Welcome to Teaser Tuesday, where I share snippets from new and past releases and works-in-progress and occasionally cajole author buddies into doing the same.

Like last week, we have another guest on Teaser Tuesday. A much-loved and highly entertaining guest too, but more on this special author in a minute.

First, news from the Hein house.

I’ve had more lovely feedback on Eddie and the Show Queen, which is incredibly heart-warming. If you’re after a personally signed copy, I have a few copies left in stock. They’re only $22AUD and that includes delivery to your Australian postal address and a super sparkly bookmark. Simply and I’ll shoot you an invoice.

Scarlett and the Model Man is moving steadily along. Not as fast as I’d like but we’re getting there. I think I mentioned last week that I was considering changing the hero’s name because it clashed with a previous minor character’s. Well, I’ve decided it’s too embedded in my idea of him and I’m going to keep it. For now, anyway. These things are never set in concrete!

Now to our guest.

Please give a very warm welcome back to Teaser Tuesday favourite, historical romance author Anna Campbell. Rah! We love having Anna on. Her posts are always fun and interesting and her snippets super tantalising, and she usually generously offers a giveaway. Will she this time? You’ll have to read to the end to find out.

Here’s Anna to tell you about her new release and share a juicy excerpt of her sparkling new release, The Highlander’s Defiant Captive.

Hi Cathryn!

Thank you for having me as your guest today. I’m so excited to be here to tell you and your readers all about my latest release, The Highlander’s Defiant Captive, Book 4 in my Lairds Most Likely series.

I’m playing in a different era with this romance set in the late 17^th century. No Regency polish on this one, but a full-blooded tale of feuding clans and abducted maidens and a gallant, if arrogant hero who finds a spirited lassie has put a spanner in the works when it comes to his plans for establishing peace in the glens. As you read the excerpt, which takes place just after Callum Mackinnon, the Laird of Achnasheen, snatches Bonny Mhairi Drummond away from her home, imagine Maureen O’Hara and Jason Momoa as my two protagonists. It’s such a pity that there’s no time travel – those two would really strike sparks off each other. Sparks that promise to turn into a might conflagration of passion before my story is over!

And make sure you read to the end because there’s a great giveaway and a chance to talk old-time Hollywood swashbucklers!

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The door to the tower room opened silently, and Callum stepped inside. From the corner of his vision, something large and dark swung toward him. He had a second to release a grunt of shock, as he staggered under the blow to his head.

Pain shuddered through him. He’d barely registered what happened when another blow struck his temple. Seeing stars, he slumped back against the door.

“What the devil?” he grated out, instinctively reaching for his assailant.

Through reeling confusion, his hands closed on soft female flesh. Over the ringing in his ears, he heard a furious exhalation. When the girl wriggled to escape him, it was too much for his precarious balance. He tumbled to the floor, dragging his captive with him.

Something thudded to the ground near his pounding head as a slender body collapsed on top of him with another oof of furious breath.

His grip tightened as he forced his eyes open. “Lie still, plague take ye.”

She wrenched far enough away for him to see brilliant blue eyes promising him injury. “Let me go.”

Even in his extremity, Callum noticed how perfectly Mhairi Drummond’s body fitted against his. Without thinking, he ran his hand down her back. For one vibrant second, she remained still under his touch. Then she gave a disgusted exclamation and twisted to bring her knee up.

He gave a surprised exhalation and wrenched out from under her before she made his hopes of children an impossibility.

“My God, you’re a wildcat.” Admiration rang in his voice.

“Ye patronizing pig,” she snarled, scrambling out of his hold.

She was panting for breath. His clearing vision settled on that heaving bosom. By heaven, Mhairi Drummond was a lot of woman, and his stirring interest firmed into a determination to win her and keep her and turn all that passion and spirit to his causes.

Callum lay where he was on the priceless carpet as he took stock of what had just happened. A careful turn of his aching head revealed the assault weapon. The metal bucket that had held peat to feed the fire blazing behind her.

Another careful turn of his head, and he encountered Mhairi’s glower. She’d staggered to her feet and stood glaring at him with an expression that told him his admiration wasn’t reciprocated. In fact, she looked like she wanted to carve out his gizzards and feed them to the crows.

