Kudos

My Fierce Highlander

(My Fierce Highlander) "I love this story . . . it’s wonderful!! You handle the complex mix of characters, dialogue, and action in a very readable, highly exciting manner. Great conflict . . . heroic characters, true emotion, fast-paced action plot. If I was an editor, I’d buy it!"

Barbara Dawson Smith, New York Times bestselling author and winner of the prestigious RITA Award; author of Countess Confidential and The Rogue Report.

What contest judges said about MY FIERCE HIGHLANDER...

"Your voice is crisp...great use of dialect."

"You did very well with the Scottish touch -- and dialects difficult to capture. You have a very good voice. Setting brought well to life. Good details."

"Obviously well-researched." published romance author

"Great plot!"

"Nice use of Scots dialect."

"You did your research, it was very well put together. In fact, most historical writers could use your work as a research tool."

~EXCERPT~

MY FIERCE HIGHLANDER

Minutes later, water splashed, and she imagined him standing. Oh, what a sight that would be. She focused harder on her task. Almost no sound came from behind her for a long, tedious moment. She closed her eyes and listened. Imagined. Soft, dry linen cloth whispered over wet, bronzed skin.
I hope he will go now. Yes, her conscious mind did, but her body tingled with anticipation.
He padded closer on the Turkish carpet. "Ye should dry your hair beside the fire, m’lady." He burrowed his hand into her long hair. She’d forgotten it was wet. He stroked her neck with warm, moist fingers.
"‘Tis drying." She prayed he’d go and spare her further temptation.
On one knee, he knelt beside her chair. "Gwyneth," he murmured in a rough, intimate voice she would dream about.
He’d wrapped the linen cloth about his trim hips, so that he was barely decent. His shoulders, chest and arms were just as appealing and arousing as the rest of his body. He should cover himself entirely. Beads of water dripped from his long, black hair onto his chest. She tried not to drink him up with her eyes. But when their gazes met, his dark intensity penetrated her defenses. And she knew he saw the truth in her eyes, the truth of how he disturbed her. Of how she was vulnerable beneath his touch.
He rose, placed her mending on the bed and held out his hand to her. "Come." He pulled her up. "We shall dry your hair."
Impulses warred inside her--to flee . . . or press her face to his chest. Resisting both, she let him lead her to a chair by the fire.
"Do ye have a comb?" he asked.
She shook her head, feeling every bit the penniless pauper she was. "I’ll borrow Tessie’s tomorrow."
He sat in the chair first and startled her by pulling her down onto his lap.
She stiffened and tried to rise again. "No, I should not. It is not. . . ."
"Proper? I ken ‘tis the truth. Nothing about us is proper, m’lady."

My Wild Highlander

(My Wild Highlander, ch 1 - 3) "...I was simply caught up in the story, totally captivated, and the writing quality was so good, so polished, that it seemed as if I were reading a published book. Nothing EVER pulled me out of the story. Very natural, authentic-sounding dialogue, a perfect balance of narrative/dialogue, swift pacing, excellent characterizations …. really, it’s ALL done well. I completely and thoroughly enjoyed this entry, and was SO disappointed to get to the last page. I expect to see this in print one day, and can’t wait!!"
Kristina Cook, author of
To Love a Scoundrel

(My Wild Highlander) "VERY impressive. [Voice:] High marks here! This writer has great story-telling ability. [What are two areas you felt were done well?] Just about everything! The pace is quick, the interactions between the [hero and heroine] are wonderfully written and evocative of the time period, and the king’s court and Buckingham were very well written. AND, as an added bonus, since I also write Scottish Highlanders, I found it very fun to read and entertaining. This writer has a great voice and a great gift of story-telling. Well done!"

Jackie Ivie, author of Heat of the Knight and A Knight Well Spent

About MY WILD HIGHLANDER:

"Fabulous opening chapters! Fun dialogue. Angelique was charming and fiery, while Lachlan was the man every woman wants to fall in love with. [He is] very engaging... the kind of awesome guy readers clamor for."

Joanne Rock author of The Knight's Return

(My Wild Highlander) "Sensual, very authentic. You’ve got a winner!!! Good show, milady!!!"
Terry Spear, author of Winning the Highlander's Heart and To Tempt the Wolf

"You have a knack for letting readers feel emotions with light brush strokes in your writing."
Judith Gilbert aka J Gilbert author of Blood Hunt: The Legend

What contest judges said about My Wild Highlander

"I liked that you didn’t make Lachlan one of those ‘fake rake’ characters--you didn’t shy away from making sure readers see his ‘womanizing’ right from the beginning, giving him room for true character growth. I get the feeling from these chapters that Lachlan’s growth comes just as much a surprise to him as to Angelique. VERY WELL DONE!!! Both Lachlan and Angelique truly came alive for me in these chapters--very well-rounded, authentic characters with flaws, yet very likable. They seem very well matched, too--a strong, alpha male with a strong, capable woman." Kristina Cook, Undressed, www.kristinacook.com

"You did a great job introducing a complex situation and multiple characters quickly and without dragging down the pacing. I can also tell you have a lot of enthusiasm for history, which brings richness and life to your portrayal of the past."

"This is an intriguing beginning. You do a good job starting the story in the right place and keeping it moving along. 50-page contest entries can seem very long, but yours flowed well and was a pleasure to read."

"There's not a lot to say about a near perfect entry. Great voice, great story, great competance as a writer. If the rest of the book is as good as this you should sell it without any problem at all." ~anonymous contest judges

"This stands out as a very character driven story! Great job on creating people who will drive the plot from start to finish."

"Great dialogue! Author has a knack for creating banter. Also, kudos for creating two very memorable characters!"

"Your writing style is extremely good - you know how to hook a reader and balance narrative with dialogue in well-written prose."

"Your work is exceptionally good ... I see you getting published...."

"Wow, you sure know how to set a scene with great skill. Love all the little details that don't scream 'This is this, this is that.' - rather they're woven naturally into the narrative. Your pacing is also great - you move the story forward with scenes that have clear purpose."

"It seems very fresh, your writing style is engaging and the dialogue is realistic."

"Great dialogue is clearly one of your writing strengths!"

"Your pacing is amazing! I would have scored you 6 points out of 5 if I could... your story is one of the few that I kept turning pages without stopping and I would love to read to the end!"

"[Is the author’s writing vivid and evocative? ] Yes, amazingly so. I found the characters to be fiery and passionate and it really came out in your writing."

"Lachlan is very alluring; he’s attractive, strong, intelligent, protective and has a sense of humor. Men don’t get much better than this!"

~anonymous contest judges