HIGHLAND PROMISE is the first book in my historical romance series, THE SONS OF GREGOR MACLEOD, starring five Highland lairds, who were fostered together as brothers. Darach, Lachlan, Callum, Gavin, and Kerr fight for their clans, for each other, and for their own true love.

How The Story Came About

I first started writing HIGHLAND PROMISE about 10 years ago after reading ALL of Julie Garwood’s Highlander romances. I LOVED them—the resolute Highland laird and the kind, somewhat quirky, heroine who worms her way into his heart. IMHO, they are the funniest, sweetest, and best warm-fuzzy- inducing books ever written. I think HIGHLAND PROMISE captures that same tone and spirit: Caitlin MacInnes is the Waif/Free Spirit who turns the Chieftain, Laird Darach MacKenzie’s life upside down—and then spins it around and bounces it up and down. He’s undone by her. His heart, which he swore he’d NEVER give to another woman, becomes putty in her hands. Of course, he doesn’t know that at first, and even when he figures it out, he doesn’t tell her—he’s a warrior not a poet. And Caitlin, who is determined to make Darach happy whether he wants her to or not, doesn’t believe there’s any possible way she can stay with him—’cause there’s a whole lotta trouble on her tail. What she fails to realize, however, is that Darach, with the help of his foster brothers, is strong enough to handle it.

War is coming. Caitlin didn’t start the blood feud between the Frasers and the MacKenzies, but she will be the catalyst that ends it—pinning the good men of the Highlands against a monster.

Fun Facts About The Book

  • My husband is the Prop Master on Arrow, and without going into too much detail (the episode hasn’t aired yet!), he asked me for a page of text from Highland Promise—a romantic scene—to be used in some fashion as a prop in an upcoming episode!
  • I showed my cover to my 5-year- old twins, and my daughter said quite indignantly, “He’s naked!” Followed by my son saying, “You can see his boobs!” Yeah…not really seeing that as a problem.
  • When I finished my first draft of Highland Promise (and I was still an unpublished author), I entered the manuscript into several writing contests.
    One of the best, most squeal-worthy comments I ever received was the judge saying my writing reminded her of Julie Garwood!! But the cherry on top of all that? The contest judge was none other than Anna Campbell!

A Snippet From The Book

I’ve chosen a scene that comes later in the book a few days after Caitlin and Darach are married. It’s an intimate scene—they’ve just made love and are still in bed, talking and idly caressing one another, but it’s also fun and playful as you’ll see below. It shows the deep connection between the characters as they talk about Caitlin’s family and her need to find her place in her new clan. Some of my favorite lines from the book are in this scene. In terms of the actors auditioning for the roles, it would certainly reveal the chemistry (or lack thereof) between them. Plus the male lead would be shirtless, of course!

They rested together for a while, hands idly caressing, lips kissing. Brisk air wafted in from the open window and blew over their naked bodies. It made her shiver, and he covered them with the quilt.

“Do you want to talk about your father?” he asked. “I doona like it when you cry, but if it makes you feel better, I’ll listen.”

Propping her chin on her hands, she looked at him, one eyebrow raised. “Well, thank you for that, my laird and master.”

A flush crept up his neck. “All I meant was…it kills me to see you upset.”

She smiled and kissed him. “I understand. Men are weak.”

His outraged expression made her laugh. He smacked her lightly on the behind and she shrieked, startled and thrilled at the same time.

“You’ll be getting more of that if you’re not careful, lass.”

What I Want Readers To Take Away From The Book

I want them to close the book and heave a big ol’ happy sigh—that was hopefully preceded by lots of laughs, nail-biting, and several swoons. And then I want them to open the book and start again.

What’s Upcoming In 2018

I’m currently working on the third book in The Sons Of Gregor MacLeod, scheduled to release next summer. It’s called Highland Betrayal and stars Callum and Maggie. Book 2 in the series, Highland Conquest, starring Lachlan and Amber, comes out next February. In addition, I’m writing the third book in my Santa Barbara Billionaire Bachelors series called How To Outplay A Player, which I’m releasing as a serial in my newsletter.

I read and write many different genres of romance, specifically historical, contemporary, and paranormal. Do you like to stay within one genre of romance, or, like me, do you read across several different sub-genres? What are your favorites?

 

This blog was originally posted on the Harlequin Junkies blog on October 11 2017