30 days of Highlanders: Day 16: Author Feature: Monica McCarty + Giveaway

Ten Things You Didn’t Know About Monica

(shamelessly borrowed from a popular tabloid magazine)

1. I was a Star Wars maniac. I've seen the original film over 100 times and used to have a mad crush on Mark Hamill (including hanging pictures of him in my school locker). Apparently I never outgrew this "trekkie" type of personality quirk because I did the same thing (except for the locker) with Lord of the Rings, including attending midnight showings to all three movies.

2. I don't like casseroles. "Cream of [fill in the blank]" makes my stomach . . . enough said. This amuses one of my CPs greatly. She's always threatening to invite me over to dinner for casserole night.

3. I played piano for almost 10 years and danced ballet for over 12 years. Alas, I was only passably talented at both.

4. I was a huge Elvis fan. I can still remember the day my dad came home and told me he died—I was crushed. I've seen every movie, read tons of books, own most of his music, and visited Graceland. Oh yea, I'm the same age as Lisa Marie, too.

5. I’ve lived in (at least) 9 different states and the District of Columbia: California, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, Florida, Missouri, Kansas, Massachusetts, and Minnesota.

6. I would have been a star in Broadway musical theater, but for one important thing: I can’t sing.

7. I could happily live on burritos (and Mexican food in general). When living in Minnesota in the early 90s, I suffered such serious withdrawals that one time on returning to California to visit my parents I ate Mexican food—and nothing else—for nearly a week straight.

8. I was a huge Rolling Stones fan in high school. At one point in the 80s I owned every released album (which I think at the time was around 55). My mom still has most of them.

9. I dated Superman for a brief time in law school.

10. I’m a true American mutt: half Mexican and half British Isles mix (Irish, Scottish, Manx). Alas, I don’t speak Spanish or Gaelic, and from some of the looks I’ve gotten traveling around in the UK, I’m not sure I speak proper English either. Let’s just say that the “California twang” doesn’t always translate well.

MacLeods of Skye Trilogy

Highlander Untamed

book one

She has a year to make him love her… Isabel MacDonald agrees to a handfast marriage with Rory MacLeod, her clan’s bitterest enemy in order to end a deadly feud. But the handfast is only a cover to gain her access to his castle—and with a little seduction, his heart. But her treacherous plans are immediately tested by the fearsome Rory, a powerful Highland chief who embodies everything she admires. Soon Isabel has found the place in the family she’s always dreamed of with the man she must betray, and her only hope of happiness is to escape her own dangerous web of lies.

Keep your friends close and your enemies closer… Rory’s duty as Chief of Clan MacLeod is clear: He’ll obey the king’s directive to handfast with the MacDonald lass—but under his own terms. As a handfast is only required for a year, at that point Rory plans to return this unwanted handfast bride to her family and forge a different marriage alliance. But his plan to keep his distance from his unwanted bride is challenged by the beautiful seductive siren who proves impossible to ignore. And when he catches her snooping and removes her to his bed to watch over her, Rory finds himself wishing that the year would never end.

 

Highlander Unmasked

book two

Meg Mackinnon knows she has to find a loyal, trustworthy husband to support her simple brother as chief. Her father has entrusted her with the decision, and letting him down is not an option. So she leaves for court begin her search. The dark, mysterious outlaw who rescues her on her way meets none of her criteria, but arouses her passions in a way that Meg can not ignore. Alex MacLeod claims to be a mercenary, a man with no loyalties. But soon Meg suspects that Alex is not what he seems and she must learn to trust her heart, or risk losing the right man forever.

Driven by the demons of his past, Alex fights against the king’s injustice. But when he uncovers the details of a royal plot to colonize the Highlands with Lowlanders, the last thing he needs is to be distracted by a lass who interferes with his mission at every turn. Thrust into a web of deadly intrigue, which binds him and Meg ever closer together, Alex soon faces the ultimate battle between love and duty.

Highlander Unchained
book three

Flora MacLeod is determined to avoid the sad fate of her mother—bartered between rival clans through four unhappy, politically-arranged marriages. Now Flora, considered the greatest marriage prize in the Highlands, has become a political pawn herself. Despite the determination of no fewer than three powerful Highland Chiefs to force her hand, she has vowed never to become any man’s prize. Flora’s resolve is soon put to the test by the fiercely handsome, enigmatic man who’s kidnapped her for a ransom she’ll never pay…her heart.

Lachlan MacLean has gotten more than he’s bargained for. The battle-hardened Chief has kidnapped the beautiful heiress with the intention of wooing her for marriage. But the gruff Highland chief isn’t used to wooing women, especially not the most exasperating, stubborn woman he’s ever met. And when the curse surrounding an old tragedy puts Flora’s life in danger, Lachlan realizes his ploy may well have cost him a chance at love.



