Hi Delilah fans! Thanks for joining me today.

February is a special month for romance fans. To celebrate love, we give gifts and cook special meals, indulge in chocolate and sexy lingerie. I’m here to share a sexy little story with you, something that might start your engines running so you’re ready for your hot Valentine’s Day moments.

This story is an offshoot of Jarrod Bancroft: The Novel, which will be half price all day Valentine’s Day at https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/535279.

But first—this month in my free monthly newsletter Liz’s Hot News, I outline five FREE ways to show your love to your significant other. I’d love to share my newsletter with you, and if you sign up by February 14, you’ll be in the drawing for a $20 gift certificate.

For more details on entering this drawing and other goodies, check the links at the end of this story.

Jarrod’s Valentine

Macie’s face reflected the subdued outdoor light that filtered in through the restaurant window. Ignoring the clench in his chest, Jarrod studied her from across the noisy room. She looked like a work of art, the planes and lines of her face cast in shadow, her delicate skin framed by luxurious lengths of dark hair. One of those exquisite images painted by some long-dead artist where the woman’s pensive expression signaled vague internal conflict. His impulse was to rush over to the table, take her hands, and slip to his knees to ask what he could do to brighten her day. His mouth twisted and he turned back to his newspaper.

Whatever appetites Macie Fitzgerald provoked, today the situation at Bancroft Investments demanded his full attention. The stock report only reiterated what he already knew—their standing had slipped again. Somehow rumors had leaked. It was a matter of time before this blew wide open.

He quietly folded the paper, signaled the waiter and paid his check before slipping out the side door. Much as he wanted Macie right now, the ugly responsibilities in his real life could not wait.

The door to his dad’s office was slightly ajar. His father stood at the windows in the far corner, his back turned as he stared out into the city. The older man’s shoulders triggered Jarrod’s memory, all the times those same shoulders had loomed over him, an impenetrable wall of dark against dim light. An immovable object. Jarrod swallowed an ugly taste in his mouth. And it had nothing to do with his lunch.

So the bastard already knew.

“Took your time,” the old man said. He didn’t bother to turn. “You’ve never appreciated the value of a full day’s work.”

“Fuck you, Preston,” Jarrod said. He slipped off his overcoat and dropped it on the chair. He stood beside the desk and folded his arms, facing his father’s back.

“What do you plan to do?” Preston said. “Are you riding your white horse, ready to save the world?”

“Anything to sidestep the facts,” Jarrod said. “That’s been your strategy all along. I remember my first weeks here, when I went through the files for that mutual fund and asked you, and you shifted blame to Evers. Always somebody else’s fault. Always something I made up or misinterpreted.”

“So you’re going to bring the house down around our ears, is that the plan?”

“You assigned me the dirty work thinking I wouldn’t put it together.” Jarrod spun the desk chair around and gripped the thick leather back. “I’ve dug all the way down. I’m not buying any more of your bullshit.”

Preston whirled to face him. The flesh around his nose had turned white. “Whine, you little fuck. You have no idea. I’ve worked my ass off, dedicated my life to giving you and your mother the very best. I don’t answer to you.”

Jarrod swallowed his rage, sinking his fingers into the chair upholstery to keep from planting a fist in that smug face. The man might be a despicable cheat, but he was his father. “You’ll answer to the prosecutor. Evers won’t take this sitting down.”

“Evers is as big a baby as you are. Suck it up, boy. This is how things get done.”

Jarrod closed his eyes then slammed out of the room. Nothing he could say would change Preston Bancroft. Why had it taken him twenty-eight years to accept that fact?

Odd how familiar this all felt. As if he’d seen it in a dream. As if he’d wished it a thousand times and only now realized what he wished. He strode to his office and slid open his desk drawers looking for anything that might hold value, but after a few minutes, he grabbed his overcoat and stalked out. Read the rest of this entry »

Thank you, Delilah, and thank you everyone for stopping by.

When Delilah agreed to host me back in December, I had something completely different in mind as my topic. However, on December 24^th I received an early Christmas present…a positive biopsy result for breast cancer. What makes this suck even more (and yes, as a writer I should find a more eloquent word than ‘suck’…but simply put…it does suck!) is that this is my second time.

