Taken by a Highland Laird by Sky Purington

Taken by a Highland Laird

The MacLomain Series

A New Beginning

Book 2

Sky Purington       

Genre:  Time Travel Fantasy Romance

Date of Publication:  December 18th, 2017

ASIN: B075R825PZ

Number of pages:  280

Word Count:  87,500

Cover Artist:  Tara West

Book Description:

The last thing Lindsay expects when she visits Milly’s home in New Hampshire is to be thrust back in time to thirteenth century Scotland days before the Battle of Stirling Bridge. Worse yet, captured by the English. Using her wits and ability to wrap men around her little finger, she survives long enough to be rescued by a band of Scotsmen. One of them, a rigid Highland chieftain determined to protect his country, rarely lets her out of his sight. A man, as it turns out, who is immune to her allure…or so it seems.

From the moment Clan MacLomain decides to save Scotland’s history, Laird Conall Hamilton knows he needs to be part of it. What he does not foresee is a beautiful twenty-first century actress crossing his path. More so, that they end up caught in an obligatory kiss that sparks an infamous battle. A kiss, as Fate would have it, that takes them on an adventure through time to both the Action at Earnside Skirmish and the Action at Happrew.

Joining first Sir William Wallace then King Robert the Bruce, Conall and Lindsay end up on a journey that will leave neither unscathed. Though determined to keep each other at arm’s length, desire simmers, reeling them ever closer. Inner demons are faced as they navigate a powerful connection neither saw coming. A bond so intense and passionate that it might very well help them defeat the enemy and save a nation.

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Excerpt #1

“You could slow down some,” she muttered under her breath as none other than Laird Conall Hamilton yanked her through the woods toward Stirling Bridge.

“Not if they are to believe you are my prisoner,” he stated blandly, his hold on her wrist an unbreakable vice grip.

Naturally, ever the hero, he had volunteered to bait the English alongside her. At least six foot five with broad shoulders and endless muscles she was no match for him physically. But maybe mentally. Time would tell. Lindsay sighed as she stumbled along and put up a believable struggle. The truth was, Conall was as smart as he was strong and that, amongst other things, was getting on her nerves.

Sure, being flung back in time to days before one of the most famous battles in Scottish history was daunting, but she had handled it. She had worked her magic with Hugh Cressingham then even John de Warenne, the Earl of Surrey. As she was so good at when it came to men, she had been what they needed her to be. But then that’s what she did for a living.

She acted, and she did so very well.

Again and again, over and over, no matter where she was.

“The bloody Sassenach are watching you, lass,” Conall muttered. “They want you back.”

“That’s what we’re counting on,” she reminded, nearly tripping on a root.

Fog drifted in thick waves through the damp, pine-scented forest, obscuring far more than she would like. It hid things from her. Kept something from her. Up until this point, she had been strong but something about that, not being able to see beyond the fog, sent shivers through her. A chill and dread that, of all things, had her clutching the ring in her pocket for comfort.

Guidance.

Protection.

But why would she feel that way?

Even as she shook her head against the idea, she slid the Claddagh ring on. Unfortunately, it didn’t affect her fear in the least. If anything, it made her feel more vulnerable. Or was it really the ring? She frowned as her eyes went to Conall.

“So what is your plan once we get close?” she said. “Because I thought I should be the one to put on the show seeing how I am a professional actress and you’re ah…well, rather transparent.”

“I suspect you will put on a show,” he acknowledged, clearly not all that impressed as he pulled her along. “I’ll be curious to see how well you perform.”

Like Adlin and Bryce, he said ‘you’ instead of ‘ye’ when speaking with her. Evidently, it was how medieval MacLomains made it easier for twenty-first century women to understand them.

“So why are you so upset?” Lindsay arched her brows, about over his attitude given their current circumstances. “Might it be because I spent the night in William’s tent?”

Conall scowled. “Why would I care if you spent the night in his tent?”

Lindsay rolled her eyes. “Because you have been smitten with me since the night all of you saved me from the English.”

“Is that what you think?” His voice remained bland. “Or could you have misconstrued my vigilance in protecting a lass who tempts her own demise at every turn as affection?”

She dodged another root, growing more irritated by the moment. “So ending up in the enemy’s camp against my will was tempting my own demise?” She inhaled deeply at his gall. “Are you serious?”

“Ending up in Cressingham’s arms was tempting something,” he returned. “And God only knows what you were up to in the Earl’s tent.”

She narrowed her eyes at the back of his head. They might have met a few days ago, but this was the most he had ever spoken to her. Where she had hoped they might be able to speak sooner, now she was of the mind he had spared her.

