Today's special guest is Debbie Peterson. Debbie has always had a soft spot for
fairy tales, the joy of falling in love, and happily ever after endings.
Stories of love and make believe filled her head for as long as she can
remember. However, it was her beloved husband who encouraged, cajoled and
inspired her to take up a pen and write some of them down. Her journey to
published author could fill quite a few pages. However, in June of 2010, she
submitted her debut novel “Spirit of the Rebellion” to her wonderful, patient,
editor at The Wild Rose Press and the rest is history. She now has five
published novels to her credit.
When she is not busy conjuring her
latest novel, Debbie spends time with the members of her very large family,
within the lovely, arid deserts of southern Nevada. She also pursues her
interests in family history, mythology, and all things ancient and historic.
AN INTERVIEW WITH THE AUTHOR
I asked Debbie why she thought there was so much fascination with Scotland, and here is her answer:
Before we begin, I would like to thank you for
inviting me to share your blog today. I am so thrilled to be here!
All right then. On with the question at hand. Just why
is there such fascination among
readers with Scotland and its history?
Once my lovely host posed this question, I found
myself pondering the matter—and trust me; I pondered it for quite some time. At
the end of the day, I just didn’t know with any absolute certainty.
Obviously, when it comes to Scotland, we have the
larger than life persona of William "Braveheart" Wallace and readily
recall everything this courageous man suffered and endured for his beloved
country.
Ditto that for King Fergus Mór, Robert the Bruce,
and we should also mention the spunky Black Agnes...wife of Patrick Dunbar.
This is the saucy woman who held the English at bay for five full months and
saved the family castle while her husband was away. This feat was so amazing
the Scots wrote a poem to chronicle the event.
We could probably include the enigmatic Nessie of
Loch Ness on our list, as well as the mythical Kelpie and Selkies that are
surely lurking about somewhere...
The intriguing stories surrounding the Stone of
Destiny--or the Lia Fail as it is called by the Celts--come to my mind. I mean,
just where did that wondrous stone
come from and does it really contain magic and reveal the rightful king?
How about that delightful Scottish brogue that never
fails to thrill me from the very top of my head all the way down to my toes—especially
when it is spoken by a man that has a deep, rich timbre to his voice?
And let us not forget Sir Sean Connery and Gerard
Butler! (Oh, as if…)
Ahem...
So, are the visions of misty mountains and captivating
legends--which are far more ancient than her mysterious ruins, by the way---responsible
for the happenstance? Could it be the lyrical sounds of the bagpipes, the
enchanting castles, or is it the powerfully built warriors in kilts that beckon
so many of us to the realm of these beautiful, magical isles?
In my case I could-and for that matter have-blamed
the blood of several Scottish clans flowing through my veins, clans such as the
MacLeans, the Fergusons, Dunbars, and the Campbells, just to name a few…
Perhaps it’s all of these elements weaved
inseparably together…or maybe—just maybe—our love of Scotland is simply the
spirit of Scotland itself.
So what do you
think? What is it about the magical world of Scotland that beckons you?
ABOUT THE BOOK
She fell deeply in love with him in the early days of her
childhood. And in return, she captured his heart the moment he first cast his
gaze upon her...
Renowned artist, Mariah Jennings hired to paint a
thirteenth-century Scottish castle, gets the shock of her life when she
encounters the handsome knight who has dominated a lifetime of portraits and
sketchbooks.
But Sir Cailen Braithnoch is no ordinary ghost, nor did he suffer
an ordinary death. Magic of the blackest kind cast a pall over the knights
centuries ago. As the ghost and his lady seek to unravel the paradox
surrounding his death, black arts, otherworldly forces, and a jealous rival
conspire against them.
Will those forces tear them apart, or is their love destined to
last throughout the ages?
AN EXCERPT
Did he find her “bonny” then? A
blush stole across her cheeks as she shook her head. “I don’t think I’ve ever
heard of the creatures.”
“Kelpie are water horses that are
uncommonly strong. Their shiny coat comes in colors of both black and white.
They have a mane and tail that never dries. No matter how long they remain on
dry ground, th’ hair will drip water constantly from th’ ends. Although their
skin shines like silk in th’ sun, it
feels cold as stone when ye touch it no matter how warm th’ day. These ghostly
horses use trickery to keep themselves hidden from your eyes or they simply
transform into any normal creature, includin’ th’ shape of a comely man or
woman. ’Tis in this way they lure ye to them. And, ’tis also said that once
they take ye captive, they might never let ye go back to the surface.”
“That’s a very interesting story.
Have you ever seen a kelpie yourself?” she asked.
Cailen chuckled as he shook his
head. “Nay, I cannae, in all honesty, tell ye that I have.”
“So then you don’t really know if
these ghostly creatures carry women off or not,” she challenged.
The look he gave her quite literally
stole away her breath. He turned his body fully toward her then and moved
closer still. His eyes bore into hers. “Nay, but th’ danger still exists of
other ghostly creatures that might."
SPECIAL LINKS
Connect with Debbie:
Website: http://dk-peterson.com/
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/DebbiePeterson1
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/debpeterson1/
Buy Links:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Lockens-Witch-Wieven-Debbie-Peterson-ebook/dp/B00FWWXBES/ref=pd_rhf_gw_p_d_4
Barnes and Noble:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/van-lockens-witch-debbie-peterson/1117524840?ean=9780991068210
Debbie will be
awarding one Art print, inspired by the novel, and signed by the artist and an
ebook copy of Van Locken's Witch and Shadow of the Witte Wieven (books one and
two in the Wieven series to one randomly drawn commenter during the tour.
Follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here:
