THE VIKING'S WARRIOR BRIDE
by Mairibeth MacMillan
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GENRE: Historical Romance
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLURB:
Bjorn
and Ylva. Two warriors who fight side by side. Two lovers who avoid
commitments. But their convenient relationship just got complicated.
Determined
to redeem her father’s name through her own brave deeds as a warrior, Ylva has
no desire to give that up to be a mother. On the eve of returning home to the
Norselands to find a foster family for her child, she is injured in an attack
by a mysterious group of mercenaries. When Bjorn discovers her secret,
everything changes. He has never wanted a family, his own father’s betrayal has
seen to that, and yet he begins to wonder if there is anything else truly worth
fighting for.
After
a series of attacks by mercenaries on the fort they have been guarding, they’re
asked to disguise themselves as traders and travel up the River Clyde to gather
information. As they travel the situation grows stranger with every village
they visit and Ylva begins to wonder what she is fighting for. All around them
they find missing villagers, a mysterious bard and a population unhappy with
their king and his choice of allies. When they visit the supposedly abandoned
former royal residence at Alt Clut, a mysterious woman and her son stow away on
the trade boat, putting all their lives in danger and prompting them to make a
final stand but how much are they willing to sacrifice for their future?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Excerpt:
In front of her
stood Björn. Ylva kept her sword up for longer than necessary, then lowered it
and smiled back despite herself. She had forgotten how much his physical
presence affected her. The way he looked at her with a mixture of desire and
laughter had always appealed. She sheathed her sword, and he took a step
towards her. She breathed in, the familiar scent of his leather armour and the
man inside sending her senses reeling as it always did.
“Miss me?” he
asked.
“No,” she lied.
“Why? Did you miss me? Is that why you came looking for me?” She mustn’t let
him know that she had thought of him almost every waking minute - especially
over the past few weeks. She wondered if he had another woman here, although
the fact that he had purposefully sought her out would seem to suggest that he
didn’t.
“You didn’t
arrive with the others off the ship, and yet Elisedd told me you were anxious
to see me.”
“Did he now?”
“I thought
you’d be in more of a hurry to see me.”
“You thought it
was me who was in a hurry to see you?” Ylva’s gaze slid lower to where the
bulge in his breeks suggested that it was his own lust that made him anxious to
see her.
“The nights
here have been cold and empty.” Björn took a step towards her, drew her towards
him, and lowered his mouth. He paused, his lips almost, but not quite, touching
hers, and she knew he was waiting for her to kiss him. She slid her sword back
into its scabbard and waited. What if he was able to tell?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Mairibeth MacMillan lives on the shores of Loch Long on the edge
of Argyll and Bute. While very picturesque, living there seems to involve
endless driving and family life currently involves running a taxi service.
She was a drama teacher for many years until, during a career
break, she studied for a Creative Writing degree through the Open University
followed by a Masters degree in Playwriting and Dramaturgy. Over the years she
has had some success with short stories and flash fictions in various
competitions, magazines and anthologies. In 2014 she was shortlisted for the
New Writer’s Award at the Festival of Romance.
Inspired by the discovery of a Viking fort marked on the Ordnance
Survey map nearby, she started working on a series of Viking Romances set in
the Kingdom of Strathclyde at the end of the Ninth century. The Viking’s Cursed
Bride was the first in a series of books about four Norse cousins as they build
new lives far from home. The second book The Viking’s Warrior Bride is available
now.
Twitter: @MairibethM
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MairibethM Website:
mairibethmacmillan.com
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Mairibeth-MacMillan/e/B082FSM9D4/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_ebooks_1
The book will be on sale for only $0.99.
Thanks for hosting!
ReplyDeleteThanks for hosting me on your blog! Really pleased to be featured!
ReplyDeleteAuthor, When did you first consider yourself a writer?
ReplyDeleteGood question! I’m not sure actually. Maybe when I first saw my name in print in a magazine? It took me a long time to really think of myself as a writer, though.
DeleteSounds like a great read.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Sherry!
DeleteWhat was one of your favorite scenes to write for the book?
ReplyDelete