Get Lost in the Scottish Highlands!

Folks, please help me welcome Cathy MacRae! Let's make her feel comfortable and let's get to know her!

WHO IS CATHY MACRAE?

Amazon best-selling author Cathy MacRae enjoys weaving tales of romance in the Scottish Highland mists. Her stories feature strong heroes and feisty heroines in pursuit of their happy-ever-afters in medieval Scotland.

When not writing, Cathy can be found curled up in a chair with a book or enjoying the outdoors with her dogs. A member of RWA, NTRWA and Celtic Hearts Romance Writers, she is currently working on another Highland romance novel and planning her next trip to Scotland.

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Bits-n-Bobs & Wonderful Wednesday

 

THE BLURB

Heir to a lairdshsip, Kinnon Macrory is driven to prove himself fighting the English on the battlefields of France. His dreams of heroic valor are destroyed by his inability to come to grips with the atrocities visited on the very people he is sworn to protect, and three years in a French prison for a crime he did not commit leave Kinnon longing for the one thing of beauty in his war-torn life—a young woman of great kindness and wisdom named Melisende.

Melisende de la Roche struggles to stay one step ahead of soldiers who would imprison her for helping an injured Scotsman accused of treason. She finds refuge in her uncle’s shop—until a chance encounter sends her fleeing into the unknown once again, always haunted by the beguiling friendship with the troubled young Scotsman she is certain she will never see again.

Determined to find the woman of his dreams, Kinnon returns to France, only to discover a trail of clues to Melisende’s whereabouts. Their reunion will open the doors to passion, but half-truths and lies from the past could destroy the one thing they both are willing to fight for—each other.

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Melisende was taken aback by the darkness that stole over Kinnon’s features and the harshness that jerked his eyebrows together and narrowed his eyes. But his struggle to change his frown to a smile amused her and she gave a short laugh. “We have both had a trying week, n'est-ce pas vrai?”

Kinnon jerked a startled look in her direction. “Ye could say that.” He drew a deep breath. “I am sorry ye were detained in town. Ye must have worried about yer sister.”

“You could say that,” she tossed back at him, arching an eyebrow. She wondered at his return when he clearly had much on his mind and a sad duty to fulfill. He owed them nothing more for their brief war-time friendship. Her skin warmed. Could he . . ? Non. It is absurd. We have had one serious conversation and `tis likely he was lonely and had no other person to discuss his concerns with. He has not returned today because of me—has he?

She forced a slight smile, hoping to encourage Kinnon. He stared into the distance.

“I must be away home.”

His voice sounded forced, tight—faltering. His gaze dropped to his hands as they twisted with uncertainty.

Melisende’s heart ached and she ventured a gentle touch on his wrist in sympathy. Warmth where their skin touched bloomed, sending tingles of awareness along her fingers and higher. His arm twitched and they locked gazes.

“I wish circumstances were different,” he murmured.

“What do you mean, monsieur?”

He gave her a wry grin. “At least say my name.”

Her face warmed and she curled her fingers, breaking contact with his arm. “Kinnon.”

Kinnon smiled, and the gentleness of it took her breath away.

“I dinnae want this to be the last time I see ye.” His eyes clouded, his smile faded.

“You wish to return home.” Melisende forced her voice past the quaver that threatened.

“I am a laird’s son. I should follow him—lead my clan.”

His voice revealed a struggle with such a possibility.

“I do not understand. Do you not wish to be their leader?” she asked.

“I no longer know. Fighting the English should have made me stronger, harder.” He dropped his gaze. “It has made me question much.”

Unreasonable hope that he would stay in France surged in her, but she shoved it back. It was not right for her to wish him to give up his birthright. “You will make a great laird. What you have experienced—”

“What I have experienced,” Kinnon flared, “is a mob of men raping and pillaging where they will, justifying it as payment for fighting for the people. Yet the people starve and are driven from their homes, families torn apart by death and things beyond their control.” He sobered. “Bertran’s last words were to respect the Church, and protect the poor, the women and children.”

Melisende tilted her head. “Is that not every soldier’s duty?”

“Every soldier,” he mocked, his voice bitter, “routinely blasphemes the Church, and would take the last crust of bread from any unable to fend for themselves.” He lifted bleak eyes to hers. “And many have left children fatherless, their mothers reduced to selling themselves for a few coins that their families might not starve.”

Melisende’s heart twisted, but she knew he spoke the truth. “You could ensure great justice for your people.”

Kinnon’s face softened. “Ye surprise me, Melisende. Every time I speak to ye, ye lift my heart. Ye see me as so much better than I see myself.”

It relieved her to see the anger lift and she smiled. “It is because you are a good man, Kinnon. If I see you differently than you see yourself, please keep in mind you may not be correct.”

