Get Lost in Scotland With Vonda Sinclair!

Okay, folks, help me welcome Vonda Sinclair back to our site! Today she's answering a few questions for me so you can get to know her and her latest book, My Rebel Highlander, better!

 

BIO

Vonda Sinclair is an Amazon Top 100 bestselling author whose 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. Her books have won an EPIC Award and a National Readers' Choice Award. She lives with her amazing and supportive husband in the mountains of North Carolina where she is no doubt creating another Scottish story.

 

WHERE IN THE WORLD IS VONDA?

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THE BLURB

My Rebel Highlander

Known for his wicked wit, fierce loyalty, and skills in battle, Robert "Rebbie" MacInnis, the Earl of Rebbinglen, loves freedom and has no plans of marrying anytime soon. But when his father, a powerful Scottish marquess, signs a contract betrothing Rebbie to an earl's young daughter, he is furious. If he has to marry, he's determined to choose his own bride, though he has no inkling who he would wish to wed until fate intervenes to remind him of one fair-haired, nameless beauty and the passionate night they spent together years ago. A night forever etched in his memory.

 

Lady Calla Ferguson, a penniless widow with a young son, is forced to seek employment as her cousin's companion in order to pay her late husband's massive gambling debt. Having been ignored or mistreated most of her life, Calla has become a resourceful survivor who will stop at nothing to get what she wants—safety and security for her son and herself. Wealthy merchant, Claybourne cares little for the money the Earl of Stanbury owed him; he simply wants the earl's beautiful, voluptuous widow and he'll do whatever it takes to get his hands on her, even kidnapping and blackmail.
 

When Rebbie happens upon Claybourne abducting Calla, he rescues her and hides her in a secluded castle deep in the wild Scottish Highlands. Calla conceals her passionate spirit beneath reserve and duty, along with closely-guarded secrets which, if exposed, could ruin both her life and her son's. Years ago, she lost her heart to a dark-eyed stranger she never thought to see again, but now he's her protector. Rebbie craves another pleasurable night like the one they shared in the past, and she cannot resist the fiery passion that echoes deep in her heart and soul. Soft but strong, Calla sparks within Rebbie a desperate hunger and a need to protect her. But will her secrets tear them apart?

 

EXCERPT

Perthshire, Scotland, August 1619

 

"Look, Calla. 'Tis one of those barbaric Highlanders," Lady Elena whispered in shock, halting beneath the overhang just outside the dressmaker's shop in Draughon Village. Calla glanced across the muddy street. The Highlander in question, wearing a belted plaid kilt, strode from the Breakstane Inn, his bare muscular calves showing above his boots. He had several weapons strapped upon his body, including a basket-hilt broadsword, a long dagger, and pistols tucked into his belt.

He possessed a fine, athletic form, and his long hair, near dark as midnight, brushed his broad shoulders. He hoisted himself onto a tall, sleek black stallion, while his manservant held the bridle of the spirited animal.

"A wealthy Highlander," Calla murmured. Aye, only a rich man could afford such an impressive warhorse. When the man faced their direction, her breath stopped. His devilish deep brown eyes and handsome face had haunted her dreams and fantasies for six long years.

"Saints," she hissed. 'Tis him!

"He is a frightening sight, is he not?" Elena clutched Calla's arm.

Calla tugged her cloak's cowl more firmly over her head, hoping to conceal her face. At all costs, that man could not see her. She knew him, but not his name.

Forcing herself to look away, Calla composed herself for her younger cousin's sake. "Laird Draughon wears a kilt most of the time. And, as we know, he is not frightening."

"Aye, but…" She pointed. "With all those weapons, that one looks like he's going to war."

 

 

AND NOW FOR THE INQUIRY...

Alexa: How often to you get lost in a story?

Vonda: As often as possible. I write most days and get lost in my own stories. I also like to read on my iPhone when I'm out places or waiting in line. Recently, I've also been listening to audiobooks.

 

Alexa: Fairy Tale or Action Adventure?

Vonda: I would have to say the books in my Highland Adventure Series are both. They are wildly romantic stories of true love which end happily-ever-after, and they also contain a great deal of action and adventure. It's a combination I enjoy, whether I'm writing, reading or watching a movie.

 

Alexa: What sound or noise do you love?

