Sunday, April 28, 2013

Win Print Copies of MY HONORABLE HIGHLANDER at Goodreads

I have been busy working on the third book in my Highland Games Through Time series, but life keeps getting in the way.
So, I thought I would take a moment to
GIVE AWAY paperback copies of
MY HONORABLE HIGHLANDER.
This is the 1stbook in the series and was released last May. The contest is over at Goodreads and you have until April 30th to enter!
*SORRY:CONTEST HAS ENDED*

*no purchase necessary/Goodreads.com chooses the winners

Nancy Lee Badger Twitter me @nlbadger
DRAGON IN THE MIST, a Loch Ness Contemporary Romance, AVAILABLE HERE
MY HONORABLE HIGHLANDER, Book #1, AVAILABLE HERE
MY BANISHED HIGHLANDER, Book #2 AVAILABLE HERE
MY RELUCTANT HIGHLANDER, Book #3, is COMING SOON!

Friday, April 19, 2013

Autumn Glimmer: Ireland's Fairies are At It Again!

The Fairies are back in Autumn Glimmer, an adventure for young adults of all ages set in an Ireland that might have been. Autumn Glimmer is the sequel to Glancing Through the Glimmer. Both "Glimmer" books are paranormal prequels to the Band of Roses Trilogy, whose "what if" premise supposes that High King Brian Boru survived the Battle of Clontarf in 1014 A.D. and established a royal dynasty still in existence. As head of state, the current King Brian upholds ancient traditions, as do his children, Princess Talty and Prince Liam. Teenage Liam stars in the Glimmer books, along with his American friend, Janet Gleason, who can’t seem to stay away from the fairies.
Janet’s grandfather is the U.S. Ambassador to Ireland. Janet still misses Boston, especially in autumn, when New England’s trees are so gorgeously vibrant. But she’s settled into her new life well and landed the lead in the next school play. When King Brian invites the Gleasons to his country estate to celebrate Halloween, Janet is happy: she’ll be with Liam again.
She should know Ireland better by now…

Blurb for Autumn Glimmer:
Janet and Liam meet again for a Halloween weekend they’ll never forget…

Fairies living beneath the lake on the King of Ireland’s country estate? Janet Gleason isn’t surprised. The American teen and her royal friend, Prince Liam Boru, have met the Good People before. Just before Halloween, three of the fairies, Blinn, Mell, and Lewy, leave their watery home to fill a magical bag with the flowers their queen requires to keep a hungry monster asleep. Blinn decides she’d like to see the mortal king’s house. Lewy wants to taste oatcakes again, and Mell goes along on a tragic ride that leaves poor Lewy lost and alone. Can Liam and Janet help him find the flower bag before the monster awakens? Or will Lewy’s misguided glimmer trap the young mortals forever in the palace beneath the lake?

Excerpt:
Below the bubble, the water brightened to a lustrous cobalt blue. Stars seemed to shimmer deep in the lake. A forest of vegetation waved on the lake bed. The impossible sight of crystal towers emerged beyond the greenery, and Liam wanted to dance.

Janet raised a hand to her face. "It’s lovely, but why does it smell so bad?"

She was right. A nasty whiff of something vile had seeped into the bubble.

Becula raised her arms. "Hasten!"

The bubble’s downward speed increased. The stench intensified. Trying to pinpoint its source, Liam scanned the ghostly lake. An amber mist glowed in the inky water beyond the light and seemed to be pursuing them.

"What is it?" he asked, dreading the answer.

"The Crogall CĂș," Becula said, her nonchalant tone at odds with the stiffened sags and bags on her face. "When it hunts, its nostrils blow foul vapors to confuse its prey. Fear not, young prince. It shall not harm us."

A terrible roar tore through the bubble. Janet yipped and clung to Liam. Squashing his lips to keep from yipping himself, he hugged her to him.

The mist billowed into to a putrid fog that poured like custard to sully the water. Another roar, much closer this time, jolted the bubble.

Janet screamed. A blood-red eye as big as an autumn moon stared into the bubble.
* * * * *
About Pat McDermott:
Born and educated in Boston, Massachusetts, Pat McDermott is the author of a series of romantic action/adventure stories set in an Ireland that might have been. Her favorite non-writing activities include cooking, reading, music, hiking, music, and traveling, especially to Ireland. Pat is a member of the New Hampshire Writers’ Project, Romance Writers of America, and Celtic Hearts Romance Writers. She lives and writes in New Hampshire.



* * * * *
Autumn Glimmer / E-book Available from
Glancing Through the Glimmer / E-book Available from

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

DREAMS OF THE HIGHLANDER

Dreams of the Highlander is the second book out by Sarah Hoss.




BLURB
Haunted by a recurring dream, Marlana Crawford ventures to Scotland in search of answers. But a careless wish lands her in the 17th century and the arms of Alexander Macpherson—a handsome, brooding, Highlander, who after losing his wife and babe during childbirth, vowed never to love again.

