Tis the Season for HIGHLAND GAMES

Spring is upon us and the season is already underway...for Scottish Highland Games, that is. Many American and Canadian citizens can trace their roots back to Scotland. Some of these people celebrate these relationships by organizing, volunteering at, and attending Highland games. Doing so helped me come up with the idea for several books. To be surrounded by people dressed in Highland attire, ancient plaids, and weaponry gave me fodder for my historical paranormal, DRAGONS CURSE, and for several other books in the works.


When I first met the man I was destined to marry, his grandfather and father had already researched their Scottish ancestry. Both a grandfather and grandmother hailed from Scottish clans, in this case Gunn and MacBean. We have attended the New Hampshire Highland Games from the time they started back in 1975. In the early 1980s, my husband began his long stint volunteering. I stayed home with the boys until the youngest showed an interest in his Scottish lineage, then also volunteered. Marching bands, odd looking food, and colorful kilts amid the spectacular fall foliage of the New Hampshire’s White Mountains made for memorable days.


The New Hampshire games has turned into an annual three day event, now visited by over 40,000 people! We volunteer as a family and, even though my husband and I moved to the south, we still travel to New England to offer our service under the information tent. Our sons join us to help us sell official programs, hand out maps and schedules of events, and sell raffle tickets, the proceeds of which fund scholarships for area students interested in pursuing the Scottish arts such as dancing, bagpipes, harp, and more.

This annual celebration has turned into a major undertaking and the Board of Directors and office staff work tirelessly to coordinate the many entertainment venues, clan representatives, venders of food and goods, vocal groups, and hundreds of volunteers in order to bring the sights, sounds, and flavors of Scotland to New England.

Volunteering every hour of the three days is too much to ask of anyone, since there is so much to do and see, so my husband and I gather several hardy individuals to share the load. This affords everyone with time to either go watch the sheep dog trials, taste the shortbread, scones, bridies and meat pies, shop the venders, or listen to rock bands. No one wants to miss the athletes as they toss the caber, a tree length wooden pole.

Many states, communities, and organizations host their own Highland games and these games welcome everyone…a Scottish lineage or kilt are not required! If you enjoy harps, bagpipes, Highland dance, wonderful food and a sea of brightly colored wool (and is there anything more sexy than a man in a kilt?) please visit a Highland games or Scottish festival soon.

Here are a few links to scheduled games that will help you on your way:

May 20-22 Smokey Mountain Highland Games
June 10-11 Kansas City Scottish Highland Games
June 25-26 San Diego Scottish Highland Games
July 7-10 The Grandfather Mountain Games in NC
July 30-31 Pacific Northwest Scottish Highland Games in WA
August 5-7 Celtic Roots Festival in Ontario
August 20 The Maine Highland Games in ME
August 28 The Vermont Highland Games in VT
Sept. 16-18 The New Hampshire Highland Games in NH
October 14-16 Stone Mountain Highland Games

These are only a few of the 2011 festivals available in the United States and Canada. For a complete list, visit the website of The Association of Scottish Games & Festivals
For a little more on the historical aspect of the games, read my article
HIGHLAND GAMES: THEN AND NOW:

Nancy Lee Badger writes fulltime and lives with her husband in Raleigh, NC. She loves everything Scottish. She is a member of Romance Writers of America, Heart of Carolina Romance Writers, Fantasy-Futuristic & Paranormal Romance Writers, and Celtic Heart Romance Writers. Visit her website www.nancyleebadger.com, and her blog


DRAGON’S CURSE is available from Whispers Publishing, Amazon for Kindle, Barnes & Nobel for Nook.

A Cursed Island's Romantic Reprieve

by Nancy Lee Badger

The art of writing a historical novel of any kind must start with a period in time. When I conceived the basic plot for DRAGON’S CURSE, I needed something to tie my characters to an actual historical event. Otherwise, I would consider my entire story a fantasy. History was never my favorite subject, but the internet has opened my eyes to the easy access to information. In addition to surfing the web, I researched several books and consulted a colorful clan map of Scotland. I found the perfect, horrific story, set on the island of Eigg.

Horrific? How can I call a story that horrified me perfect? Besides sympathetic characters and action packed scenes, every romantic novel needs a conflict. Conflict either keeps the hero and heroine at odds or breaks them up the moment it is revealed. Eigg’s 16th century history would work nicely, so I took the liberty of adding it to my novel. When my first Scottish historical novel was released by Whispers Publishing, the hours I had spent researching historical facts were worth it. DRAGON’S CURSE is a paranormal romance, but my addition of fact-based occurrences added a layer that makes my romance ‘pop’.

I stumbled on the story of how a band of Macleod’s massacred an entire village of Macdonalds in 1577. Wait a minute: a massacre as a plot line in a romance novel? There is a reason I pursued this avenue. Here is what happened. A small band of Macleod’s visited the island of Eigg and were accused of doing something nasty to some island ladies. The Macleod’s were tied up and sent adrift so they might return to their homeland on Skye if the lord so willed it. They survived and later returned to have their revenge. The islanders saw them coming and hid in a cave. The Macleods could not find any of the 400 or so islanders, so returned to their boats.


