Title: Warrior and the Wanderer
Author: Elizabeth Holcombe
Genre: Scottish historical romance/time travel
Release Date: December 23, 2014
Length: 249 pages
Publisher: Amazon Kindle
Cover Artist: Fiona Jayde Media Designs
Summary:An impossible adventure. A fierce, undeniable desire.
Infamous Scottish bad boy, Ian MacLean, takes a road trip to sort out his mess of a life and lands five hundred years in the past. He is taken hostage into what he is certain is a band of extreme Highland role players. The only bright light in this strange situation is his insanely beautiful warrior-princess captor who wields her claymore as well as her fiery feral charms.
To gain a strong ally for her clan, flame-haired Bess Campbell reluctantly married a powerful Highland chief who had no intentions of uniting the clans. After murdering her clan chief, he chains her to a rock condemning her to die in the rising tide, until a strangely dressed but startlingly handsome man emerges from the waves like a mythical selkie and rescues her. Bess learns her most odd savior has the same name as her murdering husband—MacLean—and makes him her prisoner.
Fearing she may have captured a madman, Bess forces Ian to journey through Scotland chasing down a killer. She finds Ian’s strange ways oddly endearing and uncommonly useful to her quest for revenge. Ian struggles to find a way back to his time, while being pulled deeper into his role in the past and his undeniable attraction for the fiery Highland warrior princess, Bess Campbell.
“Too humiliating?”
“Should be humiliating for ye, to have me show ye how to properly dress yourself.” “Actually, I find it charming, in a weird sort of way.”
Bess ignored the last comment and folded the bottom third of the plaid into thick pleats. She slipped the rope under them.
“Lay on the plaid,” she said. “Place yer waist at the rope in case ye’ve forgotten.” “Oh, yer sarcasm tears me apart, Blaze.”
“If it would help to tear down yer arrogance then we’d be better served, and stop calling me Blaze.” He grimaced as he folded his body down to kneel beside her.
“Your wound…,” she began.
“Is nothing,” he said behind clenched teeth as he lowered his body on top of the plaid.
He rested supine before her. Bess drew in a deep breath. She hovered over him, grasped the ends on the rope in her fists, tied it about his waist, and then adjusted the pleats under the belt.
Ian moaned from far back in his throat. Perspiration glistened across his forehead.
“Ye claim your wound is nothing, d’ye?” she chided, loosening the rope belt. Ian gave her a small forced smile.
She continued to dress him. Her fingers smoothed the wool over his hard waist, over his lean hips, and down the ridge of muscle on his thighs. Feigning indifference was the most difficult part of her task.
“Ye may stand now,” she said. “I’ll help ye.”
“No thanks,” he said struggling to sit up, “you’ve done quite enough.”
She ignored his protest.
“Bursting your stitches is no’ a sign of bravery, ’tis a sign of stupidity.” She took up his left arm and placed it over her shoulders. “Stand with me.”
“I can do it on my own,” he said.
“Ye’re just another arrogant bastard, a typical MacLean,” she said helping him anyway.
“Have you ever thought that all MacLean’s aren’t forged from the same iron as your husband?” he asked.
“Ye betrayed my trust, so aye, I do think all MacLean’s are alike,” she said.
“But what sort of man would I be if I didn’t try to escape?” he asked.
She paused. He had her there. Of course she expected he would try to escape. That was why she had chained and tied him up in the first place.
Ian on his feet, Bess took a step backward. She could not help but allow her gaze to fall down the long length of his body and discovered her task was not complete.
She bent down, and scooped up the rest of the plaid dangling from his waist and tossed it over his shoulder. He remained silent, a blessing, as she tucked the end of the plaid under the rope belt. Task done, Bess surveyed Ian, and her knees suddenly weakened.
