What is the title of your latest release? HIGHLAND SURRENDER   What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? Erik Halverson, a Norwegian warrior descended from Vikings, is tasked to kidnap the beloved sister of the four mighty Sinclair Horsemen of Scotland. Hannah Sinclair, worried about becoming a virgin spinster, chooses the Norwegian trader to seduce. But when he kidnaps her during her planned seduction, passion turns to fury. Erik soon realizes that the Highland kitten he’s come to steal is, in fact, a Hellcat.   How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I fell in love with Scotland when I first visited there thirty years ago. The history is full of such raw passion, emotion, and conflict that I was and still am drawn to that setting.   Would you hang out with your heroine in real life? Definitely! Hannah is fun and brave and hilarious.   What are three words that describe your hero? Broody, Golden-Hearted, Brawny   What’s something you learned while writing this book? I’ve usually focused on Scottish and English history for my books. Writing HIGHLAND SURRENDER sent me diving into Danish and Norwegian history. I learned that, unlike other…

1–What is the title of your latest release? THE HIGHLANDER’S SECRET AVENGER 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? Amelia MacLeod journeys to Wolf Isle for revenge, redemption, & to escape a cruel brother. She doesn’t count on falling in love with the enemy, Drostan Macquarie, a brawny Highlander who continues to rescue her & her kitten. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I love the western isles of Scotland. So naturally I looked there first for a place to build my Brothers of Wolf Isle series. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? Yes! Both Amelia and Drostan are good, courageous people, who get into all sorts of fun trouble. 5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? Drostan is dedicated, brawny, golden-hearted. 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? How to throw a caber correctly. 7–Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done? I edit as I write but then review it several times when it’s totally done. 8–What’s your favorite foodie indulgence? Hot fudge sundae! No nuts. 9–Describe your writing space/office! I have a chair in my office by my window…

Hi romance lovers! I’m Heather McCollum, USA Today best-selling author of Scottish Historical Romance. I’m excited to announce the release of my newest book about a brawny, tortured hero with a golden heart and a feisty heroine who is desperately trying to save her sister. He’s an executioner, and she’s a midwife. Can two people on opposite ends of life come together? HIGHLAND BEAST– Raised to be the Horseman of Death, Bàs Sinclair is tasked to kill the lass (Shana) who gave him his very first kiss. Refusing means war. Following through means death to his own soul. H is for Highlands, my favorite setting, which is full of raw beauty and rich history. I is for Ilsa & Iona, Bàs’s Highland Coos who get washed downstream. G is for Gorgeous Glutes! H is for Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Bàs and his three brothers were raised to play the parts by their mad father. L is for Lies that are told against Shana and her sister, deadly lies. A is for Attraction, which ignites to burn out of control between Shana and Bàs. N is for Now. When Shana and Bàs come together, they only focus on the Now instead…

Instead of trying to find your perfect match in a dating app, we bring you the “Author-Reader Match” where we introduce you to authors you may fall in love with. It’s our great pleasure to present Heather McCollum! Writes: Heather McCollum is a USA Today bestselling author of 16th and 17th-century Scottish romances full of adventure and intrigue, sprinkled with humor, history, and spice. Brawny Highlanders and feisty heroines are her favorite characters! Wrap yourself in fun adventures that take you from sea to misty forests to castles and across moors covered in Scottish thistle. Live the romance that flares between her mighty warriors and their heroines, knowing you will always be given the happily-ever-after you deserve. About: Hello Romance Lover! On top of writing romantic adventures set in 16th century Britain, I’m also a mom of three kids (ages 15, 21, and 23), dog-mom of one rescued geriatric golden retriever, and wife of one 6-foot 4-inch Highlander. When I’m not trying to help my kids make it through the day, baking things I see on The Great British Baking Show, or writing, I’m usually educating women on ovarian cancer (I’m an 11-year survivor). I love kilted heroes, dragonflies, watching birds, chai tea lattes,…

Beck watched the heavily gunned galleon sweep around the small isle, the wind filling its sails. After six months of patrolling the waters off the west coast of Scotland, Beck wouldn’t let this chance of capturing the most notorious French pirate slip past him. If the bastard outgunned them, he would use some intimidation to slow him down until Cullen could attack the Borreau from the other side. “Gavin,” he yelled, “are the men ready?” Gavin’s mouth dropped open, frozen, as he gazed past Beck. Beck pivoted on his boot in time to see… Eliza? The woman wore sailor’s clothing. No petticoats, but the breeches that she’d worn under her skirts. Tall boots hugged her shapely legs up past her knees. She wore a longish coat of wool and leather with an intricate braid trim, a white tunic, and a floppy hat over her hair. A crossbow swung by her side. She charged across the deck, Alice, who was also dressed in trousers, hurrying behind her with a lantern. “Holy Lord,” Rabbie said next to him. “Beck,” Drostan yelled, pointing at Eliza. As if he hadn’t seen her. Half his men had stopped to stare at the lass as she…