The Campbell Trilogy

 

 

 

Highland Warrior

book one

The ruthless enforcer of Scotland’s most powerful clan, Jamie Campbell is the most feared man in the Highlands. Raw physical strength coupled with cunning political acumen make him a powerful force with whom few men will dare to reckon. Determined to see the Highlands tamed of its lawlessness and unrest, Jamie’s objectives are clear: under the guise of seeking the Chief of Lamont’s daughter’s hand in marriage, discover whether the Lamonts are harboring any outlawed MacGregors. But guise turns to desire when he meets the beautiful spitfire who rules the household with a dainty iron fist. The fierce Highlander never expects that the woman he wants above all others will test his duty and loyalty to his clan to the breaking point.

Cosseted and adored by her family, Caitrina Lamont has no intention of abandoning her beloved father and doting four older brothers for a husband—especially a Campbell. But Jamie Campbell is nothing like the parade of suitors that Caitrina’s father usually traipses across their hall. His raw masculinity threatens her in a way no man ever had before. But when Caitrina’s idyllic world is shattered, could the man she blames for her tragedy become her only hope for the future?

 
 

Highland Outlaw

book two

Patrick MacGregor is a hunted man living on the edge. With his land stolen and clan outlawed, Patrick and his MacGregor clansmen have been forced into hiding—blame for which Patrick puts squarely on the shoulders of the hated Campbells. Patrick will stop at nothing to save his clan from destruction, and marriage to Elizabeth Campbell, whose quiet beauty he’d admired from afar, just might be the answer. Arranging an attack seems to be the perfect means to win the trust of the protected lass, but soon Patrick realizes that it isn’t just his life at stake if she discovers the truth of his identity, but something he’d thought lost long ago—his heart.

Elizabeth Campbell has never done anything reckless in her life. Shy and dutiful, Lizzie has always tried to do the right thing—even suffering through the humiliation of two broken engagements without complaint. But behind the serious façade is a passionate woman fighting to get out. So when a handsome mysterious warrior rescues her from an attack, Lizzie boldly asks him to stay. Seduced by his kiss and mesmerized by the edge of danger that surrounds him, Lizzie succumbs to the promise beckoning from behind his shadowed gaze, believing she’s found the perfect man. But soon Lizzie wonders whether in risking her heart, she’s lost everything.

 
 

Highland Scoundrel

book three

Duncan Campbell is a natural born leader, possessing all the attributes for a Highland chieftain except for one: legitimacy. Forced from the Highlands for a crime he didn’t commit, Duncan has earned a reputation as the fiercest, most skilled mercenary on the continent. Vowing to restore his name and clear the cloud of treason hanging over his head, Duncan returns to the Highlands to find the one person who might hold the key to his freedom: the woman he’d once loved who’d betrayed him. But when he surprises her swimming in a loch, he finds himself facing the bad end of a pistol.

Told she was impulsive her whole life like her mother who’d destroyed their family when she’d run off with an Englishman over twenty years ago, Jeannie Grant had never believed it—until she met Duncan Campbell. The bastard born son of a chieftain was not a suitable husband for the daughter of a powerful Highland chief, but Duncan made Jeannie willing to risk everything. She gave him her innocence and he failed her, forcing Jeannie to learn the hard way what happens when you follow your heart. Now Jeannie is shocked to find that the brigand she’s shot is the same man who broke her heart all those years ago. But the hard, ruthless man is nothing like the charming young scoundrel she remembers. When their attempt to prove Duncan’s innocence uncovers a deadly secret, not only their lost love, but their lives hang in the balance.

 
 

 

The Highland Guard Series

 

The Chief

book one

An elite fighting force like the world has never seen...

Scouring the darkest corners of the Highlands and Western Isles, Robert the Bruce handpicks ten warriors to help him in his quest to free Scotland from English rule. They are the best of the best, chosen for their superior skills in each discipline of warfare. To lead his secret Highland Guard, Bruce chooses the greatest warrior of all.

The ultimate Highland warlord and a swordsman without equal, Tor MacLeod has no intention of being drawn into Scotland’s war. Dedicated to his clan, the fiercely independent chief answers to no one—especially not his alluring new bride, bartered to him in a bid to secure his agreement to command the deadliest fighting force the world has ever seen. The treacherous chit who made her way to his bed may have won his hand, but she will never claim his heart.

Although her husband’s reputation is as fierce as his manner, Christina Fraser believes something softer hides beneath his brutal shell. But the only warmth she feels is in their bed, in the glorious moments of white-hot desire that disappear with the dawn. When Christina’s reckless bid to win her husband’s love goes awry and thrusts them into danger on the eve of war against England, Tor will face his ultimate battle: to save his wife and open his heart—before it’s too late

 

 

The Hawk

book 2

The legend of the Highland Guard continues...

