Highland Master by Amanda Scott (Book Review and Giveaway!)

Title: Highland Master (Scottish Knights)
Author: Amanda Scott
Publisher: Grand Central Publisher


About the Book: The story opens on a battlefield in Perth, Scotland in 1396.  The battle is between the Mackintoshes (Clan Chattan) and the Camerons.  Clan Chattan is the victor as only one Cameron is left alive. This survivor, Fin, swears an oath to his dying father, the clan leader, for vengeance against Clan Chattan.  One of Clan Chattan's members approached him at this point and they recognized each other and realized they could not fight, so he motioned for Fin to go for the river so he would survive.  It wasn't until later that Fin realized that he had sworn an oath going into battle to not pursue vengeance and the one to his father contradicted that.

We find Fin almost 5 years later on the banks of a river in the Highlands, bleeding from a gash to his head.  He is discovered by Catriona Mackintosh and her wolf dog protector, Boreas. Fin is in the Highlands on orders from Davy Stewart (Rothesay) - current governer of the Realm and heir to the Scottish throne. He is to convince the Mackintosh to host a meeting between Rothesay and the Lord of the Isles and the Lord of the North.  Rothesay hopes to win their favor so that he can retain their votes to keep the governorship and not have it revert back to his uncle, Albany. Albany was not a good ruler of the people, but only wanted to rule for power and wealth.  Rothesay was good for the people, but was also a womanizer and would chase anything in a skirt - married or otherwise.  At the back of Fin's mind was also the oath of vengeance he had sworn to his father, to kill the leader of Clan Chattan.  He knew if he came on this journey for Rothesay, he may have the opportunity to fulfill his oath.

Turns out that Catriona is the granddaughter of the Mackintosh and daughter of the man Fin has sworn to kill. As she and Fin grow closer, he doesn't know what path he is going to take.  Catriona is a very strong woman and does not like being told what to do.  She appreciates Fin in that he allows her to voice her opinion and seems to really listen to her, and not dismiss her like her brothers and father. Unfortunately, when Rothesay and the two Lords arrive, this gets her and Fin into some hot water.

I really enjoyed this book.  It had not only a strong hero in Fin, but also a strong heroine in Catriona.  She spoke her mind and acted on her convictions, regardless of what it might cost her. Their relationship developed gradually and wasn't the "see the girl - bed the girl - ok, now let's get to know her" story. The more time they spent together the more I wanted to see them end up together.  They were just a really good fit.  There were a lot of different conflicts that kept the story line moving - what would Fin do about his oath - how would Catriona deal with Rothesay - what would all the leaders decide to do - how does Fin react upon meeting Cat's brothers and father.  I definitely recommend this read.

~I was given a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my review from Hachette Books.~

TIME FOR THE GIVEAWAY!

I have 3 copies of this book to giveaway courtesy of Hachette Books.  Just leave a comment to enter.  Entrants limited to US and Canada only with no PO boxes.  This giveaway will end March 23, 2011.

For additional entries you can do up to 4 more of these (for a total of 5 entries). Follow my blog - tell me how (up to 2 ways)

Twitter - leave me the link

Blog about the giveaway - leave me the link

Please leave each entry in a separate comment.

Highland Master (Scottish Knights)

Publisher/Publication Date: Grand Central Publishing, Feb 1, 2011

ISBN: 978-0-446-57431-0

400 pages

Tempted by a Warrior by Amanda Scott - Giveaway!

Tempted by a Warrior

by Amanda Scott

Lady Fiona, wed in haste, has never known marital peace. When last she'd seen her cruel husband Will, he'd struck her - and she has no memory of what she did next - only that she woke later alone in her bedchamber. Will has gone missing, and Fiona fears that in her rage and terror she might somehow have killed him. When her husband's cousin Sir Richard comes to search for Will, Fiona is touched by his warm nature. A knight and warrior, Richard is drawn to Fiona's brave manner, quickly seeing in her an equal measure of inner courage. Confessing that she fears having killed Will, Fiona accepts Richard's offer to help her. Pursuing together the mystery of Will's disappearance, they fall in love. Meanwhile the English are reinforcing their garrison in the Scottish Borderlands, putting Fiona, Richard, and Scotland in peril....

FIVE FUN FACTS:
1. The title Tempted by a Warrior, as with that of its predecessor, Seduced by a Rogue, can be read two ways, because the warrior can be either the lady Fiona or the hero, Sir Richard Seyton, Baron Kirkhill. The reader can decide which one it is.


