Warrior and the Wanderer by Elizabeth Holcombe

 

BOOK INFO

TITLE – Warrior and the Wanderer AUTHOR – Elizabeth Holcombe 

GENRE – Scottish historical romance/time travel PUBLICATION DATE – December 23, 2014 LENGTH (Pages/# Words) - 249 pages PUBLISHER – Amazon Kindle

 COVER ARTIST – Fiona Jayde Media Designs

BOOK SYNOPSIS

An impossible adventure. A fierce, undeniable desire.

Infamous Scottish bad boy, Ian MacLean, takes a road trip to sort out his mess of a life and lands five hundred years in the past. He is taken hostage into what he is certain is a band of extreme Highland role players. The only bright light in this strange situation is his insanely beautiful warrior-princess captor who wields her claymore as well as her fiery feral charms.

To gain a strong ally for her clan, flame-haired Bess Campbell reluctantly married a powerful Highland chief who had no intentions of uniting the clans. After murdering her clan chief, he chains her to a rock condemning her to die in the rising tide, until a strangely dressed but startlingly handsome man emerges from the waves like a mythical selkie and rescues her. Bess learns her most odd savior has the same name as her murdering husband—MacLean—and makes him her prisoner.

Fearing she may have captured a madman, Bess forces Ian to journey through Scotland chasing down a killer. She finds Ian’s strange ways oddly endearing and uncommonly useful to her quest for revenge. Ian struggles to find a way back to his time, while being pulled deeper into his role in the past and his undeniable attraction for the fiery Highland warrior princess, Bess Campbell.

 

BUY & TBR LINKS

AMAZON KINDLE US – AMAZON KINDLE CA – AMAZON KINDLE UK

 

EXCERPT

She knelt at his feet and began smoothing the plaid across the cold stone floor, felt him watching her every move. “Ye’d best pay close attention,” she said, “because I’m no’ gonnae do this for ye again.”

“Too humiliating?”

“Should be humiliating for ye, to have me show ye how to properly dress yourself.” “Actually, I find it charming, in a weird sort of way.”

Bess ignored the last comment and folded the bottom third of the plaid into thick pleats. She slipped the rope under them.

“Lay on the plaid,” she said. “Place yer waist at the rope in case ye’ve forgotten.” “Oh, yer sarcasm tears me apart, Blaze.”

“If it would help to tear down yer arrogance then we’d be better served, and stop calling me Blaze.” He grimaced as he folded his body down to kneel beside her.

“Your wound…,” she began.

“Is nothing,” he said behind clenched teeth as he lowered his body on top of the plaid.

He rested supine before her. Bess drew in a deep breath. She hovered over him, grasped the ends on the rope in her fists, tied it about his waist, and then adjusted the pleats under the belt.

Ian moaned from far back in his throat. Perspiration glistened across his forehead.

“Ye claim your wound is nothing, d’ye?” she chided, loosening the rope belt. Ian gave her a small forced smile.

She continued to dress him. Her fingers smoothed the wool over his hard waist, over his lean hips, and down the ridge of muscle on his thighs. Feigning indifference was the most difficult part of her task.

“Ye may stand now,” she said. “I’ll help ye.”

“No thanks,” he said struggling to sit up, “you’ve done quite enough.”

She ignored his protest.

“Bursting your stitches is no’ a sign of bravery, ’tis a sign of stupidity.” She took up his left arm and placed it over her shoulders. “Stand with me.”

“I can do it on my own,” he said.

“Ye’re just another arrogant bastard, a typical MacLean,” she said helping him anyway.

“Have you ever thought that all MacLean’s aren’t forged from the same iron as your husband?” he asked.

“Ye betrayed my trust, so aye, I do think all MacLean’s are alike,” she said.

“But what sort of man would I be if I didn’t try to escape?” he asked.

She paused. He had her there. Of course she expected he would try to escape. That was why she had chained and tied him up in the first place.