“Why don’t you say what’s really on your mind, Conall,” she said. “Because I highly doubt it has anything to do with me being in anyone’s arms but William’s—”

That’s all she managed to get out before he whipped her around and backed her against a tree. Half a breath later his lips were on hers.

About the Author:

Sky Purington is the bestselling author of over thirty novels and several novellas. A New Englander born and bred who recently moved to Virginia, Sky was raised hearing stories of folklore, myth, and legend. When combined with a love for nature, romance, and time-travel, elements from the stories of her youth found release in her books.

Purington loves to hear from readers and can be contacted at Sky@SkyPurington. Interested in keeping up with Sky’s latest news and releases? Either visit Sky’s website, www.SkyPurington.com, subscribe to her quarterly newsletter or sign up for personalized text message alerts. Simply text 'skypurington' (no quotes, one word, all lowercase) to 74121 or visit Sky’s Sign-up Page. Texts will ONLY be sent when there is a new book release. Readers can easily opt out at any time.

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For the Eye Sees Not Itself by A.R. Moler

Urban Fantasy / Erotica / Menage / MMF

Date Published: November 12, 2014

The SIS team has dealt with all sorts of things that go bump in the night--vampires, zombies, even demons. But not everything odd or occult walks or breathes. The CIA calls on SIS leader John Benchley to alert him to a strange set of occurrences around an abandoned house in Baltimore. Investigating, the SIS team stumbles on to something unprecedented and deadly. And not every SIS member gets away from their encounters unscathed.

Life continues to go on--even around vampires, mad scientists and demons. SIS FBI liaison Gabrielle Dichenz, who is the lover of both John Benchley and Evan Garrett, John’s boyfriend, is coming to terms with her new life.  Recovering from her past with an abusive ex means looking closely at her present. Evan’s waiting patiently to integrate both of his lovers into his wider life. John, on the other hand, isn’t the sort of personality who takes well to waiting. There’s something really good growing between the three of them. Gabrielle just has to decide whether to truly grab for the brass ring or let her past dictate the shape of her future.

EXCERPT

John placed a hand on the doorknob. He already had a slightly creepy feeling about this place and he wondered if it had to with the reputed ley lines that Fiona had indicated might be beneath the house. The knob twisted with moderate ease and he pushed the door open.  “No need to break out the lock picks.”

There were signs of scuffed footprints through the dust and dirt in the foyer and he stood motionless for a moment just looking inside.

“Are we going in or what?” asked Todd.

“Yeah, yeah. Todd, you and Cecelia check upstairs. Rich, circle around back and see if there’s a door there. Evan and I will start on this floor.

There was a murmur of assent from the team members, and they began to head in separate directions. Evan was left standing a few feet behind John.

“Is it just me or does this place kind of make your skin crawl?” asked Evan.

John glanced back at him. “No, it’s not just you. Any thoughts as to why?”

Evan stepped in the direction of the front room and stood studying the decorative molding above the door. “Take a look at the corners,” he said pointing to the square blocks topping the corners. “Those look like Thelemic stars to me.” He pointed to the two overlapping chevron’s carved into the wood. It was all stained the same color and the symbols were not immediately apparent.

“Thelemic… that ritual magic stuff right?”

“Not just ritual, more along the lines of ceremonial, and more specifically utilized heavily by the Crowley crowd. I think theremight be more than one version of the stars, but I don’t know offhand what the differences might indicate.”

“Okay this definitely leans in the direction of supporting some of last few things that Fiona found. You take the right hand rooms as we move toward the back of the house and I’ll take the left. It should only take us a few minutes to go through,” said John.

***

Evan walked into the dimly lit room near the back of the house. It had one window, much smudged and cobwebbed that let some daylight in. Along the wall was a dusty broken chair, a fabric duffle bag and a pair of beer cans. He turned around to glance at the walls behind him, near the door. On the right hand side of the door hung a long narrow mirror in a heavy, dark, carved frame. He was standing at a sharp angle to it and couldn’t see his own reflection. Heading toward the duffle bag, he glanced at the mirror again. His image was wavy, distorted and he idly wondered how old the glass was. Something drew his eye.

In the reflection Evan saw a man behind him, and he whirled around to face the stranger. Gabrielle’s body was sprawled limply on the floor. Tom Garner, Brie’s psycho ex-boyfriend, was kneeling beside her, a knife in his hand, stabbing her again and again. Evan screamed, “NO!” He tackled the man and knocked him backward to the floor.

***

As John reached the back door and met Rich in the narrow kitchen, he wondered if Evan had found anything. “Go check upstairs and see if Todd and Cecelia need any help. I wonder of this place has a basement or just a crawl space. Look for a door that goes down,” he said to Rich.

