Tag Archives: medieval

Sunday Review – 27 July 2014

Posted in Reviews by

Demon Laird by Kathryn Loch

“They say he made a deal with the devil. Now the devil demands his due.”

“Captured and tortured by the English during Longshanks’s war against the Scots, Ronan MacGrigor finds the strength to escape, only to suffer the fear and rejection of his own clan. Forced to stalk the shadows at night, Ronan becomes a prisoner of illness, fear, and memories.
Fearing for his life, his brother summons a healer whose reputation borders on that of a miracle worker, but she comes from the land of the Sassenach, the very people who tried to destroy Ronan.
A foundling, Lia knows little about wars or politics, she knows only how to treat the wounds they create, and her dedication to healing knows no borders.
But the Demon Laird cannot abide a Sassenach within his home, and when a mysterious plague strikes the villagers, he looks to the woman of an enemy nation to be its cause. Even in the face of Ronan’s hatred of her and the superstitious fear of the clan, Lia knows she must stand for the truth.
Despite their fear of him, Ronan’s only goal is to protect his clan from the vicious war raging around them, but when the enemy is at his gates, the Demon Laird must answer. Lia wages her own war, that of healing the soul of a tormented laird—where all others have fled in terror, she refuses to run.
The villagers whisper of a curse—the Demon Laird made a deal with the devil—now the devil demands his due. “

I do not remember if I purchased this when it was free or maybe only about £1. Either way I bought it on a whim without even reading the product description or any of the reviews.
I was not disappointed!
It was almost instantly that I fell in love with the brothers, Ronan and Aidan, I’ll come back to Aiden later. The prologue starts by explaining to you how they were when they were growing up and introduces you to their mischievous, very different and yet close personalities. The rest of the book then goes on to weave a tale concentrating on their grown lives.
The author, Kathryn Loch, has made even the secondary characters in the book really interesting making you long to know all their story’s.
The heroine in this tale is Lia, an English orphaned healer who travels to the waring Scotland where she knows her heritage will make her untrusted. She isn’t wrong.
Due to his serious injuries resulting from capture, torture and his escape it is not Ronan who decides to send for the healer but his younger brother Aidan. Ronan is instantly suspicious of Lia and demands her immediate removal. As she is feeling worried about having to leave and where she would go she makes herself useful by caring for ill clans-people with an unknown affliction.
We see how she turns their image of her as a witch to the clan accepting her presence as she struggles to cure the ill.  During this we see her continued struggle to both finding the cause of the illness and to allow Ronan to accept her treatment.
I don’t want to give too much away, you’ll have to read it to find out more.
I will say this, finding out that the affliction from which Ronan suffers is Epilepsy, it spoke to me personally. It was intriguing to find out how the illness was portrayed, received and treated.
Coming back to Aidan, he features in his own book, http://www.amazon.co.uk/Shadowed-Hawk-Legacy-Mist-Clans-ebook/dp/B00K2FCF42/ref=pd_cp_kinc_0 , which I own but have not had the chance to read yet. I love the thought of his ‘birds’.
My overall verdict is that if you haven’t read this then do so. Oh but read http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mist-Warrior-Legacy-Clans-Book-ebook/dp/B00ALD1DIE/ref=la_B008CLDOFC_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1406487634&sr=1-2 , it’s the 1st book in the Legacy of the Mist Clans.
Kathryn is a very talented writer who I would strongly recommend. https://www.facebook.com/#!/kathryn.loch.92?fref=ts

1. Where I work my magic!!!!

Posted in Everything Else by

So, it is a well-known fact that I always write on paper first. I do not mesh well with computers. I know, I know, I’m supposed to be the generation of technology.. I’ve been told it a million times before. Doesn’t alter anything, I’m afraid. Not even the two years of office and business studies I took when I was at school (in Scotland) helped. I can type and I know my finger keys and I can still picture the teacher peering over my shoulder, breathing down my neck…
Well.. That is neither here nor there any more, suffice to say that computers and I are not very good friends.
That said, I do write at my desk. I LOVE my desk.

004

This great big wooden monstrosity was a boot sale find that I managed to convince my mum to give me! It is far too large for my room and partially blocks one window but I love it nonetheless.
It is scraped and scratched and dented. There are gouges and shelves that have been ripped out and repositioned.
I was going to clear it all down, the husband suggested it would make me appear more organised, but the truth of the matter is that I’m not organised.   I would never allow anyone a glimpse into the drawers. That is where everything I’m working on is stored and really shows how unorganised and messy I am.
With a combination of books, DVD’s, knick knacks and pictures, the shelves are overflowing. The shelf at the bottom, where feet go is home to my many, many scraps of paper holding random ideas and scenes.
There are many pens littering the top and always a bag of mints lovingly supplied by my wonderful friend and her mother who run the local sweetshop, Nicola and Yvonne. I run the risk of bankrupting myself whenever I step in their store!!
My two cats are currently being fed on my desk. Not ideal but till I can work something else out it has to do as the dog steals their food otherwise. The two bottom shelves are always kept empty anyway as both cats have habits of getting up anyway, Gid is very keen to sit on the paper I am writing on and Nessie is very enthusiastic about pens!!
The computer monitor, when I am writing, ends up covered in post it notes.

