Autumn into winter

Yesterday was a really frosty start. This morning, there was a deep haar upon the land creating ghostly distortions and strange reflections from the street lighting and car headlights. 

During the last week most of the leaves have fallen from my acer tree leaving a carpet of soggy deep red beauty.

Rain-dripped leaves glisten in the sun, a welcome break from the relentless battering of the last days.

Browned-off leaves after the first real bites of winter contrast with the vibrant last colours.

The Beltane Choice

Monday Moments features ... 

The  Beltane Choice by Nancy Jardine

 
 

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Can the Celtic Tribes repel the Roman army?

AD 71

Banished from the nemeton, becoming a priestess is no longer the future for Nara, a princess of the Selgovae tribe. Now charged with choosing a suitable mate before Beltane, her plan is thwarted by Lorcan, an enemy Brigante prince, who captures her and takes her to his hill fort. Despite their tribes fighting each other, Nara feels drawn to her captor, but time runs out for her secret quest.

As armies of the Roman Empire march relentlessly northwards, Lorcan intends to use Nara as a marriage bargain, knowing all Celtic tribes must unite to be strong enough to repel imminent Roman attack. Nara’s father, Callan, agrees to a marriage alliance between Selgovae and Brigante, but has impossible stipulations. Lorcan is torn between loyalty to his tribe and growing love for Nara.  

When danger and death arrive in the form of the mighty Roman forces, will Nara be able to choose her Beltane lover?

  

Excerpt:

“Leave me be, Brigante. By Rhianna, unhand me!” Her order had the effect she requested, though did not expect. Crashing to the ground, her swollen leg jarred a further time on the rough banking.

“You got what you wanted, did you not?” he gibed nastily, her attempt to hide the mutter of pain having been unsuccessful.

Unwilling to guard her tongue, she railed. “How would you know that? Revenge is all you care for.”

“Revenge? Aye, I want revenge, but I desire much more.”

His tone controlled, Lorcan loomed, his questioning relentless with barely time for a breath in between. Nara’s refusal to answer remained firm, yet her silence fanned the flames for he insisted.

“The warrior riding this fine horse–who was he to have such a prized animal? I know now he cannot have been your husband!”

His gaze strayed to her chest. Again. Nara felt a flare of gratification when he appeared exasperated with himself on realising. Ignoring his hurtful probing, and the tingling at her chest, she rolled to her feet and hobbled to the other side of the filly, favouring her weight on her good leg.

“Give answer. Was he your husband?”

“Nay, not my husband.” She confronted him, her words beseeching. “What did you do with Cearnach? I see no sign of him.”

Ignoring her plea, Lorcan tugged the horses away, keeping both reins when he agilely mounted the stallion.

“Ride!”

He pulled her filly forwards, kicking his heels into Rowan’s flesh. Turning their direction south-eastwards he headed for the flat river’s edge leading to the deep forests far to their left.

If she escaped, she would be done with the infuriating man. Whirling around, she darted off for the edge of the woods.

Twww…aaa…nnng!

Again, a humming spear blocked her path.

Hopping genres and sub-genres!

I obviously like the writing challenges of genre hopping and different writing styles- though my love of history keeps sneaking into most of what I write. 

My first book - Kintore School 1875-2005 - involved a lot of research and the collection of many photographs and memories from ex-pupils. After a little help at the collection of information stage, I set to and wrote the book. A work of non- fiction it was my first real publication.
 
Today, I'm glad to have sent off - hopefully final- edits for my latest mystery, Topaz Eyes, having spent pretty well all day yesterday on them. Topaz Eyes, my fifth novel written so far, was a fantastic book to plan for and put together. It's my second history mystery, though totally unrelated to the first.

In my debut contemporary romance - Monogamy Twist - I included an inheritance mystery for Rhia Ashton to solve. Conveniently Rhia is an historian; her current job being family history research. The plot for Monogamy Twist entailed me working in clues for solving Luke Salieri's problem-that of not knowing who his benefactress is.

Working out the details of why Amelia Greywood left Luke a slightly dilapidated English estate in her will, coupled with conditions fit for a Dickensian farce, was so enjoyable I decided to attempt a more complicated mystery. Topaz Eyes is the result.

Before writing a single word of Topaz Eyes I did much more planning than ever before for any of my novel writing. One of the first tasks was to create a complicated family tree that traced down the generations to distant third cousins. Very different from how I conceived Monogamy Twist where, in true pantser style, the plot developed as I wrote.  As well as the family tree building for Topaz Eyes I also structured the plot in advance of the writing and 'tweaked' it as I wrote. As well as penning a more complicated ancestral mystery, I wanted the reader to experience more sinister elements in it as well- yet didn't want it to be full of blood and gore.

I'm really pleased with the result. It will be published in mid-December by Crooked{Cat}Publishing.


Right now I'm donning another writing hat and nipping back to my current writing in progress- the sequel to The Beltane Choice. 

My second historical, as yet unamed, means picking up that different vocabulary and writing style that fits A.D. 71 Celtic/ Roman Britain.

Slainthe!