What is the title of your latest release?
THE HIGHLANDER’S LADY OF LOCH AND SEA
What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?
A night of carnal adventure with a mysterious siren leads Cyrus Mackinnon to wake, tied to his bed, with a blade to his throat… How will he forge peace on Skye if he’s a dead man? A 16th century Scottish historical romance set on the Isle of Skye.
How did you decide where your book was going to take place?
I absolutely love the Isle of Skye, the breezes off the water, the green hills and moors, the ancient ruins. I even named my first born after the isle.
Would you hang out with your heroine in real life?
Yes! Laria is clever and brave and not afraid to work in the dirt for the right cause.
What are three words that describe your hero?
Hot, Honorable, Determined
What’s something you learned while writing this book?
That the Eurasian Otter is native to and thriving on the Isle of Skye. And they are so darn cute! But if frightened they can release a musk as a defense mechanism, like a skunk.
Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done?
I tend to write 2/3 of the book straight through, then go back and edit and carry on to the end. Then I edit all the way through again before it goes to my editor for her first read.
What’s your favorite foodie indulgence?
Banana Ice Cream!
Describe your writing space/office!
It is the front room in my house so there is vibrant daylight, and I can see what’s going on in the cul-de-sac. I have lots of inspiring decorations and plenty of Highland cow plushies – a whole herd.
Who is an author you admire?
Julie Garwood for her Scottish historical romances and Agatha Christie for her mind full of puzzles.
Is there a book that changed your life?
I’m not sure if there is one book, but the Scottish historical romance genre definitely influenced me. Even though I received a degree in Cellular Biology, I came back around to writing these dramatic romances full of adventures from the past.
Tell us about when you got “the call.” (when you found out your book was going to be published). Or, for indie authors, when you decided to self-publish.
I was a finalist in the Golden Heart RWA contest, which got the attention of publishers. My offer was an e-mail, and I remember going into my husband’s office at the time with a huge smile on my face.
What’s your favorite genre to read?
Cozy mysteries. In fact, I’m planning to write my own.
What’s your favorite movie?
There are so many! Pride & Prejudice, Annabelle (yes, the scary doll movie), and Under the Tuscan Sun are some of my top ones.
What is your favorite season?
Autumn 100%
How do you like to celebrate your birthday?
My birthday is January 1st, so I’m always at the beach with my best friends and family celebrating the new year. They make me a cake, and I don’t have to do any dishes that day. I also get to watch the old Twilight Zone shows all day.
What’s a recent tv show/movie/book/podcast you highly recommend?
I loved the limited series, The Queen’s Gambit about the chess player. And I loved the book Vera Wong’s Guide to Snooping (on a Dead Man) by Jesse Q. Sutanto.
What’s your favorite type of cuisine?
Italian is my go-to food when I’m celebrating. And I have a massive sweet tooth, so anything baked and warm is my favorite.
What do you do when you have free time?
I decorate my planner or try to declutter my house. When I’m up at our house in Maine during the summer, I love to hike and pick blueberries. Oh, and I love to bake.
What can readers expect from you next?
I am 2/3 of the way through writing the first draft of book #4 in my Brotherhood of Solway Moss series about Asher MacNicol, the brotherhood’s lone wolf. I am also preparing to release the fourth book in my historical romantasy series, The Dragonfly Chronicles, under my pen name, Eleri Drake. And I think I mentioned a cozy mystery series.
THE HIGHLANDER’S LADY OF LOCH AND SEA by Heather McCollum
A siren steals a warrior’s heart—and maybe his soul—in this dangerously seductive Highlander romance from USA Today bestselling author Heather McCollum.
Cyrus Mackinnon has always had a way with the lasses. But beneath his roguish grin lies the heart of a warrior—and a destiny to be the chief of his clan. By wedding his sister to the Macqueen chief, he’s forged a strong alliance among the Isle of Skye clans. Until a lovely stranger with eyes the color of the sea disrupts the celebrations to warn Cyrus that his brother-in-law is on par with the devil himself…
Laria Macqueen knows that none of the clans of Skye are safe from her cousin’s sinister plotting—least of all her people. And if she can’t stop the wedding, she’ll have to do the unthinkable: seduce Cyrus…and kill him. But while bedding the battle-hardened warrior is altogether satisfying, she hesitates once she has her dagger to his throat.
Now Cyrus is caught in the Macqueens’ secret war of attrition. With one wrong move, the fragile alliance will be shattered and Skye soaked in blood. And in the middle stands Laria, a siren who will either steal Cyrus’s soul…or lure them all to their deaths.
Romance Historical [ Entangled: Amara, On Sale: January 27, 2026, Mass Market Paperback, ISBN: 9781682816219 / ]
Buy THE HIGHLANDER’S LADY OF LOCH AND SEA: Amazon.com | BN.com | Books-A-Million | Indie BookShops | Ripped Bodice | Walmart.com |
About Heather McCollum
Heather McCollum is an award winning, historical romance writer. She is a member of Romance Writers of America and the Ruby Slippered Sisterhood of 2009 Golden Heart finalists. The ancient magic and lush beauty of Great Britain entrances Ms. McCollum’s heart and imagination every time she visits. The country’s history and landscape have been a backdrop for her writing ever since her first journey across the pond. When she is not creating vibrant characters & magical adventures on the page, she is roaring her own battle cry in the war against ovarian cancer. Ms. McCollum recently slayed the cancer beast and resides with her very own Highland hero, rescued golden retriever & 3 kids in the wilds of suburbia on the mid-Atlantic coast.
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