Handpicked by Robert the Bruce to help him in his quest to free Scotland from English rule, the Highland Guard is an elite fighting force unlike any the world has ever seen. They are the best of the best, chosen for their superior skills in each discipline of warfare. But when Bruce is forced to flee to the Western Isles, his bid for freedom rests on the shoulders of one extraordinary warrior.

Erik MacSorley is unrivaled on the seas, a brilliant seafarer who has never encountered a wind he could not harness nor a woman he could not win—until he drags a wet, half-naked “nursemaid” out of the waters off the Irish coast. Ellie’s ordinary appearance belies the truth: she is in fact Lady Elyne de Burgh, the spirited daughter of the most powerful noble in Ireland, and a close ally of the English king. Worse, this confounding, fascinating, irresistible woman is determined to prove herself immune to his charms—a challenge he cannot resist.

Her captor may look every inch a powerful, rugged warrior, but Ellie vows it will take more than a twinkle in his blue eyes and a wickedly suggestive caress to impress her. Erik is as wild and untamed as the wind, sweeping away her resistance with a desire that resonates deep within her heart. Still, he is a man driven by loyalty, and she is a woman with secrets that could threaten his mission and jeopardize Bruce’s chance to reclaim his throne. As the battle for king and country sounds across the shores, will Ellie’s love be enough to finally tame the legend known as the Hawk?

 

 

 

The Ranger

book three

The legend of the Highland Guard continues...

Handpicked by Robert the Bruce to help him in his quest to free Scotland from English rule, the Highland Guard is an elite fighting force unlike any the world has ever seen. They are the best of the best, chosen for their superior skills in each discipline of warfare. As the tides of war turn, one elite warrior is all that stands between victory and defeat.

Embedded deep behind enemy lines, Arthur “Ranger” Campbell is Bruce’s secret weapon as he wages his final assault on the enemies who stand against him. Recruited to join the Bruce’s secret elite fighting force for his prized scouting skills, Arthur’s razor sharp senses and ability to blend into the shadows make him the perfect spy. But when this shadow warrior must infiltrate the clan of the chieftain who murdered his father, his heart is locked on revenge. Inside he faces unexpected resistance from the sweetest of obstacles—a honey-haired siren who is his enemy’s daughter. But the vivacious, enchanting Anna MacDougall is a woman whose skill at uncovering deception rivals his own.

Intrigued by this ruggedly handsome newcomer to her father’s forces, Anna accepts the challenge his determined indifference to her arouses. Though anxious for the war to end and yearning for a quiet life with a good man to love, Anna is drawn to this mysterious knight whose eyes devour her but whose words push her away. But as danger, treachery, and the threat of looming war draw them closer into each other’s passions and secrets, a warrior made of steel must make a choice from the heart: love or revenge.

 
 

COMING October 2011

The Viper

The fourth book

in Monica's Highland Guard series

The war for Scotland’s sovereignty rages on—as Robert the Bruce is crowned king and the Highland Guard, his elite fighting force of legendary warriors, battle for land... and love.

Prized for his snake-like stealth and deadly strikes, Lachlan “Viper” MacRuairi is a warrior to enlist but not to trust. His only loyalty is to his purse, his indifference sealed by bitter betrayal. All that changes when Lachlan is tasked to protect and deliver Bella MacDuff to the king’s coronation—and the proud, lushly sensual countess unwittingly challenges him to his greatest battle yet: to love again.

Passionate and devoted, Bella has defied Britain’s king and her own husband to place the crown on Bruce’s head—and pays a terrible price. She loses her daughter and her freedom to her husband’s vengeance. Imprisoned with barbaric cruelty, she vows to reclaim her child, even if it means selling her soul—and her body—to a dark, lethal warrior whose eyes glint like steel, but who makes her skin tingle and her breath race. Together they embark on a rogue mission with sinister twists and turns that threatens not only Bella’s gamble to save her daughter—but also her heart.

Places you can find Monica:
Website: http://www.monicamccarty.com/
Blog: http://monicamccarty.blogspot.com/
Book List: http://www.monicamccarty.com/booklist.html

*~* GIVEAWAY *~*

Monica was generous in offering up for you guys

a signed Campbell trilogy

HIGHLAND WARRIOR,

HIGHLAND OUTLAW,

HIGHLAND SCOUNDREL

To Enter you MUST:
~ Leave a comment -
       ~Have you read Monica McCarty yet? if so what did you read, and what did you think about it?
~ Comment on Tigris Blog with Guest Xee http://tigriseden.blogspot.com/2011/05/30-days-with-highlander-guest-post-with.html

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Besure that you have in fact choosen a side! (Vote on right sidebar) Giveaway will be a copy of Either The Highlander or The Pathfinder two great movies! Be sure to comment on both posts and be sure to vote! Participation is KEY!

http://jojosbookcorner.blogspot.com/2011/05/30-days-of-highlanders-day-12-road-that.html

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Highlander Cover Design Contest!

( remember, as long as you have atleast the paint program, you can do it! )

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