I’m not going to get into all the ugly and crappy (another under-used but perfectly descriptive word) things that surround this diagnosis, because that isn’t me. Fourteen years ago, I had to delay my first chemo appointment by a week because I was going through a divorce, moving out of my marital home, and celebrating my 36^th birthday.  But through this all, I stayed positive.

…And that is what I want to write about.

Yes, being diagnosed a second time with the dreaded “c” sucks and is crappy, but I’m not going to let it get me down or hold me back.  I’ve had a few friends…which is a ‘few’ too many…that were diagnosed with breast cancer after my first experience.  I told them all, I can’t guarantee that a positive attitude will help, but a negative one will certainly pull you down.

This time around, I have to say, I disagree. A positive attitude does help! I know my husband and many of my close friends were devastated to hear this news. My daughter didn’t know what to do…she was only 4 the first time through, and once this Christmas vacation was done she was heading back to university, a 2.5 hour flight away. And my mom, well this should never happen to your children—certainly not twice—and it doesn’t matter if they are 5, 15 or 50. But I am keeping a positive outlook that things will go as smoothly this time as last. I’m hoping to fly to Nova Scotia at the end of February, between what I believe will be my first two chemo appointments, to see my daughter play in her first university volleyball finals. And while I took time off from work last time, I have actually decided to work through my procedures this time (as long as my health or my doctor doesn’t say otherwise.)  My point here? NONE of my friends have given me the weepy face that often occurs when you tell people you have cancer. How can they think or act negative when I refuse to be brought down by it?

So whether it’s an illness, writing a book, or just living your life…stay positive. Think about the good things that lie ahead, or what’s the point? And whether you believe in God or chocolate to help get you through, surround yourself with positive things and positive people….because negative will definitely pull you down.

p.s. My 3 inch tumor was bigger than expected but my nodes were clean which means no spread. I don’t get the final results until 02/05…when I also get my chemo schedule, but in the meantime I have signed another contract with Wild Rose Press for a fantasy short, Love Supernaturally, and am waiting on a 2^nd contract from my YA publisher, Boroughs, for my Young Adult novella, California Blue. I continue to work, write, craft, dream and plan.

REAL LOVE (A Candy Hearts Story)

Her eyes and heart are open to new worlds and new possibilities.

 

 

As a young girl, Monda was placed into the tutelage of Mistress Teevac. Trained to use her empathic skills and educated in the ways to please a man, Monda is on her way to her new mate and master when her spaceship crashes. Rescued by a handsome space lieutenant, who literally makes her heart race, Monda’s eyes and heart are opened to new possibilities.

When Lieutenant Patrick Lancaster looks at the exotic Monda, he sees beautiful not alien. With an instinct to protect her and the desire to have her, he’d be honored to call her his own, but the starts have something else in mind. Or do they?

Excerpt:

Her face more angular than most. Her lips, thick. A constant pout, like she waited to be kissed. When he looked at her big blue eyes and long blue eyelashes, he thought exotic, not alien.

“Monda.” He reached to wipe the tear. No, it was not his place. He shoved his hand into his pocket. “I didn’t mean you. I don’t think of you as alien. I meant other aliens, like the green guys from Salvador. Have you seen them? About a meter high with pointed teeth. You can’t tell the males from the females except when they have their armor off.” He wanted to pull her into a hug. To comfort her and show her how sorry he felt. But she was promised to another, and while he might be an idiot, his mother also raised him as a gentleman. “Really, Monda, I’m sorry.”

“I know,” she whispered.

“What I mean is you’re an alien but not an alien. You don’t look like an alien. Of course any guy would be honored to have a girlfriend like you.”

“Any guy, but you.”

Buy Links:

Wild Rose Press: https://www.wildrosepublishing.com/maincatalog_v151/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=195&products_id=6593

About the Author:

Charlotte Copper lives in Stouffville, Ontario – that’s in Canada, eh. When she isn’t working at her full-time job, Charlotte likes to craft, read, go to movies, and, of course, write. Charlotte hopes to have all of her stories published some day because, as a romance writer, she believes in happy endings!

Contact Information:
Email:  charlottecopper.author@gmail.com
Website:  https://charlottecopperauthor.com
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/charlotte.copper.52
Twitter::  @charlottecopper   https://twitter.com/CharlotteCopper

Lately, I’ve become a bit more analytical in my thinking about books. One of the things I’ve considered is what I like in a romance hero and who writes that hero best.