This is the part I refer to in my story. One of the islanders left the cave to watch their departure. Unfortunately, he was spotted. The Macleods returned to shore, covered the cave entrance, and smoked the islanders to death. Nasty. I used artistic license to make my hero, Draco MacDonald, accused of causing their deaths. A vengeful witch levies a curse that makes Draco change into a dragon at inopportune times.

Hiding out for fifteen years in a huge cave on the real Scottish island of Staffa, he meets Brianna Macleod when she accompanies a boatload of hunters. They have come to drink, carouse, and hunt the various beasties. Little do they know a dragon watches their every step! Close to Staffa, the island of Eigg sits surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean near the Isle of Mull and is easily reachable from the mainland of Scotland. The Cave of Frances, known back then as Uamh Fhraing, is known today as Massacre Cave. Moss, undergrowth, and a waterfall hid its tiny entrance, but hikers follow easy maps to find it and visit.

Eigg, Gaelic for ‘notched Island’, is part of a group of islands in the Highlands local authority known collectively as the Small Islands. It stretches some four miles long from end to end, and supports about 70 inhabitants. Along with its picturesque homes, village shop, post office, and school, tourists also visit the lovely beaches, craft shops, and restaurants. Birders visit in order to spot the Golden Eagle, Peregrine Falcon, Long-eared Owl, Cuckoo, Kestrel, and many more. A favorite stopping point is the Bay of the Singing Sands, named for high-pitched notes that the sands make when they are walked on once they have dried out. But, it is the infamous Massacre Cave that gives this lovely little island its historical prominence.

BOOK BLURB

Sometimes a special gift and an unwanted curse cannot keep destined lovers apart.
Brianna Macleod has accompanied a shipload of her guardian’s friends to a remote island off the coast of Scotland. She eludes these Highland hunters to keep her innocence…and her gift of sight. Her attitude against falling for womanly desires changes when she nearly drowns. Saved by the talons of a terrifying winged beast, she awakens—naked—in a cave, beside an unusual man.

Cursed by a vengeful witch to transform into a dragon at inopportune times, Draco MacDonald hides on this deserted island to live alone: until he plucks a servant girl from certain death. Fueled by jealousy, and tempered by fear for her safety, he succumbs to an unfamiliar desire to mate. Her kisses propel him to dare to make her his own.

Set in 1592 Scotland on the Scottish island of Staffa, the cursed hero battles a ghostly witch, a hunter set on rape, and his own growing desire for a young woman with premonitions of his death. Her kisses propel him to dare to make her his own.


EXCERPT

He tasted of salt and the sea, causing a laugh to bubble up from between her bruised lips.
“What, pray tell, have I done to amuse ye?”
“Ranald smells of blood and dung and tastes of ale. Ye smell—and taste—delicious.” She pulled his head back down and drank him in. The soft cries of seabirds mingled with the gentle boom of breaking waves. The salty breeze swept over her and cooled the heat rising from her body.
His fingers thrust inside her secret place repeatedly. Passion rose and she nearly swooned. When his gentle touch disappeared, she groaned her displeasure. He chuckled.
“What is so funny, sir?” Her words came out weak and breathy.
“I plan to taste ye as well.”
“Ye have already accomplished this, sir. Have ye forgotten so soon?” His response, another low chuckle, caused her brow to furrow, and when he dropped kisses on the tight fabric of her frock, just below her breasts, she nearly asked the man why he headed in the wrong direction. Then, he placed a kiss on the meager piece of thin chemise covering the sensitive juncture of her thighs.
She froze.
“Relax, sweet one. Accept my offering and enjoy the moment. Ye will thank me, when the task is complete.”
The man spoke in riddles. She closed her eyes and relaxed her thighs. I trust him. He will no’ harm me, this I know.
“Ye honor me, sweet lass.”


AUTHOR BIO

Nancy Lee Badger writes fulltime and lives with her husband in North Carolina. She is a member of Romance Writers of America, Heart of Carolina Romance Writers, Fantasy-Futuristic & Paranormal Romance Writers, Celtic Heart Romance Writers, and Sisters in Crime. She also writes contemporary romance and romantic suspense as Nancy Lennea: www.nancylennea.com.

Website: www.nancyleebadger.com
Blog www.RescuingRomance.nancyleebadger.com
DRAGON’S CURSE is available from Whispers Publishing
Buy link: http://bit.ly/93hRiM

America's Scottish Highland Games

Bagpipes, the Loch Ness Monster, castles, and whisky instantly bring Scotland to mind. Many American and Canadian citizens can trace their roots back to Scotland and is why many celebrate this knowledge by organizing, volunteering at, and attending Highland games.