In this scene, Kára’s best friend, Brenna, is enduring a very difficult birth, and Joshua gets roped into helping. *** “You are the strongest here, and we need her up,” Hilda said. “The babe is coming finally, but it will be easier on them both that way.” She beckoned quickly to him, and he found himself walking over, inhaling fully to gain strength. But the heat and smells did not help him. ’Tis like birthing a foal, he told himself, which he had done many times before. He stepped up onto the bed, his boots planting behind the heavily burdened woman. “Do not let her slip,” Kára said, letting him grasp Brenna under her arms. He had no choice but to hold her under her ample bosom. Just like a mare in trouble. Like a horse. That is all. Done this dozens of times before. If Brenna could only neigh, he would have little problem with this. He opened his mouth to ask but decided against it. No woman he had ever met responded well to being asked to neigh. Joshua lifted and Brenna groaned, a sound torn from her straining body. Kára leaped up to loop her friend’s arms…

1–What’s the name of your latest release?  The Highlander’s Unexpected Proposal  2–What is it about?  Adam Macquarie needs a bride to re-establish his dying clan, and Lark Montgomerie needs an escape from her horrible life, but they are both hiding secrets that could ruin everything for them and Wolf Isle. 3–What word best describes your heroine?  Determined 4–What makes your hero irresistible?  Sense of honor (not to mention his biceps!) 5–Who are the people your main characters turn to when they need help?  Lark finds a friend in Lady Ava Maclean. Adam has four brothers, but the second oldest, Beck, is the one he turns to first. 6–What do you love about the setting of your book?  The western isles of Scotland are rugged and beautiful with mountains, lush valleys, and stormy, dramatic seas. I love it all! 7–Are you a plotter (follow an outline) or a pantster (write by the seat of your pants)? Definitely a pantser. I’m trying to plot more, but even when I do, my characters decide where we will be going each day when I sit down to write. 8–What is an ideal writing day for you?  Waking up early before everyone else. Sitting down…

Hello everyone! I am Heather McCollum, Scottish Historical Romance writer, and I’m thrilled to be here at Fresh Fiction today. When I’m not writing marvelous brawny, broody Highlanders, I am usually answering calls of “Mom.” I have three full-of-drama kids, one rescued golden retriever, and one Highland husband of my own. I am also a 9-year survivor of ovarian cancer, lover of hot chai tea lattes, and exuberant baker of all the goodies I should not be eating. My newest release is the first book in a new series, Sons of Sinclair, which is set in 16th-century Scotland, way up in the north. The four books in the series focus on four brothers who were raised by their warlord (some say insane) father as the four horsemen of the Apocalypse. Cain Sinclair takes over the chieftainship when his father is killed in battle and decides that to conquer his father’s greatest enemy, he will wed the new woman chieftain of the Sutherland clan. Unfortunately, Ella Sutherland is stubborn on top of being beautiful and brave, and she does not surrender to Cain’s strategically laid plans. Here are some words to give you a flavor of this jaunt through the Highlands….

Thank you so much for having me here on Fresh Fiction today! I’m Heather McCollum, mother of three overly dramatic kids, wife of one Highland hero, ovarian cancer slayer, lover of chai lattes and dragonflies, and author of Scottish historical romances. My twenty-first book, THE HIGHLAND OUTLAW, was just released on October 21st (I love coincidences!). I’m often asked where I get my ideas. I feel like ideas are just floating around out in the world everywhere, and I have fun picking them out of the tangle of must-dos and everyday occurrences. It means that I’m sometimes hyperaware of my surroundings. The worlds around us are our own personal settings, just like settings for characters in books. Just like I need to recognize the sights, smells, and sounds in my books, I try to take those all in while living my life. Then I let my mind wander and expound upon those details. For example, I walk my dog each morning through my suburban neighborhood. Being the conscientious dog owner, I pick up her poop and drop the biodegradable baggie in the neighborhood dog waste cans set along the streets. Almost every time I lift that lid to toss it…

Hi everybody! I’m Heather McCollum, author of Scottish romances. I’m excited to be here on Fresh Fiction to celebrate the release of my new novel, THE WICKED VISCOUNT, which takes place in 17th c London. Have you ever wondered what it feels like to wear the huge ensembles of silk and embroidery that the ladies in the English court used to don? My current Scottish historical romance series, The Campbells, takes place in 1684 and 1685. In THE WICKED VISCOUNT, the heroine, a feisty Scottish lass, must venture to the royal court in London. For the first time in her life, she wears the rich garments of the elite to fit in at Whitehall Palace. I wanted to experience what my heroine was feeling in the strictures of the costume, so I commissioned the talented Victoria Vane to create an ensemble for me. Even though my heroine grows up during the time when these dresses were worn, she is poor and has never worn the full costumes before. After two weeks of looking at fabrics with Victoria, we finally decided on a gorgeous magenta and lavender combination of silks. Imported from India, the fabrics are rich and beautifully embroidered with…