Linda Howard is the first author who comes to mind who writes the heroes I love. They are uber-alpha, supremely capable in every situation, and yet (often) completely befuddled by their attraction to and adoration of females who don’t necessarily make sense to their male minds.

My first Howard novel was Midnight Rainbow starring Grant Sullivan, secret operative extraordinaire, and a feisty rich woman. I don’t remember much about her, but I do remember that Sullivan was pretty darned swoon-worthy, especially considering I was a teenager when I read that book. But Sullivan’s not the only one. John Medina, who finally got his own woman in All the Queen’s Men after having cameo appearances in previous books, is another super spy who doesn’t break a sweat while the bullets are flying around him.

Howard’s heroes don’t have to be mercenaries or spies – though I’m certainly not complaining! – but they will be men who can maintain control of 99% of their environment. Ben Lewis, the Amazon guide in Heart of Fire, and James Diaz from Cry No More (one of my desert-isle keepers) are two men who may take questionable moral stances in some situation, yet they are 110% devoted to the safety of their women, even when they don’t understand what the women are planning or why.

She has also written two of my favorite cops (though I do adore Nelson deMille’s John Corey, but those aren’t romance, so we’ll save those for another day) in the hilarious Sam Donovan from Mr. Perfect and Dane Hollister in Dream Man. Honestly, who can resist a man who ends up with sympathy labor pains?

And speaking of Danes, or Dains as it were, I have to add Sebastian Ballister, the Marquess of Dain, from Loretta Chase’s Lord of Scoundrels to my list. Not only is Dain another uber-alpha male completely confounded and besotted by Jessica Trent, LoS is simply one of the best romance novels ever written. Ever. Seriously. I’m pretty sure there are scientific papers quantifying that.

And one more author whose heroes I love? Laura Florand. If you haven’t read her chocolate or perfume series, get on it! She creates these gorgeous French men (and gorgeous French settings!) who are tough and rugged on outside, but molten chocolate on the inside – sweet, dark and delicious. Dominique Richard from The Chocolate Touch is my favorite of Florand’s bad boy chefs, but Gabe and Patrick are chocolatey heartthrobs as well (The Chocolate Rose and The Chocolate Temptation respectively). Honestly, though, if you’re going to read Florand’s books, just start at the beginning of the series with The Chocolate Thief and know that the books get better and better the more you read. Full disclosure, the first book in the series is actually my least favorite…though I do love that hero as well, Monsieur Sylvain Marquis.

Tl;dr (too long;didn’t read)—I dig supremely capable alpha males who are drop-kicked by love!

Tell me who your favorite heroes are.

On Monday, February 1st, I’ll randomly choose one commenter to win a free digital copy of one of my novellas. Winner gets to choose between Three Little Words and One Night in Savannah. Very different heroes in those two stories, but I love them both!

About the Author

Taylor Reynolds writes hot, contemporary romance that often features active military or veteran characters. She is a native Californian who currently lives in Northern Virginia with a dog and a cat.

Hello, I’m Melanie Jayne and I write romance with older characters. By saying that, I don’t mean women in their early thirties. Nooo, I am talking about women that have made more than a few laps around life’s track. I do this because I can barely remember my twenties and to be honest, my life didn’t get really interesting until many years had passed.

I find that too often in fiction, especially romance, the female characters top out in their early thirties or are into their sixties. The older women are portrayed as the meddling interloper or the crazy relative. Well I’m here to tell you that women can be so much more.

I love creating my female characters. They have had years to work through their issues with their families. Not that she can change things but she can anticipate, or won’t be surprised by actions and reactions. Hopefully, she is to the point where she has identified the negative influences in her circle and shed those “friends”.  She may not completely know herself but she has a good idea what she doesn’t like and what she doesn’t want around her.

I usually find that she has just made or experienced a major change in her life. She can start over and do things her way, the better way. In my latest book, You Only, Hale Cameron has just returned to the small town where she grew up. Years before she left her fiancé and the town behind. Now she must find her place in the community that has kept the story of how she broke Finn Webber’s heart alive.

Hale has her share of baggage, she was abused by her mother and fears that she may share some of Lydia’s traits. She left a successful career to take over the reins of her family’s farming operation. After years of therapy, she believes that she lost her chance at love. Perhaps she isn’t really worthy of romantic love?

Her close friends have her back and help her navigate small town life. She must also deal with Finn. He is now the mayor and a popular bachelor. He never understood why Hale left and demands an explanation. Her reasons confuse him, almost as much as his attraction to her.

