Legend of the Bearwere Curse

As you guys know, this year I participated in the GoodReads M/M Romance group's Love Has No Bounds event, and that I picked up a second story from an emergency prompt. The historical Scottish Laird who can shift. Last month I had the pleasure of sitting down with the two people, Kevin & Lucy, who submitted that prompt. We had a great time talking about the making of and some of the things I learned while researching.

While I was there, I asked them if they wanted to hear the back story to the shifter's curse. I have never given a verbal account of a story before. I really enjoyed it, even if I was flying by the seat of my pants because it wasn't something I had written down.

I was asked if I could put the story to paper and let it be a Hearts exclusive (at least until the novel comes out). Why, sure.

Then I started to write it down I became a little nervous because the Legend is like a fairytale "telling" not a "showing". It is everything they warn you not to do as a writer. So I turned it around and around and came up with the idea of using a scene from the soon-to-be book. See Fated, the free story I wrote for the prompt, only addresses the relationship part of the story and it's about 30k. The full story will be closer to 90k and includes a scene from Ewen's childhood. Ah-ha! It was perfect! And it's just up in time, too. Fated should be up on the M/M Group soon!!

The Legend of the Bearwere Curse is just under 5k and is now available for your viewing pleasure here!

(SFW)------>>>>Hearts On Fire Reviews <<<<------(SFW)

 

You don't have to worry about there being a surprise mooning or anything.

 

 

12th Century Scottish Lairds

Last night I finished up the first round of edits for Fated. It is the story for the emergency prompt that I picked up over at the M/M Romance group. The opening scene is the Battle at Renfrow in 1164. The King of the Isles transported 15,000 troops over the firth to do battle with the King of Scotland.

The year of 1164.

I picked it because I needed a plausible time when a pagan could still be found. I didn't think about the language of the time. That wasn't even a consideration. But then again, the Scottish laird is a shifter so that throws the world into an alternate universe and the language is a little more flexible but not much. I made sure the words used were no older than the 14th century. Now I can almost tell just by looking if the word is old enough but I still double checked to be sure. Oxford Dictionaries Pro got a subscription out of me because of it.

So there is one more round to go. I added an author's note about the time period and language. I would hate for someone to go into to the story thinking they were going to get a true historical and wonder what I was smokin' as they read. Hopefully I was able to write it in such a fashion that it has a historical feel about it.

So here is a quick excerpt. I had to find one that wouldn'y give too much away. I also wanted to share my favorite line out of the whole story. If you follow me on Facebook you might have seen it already because I posted it last night as I was doing a final read through.

“My shield in defence, my sword for redress, my arm in labour, my mind in council, my fate be now bond to ye. Yer life ere mine, yer house ere mine, yer kin ere mine, all of this I avow.” --Roi Iain mhic Leoid

Here's a quick excerpt -- not quite safe for work--  :)

I woke in the early hour of the morn trapped under a large snoring body. At once, panic flickered as I tried to place my surroundings. The events of the day ere pushed past the terror, only it did not help me to bring to mind the bald male who sprawled on top of me. Did I mistakenly climb into a tent not belonging to Ewen?

 Striving to extract myself without rousing the man, I shifted to move out from under him. The soldiers were celebrating heavily last evening. I did not want this one to wake and know he had not tumbled into bed with one of the camp’s women. Honest blunder or not, violence would ensue.

 A low grumbling growl caused me to halt and tense. My body shamefully responded to the noise. I laboured to hide my arousal in Ewen’s presence. Now here I was being made to think back to the many times I had denied myself the tender touch of another. I should have taken myself in hand last eve to relieve the tension, yet I had imagined being caught and all desire fled.

 The man began to sniff at the crook of my neck and I went from partially aroused to aching with need. There would be no way I could get out of this without a fight. The large strong arms clasped about my torso constricted, holding me tighter as the man rolled his hips, digging a steely manhood into the flesh of my hip.

 “Roi.” The voice was rough with sleep but I recognized Ewen in that one spoken word. The matter had not changed. If he woke he would not look kindly on a man in his bed. Natheless, I was well and truly trapped.

 Ewen continued to sniff my skin. At any other time, the soft puffs of air ghosting across my skin would stir my blood. A warm tongue licked along the skin where my collar would lay, raising the skin to gooseflesh. I fisted the hides underneath me to keep from pushing back against Ewen as he rolled his hips again.

 “Roi.” This time Ewen sounded harsh and full of agony.

 I waited for Ewen to wake. When he raised his head and stared down at me with clear hazel eyes, the strain left my body. The dread leaked away and I became pliant under Ewen’s firm body.

 “Tell me, dae ye— will ye— accept me?”

 I should argue for time. There were things I needed to tell him, explain to him… but I had only ever wanted him. Would he understand what I am— who I am? Would it even matter?

