posted on March 31, 2017 by Amy Jarecki

Fun Facts About The Highland Duke

by Amy Jarecki

How many of you read or have read historical romance? Before I became a writer, historical was always my fallback genre. Having a bad day? Read historical romance. Just broke up with my fiancé? Read historical romance. Taking a flight across the country? Read historical romance. Well, that’s how it rolled for me. Now what do I read? Historical Romance!

So, let’s talk fun facts about my new mass market release, THE HIGHLAND DUKE. …and yes, my editor put it perfectly, “the cover smolders”.

*rubs hands and grins* I mean, what’s not smexy about a fallen Scottish Duke…who’s shot in the leg with a musket ball…and is rescued by a bonny raven-haired lass?

The Inside Skinny on THE HIGHLAND DUKE:

  1. George (Geordie) Gordon is the First Duke of Gordon styled after the actual duke of the same name. Geordie had a reputation for being a bit of a rebel. He was described as being “made for the company of ladies” which was a strong factor in the demise of his first marriage and ultimate scandalous divorce.
  2. As a duke, Geordie held vast lands and estates and hailed from the region of Aberdeen. The grandest of his castles was Huntly which lies on the confluence of the River Deveron and the River Bogie. Any man in control of this spot commanded the southern as well as western routes.
  3. All my books have fiction intermixed with fact, and this one is no exception. I visit most of the sites I write about and do as much research as I can before starting a story…and during.
  4. The heroine, Akira Ayers, is completely fictional, and I took liberties with her character. An interesting fact is that Gypsies (often referred to as tinkers in Scotland) were outlawed by the 1609 Act of the Egyptians because of their thieving and transient reputation. Many of these people melded into society to escape genocide and Akira is from one such family. She supports her mother and younger sisters as a healer. She’s proud and poor and no man’s mistress. I loved writing her character!
  5. Though I’ve written over 25 novels (not all are published yet), THE HIGHLAND DUKE is my first mass market paperback. I hit the Amazon top 100 bestseller list with e-books, but this is the first go with seeing my books in the stores. I’d absolutely love it if you see the book to post a picture and tag me on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram! I’m super excited!

An Excerpt from THE HIGHLAND DUKE – Akira has carved out a musket ball in Geordie’s thigh, but the redcoats are after them:

She slung his arm over her shoulder. A lot of good that did. The wee lass might make a useful crutch for a lad of twelve. “If they didn’t ken you were here before, they do now.”

“Ballocks!” he cursed, trying not to fall on top of the woman. Then he looked at the damned nag. “No saddle?”

She held out a few copper farthings. “There wasn’t enough.”

“Damnation.”

The urchin narrowed her eyes at him. “I’ll not be cursed at like a doormat whilst I’m merely trying to help you.”

Geordie grumbled under his breath and removed his arm from her shoulder. He took quick note of the surroundings. They needed more cover for certain. He pointed deeper into the wood. “Lead the beast to the fallen tree, yonder.”

She didn’t budge. “Oh my,” she said with a gasp. “Your leg is bleeding something awful.”

He swayed on his feet. Good God, he couldn’t lose his wits. Not until he had ridden to safety. “Can you stanch it?”

“Give me your belt.”

He slid his hands to his buckle, when a twig snapped behind them.

“Who goes there?” demanded a stern voice.

Akira’s eyes popped wide.

The beat of Geordie’s heart spiked. With a wave of strength, he grabbed the lassie’s waist and threw her atop the horse. Taking charge of the reins, he urged the beast into a run, steering it beside the fallen tree. Agonizing pain stabbed his thigh, but the pressing need to escape gave him herculean energy.

Haste.

In two leaps he landed astride the gelding, right behind the lass. Slapping the reins, he kicked his heels into the horse’s barrel as he pointed the beast down a narrow path. Stabbing torture in his thigh punished his every move.

Musket fire cracked from behind.

Geordie leaned forward, demanding more speed. He pressed lips to Akira’s ear. “Hold on, lass, for hell has just made chase.”

Buy links for The Highland Duke:

A question from Amy: Which do you prefer, print books, e-books or a combination of both and why?

 

Amy Jarecki

Amy Jarecki

Amy embarked on her writing journey shortly after she completed an MBA with Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland. Her first manuscripts were suspense novels and were never published. She calls them baptism by fire---lessons in learning to write fiction. These lessons, combined with several writing conferences and classes, led her to write her first published book, Boy Man Chief, which won the League of Utah Writers award for Best Manuscript, and the Spark Book Award. A lot has happened since, with some of the highlights being Rise of a Legend winning the national RONE award for Best Time Travel; hitting the Amazon Top 100 Bestseller list; and a host of other accolades. Amy enjoys the freedom of authorship and the opportunity to work creatively every day. She has lived in Australia, Bermuda and has spent extensive time in Scotland. Whenever possible, she visits the places she writes about to add vibrant realism to her stories. She loves writing Scottish historical romance, and now she's adding romantic suspense to the mix. Come along for the ride!

https://amyjarecki.com

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