As couple addresses their past, Finn learns that he did not really know Hale at all. The new and improved Hale excites and entices him with her intelligence and forbearance. She is trying to fit in and become a leader as expected due to her family name.

In the book, Hale has doubts but continues working toward her goal. She was so much fun to write because she wants to move forward. I love that she knows her faults, but accepts that we all have them. She is unapologetically sexual and is not afraid to discuss her past and what she hopes will come to be. She is human and has worked very hard to be okay with that. I think that is what I love most about her. She knows that she isn’t perfect and isn’t surprised when those close to her screw up. She looks deeper than the what but more into the why.

Women are so much more than the number of years that they have graced the earth and I hope that one day, we will stop seeing them as their age but more for their wisdom.

About the Author

Melanie Jayne lives in on a grain farm in Central Indiana with her long suffering husband and Ginger the monster dog. When she isn’t writing, she’s dealing with repairs their old farmhouse and she loves to read.

You are invited to follow her:

www.ReadMelanieJayne.com

@MJSmut on Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram

Melanie Jayne on Facebook

I’ll be honest. I hate when people ask me, “What inspired you to write this story?” It’s almost like asking a dog what inspired you to bark? It’s in their nature to bark, as it is mine to write or come up with stories. It’s what I do.

Inspiration strikes at the strangest of times, and it’s not just one event that inspires a story, but a multitude of events.

Sometimes my mind is dead. I feel like the scarecrow in the Wizard of Oz, If I only had a brain. (I’ll give you a moment to sing that little ditty in your head. Okay, moving on.)

Then other times, I can’t get the stinking thing (my brain) to shut off. I’ll see something, hear someone have a conversation, and something I see or hear will lead me down another path, then another, then another, and BOOM! Everything falls into place and a story is born.

JK Rowling thought up the idea for Harry Potter on a train ride. True story! Maybe that’s why Harry rode the Hogwarts Express to school? Who knows?

But, what I do know (and it isn’t much) is that my newest release, Text Me, was thought up on a treadmill at the gym. Text Me is a part of the Candy Hearts Romance Series with The Wild Rose Press. TWRP did a call for stories with candy hearts titles and “Text Me” began whispering in my ear so seductively, Write me. Write me. Then it started shouting, WRITE ME.

Okay, I can take a hint!

I jumped off the treadmill, jotted notes into my phone, and I’m pretty sure the water fountain at the gym inspired the whole interoffice relationship romance in Text Me. I always hear about coworkers gossiping around the water cooler, so I thought why not make it more office related? So I did, and it worked, and I liked it. I hope you do, too.

Text Me

When Erika’s ex becomes her boss less than a year after dumping her by text, she gets desperate to find a date to the corporate Valentine’s dance so he doesn’t suspect she still has feelings for him. Though not a fan of texting for the obvious reason, she doesn’t have much choice but to tap the keypad in order to gain the attention of the only viable candidate from the classified ads.

Grayson made the mistake of listening to his brother a year ago and has regretted what he did to Erika ever since. But his brother’s next suggestion just might be his salvation when he takes out an ad for a Valentine’s date…and Erika answers.

Using a pseudo name and keeping contact to text messages only, Grayson’s plans to make Erika fall back in love with him appears to be working…until the date of the dance draws near, and she pushes a meeting—face to face.

Excerpt:

Valentine’s Day.

She sank deeper into the couch. What was she going to do? She couldn’t show up alone to the company dance. Not with the chance of Grayson being there. No way.

“Maybe go to another speed dating session?” She grabbed a tissue off the coffee table and wiped the excess slime from her fingers.

“My hairdresser’s single. You want me to ask him?”

“Your hairdresser’s gay. I don’t think he’d be interested in me.”

“Really?” Megan gave her a funny stare.

“Really.” Erika snorted. “Have you not seen the picture of him and his ex-partner at his station?”

“That was his partner?” Her friend’s mouth gapped open. “I thought it was his brother.”

She shook her head. Her friend was one of the smartest people she knew, but common sense eluded the girl.

Megan popped more hearts in her mouth. “That explains so much now,” she mumbled around the candy. “No wonder my hair always looks good.”

“Yes, it does.” Erika sipped her wine.

