Highland Warriors trilogy, I am betting readers will ask for Grim’s story. He’ll appear in the second book of the series, Temptation of a Highland Scoundrel.

What’s next: The second book in my Highland Warriors trilogy releases in August 2011. Temptation of a Highland Scoundrel is the story of Kendrew Mackintosh and Isobel Cameron. Kendrew is a wild man, a medieval bad boy. Isobel is just the heroine to tame him … or, better said, to tempt him.

Question/Giveaway: Rather than ask what you love about the Highlands or if you’d enjoy slipping back in time to medieval Scotland, my ice-breaker is more specific….

So many people love Scotland and two comments often appear when romance readers gush about Highlanders: men in kilts and Scottish accents.

Tell me which you prefer and why: kilts or the burr?

Readers commenting have a chance to win one of three signed copies of Sins of a Highland Devil and one grand prize of a Scottish Breakfast Gift Basket.