I’m excited to be on Fresh Fiction today to talk about my debut Scottish
Historical Romance, HIGHLAND
DECEPTION. It’s about the Cameron laird and a secretive lass who won’t tell
him who she is. Maggie knows that with the politics of the time, he would be
obligated to return her to her father who wishes to marry her to an abusive man.
Since Maggie won’t acknowledge her own clan, Lachlan fears she could be a spy
for a rival clan, but where does the real history come into their story?
I’ll admit, when I started writing HIGHLAND DECEPTION, I had a
vague knowledge of the time period from reading other Scottish Historical
Romances, but I didn’t know what history I would weave into the tale. I knew
Lachlan and Maggie and how I wanted their story to play out, but I didn’t have
all my facts straight.
Although the political upheaval of the time and the stories of my hero and
heroine intertwine and come together, the romance and the history in Highland
Deception were first separate. It took a couple of revisions and a lot of
research time to incorporate them into a seamless story, which I think led to a
quality story with both the romantic elements and historical facts blended to
capture the essence of Romance and Scotland
I’ve discovered along the way that research isn’t easy and after I learn things,
sometimes I have to learn them again or say “where the hell did I get that from”
when I look at something a second time. I was constantly looking for maps online
and getting tiny representations with either places or clans. They usually
didn’t show both on the same map which makes it hard to gauge distances and
sometimes even loyalties.
I spent a lot of time making sure that I had all my facts straight. It’s a fine
line to cross when you have fictional characters in a time and place that
existed with such a turbulent political landscape. As I continue to grow as a
writer, I will keep researching and hopefully hold onto the knowledge a little
better with each step of the way.
My recent trip to the Scottish Highlands will help me going forward with not
only a better understanding of the land but also the history. You should have
seen me squee when I found “Clan maps of Old”, Food For Free, a guide
to everything edible in Scotland, and Scotland, History of a
Nation. To actually have physical copies to reference makes my heart sing
and I can’t wait to hang my giant map of clans up on the wall.
So while Maggie’s and Lachlan’s journey is the center of HIGHLAND DECEPTION, I did
make sure that the past was woven along with it. I plan to continue to make
charming characters with unforgettable stories in a place and time that I’m
passionate about.
Highland
Pride
Scotland, 1642.
Maggie and Lachlan must fight their growing attraction, battling suspicion and
intrigue as religious and political turmoil threaten to tear their clans apart.
He has sworn he will never marry.
Lachlan Cameron is honor bound to see a wounded lass to safety, although he has
well learned women are deceivers, and this lovely maid harbors a wealth of
secrets. But Maggie's free spirit and charms enthrall him while he works to
discover if she is innocent…or a spy scheming with his enemies to destroy his clan.
She has sworn she will never fall in love.
Maggie Murray fled her home to avoid a political marriage to an abusive man.
Salvation comes when the Cameron laird, unaware of her identity, protects her as
she escapes. His kindness slowly warms her, and she’s tempted to confess her
real name. But his strong sense of honor would force him to return her to her
father…and torment at the hands of her scorned betrothed.
Romance Historical
[Entangled Select, On Sale: August 22, 2016,
e-Book, ISBN: 9781633757417 / eISBN: 9781633757417]
Lori Ann Bailey has a romantic soul and believes the best in everyone. Sappy
commercials and proud mommy moments make her cry. She sobs uncontrollably and
feels emotionally drained when reading sad books, so she started reading romance
for the Happily Ever Afters. She was hooked. Then, the characters and scenes
that ran around in her head as she attempted to sleep at night begged to be let
out. Looking back now, her favorite class in high school was the one where a
professor pulled a desk to the center of the room and told her to write two
paragraphs about it and the college English class taught by a red-headed
Birkenstock wearing girl, not much older than she, who introduced her to Jack
Kerouac. After working in business and years as a stay-at-home mom she has found
something in addition to her family to be passionate about, her books. She lives
in Northern Virginia with her real life hero, four kids that keep her on her
toes, two dogs determined to destroy her house and two cats secretly plotting
the demise of those dogs.
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