Throughout
the Highlands she is known as Keely, the witch woman.
She is a great healer-a
woman whose dreams come true. Ian MacPherson is a man who puts honor, loyalty
and duty above everything. Their lives are entwined when Ian is sent by the
Scottish King to bring Keely to trial for witchcraft. He is attacked and left
for dead, but Keely rescues him. When he wakes, he discovers he has no memory.
As he remembers his lost past, Ian finds that his need to protect the woman who
has saved his life eclipses his duty to his king and country. He is a man torn
between honor and duty to his country and the woman he loves.
From Highland Magic . . .
She sat
cross-legged on the earth, twelve candles surrounding her. A blue cloth with
interwoven strands of turquoise, navy and dark green lay on the ground in front
of her. In her hands she held her bag of runes.
She withdrew
the first rune. The stone was blank. Dark clouds covered the sun, the wind blew
cold and Keely shivered. "Blank is the end, blank the beginning," she
murmured. She put the rune back then with her fingers sifted through the bag.
She hesitated for the longest time, touching each rune, moving on, afraid to
finish what she had begun, terrified not to finish. The truth would be
revealed.
Keely felt as
if an icy wind blew across her soul, tearing her from all she knew and all she
held sacred. This would signal a new beginning. A change in her life.
Holding her
breath, she drew the second rune and held it up. "Othila ." She would
move on, leave what was familiar and safe. She would find a new path to follow.
The journey would begin; the challenge significant and the trip would be of the
heart and the soul.
As with the
first rune, she slipped this one back into the bag. Continuing the ritual,
touching each stone, sifting through the bag, she pulled the third rune from
the rest of the stones.
Holding her
breath, she stared at the surface of the stone. "Isa." The breeze
shifted. Despite the sun, the wind blew colder and Keely knew winter would be
upon her soon. Coldness and darkness would follow. She would have to sacrifice
all she was and all she believed in to follow blindly the unknown path she was
about to begin. Her heart surely split in that moment. Apprehension surged
through her. Fear, despair and desperation would become a part of her life. She
would have to live with the feelings until she reached the end of her journey,
until her new life began.
There were
two more runes to draw from the bag and she would understand her future.
Giveaway
Author Christine Young
Born
in Medford, Oregon, novelist Christine Young has lived in Oregon all of her
life. After graduating from Oregon State University with a BS in science, she
spent another year at Southern Oregon State University working on her teaching
certificate, and a few years later received her Master's degree in secondary
education and counseling. Now the long, hot days of summer provide the perfect
setting for creating romance. She sold her first book, Dakota's Bride, the
summer of 1998 and her second book, My Angel to Kensington. Her teaching and
writing careers have intertwined with raising three children. Christine's newest venture is the creation of
Rogue Phoenix Press. Christine is the founder, editor and co-owner with her
husband. They live in Salem, Oregon.
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Thank you for hosting today.
ReplyDeleteThis seems like an interesting book but I would've loved the cover to feature Keely the witch woman. :P
ReplyDeleteThanks for hosting Highland Magic today.
ReplyDeleteLeah, I have thought about changing this cover. I have had mixed reviews so I have vascillated on the idea.
Keely is definitely a strong character in a time ruled by superstition.
Thanks for commenting.
Sounds like a great read.
ReplyDeleteKit3247(at)aol(dot)com
I like the cover, but the Keely idea sounds good, too!
ReplyDeletevitajex(at)aol(dot)com
A great excerpt. I know little about Runes, but would love to know more.
ReplyDeletemarypres(AT)gmail(DOT)com