2. I wrote most of this book last summer and fall while sitting on the porch of a rustic lakeside cabin in the High Sierras (meaning no internet, no road, no phone or electricity, but loads of peace and relative quiet), aided by nosy (and noisy) Stellar jays, assorted chipmunks and squirrels, and the odd glass of wine offered by childhood friends and neighbors who thought I ought to relax and enjoy real life more.


3. My hard drive crashed while I was at the lake, and my tech-brilliant nephew, whose cabin is across the lake, suggested putting my laptop in the freezer for a few hours and then trying to access the hard drive to save the book (and other sundry files) onto a flash drive that he would provide. See wine reference in #2 above. Fortunately, freezing the computer worked and a nearby (relatively) computer fixit place froze it again and managed thereby to clone my entire hard drive onto a much larger replacement hard drive. Amazing!


4. The information for the head injuries in this book comes from both research and personal experience.


5. Willie Magee, the uh…assistant who has insisted on helping me write for the past year, instead of climbing up my leg to get to the keyboard as he did when he was small, now leaps from the floor to my shoulder, drapes himself over said shoulder, and purrs loudly while watching my every keystroke. If I stop typing, he promptly reaches out a paw to the keyboard, clearly offering to continue in my stead. He also likes to play with the keyboard whenever I take a break, which has resulted in some interesting narrative, to say the least.

GIVEAWAY

I have 3 copies of this book to giveaway - courtesy of Hachette Books.

This giveaway is open to US/Canada only - no PO boxes.

It will end on Aug 7

SSR - Just leave a comment with your email address!

Tempted by a Warrior

Publisher/Publication Date: Grand Central Publishing, Jul 1, 2010

ISBN: 978-0-446-56132-7

388 pages

Tempted by a Warrior by Amanda Scott - (Blog Tour July 5 - July 16)

Tempted by a Warrior

by Amanda Scott

(Blog Tour July 5 - 16)

Before her marriage, it was whispered that Lady Fiona Jardine was a young woman no man could control. Now the rumors are more threatening. Her cruel and womanizing husband has vanished into the battle-scarred Scottish borderlands without a trace, and everyone thinks Fiona is to blame.

Sir Richard Seyton, Laird of Kirkhill and a powerful knight and baron, is honor-bound to be Fiona's guardian until her husband is found. Kirkhill strives to keep her safe -- while her enemies plot to prevent her from ever being the mistress of the Jardine lands. But can he protect her from the desire that ignites at their slightest touch? For with suspicions mounting and tensions along the Borders rising, surrendering to their passion could cost Fiona and Kirkhill their very lives. . .

About the author: Amanda Scott, best-selling author and winner of the Romance Writers of America's RITA/Golden Medallion and The Romantic Times' awards for Best Regency Author and Best Sensual Regency, began writing on a dare from her husband. She has sold every manuscript she has written. More than twenty-five of her books are set in the English Regency period (1810-1820), others are set in fifteenth-century England and sixteenth-and eighteenth-century Scotland. Three are contemporary romances. Amanda lives with her husband and son in northern California.

Participating Blogs:

Books Like Breathing 7/5/2010 Review
Bookhounds 7/5/2010 Review, Giveaway
Thoughts in Progress 7/5/2010 Feature, Giveaway
A Moment With Mystee 7/5/2010, Review, Q and A, Giveaway
My Book Addiction and More. . . 7/5/2010 Feature, Review, Giveaway, Guest Post
Just Another New Blog 7/5/2010 Giveaway
{A}musing Reviews 7/6/2010 Review, Giveaway
A Journey of Books 7/6/2010 Feature, Review, Giveaway
Mom of Boys with Toys 7/8/2010 Feature, Review, Giveaway
Just One More Paragraph 7/8/2010 Feature, Review, Giveaway, Guest Post
My Guilty Pleasures 7/10/2010 Review, Giveaway
Rundpinne 7/10/2010 Review
Running Away? I'll Help You Pack 7/10/2010 Review, Giveaway
Distracted Musician7/11/2010 Review, Giveaway
Marta's Meanderings 7/11/2010 Review, Giveaway
A Room Without books is Empty 7/12/2010 Review, Giveaway
Just Jennifer Reading 7/12/2010 Review, Giveaway
The Thrifty Things 7/12/2010 Review, Giveaway
Broken Teepee 7/13/2010 Review, Giveaway
Paranormal Romantic Suspense Reviews 7/13/2010 Giveaway
Martha's Bookshelf 7/14/2010 Feature, Review, Giveaway, Guest Post
Tricia Reads 7/14/2010 Review, Giveaway
My Foolish Wisdom 7/14/2010 Review, Giveaway, Q&A
Book Soulmates 7/14/2010 Review, Giveaway
In the Hammock 7/15/2010 Review, Giveaway
Rex Robot Reviews 7/15/2010 Review, Giveaway, Q&A
This Book For Free 7/15/2010 Feature, Review, Giveaway
Falling Off the Shelf 7/15/2010 Feature, Giveaway
Candid, Clever and Cost Effective 7/16/2010 Review, Giveaway
Mommy Reads Too Much 7/16/2010 Review, Giveaway
The Fiction Enthusiast 7/16/2010 Review, Giveaway
Renee's Reads 7/16/2010 Review, Giveaway
My Book Views 7/16/2010 Review, Giveaway
Books and Needlepoint 7/16/2010 Review, Giveaway
DK's Everything Romance Books 7/16/2010 Review, Giveaway
Simply Stacie 7/16/2010 Review, Giveaway
Libby's Library News 7/16/2010 Giveaway
Starting Fresh 7/16/2010 Review, Giveaway
The Avid Reader 7/16/2010 Review, Guest Post