“On it.”

John backtracked and veered into the very abbreviated hallway that separated two of the rear rooms. He glanced into the left hand one, empty, unless you counted dust and a squashed soda can.

“Yo, Evan. Find anything?” he called out. He looked into the right hand one. Evan was standing motionless, staring into an empty corner, his hand outstretched. John started toward him.  “Ev’?”

Suddenly Evan lunged at him, screaming. They went down in a tangle. Evan’s hands wrapped around John’s throat, and he began banging John’s head on the edge of the door frame. The first blow stunned John and he flailed helplessly against the floor. The second was a bolt of agony through the back of his head. He could barely breathe, Evan’s hands were wrapped so tightly around his throat. The blows continued and consciousness was fading into blackness. Evan was still screaming at him, “No! NO! You killed her! Oh God you killed her!”

About the Author

A.R. Moler is a chemistry professor at a community college, a homeschooling mom and an avid science fiction fan. She is a devotee of first hand research for her writing whenever possible and to this end has - learned to fire a handgun, been rappelling, ridden with both EMS and the police, flown a helicopter, bought a motorcycle and learned to ride it. She has traveled to nearly all the places where her stories are set and taken hundreds of photos for documentation. She has been writing since her high school years, but only recently has become published. She recently launched a website for her writing http://armoler.com

Her blog is www.playdohstoichiometry.blogspot.com and is entitled Playdoh, Legos and Stoichiometry. When asked why such a name for her blog, she commented that it reflects 3 of the many phases of her life. Her daughter has been an avid playdoh artist, her son owns enough Legos is fill a 55-gallon drum and the stoichiometry--one of the most challenging topics to many chemistry students. Her husband's only contribution to chemistry is brewing beer.

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The Vampires' Pet by V.R. Cumming Blog Tour & Giveaway

The Vampire's Pet (The Vampire's Pet #1-6) by V.R. Cumming

Genre(s): Adult Erotica, Vampyr, Paranormal, Fantasy

Published: September 16th 2014

Eric Logan is twenty-one, a physics major at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, and a geek. All he wants is to make it through college in one piece. If he can find a woman to share his life with, well, all the better, but he doesn't hold out much hope of that happening. He's learned the hard way that women find shy, safe men too boring to keep around for long.

While attending a party with his friend Devin, Eric meets the vampire Elizabet, who offers him a spot in her stable of blood slaves. Not long after, the lovely Gianna Brady walks into his life. With her in his heart and a job as a vampire's pet, Eric finally has the life and love he's always wanted and is eager to begin his journey through the hidden society he's now a part of, a society where blood and sex are used to cement alliances and control the violent nature of the beast within.

The world of the Vampyr isn't as easy to navigate as it appears, however, and Eric is soon lost in a whirlwind of obstacles and complications. Devin isn't content with the friendship Eric craves; Marco, Elizabet's favorite, has plans for his mistress' newest pet that Eric isn't keen on fulfilling; and the vampire queen needs a strong ally. As he struggles to find his place in this new world, Eric is pushed to the limits of his humanity and wonders if he'll ever find his way back to it again, or if the monster he's becoming will consume him and everyone he loves in its thirst for power and blood.

Author's note: Contains all six of the previously released episodes, compiled into one novel.

AMAZON | US | UK | CA | AU | DE

Devin shut the door and took off his coat, dropping it on one of the chaises. His tie followed, and then his fingers made quick work of the buttons on his shirt.

“What are you doing?” I cleared my throat at my own stupidity. “I mean, why are you undressing?”

“Elizabet likes to play.”

He placed his shirt on top of his coat, pulled off his t-shirt and folded it, and unfastened his slacks.

I turned my back on him and tried not to stare at the shifting walls. Being dizzy would’ve been better than the vision implanted in my head of Devin half-naked, his golden skin gleaming softly in the dimly lit room, the muscles defined by the shadows falling across them.

Man, I needed to ramp up my workout. Devin’ s toned muscles put mine to shame.

And I really needed to work on my sex life, too, if a semi-nude man was all it took to get me revved.

The snick of a zipper being pulled down raked across my dick, making it throb with every beat of my pulse. I pinched the bridge of my nose to try to block out the sounds of Devin slowly undressing behind me.

The cushioned thud of feet hitting the floor sounded, drawing near, then warm hands fell on my shoulders, tugging at my jacket.

“You never answered my question,” I blurted.

His hands moved to the lapels and I let him slide the jacket off my shoulders, down my arms. “Which one?”

“About Marco and Elizabet.” His body was warm behind mine as his hands found my tie, loosened it. “Won’t he get all bent out of shape about her having sex with me?”