 In the end, I declined to deny him. With a boldness I oft lacked, I grasped his hips and ground my aching erection into him. The “aye, please” I intended came out sounding like a groan. Ewen nipped my chin, pulling lightly on the short hairs ere burying his nose back into the crook of my neck.

 

Thanks for stopping by and reading!!

Update on the Highlander & a Quick Excerpt

So my maximum word count was supposed to be 12k and I'm currently at 8399. Really, the story is just getting started but it needs to be completed this week to allow for a beta read or two and editing, in order to hit my July 15th deadline.

What to do? What to do?

The only thing I can do right now is hammer out and solidify the relationship piece in order to meet the requirements of the "Dear Author" letter. The full length novel that will finish out the plot. As it is, the relationship story will not be complete by word number 12,000 but that is okay. If it's a little over I can deal with that as long as I can wrap it up.

A couple of research results for you to consider:

Before the design of the modern day walking kilt started in the 1720s, Scots wore what is nowadays referred to as "the great kilt". I've read some pretty offensive material on Scottish clothing by reenactment groups that claimed that Scots didn't wear pants and preferred to go without shoes. Now have you ever looked at Scottish weather? Anyone who believes the Scots ran pellmell without shoes in forty degree weather is delusional. Scotts wore leggings under their kilts, not to be mistaken for hose. Pants where difficult and expensive. Leggings were linen (made from flax), wool, or leather wrapped around the legs and tied at the thighs. They then wore a tunic, called a leine, the length varied from just below the waist down to the knee. And yes, they wore a type of shoe close to a type of moccasin. The kilt was material 8 yards long and 60 inches (4 yards) wide. The tartan patterns weren't cataloged until the 1800s with some of the older families claiming their colors and patterns go back a thousand years. But having a kilt in the clann weave was expensive and not many Scots could afford the cost so they did not have tartan colors in their kilt.

Here's a fact that causes me to give a little lift of the lip in a sneer at the "Scotland" movies. Kilts were not worn in battle. The men took off their kilts and wore belted tunics and legging and any armor they could afford, usually of leather. If you think about it, it makes sense. The kilt was very expensive and would get in the way. It is the one article of clothing they couldn't do without.

How did they identify friend from foe in battle? By the color of ribbon on their caps. Tartan colors were not used to identify people in battle until after the walking kilt came about and the British government made some changes.

EXCERPT:

My eyelids fluttered closed at the sound of Ewen's voice. Of all the times I seen the man in my dreams, I never heard him speak until today. Gods above. How he affected me. What would Ewen do once he discovered I preferred men to women? Surely he had obligations, a wife and children. Even if Ewen didn't turn away what I could offer, where would I fit in this noble guardian's life? I knew I no longer belonged anywhere but I wanted to belong to him, be with him, stand by his side. And yet, I dared not speak of it, for I feared he wouldn't understand. How could he. I have known him all of my life and he knew me not at all.

LHND - Untitled Highlander Story

Okay peeps. Insomnia is a good thing... at least it is today. Went to bed at 8 woke up at 10. I was able to write the first 2500 words. Research is grueling, especially when online reference material cannot answer my very specific questions. We're going back in time 1000 years and so much has changed in the that period of time. Deforestation, the increase in the moors from the deforestation, climate changes, water level changes, burgh politics, clann politics, mixed religious practices... you get the picture. The only saving grace for me is that Ewen comes from shifter stalk which makes this an alternate reality but I'm attempting to keep historical accuracy. I'm definitely not Diana Gabbledon. She takes two years to write her books and have less than 30 days.


Here is one of the tidbits that I got wrong. "Laird" I believed to be equal to an English Barron. Nope. Laird is simply a Scottish land holder. Clann Chiefs didn't have to be Lairds nor did they have to be Thanes. A Thane was appointed by the King. But a Scotsman could be a Thane, a Laird, and a Clann Chief. So Lucy and Kevin do get their Laird and Thane. *waggles eye brows*

Complete deforestation of the Caledonia Forrest wasn't achieved until the 16-1700s. It was that time period that sheep herds dominated in the Scottish landscape.

The date is 1064 when Somerled mac Gillebride, King of the Isles, shuttled 15,000 troops to the mainland to battle Malcolm IV, King of Scotland. It is called the Battle of Renfrow. This is the beginning of story of how Ewen and Roi meet.

Now that I have blathered on about the little knowledge I have gleaned in the last couple of days here's an excerpt. I hope you like it. It's unedited so please over look the oopses. I'm tired now so I'm going back to bed!

Excerpt:

The man in the flowing red garb wore no discernible armor that I could see. He wielded a sword and shield with a fierceness that closely matched my own. But before I came close enough to engage him, the golden-haired warrior veered off, and there before me stood Somerled himself. Young Malcolm, King of Scotland, came up on my right side. Somerled's eyes flared with an ambitious light under his protective helm when he spotted Malcolm. Little did he know, he would have to go through me first, if he aspired to kill my king.

