The Outcast Highlander
(The Highland Renegades)
R.L. Syme
Scottish
Historical Medieval
Sweet
Romance
254
pages, self-published
He's
lost his family, his title, and his honor, but he can't lose her...
R.L.
Syme works at a youth theatre, teaching kids performing arts and musical
performance classes/camps when she's not writing. Otherwise, she's putting her
Seminary degree to good use writing romance novels. Let not all those
systematic theology classes go to waste...
Kensey MacLeod
returns home after a failed marriage alliance in France to find her world in
turmoil: her best friend married to an English sympathizer, her mother at
death's door, and her father imprisoned and thought dead. As an English lord
descends to claim her father's lands, Kensey escapes north with her mother and
brother, and runs straight into the arms of the outcast Highlander.
Driven from home
and family by a crazed father, Broccin Sinclair refuses to stand aside while
the English invade his beloved Scotland. But who should he champion? The
freedom fighter who saved his life, the family who has forgotten him, or the
woman who captured his childhood heart?
Buy
Links:
EXCERPT:
“If it wouldn’t be
too much trouble, may I ask why your horse grazes yonder when there are men who
chase you?”
“Oh, stop, you impertinent fool.”
Kensey shook his hand away and searched the area around her for something. “I
was knocked off my horse.”
“What are you looking for?”
She sighed. “I would like to get up
and resume my travels.”
So she looked for something to pull
herself up with, yet ignored his help. How like her. He must be beneath her
notice. Or her care.
“Let me help you.” He stood and
offered both hands. She considered him for a moment and finally touched him
again. He couldn’t deny a tiny thrill at having won the fight, or at having her
hands in his. But her frustration continued.
She furrowed her brow and released his
hands. First one step, then another. But on the third step, she began to sway
and Broc had to follow quickly to catch her.
“You’re in no state to be walking.” He
swept her into his arms, despite her protest, and stilled her grasping hands by
hooking both of her wrists together in one grip. “Nor riding.”
He deposited her atop his horse and
jumped up before she could make any more fuss. The Ross men obviously hadn’t
followed them, but they would have to proceed carefully from here, knowing they
may come back upon them at any time.
Broc urged his horse forward into a
slow cantor, searching for the least dense path forward. In his lap, Kensey
pulled on the dirty folds of her dress, dislodging bits of the forest floor
that still clung to the delicate fabric.
“What are you doing here?” she
demanded.
“Let’s get you out of here first,
lass.” He glanced back into the thick canopy of stillness for a moment. “Ross’s
men may be quick on our heels.”
Sitting against him as she was now,
she felt tiny and vulnerable. His cloak had opened as he’d climbed onto
Gaidel’s back and she was now sitting in the midst of it, against his nearly
bare chest. She seemed to suck up all the warmth in his body as she curled
against him. Her eyelashes blinked furiously, as though she tried to keep
herself awake when sleep called. He reached down and wrapped the warmth of the
cloak around her.
“You can sleep. It appears we’ve lost
our pursuers and it will be slow progress back to the trail, if we even dare to
follow it.”
“I’m not tired.” She yawned and her
weight pressed even more against him. She would no doubt be asleep soon. His
body tensed against the desire that tried to consume him. This was his brother’s
intended.
He was merely delivering her back to
him.
Not enjoying having her in his arms.
Not at all.
Author bio:
R.L.
Syme works at a youth theatre, teaching kids performing arts and musical
performance classes/camps when she's not writing. Otherwise, she's putting her
Seminary degree to good use writing romance novels. Let not all those
systematic theology classes go to waste...
Links:
Interview:
I would like to thank R. L. Syme for stopping by today to tell us a little about herself and The Highland Renegades.
What
is your favorite part of the story, The Outcast Highlander?
My
favorite part is the forest scene, where Kensey and Broc are really alone
together for the first time and she’s just gotten a concussion, so she’s
getting sleepy and he gets all protective and manly. But then, there’s this
nagging thing at the back of his mind that she’s supposed to be his brother’s
fiancé, so he’s so tortured. Ah! I love it. J
How
long did it take you to write The Outcast Highlander?
Three
months. And then many, many, many months of editing. J
If
you were stranded on a desert island which of your characters do you want by
your side?
Duncan,
for sure. I love Broccin, but he can be a tad emotional. I like Duncan’s
level-headedness and his resourcefulness. Plus, he can take charge when he
needs to, but is also willing to follow. He may not be MacGuyver, but he would
be an excellent hunter and protector in a strange and dangerous place. Plus…
nice to look at. J
If
you could be best friends with one of your characters, who would it be?
Probably
Andrew. He’s so intelligent and so deep. The other characters are definitely
smart, especially in their own ways, but Andrew is brilliant. He orchestrates
so much and knows how to facilitate the best in people. I really admire him.
Who
or what inspired you to be a writer?
I
think that once I decided I was a pretty good writer, I wanted to see if I
could do it for good and for all. I enjoy it so much, and it’s so fulfilling. I
really just wanted to do something I loved. Plus, I’ve got all these stories in
my head. They needed to get out somehow.
What
is your typical day like?
I
usually check email and social media right away when I get up, then do whatever
personal business I need. Then, I get down to the writing. I tend to
procrastinate by cleaning, so in the midst of a hard scene, I’ll get up and
clean rooms or do laundry or do dishes or something of the sort. Then, I teach
theatre classes in the afternoons and if I don’t have rehearsals, I come back
home and either write or answer emails or do promo work or watch TV or
something of the sort. That’s pretty average for me.
Can
you share a little of your current work with us?
Well,
I’m working on the sequel to The Outcast
Highlander. It’s called The Runaway
Highlander and it’s the story of a man who rescues a damsel in distress
when she’s not really distressed and then sort of kidnaps her once he realizes
what he’s done. It’s very fun.
What
do you prefer paperback, hardcover, or ebooks?
Ebooks.
I so much prefer my Kindle Paperwhite, it’s not even funny. I haven’t bought a
paperback book that wasn’t mine in over a year, probably. That’s part of why
I’m giving away a Kindle Paperwhite. Best investment I’ve ever made in my
reading experience.
Do
you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?
Thank
you so much for stopping by. It’s a pleasure to see you and know you and have
you here. I hope you’ll enter the contest! J
Giveaway:
2 great prizes !! Grand Prize: R.L. is giving away a Kindle Paperwhite. As a
secondary prize, she would like to give away a set of Scottish Historical
romances from some of her favorite authors.
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