The Warrior
Page 29
Yet I’m sure that what I learned from them about how male friendships work helped me create the bond among my heroes in the Return of the Highlanders. These four Highland warriors have been close companions since they were wee bairns, have fought side by side in every battle, and have saved each other’s lives many times over. Naturally, they are in each others’ books.
Ever since Duncan MacDonald’s appearances in The Guardian and The Sinner, readers have been telling me how anxious they are for Duncan’s own book because they want to see him find happiness at last. We all love a tortured hero, don’t we? And if any man deserves a Happily Ever After, it’s Duncan. In truth, I feel guilty for having made him wait.
Duncan, in THE WARRIOR (available now), is a man of few words, who is honorable, steadfast, and devoted to duty. With no father to claim him, he’s worked tirelessly to earn the respect of his clan through his unmatched fighting skills. His only defeat was seven years ago, when he fell hard for his chieftain’s beautiful, black-haired daughter, a lass far beyond his reach.
He never expected to keep Moira’s love past that magical summer before she wed. Yet he accepts that his feelings for her will never change, and he gets on with his duties. When he and his friends return to the Isle of Skye after years spent fighting in France, every stone of his clan’s stronghold still reminds him of her.
Moira’s brother, who is Duncan’s best friend and now chieftain, is aware that Duncan loves her, though they never speak of it. (Thanks to my brother and his friends, I do know it’s possible for them to not talk about this for seven years.) When the chieftain hears that Moira may be in danger, he turns to the man he trusts most.
The intervening years have not made Moira trusting nor forgiving, and the sparks fly when this stubborn pair reunites. After the untimely death of her abusive husband, these star-crossed lovers must survive one dangerous adventure after another. They will find it even more daunting to trust each other and face the hard truths about what happened seven years ago.
I hope you enjoy the romance between this Highland warrior and his long-lost love—and that my affection for the troublesome boys who grow up to be the kind of men we adore shines through in the bro-mance.
I love to hear from readers! You can find me on Facebook, Twitter, and my website, www.MargaretMallory.com.
From the desk of Jennifer Delamere
Dear Reader,
Have you ever wished you could step into someone else’s life? Leave behind your own past with its problems and become someone entirely different?
I’m pretty sure everyone has felt that way at times. When you think about it, the tale of Cinderella is such a story at its essence.
When I was in college, I saw a film called The Return of Martin Guerre, starring the great French actor Gérard Depardieu. It was actually based on true events in medieval France. A man has gone off to war but then stays gone for over a decade, essentially abandoning his wife. One day, though, he does return. The good news is that, whereas the guy had previously been a heartless jerk, now he is caring and kind. The wife takes him back, and they are happy. The bad news is that eventually it is discovered that the man is not who he claims to be. He is an impostor.
Ever since I saw that movie, I have loved stories with this theme. One thing I’ve noticed is that so often in these tales, the impostor is actually a better human being than the person he or she is pretending to be. In the case of Martin Guerre, Gérard’s character wants the life and the responsibilities the other man has intentionally left behind. The movie was remade in America as Sommersby, starring Richard Gere and Jodie Foster. Richard Gere’s character grows and becomes a better man over the course of the events in the film. He does more for the family and community than the real Sommersby ever would have done.
Please note that a sad ending is not necessarily required! There are lighthearted versions of this tale as well. Remember While You Were Sleeping, a romantic comedy starring Sandra Bullock? Once again, she was a better person than the woman she was pretending to be, and she was certainly too good for her fiancé, the shallow man she thought she was in love with. In the end, her decency and kindness won over everyone in the family. They were all better off because she had come into their lives, even though she had initially been untruthful about who she was. And—what’s most important for fans of romance!—true love won out. While Sandra had initially been starry eyed over her supposed fiancé, she came to realize that it was actually his brother who was the right man for her.
The idea for AN HEIRESS AT HEART grew out of my love for these stories about someone stepping into another person’s shoes. Lizzie Poole decides to take on another person’s identity: that of her half-sister, Ria, whom she had no idea existed until they found each other through an extraordinary chain of events.
Lizzie is succeeding in her role as Ria Thornborough Somerville, a woman who has just been widowed—until she falls in love with Geoffrey Somerville, the dead husband’s brother. And aside from the fact that it would have been awkward enough to explain how you had suddenly fallen in love with your brother-in-law, in England at that time it was actually illegal: The laws at that time prevented people from marrying their dead spouse’s sibling. So Lizzie is left in a quandary: She must either admit the truth of her identity, or forever deny her love for Geoffrey.