 

 

 

From Highland Fairlings series – Book One – Ina

“A collection of books that lined one wall were not nearly as many as the books that lined the little used Brothaigh library but each looked well-worn from many readings. The Laird’s desk was a heavy piece of furniture that was cluttered with many pieces of parchment and various objects that held great mystery.
Alasdair had once heard that you could tell a man’s character from his possessions and he found that Laird Elliot’s manically arranged possessions did not give a hint to the man who was too busy allowing his daughter to fight like a man than anything else. Or perhaps it did.”

 

 

Teaser Tuesday! Tuesday 22nd July 2014

Posted in Sneeky Peeks by

Your Tuesday teaser comes from Ina – Highland Fairlings – Book One

Available to buy (Check out where in the medieval/ancient romance tab.)

 

 

“Aye,” Alasdair agreed touching the still tender underneath of his chin, “I made the mistake of looking upon her as a lady and no the wee hellcat she truly is. I’ll nay be making that mistake again and the next time she has a weapon in her hand I intend tay run the other way.”

Declan laughed, “If yer gonna court her surely ye shouldna be tempting her tay cut ye down. Get her flowers or something.”

Continue reading →

Ina- Highland Fairlings – Book one – Availability

Posted in Available here by

Available here
It shouldn’t be long till it’s available further in ebook format.

Print
Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com

http://www.lulu.com/shop/emma-ruthven-stevenson/ina-highland-fairlings-series-book-one/paperback/product-21678424.html
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s?store=allproducts&keyword=emma+ruthvn-stevenson

Ebook
http://www.lulu.com/shop/emma-ruthven-stevenson/ina-highland-fairlings-series-book-one/ebook/product-21686876.html

http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Ina-Highland-Fairlings-Series-Book/book-eZeN2YwBokS0dnLEywcYEA/page1.html?s=GQOlL1Lo8kC5oDNX2OUAvA&r=1
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ina-highland-fairlings-series-book-one-emma-ruthven-stevenson/1119910117?ean=9781291928426&itm=1&usri=emma+ruthven-stevenson

 

Teaser Tuesday – Peeking at Ina

Posted in Sneeky Peeks by

Alasdair laughed and pushed back his mane of unbound, long blonde hair over his shoulder in a gesture that proved a habit for him and had the lasses swooning with delight, “Well now, Declan, ye and yer da should nay be encouraging her tay fight. Tis nay seemly. Lasses belong sewing or some such other nonsense as that.”
“Nay seemly?” Declan’s voice raised, “Were it that seemly when I spied one of the kitchen wenches sneaking frae yer chamber this morning?” Declan raised his eyes, holding his friend’s sight only to be met with a disinterested shrug of the shoulders as Alasdair took a further deep gulp of the appropriated uisge beatha.

 

Sneek Peek from Highland Fairlings – Book Two – Ebha – July 2014

Posted in Sneeky Peeks by

Sneek Peek from Highland Fairlings – Book Two – Ebha
(July 2014, currently in editing still so no release date yet.)

 

 

Alasdair Brothaigh threw his hands in the air, his frustration clear as he turned to his beloved wife, “I blame ye!”
Ina appeared startled at first but then settled loving eyes on her husband, “just let her be.”
Ebha turned to face her father in surprise at his next words.
…“Ebha, ye were raised tay be a dutiful wife. Ye have always known yer destiny.” Reaching out a large calloused hand he smoothed back one of her wild curls, “Know this. Ye do not honour yer husband and ye shame yer whole clan tay be thinking tay present yerself in such rags,” he indicated the well worn dress she had pilfered from a scullery maid,”Ye only make things harder than they need be.”
Her mother moved closer, looking up at her,”Farrell Quainn IS yer husband. Ye ken that. Ye shame me.Ye have nay been so rude as this afore but ye are a woman so ye say, so do as ye please. I was once young and spoilt but yer da saw through my faults and loved me. I only hope yer husband can see the real ye and nay what yer thinking tay show.” Her mothers eyes looked bright with unshed tears, “Whether ye like it or not, he is yer husband and he may treat ye how he chooses. If ye presented the wife we had hoped ye would be, then ye may convince love and happiness tay blossom. What ye are doing now shows only insolence and disrespect.” Sucking in a deep breath bright blue eyes met and held her own, “Today ye disappoint me, and I am shamed tay call ye my daughter.”
Ebha gasped, her own tears flowing, as her normally gentle and jovial mother rushed from the room.