Author: Lisa Dawn Wadler
Genre/Age: Fantasy Historical Romance/Adult
Series: Draig Series (Book Three)
Publisher: Soul Mate Publishing
Links: Goodreads
Synopsis: A call for help transports Emma from her lonely world to medieval Scotland. Accepting her fate and opening her heart she finds the love of a father, a trusted friend, and a child who captures her heart, but the arrogant laird offends her at every turn.
Declan, Laird of the Draig, carries the heavy burden of protecting and providing for those of the clan. Faced with the possibility of losing his land, his title, and his daughter, he accepts his own fate—he must marry and his dreams must die. A marriage of convenience is his only option.
Intrigued by Emma’s courage and strength, Declan uses every trick in the book to have her by his side and in his bed. Will the laird’s responsibilities destroy them both?
Setup: Declan is about to welcome Cortland's (his first man) long lost daughter back in front of those gathered within the hall. He is unaware that Cortland is lying to him about finding his daughter. Instead of the missing Esmeralda, Cortland is presenting Emma - who became trapped in 16th century Scotland after attempting to save the real Esmeralda.
--------------
Declan stood at the entrance to the hall, as was his way. He liked to watch his men when they did not see his eyes upon them. That his hall was filled with light conversation and soft laughter pleased him greatly. My hall should always be filled with simple pleasures and contented clansmen.
His gaze fell to his wee Mary who was having her hair bound for the day. Cortland smiled at his newly found daughter like a man seeing the sun for the first time in years. Glancing at his own child, Declan understood the pride all too well. The main difference was that Emma smiled at Cortland with the same joy, but his Mary rarely even glanced at him.
With nods for those who noticed his entrance, Declan strode to Cortland’s side. Those gathered knew what would happen and waited to see the duty performed.
“Cortland, who is with you in my hall?” Declan asked loud enough for his voice to carry throughout the stone hall.
“My daughter has come home. The child once called Esmeralda, has returned to us as Emma.” Cortland extended his hand to the woman in question and bid her to rise to stand by his side. “My life once again carries great meaning.”
Cheers rang out through the hall from the men and women gathered. Declan waited for the crowd to hush and took the opportunity to sweep his gaze over Emma. Her blue eyes were even paler than Cortland’s and reminded him of the stunning beauty of ice on the loch bathed in sunlight in mid-winter. Emma was tall and lean with dark hair pulled off her face in the same braid Mary now wore; any would have seen the resemblance between father and daughter.
Her eyes were the highlight of her face, and they captivated Declan with their color and intensity. Emma’s gaze was a potent thing to be caught in, so he discovered. A small nose blended nicely with her smooth skin. Declan questioned if her eyes were the highlight, when his gaze landed on her mouth. Full, decadent lips parted to gasp when he took another step closer. The pulse on her neck quickened, and Declan felt a soft smile cover his face. He loved the way women reacted to him and felt far too pleased that Emma enjoyed him.
Her fingers twined with Cortland’s as Declan stepped even closer. He wondered if the woman, who had known him from her birth, was afraid of him. Holding her gaze, there was no fear in her eyes. If he had to name the expression, he would call it apprehension, which made sense. The last time he remembered seeing Esmeralda was when she was a young lass, and he had threatened her. It was odd that he could still remember that day.
Declan had gone to the stables to take his horse for a run. At seventeen years of age, his responsibilities were few, and his days were his to savor. His older brother had the burden of learning how to be laird; Declan later would have traded much for the opportunity to learn.
Esmeralda had been in the stable teasing the barn cats. She had been treating the animals poorly, and he had threatened to tell her parents and see her punished. Fake tears had covered her cheeks while she begged him not to tell. Falling for her rouse, he let her leave with a warning. It was when she laughed as she left the stables he questioned his lack of discipline. He could still see her standing in the stable, her eyes full of manipulative tears.
A chuckle left his lips at the wayward memory of a naughty child. His voice again rose in the hall. “Emma, daughter of Cortland, welcome back to Draig lands. What was once your home, is again your home.” Knowing his duty, Declan placed his hands on the woman’s shoulders and pulled her to him. Her petal soft cheek brushed his jaw. He wasn’t prepared for the jolt that shook him as she stilled in his arms. Had there been no audience, he knew he would have buried his nose in her hair and whispered to her the erotic images that filled his mind. He could feel his blood burn with desire for her from only the simple contact. How heated could this become if our bare flesh met? He stifled a groan from the singular thought. When she would have pulled back quickly, Declan seized the moment to keep her close, wanting to savor the intensity of his reaction to her. That she felt so fine surprised him immensely. Emma had none of the flesh he preferred. Though she has those amazing eyes...
OTHER BOOKS IN THE SERIES
Be sure to also check out the first two books in the Draig Series by Lisa Dawn Wadler. Each book in the series is meant to be read and understand as standalone novels.
THE DRAIG'S WOMAN
Series: Draig Series Book 1
Synopsis: Ian, Laird of the Draig clan, craves the woman who saved his life and spent one night in his arms. He knows that she fell through time to be his. But fate is against them. Will she accept being his woman while he marries another?
Buy Links: Amazon: http://amzn.to/2nOtxNz ($3.99 only. Free with Kindle Unlimited)
TIME OF THE DRAIG
Series: Draig Series Book 2
Synopsis: Samantha and Faolan should have been separated by millennia. When times meet, love shapes the future.When hearts and destiny clash, will love be the ultimate sacrifice?
Buy Links: Amazon: http://amzn.to/2mB9YIZ ($3.99 only. Free with Kindle Unlimited)
FUN FACTS
by: Lisa Dawn Wadler
1. I am a black-belt
2. I am a black-belt who is currently on the bench recuperating from knee surgery. I slipped on the ice and tore my meniscus.
3. I married the young man who took me to my junior and senior prom
4. I have a weakness for late 80’s / early 90’s hair bands. Yes, I saw Ratt in concert around 6 times. But I also saw Bon Jovi before they became big
5. I write in silence
6. Then I blast music from my phone into my headphones while walking the dog
7. I love to bake
8. I wear too much black and gray
9. I read 50 Shades and thought it was boring
10. I would rather read than watch TV
11. I find gardening soothing - I plant and nature does the rest
12. My sense of humor, which is really sarcasm, is not appreciated by all
Lisa began writing after reading yet another romance novel where the heroine needed a man to rescue her from physical harm. While a firm believer in the strong alpha-male hero in any story, she wondered what would happen if that hero met a woman who was able to take care of herself physically. Using her several years of Tae Kwon Do training and mixing in time travel, her multi-award winning debut novel, The Draig’s Woman was born.
Lisa lives in the Chicago suburbs and is married to her high school sweetheart. They have two children and one very spoiled dog.
Social Media Links:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lisadawnwadler1/
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/lisadawnwadler
Buy Links:
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2q3a50X ($4.99 only. Free with Kindle Unlimited)
No comments:
Post a Comment