Seduced by a Rogue - Wanna win it? CLOSED

Seduced by a Rogue by Amanda Scott

A fair-haired beauty at 19, Lady Mairi is heiress apparent to her father Lord Dunwythie's rich barony. He has carefully taught her how to manage their estates, but a feud between his clan and the Maxwell clan is brewing as the two families edge toward a clan war - their dispute over money owed. Mairi's father believes he owes nothing, and of course Mairi sides with him.

When the impulsive and blue-eyed Rob Maxwell chances to meet Mairi in a barley field, they feel instant attraction, despite their families' antagonisms. Knowing he must put his clan first, Rob enacts a plan to force Dunwythie to pay his debt: Rob kidnaps Mairi, making the abduction appear the work of a stranger; then he and his sheriff-brother offer to help Dunwythis rescue his daughter IF, and only if, he will pay them the monies due. Yet after Rob captures Mairi's body, she captures his heart. When Dunwythie summons the aid of the most powerful clan in all Scotland (the Douglases), clan-tensions rise to a fever pitch. Love takes its own feverish course, as Mairi and Rob join forces to prevent a clash between hot-headed clans, and to protect their budding love.

Five Fun Facts

1. A friend asked me if I might be interested in a story about a woman who nearly began a clan war. As a result, I based the plot for Seduced by a Rogue on events described in an unpublished sixteenth-century manuscript he had found, by a Lady Maxwell who described fourteenth-century events involving her husband’s Maxwell ancestors. According to her ladyship’s rather biased description, the lady Mairi Dunwythie’s father was the fractious one in the conflict. Since I wanted to tell the tale from both sides, it took some digging to discover Lord Dunwythie’s most likely reason for refusing to comply with Alexander Maxwell’s demands.

2. The biggest challenge of this book was to make the hero, Robert Maxwell’s, behavior plausible. The manuscript provides specific details, but to reconcile them with the romantic ending of Mairi and Robert’s story presented a real puzzle until I decided that only one plausible explanation existed.

3. The title of Seduced by a Rogue can be read two ways, because the rogue can be either the hero or the heroine. The reader must decide which one it is.

4. The Solway Firth has one of the strangest tide patterns on the planet. Instead of the usual six hours and twenty minutes between tides, a tide in the Solway Firth can take as little as three and a half hours to flood and can come in on a roaring wall of water, the spray from which can be seen for miles. It can take nine hours to ebb. Other, similarly-formed waterways have such tides, but the Solway is particularly noted for them. The difference in high and low water can be as great as twenty-six feet.

5. While I was writing Seduced by a Rogue, a new kitten adopted us. Although I love cats, I rarely put them in my books. However, when our new kitten, a particularly fierce and funny little beast, stubbornly kept climbing all over me and my keyboard as I tried to write, somehow he also strolled into Seduced by a Rogue as Tiggie Whiskers. His favorite trick is to drape himself over my left shoulder and peer at the screen as if he is checking out everything I write. The wee editor’s real name is Willie Magee.

GIVEAWAY

I have five copies of this paperback to giveaway courtesy of Hachette Books. For your first entry (MUST DO THIS ONE FOR ANY OTHER ENTRIES TO COUNT) What is your favorite romance character's name - first or last? I just find some of them very interesting - like Dunwythis. Also leave your email address.

For additional entries you can sign up to follow (old followers let me know), Twitter or post it on your blog. Each entry must have it's own comment. (Four entries total.)