Her friend swallowed. “Well, I’m sorry, honey. I don’t know any single guys. If I did, I’d try to date them myself.”

“That’s okay.” She sighed and slumped back onto the sofa.

“Is Grayson single?”

“I don’t know. Why are you asking?” She narrowed her gaze. “You want to date him?”

“No.” Her friend said “no” as if it was the most obvious answer in the world.

“I’m thinking about you. You wouldn’t go back out with Grayson again, would you? Please say no.” Megan’s shoulders sagged.

Go back out with Grayson. She never thought she’d be given another chance. Would she go back out with him after the way he treated her? Of course not. She deserved better, despite how wonderful he had been.

“I don’t think so. He really hurt me. I can’t give him that privilege again.”

“Good for you.” Her roommate perked up and patted her on the back. “Stay strong. You’ll find someone.”

“You’re right. I’m going to have a date for that corporate Valentine’s dance, even if I have to search the classifieds.”

“Surely, it won’t come to that.” Megan held up her glass for a toast.

Erika clinked hers with her friend’s. “Yeah, surely.”

Her roommate sat her glass down on the table and reached for more hearts.

“Here, give me one of those.”

“I love reading the little sayings.” Megan passed her a heart and tossed her dark hair behind her shoulder. “What’s yours say?”

She flipped over the candy to see the phrase. Bright pink letters stared back at her. Oh, you can’t be serious. “‘Text me’. Seriously?”

Megan burst out laughing.

“You would find that funny.” Erika popped the heart in her mouth and obliterated the little saying she had grown to hate so much.

Erin Bevan

Erin Bevan is a wife and mother of three. An avid reader, one day she decided to try her luck in writing stories of her own, and the idea paid off. She spends her days deep in the heart of Texas, fighting mosquitoes, cleaning dirty faces, and writing when the kids nap. If it’s a really good day, she even finds time to brush her hair.

Links: 

https://www.facebook.com/erinbevanwrites/
www.erinbevan.com
https://twitter.com/ErinBevan

Twitter @ErinBevan

Buy links:

https://www.wildrosepublishing.com/maincatalog_v151/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=195&products_id=6601

https://www.amazon.com/Text-Me-Candy-Hearts-Romance-ebook/dp/B019G1FOR2/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1453662636&sr=1-1&keywords=Text+Me

I love when the hero and his best friend attempt to help each other with their romantic entanglements. I mean, they’re so unwilling to admit they’re in over their head. They can’t request help—it’s the ultimate in refusing to ask for directions. Sometimes they talk around the situation, using a sort of bro-code language that only men can decipher. And then there are the times they flat-out try to ignore how their world has changed drastically, even when everything is crashing down around them.

It’s so freakin’ adorable.

In a previous book, my current hero Troy was a bit cavalier about the romantic advice he gave to his friend Matt, a superstar baseball pitcher. Now it’s Troy’s turn to be on the receiving end. Let’s listen in, shall we?

“Who’s the sexy blonde behind the bar you keep staring at?”

Troy saw Matt’s grin, but he ignored it, returning his attention to the basket of baseballs sitting on the table in front of him. He wasn’t ready to answer questions about Bet just then.

Matt took the hint, thankfully. “Do you need me to sign any of these?”

“Nah, I’ve got plenty of the real ones.” Troy picked up a pen and started signing Matt’s name. “These are the ones I give to the real douchebags.”

“What are you putting on there?” Matt leaned forward to get a better look. “Is that a smiley face?”

“Actually that’s a heart. See? Right at the end of the swirly part of the s in your last name.”

“I don’t do a swirly s in my signature.”

“You do now.”

Matt snorted. “I’m never gonna make it into the Hall of Fame.”

Troy snorted right back at him. “You’re a shoo-in and you know it. And these guys deserve it. Like the one who got all grabby with Bet the other day—”

“The sexy blonde you’ve been staring at?”

Troy tossed the pen down and picked up his beer. “She’s not a sexy blonde. She’s my sexy blonde.”

“Well, that’s intriguing.” Matt clinked his bottle against Troy’s. “Care to explain more?”

“Nope,” Troy answered cheerfully. He guzzled most of his beer before adding, “And I’ll be happy to ignore any more questions you have.”

“Perfect.” Matt glanced around the room, completely unconcerned.

“Don’t you say a word. None of this ‘I told you so’ or ‘glad it was your turn’ shit.”

Matt nodded. “Got it.”