The last several days we had watched Somerled, those of us who fought at the side of Malcolm convened at the end of the day to relay what we had observed. Those about the King of the Isle kept him insulated and he rarely lifted the sword in battle. I was well aware that the man I faced was fresh and not battle weary, yet he still wouldn't be a match for me and the beast contained under my skin.

At the moment when I stepped in front of Somerled to face off with him, I caught the scent of another. The beast and I snarled together, the red haze of the berserker rage that stayed at the edge of vision during battle intensified as the creature within me attempted to answer the call of protection. The limited control I had over the beast's actions slipped away leaving me utterly animalistic in mind, even if not in body, as I engaged Somerled with a single minded ferocity that caused my kinsmen to give us a wide berth. 

Love Has No Bounds - Story #2

An emergency prompt went up on Sunday. Someone was unable to finish their story and they reopened the prompt for takers. I couldn't help myself. After verifying what the due date would be I volunteered to take the story.

So now I have another LHNB story due on July 15th but I'll try to get in before.  The dear author letter from Lucy and Kevin goes like this:

"Dear Author, Please help this poor Laird. He's a warrior and a leader, always alone. Now he's fallen in love with the enemy and his clan won't allow it. Please don't make him time travel, but he can shift for sure. Hugs and please make sure he has an HEA He deserves one. This is for Kevin and his incredible highlander addiction. "

The picture is of a sexy, scruffy-cheeked, bare-chested man. His head is shaved, he has tattoos on his left shoulder and above his right pec. He is wearing a red kilt and leather bracers on his forearms.

I haven't come up with a title yet. I'll mull that over as I write. Here is the tentative blurb.

The year of Our Lord, 1164, Thane of Raineach, Ewen Meinnear, stood on the battlefield of Renfrew, gazing down at the golden head of a man who had unknowingly pulled Ewen out of his berserker rage. Kneeling, staff lying at Ewen's feet, the enemy held his arms wide with his head bowed baring his neck waiting for the death blow. But Ewen couldn't raise his hand and take the life the enemy freely gave. Ancient tattoos in blue woad stirred memories of a warning given him long ago by his graundfather. Now he must choose between king and enemy, the path promising to alter the very course of Ewen's solitary life.

Roi Iain of Clann mhic Leoid spent three years under the thumb of the Somerled, King of the Isles. Taken from the Temple of the Moune at Callanish before it burned to the ground, Roi had been forced to stay at the side of the Christian king who took pleasure in ridiculing him in the presence of his court but privately utilized Roi's pagan skills to pursue his own agenda. Required to fight at the king's side, Roi only wished to join his goddess and offered himself up to the enemy's strongest warrior, the man who had haunted Roi's dreams since entering Callanish. Surely this man who had the aura of a powerful guardian beast would release him from the shackles of his oppressed life.

Ewen released Roi but not in the way he'd anticipated. The promise of a lasting happiness is threatened when the clann chief learns of Ewen's deception. Will Ewen be able to protect Roi or will Roi join his goddess as he'd originally dreamed?

Love Has No Bounds - Playing For Keeps

The Story Is Finally UP!!

If you're not familiar with it, Love Has No Bounds is this years GoodReads M/M Romance Groups writing event. Back in March members posted pictures with Dear Author letters and anyone could grab one to write a story. There are many first timers this year that have done a fantastic job with their stories. Plus the stories are free and offered for download later on.

This is my first year to participate. At the end there, I had a slew of issues with corrupted files and a temperamental computer, among other things that delayed my submission by a couple of days.

But it's all good. I don't typically write contemporary. I have one other modern days story in the Love is Love anthology and that one is a pluffy short story. Playing For Keeps is longer and deals with a more serious subject matter. Don't get me wrong, they get there happy ever after but it's slightly angsty. I can never do really angsty because I always hear my mom's voice, "Snap out of it!"

I think the story turned out great, a little idealistic at the end but good. Later this year, I plan to back up the timeline and write a full novel about the boys.

Make sure you stop buy and check out the event. CLICK HERE


Blurb:

College running back, Trent Harte, has been living with his lovers, AJ Barnes and Brock Everett, for two years. Caught in a compromising position, rumors abound. It's hard enough to be an openly gay football player, but gossip and snide comments only adds to his stress. Threats against his partners causes Trent wonder if he should step back from the relationship.


AJ and Brock knows there is something wrong when Trent begins to pull away. A call from Trent's father only adds to the distress. AJ and Brock refuse to let him shoulder the responsibility alone and they call for help. Will Trent find the strength to withstand the pressure and hold on to those he loves? Or will AJ and Brock be too late to convince Trent that they are playing for keeps?