This giveaway if for U.S./Canada only - no PO boxes and will end Jan 27th! Good luck!

Mailbox Monday/In My Mailbox 12-14-2009

Mailbox Monday is hosted at The Printed Page or In Your Mailbox at The Story Siren. Please stop by those posts and take a look at what packages everybody else got this week!

Thicker than Blood by C.J. Darlington

Christy Williams has lived a troubled life but finally seems to have things back on track. She's working hard to build a career as an antiquarian book buyer. Things begin to unravel when a stolen Hemingway first edition is found in her possession, framing her for a crime she didn't commit. Soon Christy's fleeing from her shattered dreams, her ex-boyfriend, and God.

With no one to turn to, Christy yearns for her younger sister she left behind fifteen years ago. May's Triple Cross ranch could be the safe haven Christy is searching for, but will the sisters realize that each possesses what the other desperately needs before it's too late?

Dare to Surrender by Lilli Feisty

He Meets His Match.
She Meets Her Master.

Art gallery curator Joy Montgomery has never liked her body's generous curves. And she's always been too shy to explore her wild side. But tonight, everything is going to change. . .

Desperate to save her job, Joy approaches bad-boy artist Ash Hunter and asks him to exhibit his erotic work at her gallery. Ash agrees on one condition: Joy must pose as his model. But business soon turns to pleasure, as Joy experiences a passion beyond her wildest imaginings. . . and Ash finds more than just inspiration in his voluptuous new muse.

Ecstasy Unveiled by Larissa Ione

A Demon Enslaved

Lore is a Seminus half-breed demon who has been forced to act as his dark master's assassin. Now to earn his freedom and save his sister's life, he must complete one last kill. Powerful and ruthless, he'll stop at nothing to carry out this deadly mission.

An Angel Tempted

Idess is an earthbound angel with a wild side sworn to protect the human Lore is targeting. She's determined to thwart her wickedly handsome adversary by any means necessary -- even if that means risking her vow of eternal chastity. But what begins as a simple seduction soon turns into a passion that leaves both angel and demon craving complete surrender.

Torn between duty and desire. Lore and Idess must join forces as they battle their attraction for each other. Because an enemy from the past is rising again -- one hellbent on vengeance and unthinkable destruction.

A Black Tie Affair by Sherrill Bodine

Suited For Seduction

Fashion curator Athena Smith will do anything to get her perfectly manicured hands on the Clayworth family's celebrated couture collection for her exhibit. So when she's called in to make sure the gowns are the real deal, she's ecstatic. . . until a dress she's examining turns out to be loaded with toxins (talk about killer threads!) and Athena faints, only to wake up face-to-face with the One That Got Away, notorious Chicago bachelor Drew Clayworth.

Drew still believes Athena betrayed him all those years ago, and he's sure he can't trust her. But when the priceless gowns go missing, she offers to help track them down. Reluctantly allied in the quest, Drew and Athena are soon stunned by the barely restrained passion still sizzling between them. . . and memories both bitter and sweet. Is their new partnership just a business arrangement? Or is this something more than. . . A Black Tie Affair

Seduced by a Rogue by Amanda Scott

Flaxen-haired and beautiful, Lady Mairi Dunwythie is heiress apparent to the wealthy nobleman blocking Clan Maxwell's attempt to control much of southwest Scotland. Her first meeting with handsome Robert Maxwell ignites an attraction that is immediate, intense, and almost irresistible -- until she learns he is asking her father to submit to the Maxwell demands.

Rob is a warrior, a man of action. So when Mairi's father stands defiant, Rob daringly abducts her. As clan tensions mount, passion escalates between the lovers, tempting them beyond reason. Soon they must choose between loyalty and love. . .before the eruption of all out clan war.

Sleep No More by Susan Crandall

Danger Never Rests

The night was always Abby Whitman's enemy. As a young girl she walked in her sleep, and one night, she started a fire that scarred her sister for life and left Abby with unbearable guilt. . . and a loneliness that echoes within her.

And Evil Never Closes Its Eyes

Now Abby has begun blacking out again -- with apparently fatal results. A car accident has killed the son of a prominent family. Even though the evidence seems to exonerate her, Abby is plagued by doubts -- and soon by mysterious threats. Psychiatrist Dr. Jason Coble is intrigued by Abby and offers to help her explore the dark recesses of her mind. Through this terrifying journey, Jason's interest turns to passion, and he yearns to give her the love she craves. But first, Abby must trust him -- and shed light on secrets that will rock this Southern town and reveal a danger that threatens them both.

