Guest Post with Author Heather McCollum and Giveaway

Today I would like to welcome to RFTC author Heather McCollum. Heather is celebrating the release of her newest book Captured Heart and has stopped by to chat. Before I give the floor over to Heather let's learn a bit about her.

Heather McCollum is an award winning, historical paranormal romance writer. She earned her B.A. in Biology from the University of Maine, much to her English professor’s dismay. She is a member of Romance Writers of America, Heart of Carolina Romance Writers and the Ruby Slipper Sisterhood of 2009 Golden Heart Finalists.

The ancient magic and lush beauty of Great Britain entranced Ms. McCollum’s heart and imagination when she visited there years ago. The country’s history and landscape have been a backdrop for her writing ever since. She currently resides with her very own Highland hero and three spirited children in the wilds of suburbia on the mid-Atlantic coast.

Places to find Heather:

| Site | Facebook | Twitter | 

Thank you so much for having me today on Ramblings! I’m thrilled to talk about CAPTURED HEART, my 16th century, Scottish romance with paranormal elements! CH is Entangled Publishing’s debut Scottish historical and is in their Entangled Select line.

The idea for CAPTURED HEART started over thirteen years ago. In fact, this was my “first born” book. Although when I wrote it the first time it had 40,000 extra words, different character names, and every strange scene I’d ever imagined all stuck into one hefty tome. After completing four other books, I came back to CAPTURED HEART, having developed my voice and writing technique. I shaved off the extra words and rewrote it into the romantic adventure it was always meant to be.

Meg is a healer fleeing the man who killed her mother by accusing her of practicing witchcraft. The art or “magic” of healing has always fascinated me as well as the sociology behind fear of the occult in times past. So much of what we know today about medicine would have been magic back in the 16th century. Meg possesses a supernatural power to heal, but she doesn’t know how to use the glowing blue light she can conjure. The power is more of a curse than a gift until she meets her aunt who teaches her to wield and appreciate it.

There is also a fine line, which I’ve learned first-hand this year as I fought cancer, between healing someone to life and healing someone to death. A lot of our miracle medicines are poisons. Doctors need to know how much and when to dose a patient or the cure becomes lethal. Meg experiences this as she fights for the people she loves.

Caden Macbain, the hero of CAPTUED HEART, is the perfect Highland clan chief. He’s been raised as a rugged warrior but has an intellect that makes him question the reasons behind war. I love this about him! He’s built a system of accountability for himself by visiting ten cottages in his village every day to talk with his people. So when he is enraged and wants to react foolishly out of revenge or some other selfish emotion, he recalls the faces of the men, women and children who depend on him to act with honor and in their interests, not his own. It chains him to the right path in a time when many leaders acted recklessly to further their own pursuits.

As a chief to a large clan, Caden is definitely alpha-male, doesn’t talk much and doesn’t reveal his plans except when he must. He is just as capable of surviving as a lone wolf as he is leading a clan away from the brink of starvation. He can slice an Englishman from stem to stern yet pluck a leaf from Meg’s wild curls. He could have many women but decides that he wants only one. Ah, and there is the conflict. What if the one he wants is the one whose sacrifice will save his clan?

CAPTURED HEART is the first novel in a trilogy that blends magic and history in the time of Henry VIII. TANGLED HEARTS is the second book and follows Caden’s best friend to the English court where he must battle through the web of royal intrigue to help the most complicated lass he’s ever met. He finds that a battle of wits at the Tudor court can be just as deadly as a battle of steel on the moors.

Fleeing with only her bow, horse, enormous pet wolf, and the cryptic clues hidden in her mother’s medicine journal, Meg Boswell gallops north towards freedom. She is a healer on the run from the man who falsely accused her mother of witchcraft. He fears Meg holds the letters proving he’s a traitor to the crown. If he catches Meg, she may very well die like her mother, atop a blazing witch’s pyre.

Winter winds rip across the Highlands, pressing Chief Caden Macbain forward in his desperate plan to save his clan. He rides to England to kidnap the beloved niece of his enemy. He will use one innocent woman to bargain for peace to keep his clan from starving.

In the Highlands Meg meets her mother’s sister and learns to use her magical healing abilities. In the end, she struggles with the dark responsibility of those powers. Will she use her magic to save her family by healing her pursuer to death? With Meg’s life in danger, Caden must choose between duty to his clan and the life of one innocent Englishwoman. For although he captured her to force a peace, Meg's strength and courage have captured Caden's heart.

Purchase: | Amazon | Barnes & Noble |

1 lucky commenter will win a eBook copy of  Captured Heart

To Enter:

• Please leave a meaningful comment or question for Heather.
• Please fill out the Rafflecopter form.

Good Luck =)

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