Vonda: The sound of ocean waves crashing onto shore is so relaxing and romantic. I think it is a primordial sound we instinctively recognize from the dawn of humanity.

 

 Alexa: Is writing or story-telling easier for you?

Vonda: To me, they are one and the same because I find I must write in order to tell a story. I'm not very good with telling a story orally. When I get into writing mode, the words and story flow out of me. I love the sounds the words make in my head and I love the emotions they evoke.

 

Alexa: What’s something you’d like to tell your fans?

Vonda: Thank you for reading my books!! It gives me great joy and satisfaction to know readers all over the world are reading my stories and enjoying them. Thank you for escaping into the story world I created and getting to know my characters!

Alexa: Is there a “Blooper” in your story (it may have been changed before printing)?

Vonda: In one of my earlier stories (My Brave Highlander), I'd wanted to say how virile the hero was, but instead I wrote that he was viral. Yikes! LOL! Thank goodness an astute beta reader caught it and I was able to change it before it was published. I had a good laugh at myself over it.

 

 

Alexa: What’s your favorite kind of story to get lost in?

Vonda: A story which is highly romantic and filled with positive emotions and hope, despite the angst or danger. Love conquers all and heals emotional wounds. I love watching the process of two people falling in love, despite the odds, and experiencing it along with them within the pages of a book.

 

 

Alexa: What is your hero’s “kryptonite” – in other words, what will bring him instantly to his knees?

Vonda: Knowing that his Lady Calla is in danger. It spurs him to leap on his horse (Devil) and race to her rescue.

 

Alexa: What one thing about your hero drives his heroine crazy? And what one thing about your heroine drives her hero nuts?

Vonda: What drives Calla crazy is that Rebbie is so curious. He asks too many prying questions, wanting to know all about her. But there are some things she hopes he will never learn. What drives Rebbie crazy is that Calla keeps secrets and won't trust him 100%. Because he rescued her twice, he feels he has earned her trust.

Alexa: What do you do to unwind and relax?

Vonda: I love to walk or take hikes, preferably in nature. Taking walks in Scotland has been especially memorable for me in such places as Glencoe or through the heather on Ullapool Hill. I also like to take walks here where I live in the mountains of NC.

 

Alexa: What’s the best birthday present you ever received?

Vonda: A trip to Scotland. It was amazing! :) We hiked up a hill on my birthday (a warm sunny day) and took in the amazing view from the top.

 

Alexa: Complete this sentence. When I want to relax, I. . .

Vonda: …close my eyes and imagine being in Scotland. It's a place where I can relax, enjoy and simply be. I love absorbing the atmosphere and breathing in the clean, crisp air. I know, I keep mentioning Scotland, don't I? LOL I'm addicted to the place.

 

Alexa: Yes, you do keep mentioning it and you're making me jealous! How did you come up with the idea for your book?

Vonda: I'd known for years that I wanted to write Rebbie's story (My Rebel Highlander). He has been a secondary character in books 2 through 5 of my Highland Adventure Series. Not only is he a hot, yummy Highlander who has more money than he knows what to do with, he is also amusing and curious. His friends call him nosey. He has always needled and teased his friends when they end up married or falling in love. But now the shoe is on the other foot and Rebbie is the one being teased. He knows he deserves it, but he still doesn't like it. As for how I came up with the idea for the plot, I'm not sure. I only knew I wanted to do something a bit different and unexpected so I looked into Rebbie's past to see what secrets he had hidden. You know you always read about these rakish heroes who have had trysts with many women. I wanted to know what would happen if he ran into one of those women again, the one woman he'd been unable to forget. And I also wondered what her story was, which turned out to be fascinating to me.

 

Alexa: What's up next for you, Vonda?

Vonda: I'll be doing a fun anthology called Kissing the Highlander with Terry Spear, Victoria Roberts, Eliza Knight and Willa Blair. I'll also be continuing with my Highland Adventure Series.

 

 

Alexa: Got a question you'd like to ask your fans? 

Vonda: What is your favorite trait of a historical romance hero?

 

Folks, you'll want to answer her question so you'll be in the running for Vonda's giveaway! She'll be sending out a copy of one of her books to one lucky commenter (winner's choice)! Thanks so much for spending time with us, Vonda!