Surprised to find a mysterious, brown-haired beauty in his home, Alexander fights the undeniable attraction between them and is determined to figure out a way to send her packing without losing his head or his heart.

When Marlana has a chance encounter with his enemy, it changes the stakes, and Alexander is forced to face two battles, one to win Marlana’s affection, the other to save her life.




EXCERPT

Newtonmore Scotland, 1701

“Mairi,” he whispered.

“I love ye with all of my heart.” The evidence of that love clung to her soft voice.

Alexander swallowed the lump of fear that rose in his throat. “I love ye, too.” He lowered his gaze to their beautiful son nestled in his arms. Brown hair dusted the little head and he gently ran his hands over the silky forehead as he fought back tears.

“I want ye to be happy, Alexander.” A blanket of confusion covered him as she turned away in sadness to stare out the window.

“What are ye saying, Mairi? Ye’re going to be fine.” He said it with as much conviction as he could muster. His hand cupped her cheek, his thumb slowly brushing strokes back and forth.

Alexander readjusted himself on the bed. She turned then, to stare back into his eyes, her hand grasping his. The sadness had left and in its place, determination settled in.

“No, I won’t and we both know it.” She swallowed with difficulty. “Promise me, Alexander. Promise me ye willna grieve for me forever.” He watched, stunned, as her hand dropped from his.

Alexander heard his mother sobbing in the background as he sat there with his stillborn son held tightly in his arms and watched his wife slip peacefully from this world.




AUTHOR BIO:
Sarah Hoss grew up believing she could try anything and if she set her mind to it, she would succeed. Sixteen years of dance lessons, Cheerleading, and school plays proved to her that her parent’s words rang true. Writing was no exception. Reading the Outlander series made her fall in love with time travels and the historical places books could take her. Always a child with a vivid imagination, she realized as an adult, she could put her imagination to good use and began writing. Marrying her very own hero, they live in Indiana in the town where she grew up. They have three beautiful children and one hyper dog. When Sarah isn’t writing, she enjoys gardening, camping, and watching her kids’ play sports.




Where to find Sarah-



Twitter- @SarahHoss1


How to purchase Dreams of the Highlander-


**Dreams of the Highlander is a Top selling book at Amazon! 5 STAR reviews! **

Tuesday, April 2, 2013


~Permission to Forward Granted and Appreciated~

2013 Golden Claddagh Contest
CONTEST OPENS APRIL 1, 2013
Enter Celtic Hearts Romance Writers Chapter contest The Golden Claddagh! Don’t let our chapter name dissuade you; your entry does not have to be Celtic based to enter. We have four categories for unpublished manuscripts: Historical, FF&P, Contemporary, and Young Adult.
Our contest opens on April 1st with a final due date of May 1st, 2013. Finalists will be notified by June 15th, 2013 and winners announced at the Celtic Hearts AGM at RWA Nationals in Atlanta. All finalists will be invited to the AGM, if they are able to attend.
ELIGIBILITY
The competition is open to RWA members and non-members. The Golden Claddagh Contest is open to published and non-published authors but the submitted work must never have been published in any format. The entry must be either a full-length novel (greater than 40,000 words) or a novella (no less than 20,000 words and no more than 40,000 words). Short stories and novelettes are not accepted.
Entry fee is $15 for CHRW members and $25 for non-members.
CATEGORIES
CONTEMPORARY: Long & Short Contemporary / Romantic Suspense / Strong Romantic Elements: Includes single title, romantic suspense, long and short romantic fiction with a contemporary setting set after 1945. Main focus is the romantic relationship between the hero and heroine.
FF&P: Future, Fantasy & Paranormal / Steampunk / Alternative History: Romance novel where the mains focus is on the romantic relationship, but the future, fantasy or paranormal elements are integral to the story (includes time-travel).
HISTORICAL / Celtic: Romance novel set primarily before 1945 — any location.
YA: Young Adult / Middle Grade / New Adult: Romance novels or novellas in which young adult themes constitute an integral part of the plot. Main focus is still on the romantic relationship between the hero and heroine.
FINAL ROUND JUDGES
Contemporary – Julie Mianecki of Penguin Books, Chelsey Emmelhainz of Harper Collins Publishing

FF&P
 – Alissa Davis
 of Carina Press and Laurie McLean of Foreward Literary Agency

Historical – Meredith Giordan of Carina Press and Susie Townsend of New Leaf Literary Agency

Young Adult – Aubrey Poole of Sourcebooks and Becky Vinter of Fine Print Literary Agency
Find the Contest Entry Form and Rules at Celtic Hearts Romance Writers website.
Sign up today! You know you want to. So what are you waiting for?
~Permission to Forward Granted and Appreciated~
Cate Parke, Rebecca Lynn
2013 Golden Claddagh Contest Coordinators