“I’m serious.”

“I said I got it.” Then Matt’s head dropped back and he laughed, for way too long. “Oh man, this is even better than I thought it would be.”

Troy slumped in his chair. “You know how I gave you a hard time about boo-hooing when you weren’t sure what to do about Allie?”

Matt rolled his eyes. “I wasn’t boo-hooing, but yeah, I know what you’re saying.”

“Well, I should apologize for that, but I won’t.”

“Apology accepted.”

“Thanks. Anyway, I get it now. What you were going through. Because I’m kinda going through it myself.”

Matt shook his head as if he’d just gotten beaned by a 90-mile-an-hour fastball. “Wait a minute. It sounds like you’re admitting to having feelings for a woman. Feelings way way above your jockstrap—”

“Hey! I have jockstrap feelings for her too. It’s just that they’re getting all mixed in with these other ones. And I’m not sure what to do.”

“I could say what you said to me,” Matt offered. “Something about she sounds fun and give me her phone number.”

“Allie’s gonna smack you, and then I’m gonna do the same. I need you to take me seriously here.”

“I am. And you know what you gotta do. You just gotta do it.”

Troy groaned. “Please tell me I was more helpful than that.”

~~~~~

Bio:

I have worked as an attorney, winery tasting room manager, and retail business owner, but nothing beats the thrill of writing humorously-ever-after romances.

I reside in New England, although I fantasize about spending the rest of my days in a tropical locale, wearing flip flops year-round, or in Regency London, scandalizing the ton.

I can usually be found on Twitter, talking about writing and coffee, and on Facebook, talking about coffee and writing.

Links:

Website: https://www.AllAboutTheWriting.com
Newsletter: https://eepurl.com/LRgT5
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BookEmDonna
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5349107.Donna_Cummings
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Donna.Cummings.Author
Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/bookemdonna/

HEARTBREAKER’S BET

I need someone to help me become a heartbreaker. And I’ve picked you.

Bettina Knox’s dating life was a disaster. What she needed was some expert instruction on becoming the love-’em-and-leave-’em type. Luckily she found the perfect man for the job—a professional-grade flirter, adored by every woman he encountered. It was all fun and games until she started falling for her way-too-sexy teacher.

So you want me to give you all my secrets for breaking hearts. Even though I’m not convinced I’ve ever broken any.

Troy Callahan thought he’d heard it all in his years of owning a popular sports pub. Then this sweet, sassy woman waltzed up insisting he was going to teach her how to break hearts. He’d been a wingman forever, so why not help her unleash her inner bad girl? There was just one problem: turning Bet into a heartbreaking assassin had somehow put his own heart at risk.

Amazon ~ Apple ~ B&N ~ Kobo

UPDATE: Brenda Taylor is giving Donamurree Holmes a free copy of Highland Pearl!

* * * * *

Thank you Delilah, for hosting me on your fantastic blog today, and giving me the opportunity to introduce a new sweet romance in the Highland Treasures series. The series is set in the 16^th century Scottish Highlands. I will give away a digital copy of A Highland Pearl, the first book of the series to a commenter. A Highland Ruby is available for pre-order and the information is included in this post.

The Highland Pony

The Highland pony or garron (English) and gearran (Gaelic) is a hearty pony bred in the Scottish Highlands. The pony is one of the oldest breeds in Great Britain. Some maintain that the Highland Pony is descended from the ancient wild horses that migrated from Asia in the Ice Age. The breed is known for its great strength and docility. The garron was traditionally used as an all-purpose pony by the Crofters, tenant farmers. It is also used by deer hunters as a sure-footed carrier of game from the steep, rugged mountains.

Most Highlanders in the 16th century, the time of A Highland Ruby, rode garrons. The Highland ponies were used for war and work during the Highland clan period. Some of the nobility and clan chiefs may have imported horses from continental Europe, but at great expense. Many times the imported horses were bred with the garrons to introduce various bloodlines into the breed.

In A Highland Ruby, Chief Andrew Munro, rides a black Friesian war horse or steud (Gaelic) imported from the Netherlands. His brother, Gavin, rides a steud of a Friesian and garron mix. Possibly, Chief Andrew breeds his stallion, Scara, with a garron to produce a breed of greater statue and strength, yet with the temperament and mobility necessary for use in the Highlands. Other mounted warriors in the story and Flora ride garrons.

