Alexa Bourne is a teacher by day and a romantic suspense writer by nights, weekends, and all school holidays. She also teaches online classes for writers throughout the year. She is thrilled to be writing for Decadent Publishing and to have the chance to share her love of Scotland with readers everywhere.
When she’s not concocting sinister plots and steamy love scenes or traveling and exploring new cultures, Alexa spends her time reading, watching brainless TV and thinking about exercising. She loves to hear from readers. To find her, visit www.alexabourne.com or http://alexabourne.blogspot.com, or follow her on Twitter @AlexaBourne.
HER HIGHLAND CHAMPION
A Decadent Honor Guard story….
Heather Winchester leads a charming life. With good friends, a beautiful flat in one of the most amazing cities in the world, and a promising future once she finishes her Ph.D, she is finally pursuing her own dreams instead of catering to everyone else’s…except she doesn’t remember any of it.
Malcolm Fraser has returned to his Highland village to forget his failings as a professional bodyguard. Believing he could just lose himself in the mundane activities of running his bed & breakfast, he finds a woman’s lifeless body by the loch instead….
Captivated by Heather as she regains her memory, Malcolm is thrown into the line of duty. As danger comes knocking on their door, will he be strong enough to love her and keep her safe?
Excerpt:
She turned to the bedside. A man stood there dressed in dark green sweats, with both hands clenched around the silver bedside bar. He was handsome, with light eyes, dark hair cropped close to his head, and a firm jaw. It was his hands, though. They drew her attention. Clean skin, defined knuckles, large fingers. Hands rough from a hard day’s physical labor, and yet, she imagined, gentle enough to caress the afternoon’s sufferings away.
“It’s good to see you awake.” He smiled. “You gave us all quite a fright.”
Okay, the Scottish accent drew her attention, too. At once, it both melted away some of her fears and sparked a whirlwind of questions.
“Where am I?” Her throat scratched like sandpaper.
“St. Catherine’s Hospital.”
She swallowed hard. “Where is that?”
“Fort William.” He reached for something on the table by her bed and brought back a plastic cup with a straw. “Here.”
“Thank you.” The warm water coated her sore vocal cords. She handed the cup back to him.
Wait a minute. Fort William? The only Fort William she knew was in Scotland. “I don’t understand. How did I get here?” Ignoring the aches in her body, she pressed both palms to the sheets on each side of her and pushed herself up. The blanket fell away from her chest and a new chill surrounded her. “What’s going on?”
Her arms shook, and she collapsed back to the bed.
“Relax.” The man set his palm on her shoulder, as if to keep her flat against the mattress. The heat of his fingers seeped through her hospital gown and into her skin. “I found you unconscious on the beach in Glenhalish. I called for an ambulance, and they brought you here.”
“I was in Glenhalish?”
“Aye, on a three day tour of the Highlands. Do you not remember being there?”
“No.” She squinted and studied him. No memories surfaced. “Do I know you?”
He shook his head. “Only from the beach. I’m Malcolm Fraser.”
She opened her mouth and then closed it again. Her gaze drifted to her lap as tears burned in the corners of her eyes. Panic swelled in her chest and into her throat.
“What is it, lass?” he asked with such tenderness.
“Can you tell me my name?”
HER HIGHLAND CHAMPION is available March 30th from Decadent Publishing
I’m very excited to announce that Alexa will be joining the GLIAS team. She and I have been friends for five years ever since we both finaled in the same contest in 2007. After three years of hanging out on-line, we decided to room together at the RWA National Conference in Washington, D.C. Having never met, I wasn’t exactly sure how it would go. To sum it up, it was the best conference I’d ever had. So, I’m happy to introduce Alexa Bourne.
CAT: What’s your favorite cartoon character?
ALEXA: Marvin the Martian
CAT: What turns you off like nothing else?
ALEXA: People stuck on themselves.
CAT: Is there a playlist you’d recommend for reading your latest release?
ALEXA: LOL! Anything Celtic or bagpipes.
CAT: What was the first story you remember writing?
ALEXA: I know I wrote stories as an elementary school student, but I can’t remember them. The 1st one I remember writing and finishing was a 100+ page of fan fiction for The A-Team when I was in middle school.
CAT: Do you write while listening to music? If so what kind?
ALEXA: I often listen to music while I’m writing. The type of music depends on the scene.
CAT: If you couldn’t be a writer anymore, what profession would you take up?
ALEXA: Well, in my day job I’m a teacher. So, I’d just focus more on that.
CAT: What’s the first thing you do when you finish writing a book?
ALEXA: I celebrate with a cocktail and chocolate!
CAT: If you could interview one person (and it doesn’t have to be a writer) who would it be?
ALEXA: Matt Damon. I love him!
CAT: What is your favorite tradition from your childhood that you would love to pass on or did pass on to your children?
ALEXA: When I was little I spent an overnight with my aunt and uncle (and later my cousin) to help them decorate their house for Christmas every year. When I bought my own house, I continued the tradition with my youngest nephew and niece.
CAT: Tea or Coffee? And how do you take it?
ALEXA: Tea with milk.
GOT A QUESTION YOU’D LIKE TO ASK YOUR FANS?
What would you do if you knew you could not fail? (Like I would jump out of an airplane if I knew I would definitely survive with no injuries.)
Alexa is going to give away a copy of HER HIGHLAND CHAMPTION to one commentor