My husband and I have attended the New Hampshire Highland Games from the time they started back in 1975, even before we married. In the early 1980s, my husband began his long stint as volunteer. I stayed home with the boys until the youngest showed an interest in his Scottish lineage. We then also volunteered. Marching bands, wonderful food, and colorfully dressed kilts amid the spectacular fall foliage of the New Hampshire’s White Mountains makes for a memorable day.

The NH games has turned into an annual three day event, now visited by over 50,000 people. We volunteer as a family and, even though my husband and I moved to the south, we still travel to the NH games annually where we offer our service in the information tent. Our sons join us there to help us sell official programs, hand out maps and schedules of events, and sell raffle tickets, the proceeds of which fund scholarships.

This annual celebration has turned into a major undertaking and the Board of Directors and office staff work tirelessly to coordinate the many entertainment venues, clan representatives, venders of food and goods, and hundreds of volunteers, in order to bring the sights, sounds, and flavors of Scotland to New England.

Volunteering every hour of the three days is too much to ask of anyone, since there is so much to do and see, so my husband and I gather several hardy individuals to share the load. This affords everyone with time to either go watch the sheep dog trials, taste the shortbread, scones, bridies, meat pies, shop the venders, or listen to rock bands. No one wants to miss the athletes as they toss the caber, a tree length wooden pole or throw a heavy hammer long distances.


Many states, communities, and organizations host their own Highland games and Scottish festivals. They welcome everyone…a Scottish lineage or kilts are not required! If you enjoy harps, bagpipes, Highland dance, wonderful food and a sea of brightly colored wool (and is there anything more sexy than a man in a kilt?) please visit a Highland games or Scottish festival soon.



A native New Yorker, Nancy Lee Badger graduated college in northern New Hampshire where she raised a family. She now writes fulltime and lives with her husband in North Carolina. She loves everything Scottish. She is a member of Romance Writers of America, Heart of Carolina Romance Writers, Fantasy-Futuristic & Paranormal Romance Writers, Sisters in Crime, and Celtic Heart Romance Writers. She also writes contemporary and romantic suspense as Nancy Lennea.



DRAGON’S CURSE is Nancy’s historical paranormal, set in old Scotland. It is available from Whispers Publishing.
The Buy Link:http://bit.ly/93hRiM
Her Website: www.nancyleebadger.com
Her Blog: www.RescuingRomance.nancyleebadger.com

Introducing Nancy Lee Badger

I am also a newmember of the Celtic Rose Bloggers and am thankful for another opportunity to share my love of all things Scottish with you. In fact I just returned from volunteering along with my family at the New Hampshire Highland Games in northern New England.



Here's a little bit about me and my first Scottish historical paranromal, DRAGON'S CURSE: I write fulltime and live with my husband in Raleigh, NC. I am a member of Romance Writers of America, Heart of Carolina Romance Writers, Fantasy-Futuristic & Paranormal Romance Writers, Celtic Heart Romance Writers, and Sisters in Crime. I also write contemporary romance and romantic suspense as Nancy Lennea: www.nancylennea.com and www.nancylennea-inlove.blogspot.com

Nancy’s website: www.nancyleebadger.com
Nancy’s blog www.RescuingRomance.nancyleebadger.com
DRAGON’S CURSE is available from Whispers Publishing at www.whispershome.com and the buy link is: http://bit.ly/93hRiM
It is also available at www.Amazon.com for Kindle


EXCERPT

The enemy, meanwhile, landed on shore. Evidently, they covered the cave’s entrance and ceiling vent with timbers and thatch, and then started fires. Thick smoke swept into the cave and choked the life from everyone he knew.
“I must no’ dwell on people long dead.”
“Then ye are doomed to live a long life filled with misery and pain. Ye shall pay for my bonnie Jean’s death and for mine. Until ye learn humility and genuine kindness toward others less able to fend for themselves, ye will no’ break the curse.”
The well-known voice of the witch, Agatah, echoed off the wet cavern walls. It momentarily pulled his attention from Brianna. Where had Brianna headed? Did she run straight toward the crude city of tents, lashed one upon another, which sprung near a wide stretch of beach? Had she made it back safely?
With a powerful beat of his wings, he launched his body toward the muddy ground below his perch and landed with ease. His eyes widened as he scanned the bright entrance of the cave. While his talons sank into the mud, the boom of angry waves surged with a loud whoosh and receded with a whimper. As his gaze followed her footprints in the mud, he inhaled her scent and exhaled smoke through both whiskered nostrils. Remnants of her essence, where her delicate fingertips once scraped along the cavern wall, shimmered in the low light. When he recalled the taste of her lips and the flush of her skin, pleasure shot straight to his groin.
“Silly dragon.” The unwelcome voice oozed venom.
Sharp fangs pricked the corners of his lips. A growl rose, his body tensed, and he closed his eyes. His ears rang with the echoes of a long dead witch who spent her afterlife haunting his every move.

If you want the reallow-down on me as an author, check out a recent interview at www.kate-hill.com/blog. I look forward to posting more excerpts and reading postings by other Celtic Rose Bloggers.