The Highland pony is a native Scottish pony, and is one of the largest of the mountain and moorland pony breeds of the British Isles. It was once a workhorse in the Scottish mainland and islands, but today is used for driving, trekking and general riding. They are very hardy and tough, they rarely require shoeing, and are very economical to keep. They are generally free from many equine diseases.

The Highland Pony is one of the three native breeds of the Scottish Highlands and Islands, the others are the Shetland pony and the Eriskay pony. Over many centuries the breed has adapted to the variable and often severe climatic and environmental conditions of Scotland. The winter coat consists of a layer of strong badger-like hair over a soft dense undercoat, which enables this breed of pony to live out in all types of weather. This coat is shed in the spring to reveal a smooth summer coat. This essential hardiness is combined with a kindly nature and even temperament.

A Highland Ruby

She must choose between a life of adventure with the man she loves or a settled, secure life with her betrothed. Flora Vass forced Gavin Munro out of her heart and mind until he returned to Scotland after an adventurous five years in the New World. Gavin leaves no doubt he returned to make the bonnie Flora his own and intends to fight for her. Flora’s betrothed, Iain MacKay, and Gavin’s brother, Chief Andrew Munro, have other plans. Andrew needs her to marry the MacKay and bring peace between the two clans. Iain MacKay desires an heir. War with England looms on the horizon, forcing Flora to make crucial decisions.

A Highland Ruby Excerpt:

A band of warriors on steuds broke through the trees and approached the place where Gavin sat. The deerhound ran ahead of them with his long legs flying. The animal ran to Gavin and licked his wounded leg. He pushed the large shaggy head away, then took a step to meet his brother. Andrew, with his untied raven hair flying, reined in his horse, dismounted, and hastened to Gavin.

“Brother, what have you gotten yourself into this time?” he asked, picking up Gavin’s arm and examining the bloody bandage. “Bha sibh treun thar glòir.” Andrew’s grey eyes darkened with emotion as he searched Gavin’s.

“Aye,” the warriors agreed in unison.

“He was brave beyond praise,” Erskin added.

Stepping back Andrew said, “We brought you a fine horse to ride.” He motioned to the large grey steud Erskin led—Gavin’s warhorse he had left behind at Fàrdach five years earlier. Maith appeared the same except for a few more grey hairs around his nose.

Gavin nodded toward the luchd-taighe.  Erskin immediately dismounted. “Sir Gavin, may I assist you in mounting the horse?” One corner of his mouth turned up and a twinkle lit his eye. “I imagined you were hiding with the band of outlaws. Instead you’re out here in the forest of Fàrdach fighting wild animals.”

The other nine men, including Andrew chuckled. The hound licked Gavin’s hand. He immediately jerked it away. Andrew patted the large dog’s head. “Rab helped us find you, and Flora.”

“He came to me on the morn, then left when someone whistled. A lot of leading he did.” Gavin placed the foot of his good leg in Erskin’s strong cupped hands.

“Aye, but he led Flora to Torey. The boy had Rab out running deer for the hunt when the hound ventured off, found Flora, then led her back to the lad. I suppose Rab thought you unable to go with him this morn, but he knew exactly where to bring us later.”

Gavin patted Rab’s large shaggy head. “He’s a good dog, I reckon.” Turning to Erskin, he said, “Ne’re you mind about me fighting wild animals, ‘twas a small thing, really. And you’ll find its carcass in the woods.” Erskin gently lifted, placing Gavin across Maith’s saddle. Gavin bit his lip with pain and weakness but did not cry out in front of the warriors.

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About the Author

The desire to write historical fiction has long been a passion with Brenda B. Taylor. Since elementary school, she has written stories in her spare time. Brenda earned three degrees: a BSE from Henderson State University, Arkadelphia, Arkansas; a MEd from Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, Texas; and an EdD from Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas; then worked as a teacher and administrator in the Texas Public School system. Only after retirement could she fulfill the dream of publication.

Brenda and her husband make their home in beautiful East Texas where they enjoy spending time with family and friends, traveling, and working in Bethabara Faith Ministry, Inc. She crafts stories about the extraordinary lives of ordinary people in her favorite place overlooking bird feeders, bird houses, and a variety of blooming trees and flowers. She sincerely thanks all who purchase and read her books. Her desire is that the message in each book will touch the heart of the reader as it did hers in the writing.

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