Ian on his feet, Bess took a step backward. She could not help but allow her gaze to fall down the long length of his body and discovered her task was not complete.

She bent down, and scooped up the rest of the plaid dangling from his waist and tossed it over his shoulder. He remained silent, a blessing, as she tucked the end of the plaid under the rope belt. Task done, Bess surveyed Ian, and her knees suddenly weakened.

Dear God, she thought, he’s the Highlander of my dreams, of my heart. He is the one who could make love possible, if he wasnae so arrogant and odd, and I wasnae so bound to my clan. If ‘twas another time…

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Author Interview

Who designed the covers? The fabulous Fiona of Fiona Jayde Media!

Do you read your reviews? Do you respond to them, good or bad? Do you have any advice on how to deal with the bad? I have read reviews. I feel that if my stories solicit any emotional response that compels a reader to take his/her valuable time to post a review then it’s all good. If a review is unfavorable, I guess that my story really didn’t meet expectations or didn’t appeal to the reader, and they are certainly entitled to voice that opinion if they desire.

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp? The main characters in “Warrior and the Wanderer” always have to adjust and change focus in attempting to make their goals. They may not like it, but they subscribe to the fact that one never feels more alive than when faced with adversity.

Can you share what your current are projects? I am currently editing my next book, “Lord and the Lass,” another “fish out of water” story set in Scotland’s age of enlightenment.

What books have most influenced your life most? When I was ten I read “Harriet the Spy” and quickly learned how much fun it was to keep a journal and write down what I saw everyday. My favorite storytellers have always influenced me, and provoked me to tell my stories. I love books that centered on character and adventure, with a strong “fish out of water” bent. My favorites are the classics “Tarzan of the Apes,” “Robinson Crusoe,” and “The Time Machine.”

Do you ever experience writer's block? Oh, heck yes! I have other creative things that I do, so I can turn to them and not think about the story. Eventually, it breaks the writer’s block.

Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest? My most recent faves are: Andy Weir “The Martian” Graeme Simsion “The Rosie Project”

While you were writing, did you ever feel as if you were one of the characters? I identified with Ian MacLean a bit as if I could ever travel back in time, one of the things I would love to do was sing my favorite Beatles songs (I’m not a singer, but I can get wicked high scores on vocals with Beatles Rockband, LOL!) I would probably be burned at the stake for blasphemy, but it would be cool to see the reaction of 16th century folk.

What are your expectations for the book? I just hope anyone who reads “Warrior and the Wanderer”, feels they had a good time. Time travel is really the ultimate adventure and I want the readers to have fun with my story!

Do you write an outline before every book you write? I do, but I leave PLENTY of room for changes and adjustments as the characters take on a life of their own and take over the story.

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AUTHOR BIO

Elizabeth Holcombe’s background includes Bachelors and Masters Degrees in Fine Arts and Art History from Virginia Commonwealth University in her hometown of Richmond. She has taught elementary school and adult education courses on architecture in Rochester, Minnesota, and then worked as a fine arts museum registrar at the Flint Institute of Arts in Michigan.

Although she’s been writing since age ten, it wasn’t until after the birth of her son that she began penning book-length fiction. A past president of Washington Romance Writers, Elizabeth has also organized two highly successful seminars on romance for The Smithsonian Associates.

Elizabeth’s first published Scottish romance novel, Heaven and the Heather (originally published by Berkley/Jove of Penguin Putnam), was a finalist for Best Historical Romance in the Holt Medallion, nominated by Romantic Times

Reviewer’s Choice for Best First Historical Romance and the Dorothy Parker Reviewer’s Choice Award.

Elizabeth lives in Falls Church, Virginia with her husband and son. She is also the proud owner of Dime Store Chic, ranked in the top 50 for vintage shops on Etsy.com. When not writing or crafting her mixed media creations, Elizabeth frequents local estate sales and flea markets.

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