In a cute movie called Monte Carlo, a poor girl from Texas (played by Selena Gomez) impersonates a rich and snobbish Englishwoman. During her week in that woman’s (high-priced, designer) shoes, she actually ends up helping to make the world just a bit better of a place—more so than the selfish rich girl ever would have done. She finds a purpose in life and—bonus!—true love as well.
Maybe I’m so fascinated by these stories because of the lovely irony that, in the end, each character actually discovers their true self. They find more noble aspects of themselves than they ever realized existed. They discover that who they are is better than anyone they could pretend to be. They learn to rise up to their own best natures rather than to simply be an imitation of someone else.
As the popular saying goes, “Be yourself. Everyone else is taken.”
From the desk of Roxanne St. Claire
Dear Reader,
I’m often asked if the fictional island of Mimosa Key, home to beautiful Barefoot Bay, is based on a real place. Indeed, it is. Although the barrier island is loosely modeled after Sanibel or Captiva, the setting was really inspired by a serene, desolate, undiscovered gem called Bonita Beach that sits between Naples and Fort Myers on the Gulf of Mexico.
On this wide, white strip of waterfront property, I spent some of the most glorious, relaxing, deliciously happy days of my life. My parents retired to Bonita and lived in a small house directly on the Gulf. On any long weekend when I could get away, I headed to that beach to spend time in paradise with two of my very favorite people.
The days were sunny and sandy, but the best part of the beach life were the early evening chats on the screened-in porch with my dad, watching heartbreakingly beautiful sunsets, sipping cocktails until the blue moon rose to turn the water to diamonds on black velvet. All the while, I soaked up my father’s rich memories of a life well lived. And, I’m sorry to say, a life that ended too soon. My last trip to Bonita was little more than a vigil at his hospital bed, joined by all my siblings who flew in from around the country to share the agony of losing the man we called “the Chief.”
My mother left the beach house almost immediately to live with us in Miami, and more than twenty years passed before I could bear to make the drive across the state to Bonita. I thought it would hurt too much to see “Daddy’s beach.”
But just before I started writing the Barefoot Bay series, I had the opportunity to speak to a group of writers in that area of Florida, and I decided a trip to the very setting of my stories would be good research—and quite cathartic.
Imagine my dismay when I arrived at the beach and it was no longer desolate or undiscovered. The rarefied real estate had tra
nsformed in two decades, most of the bungalows replaced by mansions. I didn’t have the address, but doubted I could find my parents’ house anyway; it couldn’t have escaped the bulldozers and high-end developers.
So I walked the beach, mourning life’s losses, when suddenly I slowed in front of one of the few modest houses left, so small I almost missed it, tucked between two four-story monsters.
The siding had been repainted, the roof reshingled, and the windows replaced after years of exposure to the salt air. But I recognized the screen-covered porch, and I could practically hear the hearty sound of my dad’s laughter.
I waited for a punch of pain, the old grief that sometimes twists my heart when I let myself really think about how young I was when I lost such a fantastic father. But, guess what? There was no pain. Only relief that the house where he’d been so happily retired still stood, and gratitude that I’d been blessed to have had him as my dad.
And like he had in life, my father inspired me once again. For one thing, despite the resort story line I had planned for the Barefoot Bay books, I made a promise to keep my fictional beach more pristine and pure than the real one. I also promised myself that at least one of the books that I’d set on “Daddy’s beach” would explore the poignant, precious, incomparable love between a father and a daughter.
That book is BAREFOOT IN THE RAIN. The novel is, first and foremost, a reunion romance, telling the story of Jocelyn and Will, two star-crossed teenagers who find their way back to each other after almost fifteen years of separation. But there’s another “love” story on the pages of BAREFOOT IN THE RAIN, and that’s the one that brought out the tissues a few times while I was writing the book.
The heroine is estranged from her father, and during the course of the story, she has to forge a new relationship with the man she can barely stand to talk to, let alone call “Daddy.” Unlike my father, Jocelyn’s dad can’t share his memories, because Alzheimer’s has wiped the slate clean. And in their case, that’s both a blessing and a curse. Circumstances give Jocelyn a second chance with her father—something many of us never have once we’ve shared that last sunset.
I hope readers connect with Jocelyn, a strong heroine who has to conquer a difficult past, and fall in love with the catcher-turned-carpenter hero, Will. I also hope readers appreciate how hard the characters have worked to keep Barefoot Bay natural and unspoiled, unlike the beach that inspired the setting. But most of all, I hope BAREFOOT IN THE RAIN reminds every reader of a special love for her father, no matter where he is.
