Thanks for having me over today, Jenny. I read one of your previous posts about the steep learning curve of social media and I’m with you all the way. Betrayed is my debut novel and this is the first time I’ve had to think beyond simply writing to my heart’s delight. I will now admit that I’m totally hooked on twitter, I don’t post much, yet, but I’m constantly distracted by all the variety of tweets popping up.

I’m very excited to announce my debut release with Carina Press. Betrayed is a historical romance set in medieval Scotland around 1465. I had a lot of fun with those men in skirts… um, I mean kilts.

Two Feuding Families

Amber Jardin has no taste for the bitter feud started before her father’s banishment. But now that he’s passed, she’s had to return to Scotland and his barbaric people. After her bloodthirsty uncle kidnaps one of the family’s rivals, Amber is in turn captured by Krayne Johnstone, the enemy laird. Despite their enmity, their attraction is immediate—and unfortunate, as Amber has sworn to escape.

One Lusty Temptation

Krayne is amazed at the wildcat’s repeated attempts to flee. He should steel himself against her beguiling ways—yet with time, he is driven more witless with lust. When the ransom exchange fails and Krayne is left with Amber, he finds he cannot tolerate the thought of her with another man—and she cannot tolerate the thought of returning to her uncle’s home.

Will passion and love win out over mistrust and betrayal in time to prevent an all-out war?

Here’s a few short snippets…

My hero and heroine…

“’Tis the way of the world,” Krayne said, his voice brittle in an unguarded moment of too many unwanted memories. “A woman acts thoughtlessly with no regard fer consequence and somewhere a man suffers.”

“And yet you have the power to prevent it.” Her mouth turned down in scorn. “All you need do is call Hob back.”

“Did God not leave be when Eve corrupted Adam?”

“Eve?” The floorboards quivered as she stamped a booted foot. “You would compare me to the woman responsible for the original downfall of mankind?”

Krayne shrugged. Adam’s Eve would have a hard time keeping up with Amber and his mother.

Green eyes flared just before Amber swirled about and stormed from the galley. His breath of relief stuck halfway down his throat when she poked her head back inside to glare at him. “Don’t for one moment consider yourself to be the benevolent God in this scenario. You, Krayne Johnstone, are the slithering snake that lured Eve to that miserable Maxwell dungeon and I hate you.”

Graham Douglas… a young Scottish lad with every intention of making his fortune on the high seas as the Phantom of the Atlantic. Nothing much gets him down, but that was before he met Amber!

Women were the devil’s reward for being a good, honest Christian.

Ladies were his little helpers sent to see the punishment well executed.

High-born English vixens were the red horns that pricked and festered the bloody wounds.

And Krayne Johnstone was welcome to the lot!

Graham hauled himself onto the deck and strode across the length, booming to each man as he passed their station, “Furl the sails. We go ta beach. Furl the sails and take us in.”

The unruly Scottish nobles summoned to Stirling castle by King James I

Krayne Johnstone set one foot inside the vaulted hall of Stirling Castle and came to an abrupt halt. “The air reeks foul in this place.”

“’Tis no wonder, with all the maggot-infested rats swarming aboot,” retorted his cousin Adam, referring to the Littils, Armstrongs and Maxwells amongst the barons summoned to Stirling.

“I’d sooner skewer the lot than share a pot of ale.” Krayne knew he was not alone in sentiment. All clans present were tried and sworn enemies.

Adam shoved an elbow in his side. “Keep yerself ta me and shut off that hot temper. I dinna like this anymore than ye, but I’ll nae ignore our King Jamie and have his wrath scatter the Johnstones ta the wind with nae name nor land nor goods ta call their own.”

Jamie’s fancy tables and polished silver flagons were more likely to be scattered, thought Krayne as a ruckus broke out between Johnnie Armstrong of Kilnockie and Sir Alexander Irvine. Fists came out and clans bounded together. No one dared to draw their sword.

Pristine stewards drew up tight against the wall, clutching ledger books to their chests and gaping in horror. Jamie’s court was overrun with English, relics from his days in captivity and tagalongs that had followed his queen, Joan of Beaumont. They were a dour lot and unappreciative of the jolly Scottish ways.

Krayne folded his arms and put his back to the wall, settling in to watch the brawl.

King James I chose that moment to grace them with his presence. His flowing robes of crimson and ermine put shame to the travel-worn plaids of his hastily summoned barons. Tawny eyes, glowing a tiger’s fierce gold, appraised the scene and came to rest on the blood trickling from the Littil chief’s mouth. The fighting men froze mid-action.

You can read an excerpt at http://www.clairerobyns.com/Betrayed.html

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Website: http://www.clairerobyns.com/

Blog: http://www.clairerobyns.blogspot.com/