The last thing he noticed – sign enough of how this extraordinary lassie turned his brain to porridge – was the small dirk clutched in her hand. It was familiar. He didn’t need to check that his knife was missing from his belt.

“The devil, that was quick.” She had clever hands. He hadn’t even felt her steal it. He forced his imagination away from just what such clever hands could to do to his body. “Give me back my dirk before ye do someone a mischief.”

“I ken how to use this.”

Watching her confidence burgeon, he sat up slowly. “I’m sure ye do.”

As he worked out how best to deal with her insurrection, he studied her. He should have expected something like this. He’d allowed his optimism to lull him into a false sense of security when she responded so calmly, if negatively, to his plans for her. And Jean had told him she’d accepted the servants’ help with cold politeness, but without causing trouble.

When he knew trouble was the very blood that flowed through her veins.

“Get up.”

Callum didn’t obey, but continued to regard her steadily from where he sat with his back against the door. When he’d brought her to Achnasheen, she’d look tired and worn, despite her best efforts with his comb. Tired and worn, but unbowed.

A bath, a few hours of rest, and some hot food had restored her fire. She was dressed as befitted the lady of his lands, too, in a blue silk gown that belonged to his sister who was around her size. The vivid color made her skin look like rich cream.

He took in that imperious pointed chin. Great Jehovah, she was indomitable. The rich red hair was arranged away from her face and neck, revealing the pure line of her jaw. A jaw set with stalwart determination.

“I said get up.” Her voice was hard and steady.

He arched his eyebrows. “Or what?”

“I am armed.”

“Och, Blind Freddy can see that.”

“You’re going to come downstairs with me and escort me to the stables. You’ll give me the swiftest horse ye have, and you’ll tell your foul minions to open the gates to let me out.”

“Will I indeed?”

When he didn’t immediately leap to obey her, uncertainty flashed in her eyes. “Aye.”

“That’s a gey powerful influence ye lend to yon wee bodkin, mistress.”

“It might be wee, but it’s sharp enough to do ye damage, Black Callum.”

“Nae doubt.”

She took a step closer. “Move.”

Callum raised one knee and rested his good arm on it. All the bumping and battling made the arm she’d already cut ache like hell. If this wooing went on too long, he’d be a physical wreck by the time he got this lass into bed.

He let himself smile, although his head still rang like a peal of bells. “Och, Mhairi, you’re going to make a braw lady for Achnasheen.”

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What a hoot!!! I bet that has whetted your appetite. It certainly has mine. Don’t let this Scot get away. Order your copy of The Highlander’s Defiant Captive today from any of these retailers.

amazon.com | amazon.com.au | amazon.co.uk

Apple Books | Kobo | Barnes & Noble

Want more of the Laird of Achnasheen and his bonny lass? You’ll find a longer excerpt on Anna’s website.

Has Anna come through with a giveaway for you? Indeedy, she has! Here’s Anna again to tell you about it.

GIVEAWAY!

As you can probably tell, I’ve taken every opportunity for my hero to buckle his swash. I’m a huge fan of old-style Hollywood historical adventures like The Adventures of Robin Hood or Ben-Hur. Are you an Errol Flynn fan? Or is Charlton Heston at his steely-jawed best your pick? Do you have a favourite historical movie? Both of those would be among mine!

I’ve got a Kindle download of The Highlander’s Defiant Captive for someone who comments today. No geographical restrictions.

Good luck in the draw!

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Ooh (or should that be och?), I do love a bit of swashbuckling! My favourite is “The Musketeers” television series starring Tom Burke and others. Not old-style Hollywood and, I admit, silly sometimes, but highly watchable. All that metal and leather…

What about you? What’s your favourite bit of swashbuckling? Is it “The Musketeers” like me or maybe your darling hubby, when he playfights in his pyjamas? Swashbuckling can have many forms!

Share your favourite in the comments and you’ll go into the draw to win a Kindle ebook of The Highlander’s Defiant Captive.

Please note: Giveaway closes midnight Friday, Australian Eastern Standard Time, 4^th October 2019. Open internationally.

If you’d like to learn more about Anna and her wonderful novels, please visit her website. You can also connect via Facebook and Twitter using @AnnaCampbelloz.

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