With us, I amended silently, since Devin seemed to be as naked as the day he was born. The tip of his erection kept brushing my ass through my slacks, making me jump.

“No. He likes you.”

“I’m not like that,” I said, appalled, and he chuckled.

“We know. It’s ok.” Nimble fingers unbuttoned my shirt, pulled it away. “You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to.”

I caught his hands on the hem of my undershirt, and held them there against my stomach. “Then why are you undressing me?”

“So you’ll be ready.”

“I haven’t decided if I’ll do it or not.”

His laugh brushed across my neck and my skin came alive. “Yes, you have.”

He was right. I had decided, not when he’d told me Elizabet wanted to have sex with me or when my dick went fully erect on entering the room. No, the sight of his chest, the lean, flat planes of muscle encased in warm, smooth skin; that’s what had done me in.

I live in the rural South. Yup, I really do. Mostly, I write. And write. And sometimes I spend time with my teen-aged son, who is a hoot.

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Bound by M.J. Stevens Blog Tour & Giveaway

‘No good deed ever goes unpunished, Mellea…’

(BOUND, The Guardians #1)

Mellea Wendorn hasn’t exactly had a normal life. Misfortune seems to follow her, and her family, wherever she goes. 

However, when Mellea stops to assist a mysterious young man suddenly her prior hardships seem trivial. His name is Leo. He is a Successor, a child of the Guardians of Selestia. He is royalty. He is handsome. And he wants Mellea completely to himself. Unable to escape the Guardian's laws, Mellea must learn the ways of the royals. She is convinced her life can’t get much worse. But when a timeworn Guardian enemy arises from the shadows, Mellea must make a choice that will change her destiny forever.

The Luthier's Apprentice by Mayra Calvani

The Luthier's Apprentice by Mayra Calvani Violinist Detective Series #1 Publication Date: May 15, 2014 Genres: Fantasy, Mystery, Young Adult

Synopsis

Niccolò Paganini (1782-1840), one of the greatest violinists who ever lived and rumored to have made a pact with the devil, has somehow transferred unique powers to another… When violinists around the world mysteriously vanish, 16-year-old Emma Braun takes notice. But when her beloved violin teacher disappears… Emma takes charge. With Sherlock Holmes fanatic, not to mention gorgeous Corey Fletcher, Emma discovers a parallel world ruled by an ex-violinist turned evil sorceress who wants to rule the music world on her own terms. But why are only men violinists captured and not women? What is the connection between Emma’s family, the sorceress, and the infamous Niccolò Paganini? Emma must unravel the mystery in order to save her teacher from the fatal destiny that awaits him. And undo the curse that torments her family—before evil wins and she becomes the next luthier’s apprentice…

About the Author

Mayra Calvani writes fiction and nonfiction for children and adults and has authored over a dozen books, some of which have won awards. Her stories, reviews, interviews and articles have appeared on numerous publications such as The Writer, Writer's Journal, Multicultural Review, and Bloomsbury Review, among many others. She's represented by Serendipity Literary. She lives in Belgium with her husband of 25+ years, 2 wonderful kids, and her two beloved pets. When she's not writing, reading, editing or reviewing, she enjoys walking her dog, traveling, and spending time with her family.

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Careful What You Wish For by Michelle Escamilla Review & Blog Tour

One simple wish would change everything…Unless you didn’t even wish for it 

Harley Simpson had one wish – to find Prince Charming and settle down. However, she still had yet to find that one guy, so she buried herself in her work and decided to just have fun. 

On her way out for a night with the girls, Harley meets a mysterious cab driver. The woman starts to question what she’d really like in life. Although Harley found it rather odd for a cab driver to ask such deep questions, Harley told her. 

A wish gone bad… 

Harley finds herself the next morning, married to her boss and two small girls running around the house. She’s at a loss for words, especially since she’d never even kissed the guy and now she has two kids. Is this the life that she truly wanted or has fate gone completely wrong? Can she get out of her suburban nightmare or will Harley learn how to become that mom she never thought she’d be - in this messed up fairy tale - 

Careful What You Wish For 

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I found this book very funny, and very enjoyable. I loved the whole thing. Harley didn't actually make a wish, but was given a chance at a life she thought she wanted. As events happen, she realizes this life was not what she expected. This is a cute and funny romantic story

I am a stay at home mom to two wild and crazy kids. I started writing when my husband suggested instead of waiting around for books - create my own. He never realized (nor did I) that it would become more than a short story here and there. I have officially written 5 books and 2 novellas. When I'm not writing (which is rare) I love to be hiking and enjoying the outdoors. 

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