Captain Lord Darington is accustomed to commanding his ship as a much renowned and feared privateer. Who would have thought it would be on English soil that he would be attacked by brigands and seriously wounded? Had it not been for the lovely Miss Emma St. James he would be dead. Though he has always been more comfortable in a naval battle than in a ballroom, he is determined to exert himself and make a proper proposal of marriage to Emma. In this excerpt he struggles to choose just the right words… Dare leaned back against the wall to rest. He wanted to sit down, but he feared someone would turn the corner of the hall and see the master of the house sitting on the floor. Emma might be alerted to the situation, and that was last thing he wanted. As he rested, he thought about how best to conduct the proposal. What would be the best words? Miss St. James, you are the loveliest creature ever born. You have saved my life and I am forever in your debt. Would you do me the great honor of becoming my wife? That was good. Or maybe… My dear Miss…

Sensible. Dependable. Reliable. These three words epitomize Miss Penelope Rose, confirmed spinster. Of course, these are fine attributes for a lady…or a cocker spaniel. After being the bridesmaid in the successive weddings of all of four of her sisters, Penelope Rose is officially on the shelf. So she does the most sensible thing and becomes the companion to the Dowager Duchess of Marchford. In addition to her regular duties as a companion, Penelope has also joined the dowager to form a matchmaking service under the name of Madam X. Penelope facilitates the love matches of many a happy couple. So adept is she in finding matches, that the only one she seems unable to create a happy alliance for is herself. Despite her penchant for practicality, Penelope longs to be seen as the bride, not just the bridesmaid. However, when a proposal finally does arrive, it is not the romantic offer she secretly dreams to receive. Here is the brash offer from the Duke of Marchford from her perspective. “I need at least a fiancée, someone who will not plague me. Someone who does not whine or cry or do other feminishy things,” grumbled Marchford. “Feminishy?” Penelope raised an eyebrow….

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Today we celebrate St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. Wouldn’t it be great if I had an Irish book to talk about? Well, as you can probably guess, THE HIGHLANDER’S SWORD is set in Scotland. So today I thought I’d chat about a common ancestor to both Scotland and Ireland: the Celts. The Celts is a term rather loosely used to describe some of the early peoples of Europe and the British Isles. Currently, the six Celtic nations are considered to be Scotland, Brittany, Wales, Ireland, Cornwall and the Isle of Man. The Celtic culture is an ancient one and shrouded in mystery. The Celts were known as warrior adventurers, conquering and spreading through Europe and particularly into the British Isles. Woman may also have been warriors and leaders of their clans. Another important role in Celtic society was the members of the priestly and intellectual class called the druids. Celtic religion was polytheistic and their deities were often associated with natural features, such as rivers. After the conversion of the Celts to Christianity in 5th century Ireland, thanks to our celebrated St. Patrick, the Celts showed a strong interest in intellectual pursuits, particularly in…