Thank you so much for having me today on Bitches Be Writin’! I’m thrilled to announce the release of my 16th century Scottish paranormal romance, CRIMSON HEART! CRIMSON HEART is the third full-length book in the Highland Hearts series, which follows the Macbain and Munro clans from the Highlands to Tudor London and then on to the Scottish court in Edinburgh. Magic, trickery and kilts – oh my!
Thrown together by secrets, drawn together by desire, Searc and Elena must learn that love and trust go hand in hand before the sadistic killer of young women in Edinburgh destroys both of their worlds.
Here is an excerpt:
She leaned back against the door, her bare, wet toes
curling against the stone floor. She didn’t want him to go.
She didn’t want to be alone. Not anymore.
“Step aside,” he ordered.
“I’d rather you stayed.” Elena traced the hard angles of
Searc’s face with her gaze. She’d come to know those lines
over the days since he’d rescued her in the forest, come to
trust the man behind them. For the first time in her life she
didn’t want to hide herself anymore. She had today, and it
had cost her so much, too much. “Don’t leave me.” One by
one Elena opened her fingers that clutched the bath sheet.
The damp linen dropped to her feet.
“Elena—”
“I am unhurt,” she interrupted. “But—” she raised her
hand timidly toward his face. He didn’t move away. “I don’t
want to be alone.” He still hadn’t looked down at her body,
but held her gaze locked to his. Her hand crept closer. “I
don’t want to hide anymore.” The pads of her fingers hovered
near his jaw, the stubble giving him a roguish look. She held
her breath and touched him.
He closed his eyes and inhaled as she lay her palm along
his face. When he opened them again Elena’s breath caught
at the intensity there. The red spark was gone, but another
spark made her heart beat inside her like a bird within a
cage. She left his jaw and took his hand, placing it on her
exposed collarbone where her heart beat insistently. “I will
do everything I can not to have you look at me again like
you did today in that filthy cottage.” She slid his hand down
her chest to her breast.
“Nay.” He shook his head, pulling his hand away. “Ye
will not make amends this way, Elena.”
She stepped closer to his warmth, her naked back cold in
the chilled room, completely vulnerable. “No, I mean…I’m
done hiding from you, Searc.” She shook her head. “It is too
painful to keep secrets. I’d rather… After today, your look. It
would be less painful to die then keep them from you.” She
felt her eyes watering up but blinked the tears away. “I want
you to know me, everything about me.” She pressed close
against him to wrap her hands around the back of his neck.
“Starting with this.” She kissed him.
His exhale was half groan, half growl, yet still he resisted.
“Lass, ye don’t need to do this.”
She frowned at him. “Damn it, Searc, stop being so
noble.” His eyes widened slightly. “I want this. I want you,
and if you turn me away after I’ve thrown myself literally in
your hands naked—”
Searc cut her off, grasping her face, angling it to press
tightly against his lips. His one hand wrapped around her
back, running down the chilled skin covering her spine,
pressing her to him. The feel of him, so completely aroused,
melted her worry away. He did want her. A hot ache shot
down through her body.
Although all the books in the Highland Hearts series can stand alone, they are more fun read in the following order:
HIGHLAND HEART – short prequel novella (Only $0.99) HH Buy Link
CAPTURED HEART – Book One CH Buy Link
TANGLED HEARTS – Book Two TH Buy Link
UNTAMED HEARTS – long novella (Only $0.99) UH Buy Link
CRIMSON HEART – Book Three CrH Buy Link
Thank you so much for having me here today! For more information on me and my books, please stop by my web site at www.HeatherMcCollum.com. I can also be found here:
Twitter https://twitter.com/HMcCollumAuthor
FB https://www.facebook.com/HeatherMcCollumAuthor
Pinterest http://www.pinterest.com/hmccollumauthor/
Book Synopsis: Elena has spent her entire life hiding her family name while walking the thin line between lady and servant in a Protestant household. She has kept the secret of her lineage for years, but with a new, fiercely Catholic queen on the throne, Elena’s Protestant caretaker is being targeted. And when Bloody Mary discovers Elena’s true identity, she must flee to Scotland to save her life.
Highland warrior, Searc Munro, has secrets of his own. In a family of healers, his dark, killing magic must never be known. When his father’s life is threatened, Searc unleashes his lethal power to save him. With his clan’s suspicious glances and whispers plaguing him, he sets off alone, only to find another use for his magic in saving a beautiful lass being attacked in the forest.
Teaming up as exiles, Elena and Searc head toward Edinburg to find refuge. Yet, with a series of ritual killings haunting the city and a traitor attempting to assassinate Scotland’s regent, suspicion turns to Searc. As word of another British heir reaches the country, the two must learn to trust each other before it’s too late.
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Heather McCollum is an award winning, historical paranormal and YA romance writer. She earned her B.A. in Biology, much to her English professor’s dismay. She is a member of Romance Writers of America and the Ruby Slippered Sisterhood of 2009 Golden Heart finalists.
The ancient magic and lush beauty of Great Britain entrances Ms. McCollum’s heart and imagination every time she visits. The country’s history and landscape have been a backdrop for her writing ever since her first journey across the pond.
When she is not creating vibrant characters & magical adventures on the page, she is roaring her own battle cry in the war against ovarian cancer. Ms. McCollum recently slayed the cancer beast and resides with her very own Highland hero, rescued golden retriever & 3 kids in the wilds of suburbia on the mid-Atlantic coast.
For more information about Ms. McCollum, please visit www.HeatherMcCollum.com. WebsiteBlog Twitter Facebook Goodreads Newsletter
Giveaway: $20 GC (Starbucks or Amazon )and previous two books in the series. Leave comments along with an email address.
The book sounds amazing. Looking forward to reading it! So glad that your health is good and that your living your life well. Have a happy 4th!
Congrats on your new release. I love hot highlanders!
love the xcerpt but im afraid i cant get the rafflecopter to load for me it just keeps bring me back to this page
meandi09@yahoo.com
Thanks for letting us know. I will pass along names and emails to Sizzling PR as they are the ones running the contest.
Rachell Largent, Publicist for Alisa Anderson
Happy 4th from one author to another. Best of luck with the blog hop. Gia
I enjoyed the excerpt. Would love to enter the contest, but the Rafflecopter doesn’t load on the comment page (and the link is back to this page).
Thanks for letting us know. I will pass along names and emails to Sizzling PR as they are the ones running the contest.
Rachell Largent, Publicist for Alisa Anderson
The book sounds good!
The Rafflecopter didn’t load for me either! 😦 Please enter me.
Thanks for letting us know. I will pass along names and emails to Sizzling PR as they are the ones running the contest.
Rachell Largent, Publicist for Alisa Anderson
Congrats on the new release! I loved the excerpt.
sienkiel1821 at yahoo dot com