Vonda Sinclair Gets Lost in Scotland

Today.... it is my pleasure to bring you one of my Celtic sisters, Vonda Sinclair. Vonda and I have been in Celtic Hearts Romance Writers for several years together. I'm currently reading one of her books and I tell you I have a hard time putting it down. I need more hours in the day! Please help me make her feel welcome!

 

BIO Vonda Sinclair’s favorite indulgent pastime is exploring Scotland, from Edinburgh to the untamed and windblown north coast. She also enjoys creating hot, Highland heroes and spirited lasses to drive them mad. She is a past Golden Heart finalist and Laurie award winner. She lives with her amazing and supportive husband in the mountains of North Carolina where she is no doubt creating another Scottish story.

AND WHERE CAN YOU FIND VONDA?????

Website

Facebook

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Blog

THE STORY BLURB

Battle-hardened warrior Dirk MacLerie isn't who everyone thinks he is. He's Dirk MacKay, heir apparent to the MacKay chiefdom and Dunnakeil Castle on the far north coast of Scotland. When he returns home after a long absence, will his clan know him and will the duplicitous enemy who tried to murder him twelve years ago kill him in truth this time?

Lady Isobel MacKenzie is a beautiful young widow betrothed to yet another Highland chief by her brother's order. But when her future brother-in-law accosts her and threatens to kill her, she is forced to flee into a Highland snowstorm. When she runs into a rugged and imposing man she thought dead, she wonders if he will turn her over to her enemy or take her to safety.

Dirk remembers the enchanting, dark-eyed Isobel from when he was a lad, but now she is bound to another man by legal contract—an important detail she would prefer to forget. She wishes to choose her own husband and has her sights set on Dirk. But he would never steal another man's bride… would he? The tantalizing lady fires up his passions, testing his willpower and honor at every turn, even as some of his own treacherous clansmen plot his downfall.

 FOR A LITTLE TASTE...

Scotland, November 1618

Dirk MacKay urged his horse into a gallop along the narrow, muddy road that led from Draughon Castle toward Perth. Praying he wouldn't be too late to see his father alive one last time, he squinted against the cool, misty rain stinging his eyes.

The meager light of dawn hidden behind thick, leaden clouds provided little illumination. Greenish-brown hills dotted with grazing sheep and rolling beige grain fields sped by on either side of the road. Tulloch carried him closer to the thatched-roof stone crofters' cottages situated before a small wood of bare-limbed trees. A faint white mist hung over the massive River Tay, hidden amongst the bushes in the distance.

Dirk hoped he'd slipped away before his two friends knew what he was about. They would insist on going with him and he couldn't allow them to make such a sacrifice.

Lachlan was recently married and a newly titled earl and chief. He would be daft to accompany Dirk on a dangerous trek through the snowy Highlands to the edge of the earth, leaving his wife and clan to fend for themselves.

Although Robert "Rebbie" MacInnis, Earl of Rebbinglen, was a Highlander with naught to tie him down, Dirk wouldn't put his life in danger, either.

It wasn't simply the severe cold weather of the north that made Dirk worry over his friends' safety. A murderer lurked amongst his clansmen… a murderer who wanted Dirk dead, and wouldn't bat an eye at killing one of his friends, as well. He shook his head. Nay, he'd done the right thing by not asking Lachlan or Rebbie to risk their lives by traveling with him to Durness.

The three of them had been near inseparable for the past few years, but Dirk needed to handle this on his own. He'd been living in limbo for twelve years, and now it was time to return to his real life… to follow his destiny.

AND NOW FOR THE Q & A

ALEXA: What’s the first book you remember reading? 
VONDA: Thumbelina.

ALEXA: What’s your favorite love word?
VONDA: Kiss.

ALEXA: What’s your favorite fairy tale?
VONDA: I love them all, the usual ones like Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, plus I also love Scottish fairy tales.

