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

How was your Easter and ANZAC weekend break? I hope it was fun. We were quiet little Vegemites and mostly hung around home, which gave us plenty of time to muck around with food. Jim is feeling very smug after cooking up some delicious barbecued octopus and I’m chuffed with my barbecued prawns with chilli-lime salt. Sadly, the only dessert I made – cider-caramel dumplings – was a dud. Just waaaay too sweet. Ah well, can’t win ‘em all!

But you might win this week on Teaser Tuesday because one of our favourite guest authors is back with a fantabulous new read and a giveaway.

It is always a delight to have Anna Campbell on the blog. She’s a lot of fun and her historical romances are gorgeous. I’m especially loving Anna’s new Scottish books. So hard to resist a Highlander.

Anna’s also currently in Scotland, writing and researching, and enjoying some spectacular sights. Scroll through Anna’s Facebook page for some fab piccies and discover where she gains some of her inspiration.

Here’s Anna to tell you a little about The Highlander’s Lost Lady, share a snippet and give one lucky person the chance to win an ebook copy.

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Hi Cathryn!

It’s always wonderful to be here on Teaser Tuesday! Thank you so much for inviting me back to talk about my latest release The Highlander’s Lost Lady, Book 3 in the Lairds Most Likely series.

I’ve loved writing this particular book. It’s the most dramatic story I’ve done in a while. For those people who have perhaps missed the turbulent emotions and event-filled plots of some of my earlier work, the style of this story harks back to Untouched or Captive of Sin. When Diarmid Mactavish, Laird of Invertavey, finds a beautiful and mysterious woman washed up on his estate after a shipwreck, little does he know that he’s about to be swept headlong into adventure, danger, clan warfare, heartache, and irresistible love.

In this scene, Diarmid and Fiona are on the run from her brutish kinsmen. As the weather worsens, they seek shelter in a tumbledown bothy in a wild mountain glen. But as you’ll see when you read the excerpt, there is a storm about to break inside the hut that rivals anything going on in the skies above it!

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The Scottish Highlands, August 1819

At the first soft touch of Fiona’s hand on his shoulder, Diarmid woke immediately from where he slept wrapped in his coat and with his head resting against the rough sod wall. The room was dim and shadowy, lit only by the banked fire. In the gloom, she was a dark shape kneeling at his side. He couldn’t see her expression, but he read the tension in her body. Behind her, the bed showed traces of her restless sleep. The blanket sagged toward the floor.

“Fiona?” he asked groggily. “What is it, lassie? Is everything all right?”

An unwelcome thought struck him, and he reached out to catch her hand where it hovered above his shoulder. “Is it the Grants? Have they found us?”

Curse his damned complacency. How could he have gone to sleep instead of sitting up to watch? But he’d been sure Allan and Thomas would never find this isolated bothy. And after all those long hours of riding, he’d been stupid with exhaustion. Not even the hard dirt floor and his raging desire could keep him awake.

He strained to hear some hint from outside that they’d been discovered, but all he heard was the crackle of the fire and the faint susurration of Fiona’s breath. Even the rain seemed to have stopped.

When she didn’t answer immediately, he struggled to sit up. By God, he ached. It was a long time since he’d spent so long in the saddle. “Fiona?”

“No,” she said on a whisper of sound. “No, it’s not the Grants.”

Her answer emerged in jerky gasps, and while he was relieved to learn their pursuers hadn’t caught up with them, he wasn’t reassured. “What’s wrong? Are ye ill?”

“No. No, not ill.” The hand he held trembled, but she didn’t try to draw away.

“Then what the devil is it?” He was starting to get seriously worried. He battled the mists of sleep clouding his mind.

“It’s…this.”

He was still so dazed and bewildered that even when she leaned in over him, he didn’t understand what was going on.

Then her lips crashed into his, and all rational thought disintegrated to ash.

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The Highlander’s Lost Lady is out now. Purchase your copy from these stores:

Amazon.com | Amazon.au | Amazon.uk

Kobo | iBooks | Barnes & Noble

Want more? Read a longer excerpt and blurb on my website.

GIVEAWAY!

One of the fun things about being a writer is that I can subject my characters to adventures that would scare me silly. Not just adventure. Diarmid and Fiona don’t even blink at sleeping rough whereas I’m strictly a nice soft bed and an ensuite girl when I travel. I’ve camped once or twice and it’s always ended up being ugly!

So what about you? Are you a fan of camping? What’s been your best experience when you’ve camped? Or like me, do you prefer a nice hotel with a nice room service menu? Any favourite hotels you want to tell me about?

I’ve got a download of The Highlander’s Lost Lady up for grabs today to go to someone who leaves me a comment. No geographical restrictions. Good luck!

Anna, you are so generous! Thanks once again for offering us a giveaway. Hmm… camping. I used to love it when I was younger but like you, Anna, these days I prefer my creature comforts. Glamping is more up my alley. Actually, if I’m honest, a 5-star hotel with all the facilities and lovely showers and comfy bed suits me just fine, although I’ve had some wonderful experiences in some not so good hotels too. Country pub accommodation can be a hoot!

What about you? Are you a camping, glamping, or all the comforts kind of traveller? Or perhaps you have a special hotel you can recommend? Anna and I would love to hear, and your answer in the comments could make you a winner.

Please note: Giveaway closes midnight Australian Eastern Standard Time, Friday 3^rd May 2019. Open internationally. Prize is an ebook copy of The Highlander’s Lost Lady.

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