“I hope our paths cross again.” He took her hands in his. “I want our paths to cross.”

AND NOW….

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

CATHY: Nearly every time I open a book, lol! I just love a book that takes me to unexpected places and makes me not want to put it down. There are times when I groan audibly if I have to leave it behind to do something as mundane as go to the grocery store. Hopefully, on those days there is at least cereal in the cabinet so I can finish the book!

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

CATHY: I think I was reading before I was born, so I have no idea what my very first book was. But my first romance was Ashes in the Wind by Kathleen Woodiwiss.

ALEXA: What’s your favorite “love” word?

CATHY: I think my favorite love word is ‘thank you’.

ALEXA: What’s your favorite fairy tale?

CATHY: Probably Cinderella. I’ve seen it redone so many different ways—I don’t think it ever grows old. Though I’ve read some of the early versions (probably Brothers Grimm) and they are a bit gruesome!

ALEXA: What’s your favorite cartoon character?

CATHY: Bugs Bunny. Hands down.

ALEXA: What was the first story you remember writing?

CATHY: My best friend and I in high school wrote a spoof on Romeo and Juliette. Our English teacher had the class read it, and it got a spot in the school newspaper. I like to think my class enjoyed it.

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

CATHY: Not a blooper, per se, but I had to shift history a few years to put the hero in an actual battle in France. He’s mentioned in a previous book as ‘missing, presumed dead’. I hadn’t realized in that particular year, the Hundred Years War actually wound down for a brief time. *facepalm*. But I also wanted to include a real character from history who had an immense impression on the hero, so a bit of shifting was needed.

ALEXA: How is it working with hot guys and sexy women all day?

CATHY: Funny you should ask. My cover artist sent me links to models to pick from for this book a few weeks ago, and it was really a blast, lol!

ALEXA: What is your favorite trait about your hero in (book title)?

CATHY: I like that he isn’t a ‘I know what’s best’ kind of guy. He is conflicted by what he sees around him, as soldiers who are sworn to protect the people are the ones directly benefiting from theft, prostitution and the loss of innocent lives. He won’t back down from a fight, but he questions the motives of those around him.

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

CATHY: I think writing is. I really have to keep my mind on track when I tell a story out loud. Otherwise I run off on tangents and lose the main thread. At least in writing I can edit J

ALEXA: Do you write while listening to music? If so what kind?

CATHY: I prefer quiet, but if there is music, it has to be without lyrics or I start singing (only in my head, lol!) and get sidetracked.

ALEXA: What do you do to unwind and relax?

CATHY: I like to garden and play with the dogs. I have 2 corgis and 2 German Shepherds. They are quite active.

ALEXA: Do you read reviews of your books? If so, do you pay any attention to them, or let them influence your writing?

CATHY: I do read them. If they are great, I grin. If they aren’t, then I see what I can learn from them. Occasionally they aren’t helpful, the book just didn’t click for the reader. Whether they are ‘good’ or ‘bad’, if I find a trend, I will take it into consideration when writing the next book.

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

CATHY: Either. With honey and cream, please.

ALEXA: What does it mean to love someone?

CATHY: To me, loving someone means always being ready to cheer them on. It might be just a few words of appreciation, or maybe praise for an accomplishment, or a fresh batch of his/her favorite cookies-- just because.  There’s always the loving to be with them, can’t imagine life without them, and the more intimate details side of love. But respect, kindness and encouragement goes a long way to keeping love both fresh and satisfied. I’m sure it’s more complicated than that, but who doesn’t love seeing their partner’s face light up because of something you did or said just for them?

ALEXA: High Heels or Hiking Boots?

CATHY: Hiking boots!

ALEXA: What’s up next for you, Cathy?

CATHY: I am part of a multi-author series called The Ghosts of Culloden Moor. My first book in this series is Adam, which released Oct 29. There are others to follow. The first book in the series is The Gathering, by LL Muir. You should read this one first to avoid confusion in the series It’s a short, very informative read. There should be 80 books total by the end. Books release every week or two.

ALEXA’S GOTTA ASK, CATHY’S GOTTA ANSWER:

WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE ACTOR/ACTRESS & WHY?

CATHY: I think this question is hard for me because I watch movies that are current as well as those from years ago, so I feel like people might not relate to or recognize my pick. The easy answers are Sean Connery- because who can resist that Scottish accent?- and Catherine Zeta-Jones- because she is great in any genre. I love the movie Entrapment which features them both.

ALEXA: Finally… got a question you’d like to ask your fans?

CATHY: What age hero/heroine do you relate to the most? 

Folks, Cathy will be giving away an ebook of her own (winner’s choice) from the comments left here. It is open world-wide to anyone who has a Kindle or Kindle app.

 

Thanks for stopping by today, Cathy!

Note: Please leave an email address for notification. 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.