Countess of Scandal by Laurel McKee

Book One in the Daughters of Erin Trilogy

As children, Eliza Blacknall and William Denton ran wild over the fields of southern Ireland and swore they would be friends forever. Then fate took Will away to England, while Eliza stayed behind to become a proper Irish countess.

Years later, Will finally makes his way home -- as an English soldier sent to crush the Irish uprising. When he spies the lovely Eliza, he is captivated by the passionate woman she has become. But Eliza's passions have led her to join the Irish rebel cause, and Will and Eliza now find themselves on opposite sides of a dangerous conflict.

When Ireland explodes in bloody rebellion, Will's regiment is ordered to the front lines, and he is forced to choose between his duty to the English king and his love for Eliza and their Irish homeland.

Psst... Hey you - yeah you

You've won Tamed by a Laird!

Well - that is, if your name is:
Sheila Deeth

Small Footprints

Kytaira (already won) New winner - Throuthehaze (also already won. . .) New winner - Dixie

Alyce

Karen K

Congrats winners! I will be emailing winners shortly - they will have 48 to get back to me or new winners will be drawn. Thanks for entering!!

Tamed by a Laird - New Giveaway Starts Today!

Hachette is giving away 5 copies of Tamed by a Laird by Amanda Scott - right here starting today!

National bestselling author Amanda Scott sweeps readers back to the turbulent fourteenth-century Scottish Borders, where valiant men and women risk everything for their land. Jenny Easdale is ready to accept her fate. She's agreed to marry a man she will never love - yet not before slipping away for one last adventure. Following a traveling minstrel troupe, she's whisked into a world of intoxicating freedom. Then, all too soon, she finds herself in danger - from a vengeful political plot against Scotland and from the man who has come to take her home. Dutybound to return with his brother's wayward bride, Sir High Douglas is not prepared for how her quick wit, courage, and laughing eyes touch his warrior heart. Now, as the merry minstrels play matchmaker and passion sparks between Hugh and Jenny, the conspiracy against Scotland builds...and threatens all they hold dear.

Here are some fun facts about the book - courtesy of Hachette:

1. During the 14th century, Englishwomen could inherit wealth but not titles. If no appropriate male heir existed (with the King generally defining “appropriate”) the King simply awarded the title and, often, the wealthy heiress daughter to a royal favorite. However, in Scotland, it had become almost commonplace for a daughter to inherit her father’s title if she had no brothers. With long-running unrest between the two countries (more than 200 years of it), particularly in the Borders, many Scotswomen became baronesses, even countesses, in their own right. For example, Robert the Bruce’s mother became Countess of Carrick in her own right when her father died, and Bruce inherited the Earldom of Carrick from her.

2. Jenny Easdale, a young baroness in her own right who runs away from her betrothal feast to enjoy one last adventure before marrying, is a woman one might describe as thoughtfully stubborn. Jenny rarely raises her voice, always agrees with her opposition in one way or another, and nearly always gets her own way—much to the consternation of those who expect to control her.

3. Sir Hugh Douglas is one of those so dismayed. A much-honored knight and warrior, Hugh is accustomed to seeing his every command obeyed…instantly. As head of his family, he certainly expects such obedience from young Jenny after her betrothal to his younger brother. However, Jenny has other ideas.

4. Medieval minstrels could go anywhere. Female minstrels, dancers, and gleewomen were common. Minstrel troupes followed armies in times of war and had access to both camps without interference. They thus gained admission to houses and castles without difficulty and even acted as spies. King Alfred of England (871-901) “assumed the character of a gleeman and entered the [enemy] camp, where he made such observations as were of infinite service.” Other such spies were equally successful.

5. Tamed by a Laird is the first book in my new trilogy. Seduced by a Rogue will follow it in January 2010. I have based all three books on fourteenth-century events described in an unpublished manuscript written by a Lady Maxwell in the mid-sixteenth century.

Visit Amanda Scott!

Tamed by a Laird
Publisher/Publication Date: Forever, July 2009
ISBN: 9780446541374
432 pages

Rules

1. Only residents of U.S. or Canada
2. No PO Boxes
3. Five (5) books being given away - giveaway ends Aug 3rd.
4. Leave a comment w/email address to enter. (please leave all entries in one comment)
5. Follow my blog +2 (new or old - but you gotta let me know)
   
6. Post about it on blog or any social network - leave me a link +3. If you are leaving it on twitter use @kherbrand.
7. If someone says you referred them you will each get +3!
8. Unlimited entries if you get lots of "referred by's".