ALEXA: Fairy Tale or Action Adventure?
VONDA: Both. I like fairy tales which are also action adventures. My stories are much like that because, on the one hand, they are very romantic in a Cinderella, happily-ever-after sort of way, but I also like to include plenty of adventure and suspense to keep the reader on the edge of the seat and flipping those pages.

ALEXA: What sound or noise do you love?
VONDA: Waterfalls. We have a small pond by our porch and I love sitting out there in summer, reading, eating a meal, or writing. The waterfall is a nice, relaxing sound.

ALEXA: What's your favorite movie of all time?
VONDA: One of my favorites is Rob Roy.

ALEXA: Oooh, I love Rob Roy, too! What is your biggest vice?
VONDA: Chocolate ice cream! I only get it every now and then.

ALEXA: How is it working with hot guys and sexy women all day?
VONDA: Incredibly rewarding! LOL It is a blast most of the time, I have to say. The hot Highlanders in kilts who live inside my head are definitely inspiring. Working with Dirk and Isobel from My Brave Highlander was especially fun. One reason is that they’re opposites in many ways. He’s the strong, silent type, while she loves to talk and dance. She throws him off-kilter worse than anyone, especially when she teases him and flirts with him. Dirk certainly likes women but he isn’t used to holding actual conversations with them. Their interactions were fun to write and I hope readers will enjoy them.

ALEXA: Be honest, when reading...do you put yourself in the heroine’s role?
VONDA: Of course. LOL Falling for a hot hero is one of the best things about escaping into a romance novel.

ALEXA: What’s something you'd like to tell your fans?
VONDA: Thank you for reading my novels! It means more to me than you’ll ever know. This career is my dream come true, and it was hard won after many years of diligent work and persistence. I take nothing for granted. I’m grateful for every moment of being able to write romance novels, and I’m incredibly thankful to you for reading them! :)

ALEXA: If you were given a chance to travel to the past where would you go and specifically why?
VONDA: Early 17^th century Scotland so I could do some first-hand research. I love to capture the true atmosphere of a time period so I can transport the reader there. To me that’s what getting lost in a story is all about, escape to a different time and place and imagining for a little while that I’m someone else.

ALEXA: What dreams have been realized as a result of your writing?
VONDA: My dream for many years, which I’ve realized during the past year, was to become published and actually earn a living from my writing. This allows me to pursue another dream of traveling to Scotland for more research and adventure. It’s my reward for working hard all year. :) I’m glad my husband fell in love with Scotland too. We have a blast exploring castle ruins, deserted beaches and hidden glens.

ALEXA: Tea or Coffee? And how do you take it?

VONDA: I like both but coffee with a generous helping of chocolate or hazelnut is my favorite. :)

ALEXA: What color would you make the sky if it wasn't going to be blue anymore and why?
VONDA: Green like the bright, vivid green hills and mountains of Scotland in the June sunshine. There is no green like it.


ALEXA: We're about out of time. Vonda, do you have any questions for your fans?
VONDA: What is your favorite thing about romance novels? The hot heroes? The romance that makes you sigh? Getting lost and escaping to another time and place? Or something else?

Thanks so much for visiting us today, Vonda! I enjoyed chatting with you. For those readers leaving a comment, Vonda has generously decided to offer TWO prizes! (A signed, PRINT copy of both My Fierce Highlander and My Wild Highlander. AND an ebook copy of both My Fierce Highlander and My Wild Highlander.) Comments will be accepted until midnight EST on Sunday, October 7th. Winners will be announced in the comment section on Monday, October 8th. (Print prize to be mailed to US address only. Ebooks, international.)

Note: Offer void where prohibited. Prizes will be mailed to North America addresses only unless specifically mentioned in the post. Odds of winning vary due to the number of entrants. Winners of drawings are responsible for checking this site in a timely manner. If prizes are not claimed in a timely manner, the author may not have a prize available. Get Lost In A Story cannot be responsible for an author's failure to mail the listed prize. GLIAS does not automatically pass email addresses to guest authors unless the commenter publicly posts their email address.