Also by Margaret Mallory
The Return of the Highlanders
The Guardian
The Sinner
All the King’s Men
Knight of Desire
Knight of Pleasure
Knight of Passion
Praise for the novels of Margaret Mallory
The Sinner
“Sizzling and captivating…Mallory weaves a fine yarn with plenty of spice and thrills.���
—Publishers Weekly
“4½ stars! Mallory’s portrait of 16th-century Scotland and the lively adventures she creates for her characters certainly engage readers’ emotions. The sizzling sexual tension between the hero and heroine will leave readers breathless.”
—RT Book Reviews
“The Sinner is perfect! Alex and Glynis are sexy, stubborn and simply divine together. The Sinner should not be missed!”
—JoyfullyReviewed.com
“A wonderful novel led by two powerful personalities…The Sinner is an exciting, turbulent read from beginning to end. I will be waiting impatiently for the next installment of this story.”
—FreshFiction.com
“Captivating…Alex is a delicious male lead that would send any woman’s heart aflutter…The chemistry and the fire that this couple had was explosive and just seemed to leap off the page…This book needs to be savored with a nice glass of wine…I am anxiously awaiting Duncan’s story.”
—NightOwlRomance.com
The Guardian
“4½ stars! Top Pick! Mallory imbues history with a life of its own, creating a deeply moving story. Her characters are vibrantly alive and full of emotional depth, each with their own realistic flaws. Her sensuous and highly passionate tale grabs the reader and doesn’t let go.”
—RT Book Reviews
“Masterfully written…Mallory has created a series that every romance reader must read. The Guardian is truly a sizzling romance with high-impact adventure that captures the Scotland readers long for. The characters created by Mallory have found places in my heart, and I am impatiently awaiting the next of this spectacular series!”
—FreshFiction.com
“A must-read for all historical and highlander fans…Ms. Mallory weaves a gripping story of heartbreak, intrigue, and trust…This one is a keeper. I’m looking forward to the next installment.”
—TheRomanceReadersConnection.com
“The story line and writing were fantastic…The love scenes were very hot, and the historical elements…added a ton of flavor to the story.”
—Romanceaholic.com
“An amazing introduction to what is fated to become a dangerously addictive series. With characters capable of breaching the most impenetrable of readers’ defenses, riveting story lines (and even more intriguing subplots), quick, witty dialogue, as well as wild sexual tension—the only thing readers will crave, is more.”
—RomanceJunkiesReviews.com
“Five stars! I fell in love with this novel!…The characters in this story really touched me…This is a wonderful start of a series and I can’t wait to read the adventures of the MacDonald brothers.”
—NightOwlRomance.com
Knight of Passion
“Top Pick! As in the previous book in her All the King’s Men series, Mallory brings history to life, creating dramatic and gut-wrenching stories. Her characters are incredibly alive and readers will feel and believe their sensual and passionate adventures. Mallory raises the genre to new levels.”
—RT Book Reviews
“I really enjoyed this story…Very intense…Fans of medieval historicals will especially love this one.”
—CoffeeTimeRomance.com
“An amazing story…a series that readers won’t want to miss…Filled with hot romance as well as adventure with a fascinating historical background.”
—RomRevToday.com
Knight of Pleasure
“4 Stars! A riveting story…Such depth and sensuality are a rare treat.”
—RT Book Reviews
“Fascinating…An excellent historical romance. Ms. Mallory gives us amazingly vivid details of the characters, romance, and intrigue of England. You’re not just reading a novel, you are stepping into the story and feeling all the emotions of each character…Knight of Pleasure is amazing and I highly recommend it.”
—TheRomanceReadersConnection.com
“An absolute delight…captivating.”
—FreshFiction.com
“Thrilling, romantic, and just plain good reading…An enjoyable, historically accurate, and very well written novel.”
—RomRevToday.com
Knight of Desire
“An impressive debut…Margaret Mallory is a star in the making.”
—Mary Balogh, New York Times bestselling author of At Last Comes Love
“5 Stars! Amazing…The fifteenth century came alive…Knight of Desire is the first in the All the King’s Men series and what a way to start it off.”
—CoffeeTimeRomance.com
“A fast-paced tale of romance and intrigue that will sweep you along and have you rooting for William and his fair Catherine to fight their way to love at last.”
—Candace Camp, New York Times bestselling author of The Courtship Dance
“4 Stars! Mallory’s debut is impressive. She breathes life into major historical characters…in a dramatic romance.”
—RT Book Reviews
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Contents
Title Page
Dedication
Acknowledgments
Epigraph
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Epilogue
Historical Note
A Preview of The CHIEFTAIN
The Dish
Also by Margaret Mallory
Praise for the novels of Margaret Mallory
Newsletter
Copyright