Dear God, she thought, he’s the Highlander of my dreams, of my heart. He is the one who could make love possible, if he wasnae so arrogant and odd, and I wasnae so bound to my clan. If ‘twas another time…
Rubber Soul: The Beatles
American Hustle Soundtrack
The Best of REM
Help!: The Beatles
Silver Linings Playbook Soundtrack
Night Visions: Imagine Dragons
Random Access Memories: Daft Punk
“(They Call Me) The Wanderer” Dion
“You’ve Lost The Lovin’ Feelin’” The Righteous Brothers “God Only Knows (What I’d Do Without You)” The Beach Boys “Let It Be” The Beatles
Ian MacLean: Born in the Western Isles of Scotland in 1974, Ian was orphaned when he was barely in his teens. He escaped to Edinburgh where he lived on the street, singing for handouts until he was discovered. Fame grabbed him by the throat and by his mid-20’s he became the most famous musician in the world. Giving into his ego, he turned his back
on his bandmates and went solo, but his popularity dissolved until he found himself performing in an off-strip dive in Las Vegas. On his fortieth birthday, Ian drove his only possession, a vintage Corvette, into the high desert of Nevada looking for redemption and ready to make a drastic change in his shattered life. It was the beginning of a journey beyond his imagination and desire, and five centuries into the past.
Bess Campbell: Born in Western Scotland in 1508, Bess was the daughter of the Chief of Clan Campbell. Her life was one of duty and honor to her clan. She grew up knowing that her role in life would be to wed a man from a neighboring clan to strengthen her clan. Love had nothing to do with the arranged marriage, only honor and duty was important. After her father’s tragic death in the Battle of Flodden and her mother perishing of a grieving heart, Bess’s brother becomes chief. His first task is to see Bess wed to the chief of a powerful neighboring clan in order to strengthen clan Campbell after their losses in Flodden. However, Bess’s new husband, Lord Lachlan MacLean, has no intention of honoring their marriage or his joining with Clan Campbell. He murder’s Bess’s brother, and chains Bess to a rock in the Firth of Lorn condemning her to die by drowning. But fate has another plan for Bess Campbell and sends her another MacLean, named Ian, crashing into her life.
By “period” I guess you mean any film or TV show/series that takes place within a historical time period, whether it be two hundred or thirty years in the past.
Mad Men
Downton Abbey
John Adams (HBO series)
From the Earth to the Moon (HBO series)
American Hustle
Pride and Prejudice (BBC TV series)
Sleepy Hollow
The Knick (Cinemax series)
Master and Commander
Walk the Line
Character relationships and adventure! With historical romance fiction, there is a wide playing field for adventure with historical parameters. I like to have my stories centered around a small piece of Scottish history which I expand. I always add a famous person from history to each story.
2. When writing a book, what is your favorite part of the creative process(outline, plot, character names, editing, etc)?
I love sitting down and putting those first words on a blank computer screen. At that point I have an idea about who the characters are and the world in which they live. I love giving them life with those first words. Also, a close second is research. I adore compiling bits and bobs of historical/cultural information which rounds out the world of my characters.
3. When reading a book, what genre do you find most interesting/intriguing?
I love time-travels, historical fiction (including romance!), and stories about quirky, off-beat characters. Humor in the stories is always a bonus!
4. If you could co-author with any author, past or present, who would you choose?
After seeing several biopic films about Truman Capote, I think he would be interesting to collaborate with.
5. Have you always wanted to write or did it come to you ΚΊlater in lifeΚΊ?
I have always wanted to write (and have written) since the age of ten after reading “Harriet the Spy.”
Elizabeth Holcombe’s background includes Bachelors and Masters Degrees in Fine Arts and Art History from Virginia Commonwealth University in her hometown of Richmond. She has taught elementary school and adult education courses on architecture in Rochester, Minnesota, and then worked as a fine arts museum registrar at the Flint Institute of Arts in Michigan.
Although she’s been writing since age ten, it wasn’t until after the birth of her son that she began penning book-length fiction. A past president of Washington Romance Writers, Elizabeth has also organized two highly successful seminars on romance for The Smithsonian Associates.
Elizabeth’s first published Scottish romance novel, Heaven and the Heather (originally published by Berkley/Jove of Penguin Putnam), was a finalist for Best Historical Romance in the Holt Medallion, nominated by Romantic Times Reviewer’s Choice for Best First Historical Romance and the Dorothy Parker Reviewer’s Choice Award.
Elizabeth lives in Falls Church, Virginia with her husband and son. She is also the proud owner of Dime Store Chic , ranked in the top 50 for vintage shops on Etsy.com. When not writing or crafting her mixed media creations, Elizabeth frequents local estate sales and flea markets.
Thank you for the wonderful interview and for participating in the Tour. Victoria at My Family's Heart
ReplyDeleteHi Heather!~~Many many thanks for featuring my book in your fabulous blog! I had fun with the interview questions, top ten and playlists!~~Cheers and Slainte!~~Elizabeth Holcombe
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