Celtic Samhain and Halloween in the Highlands

I LOVE Autumn, colorful fall leaves, pumpkins, Indian corn, scarecrows and yes, Halloween! What a perfect time of year to center the first two books of my new Highlander Magick Series!

I always loved hearing the fairytale “Beauty and the Beast” and with my love of animals and all creatures, I created two handsome Highlander heroes with beauties of their own!

Between Duncan (a cursed night beast for eternity), and Quinn (the seafaring Lycan),   I still can’t decide which one I like best!  I hope you enjoy a few excerpts.

From Mortal Magick – Book 1

Doomed for eternity to wander nights as half man and half creature, rugged Highlander Duncan McCord discovers his curse is the least of his problems when he sets out for a cure and rescues the beauty determined to help tame his beast.

Duncan lunged from the damp forest floor. His splayed hooves clip-clopped on top of a boulder. His nostrils flared from the irresistible lingering lavender scent. He cocked his head to the side. His keen hearing caught her every breath as each step she took brought her dangerously closer. “Aye, the fool-headed woman! She’s done wandered off again.”

He snarled at a shooting star plummeting to the ground. Like a bubbling cauldron of fire, it spit an outburst of flames across the moonlit sky. “Aye, the bonny wee lass is headed straight for a trap.” Clenching his fists, he veered back his head and wailed.

When a modern-day reluctant witch, Keara, gets whisked back to the 18th century mystical Isle of Skye to learn lessons in magic, she faces the true test of love when she meets the man beyond her wildest dreams burdened with dark secrets from his past.

Keara’s fingers sank into long, soft tassels and she tucked the cover tighter under her chin. She was freezing. She snuggled deeper beneath the heavy blanket. Beth must have the air-conditioner turned on full blast. Her nose and cheeks felt as cold as icicles.  The mattress was a lot firmer than normal. Her nose wrinkled. What in heaven’s name is that damn smell?

She rubbed the sleep from her eyes. Instead of the vanilla-cream-painted ceiling in her bedroom – her eyelids fluttered open to discover cotton-ball clouds floating in the mist of a clear-blue sky directly overhead. She bolted upright. In place of the pretty, quilted comforter  –  she stared at the shaggy animal pelt draped over her. And it reeked.

She closed her eyes and concentrated, trying to recall what happened. The last thing she could remember was discussing Highlanders and romance novels with Beth and getting a terrible headache. She must have blacked out. Her fingers gently rubbed the substantial lump on the back of her scalp. Everything else seemed a fuzzy blur except the strange dreams about a gigantic beast carrying her in his arms.

Nothing appeared familiar. There were no signs of people, houses, or roads close by. Just herds of sheep grazing in open green meadows filled with wildflowers. The perfect setting for a picture postcard. Thick forest glens and snowcapped velvet mountains in the distance stretched for miles.

Keara jumped when she heard the warm, rich sounds of laughter. The heavy pelt fell from her grip.  A faint gasp escaped her quivering lips. A bulky nightshirt that had obvious seen better days now covered her. She eyed the sharp rock she’d just discarded. It lay in front of a small, crackling fire. She grabbed the stone and hid it beneath the sheepskin for the time being. It might come in handy as a weapon.

She scanned the area for her clothes. Strange animal tracks led away from the fire toward a boulder. The hoofmarks were soon replaced by human footprints.

Something weird was definitely going on here. There had to be a logical explanation for this. She was probably just hallucinating.

From Sea Wolf Magick – Book 2

A scroll dropped to the floor.

She smiled, remembering the precious gift her beloved sister Keara had given her when they still resided at the country homestead nestled in the rolling hills of Thurmont.

Gathering the sides of her long tartan skirt, she knelt in front of the chest, untied the smooth satin ribbon, and unrolled the parchment. Her legs tucked beneath her, she admired the meticulous details of the artwork. She leaned over, sprawling the paper on the floor in front of her and ran her fingers across the sketch depicting a brawny Highlander.

The Scotsman’s muscular hands clenched the wooden wheel of an old ship. Chestnut-brown ringlets clung to his forehead. Locks of shoulder-length hair were strewn across his handsome face, while he braced himself against zealous gusts of wind. The white caps of ocean waves thrashed against the bow. Clad with a tartan plaid slung over his shoulder and a dirk tucked into his kilt, his chest was covered in Celtic symbols and dragon tattoos.

A spark of light caught her attention. The Highlander’s eyes suddenly flashed from a warm chocolate brown to a vivid golden yellow before changing back to normal.

It can’t be. She blinked. Those melting brown eyes drew her like a magnet. Having learned by now that the Isle of Skye was definitely a place of magic and enchantment where most everything was possible, she concluded her vivid imagination must be running wild.

TIME IS RUNNING OUT TO DOWNLOAD A KINDLE COPY OF SEA WOLF MAGICK ON AMAZON FOR   $.99 cents

  CLICK HERE FOR SEA WOLF MAGICK

and if you haven’t gotten to read my first book:

  CLICK HERE FOR MORTAL MAGICK

For a chance to win a free download ebook copy of Sea Wolf Magick, please feel free to leave a comment and let me know what you love about mythical creatures and this magical time of year!  The winner will be chosen on  Monday, October 31st- HALLOWEEN by 8pm EST. 

Thanks for stopping by and don’t forget –  I always welcome your opinions on my stories by leaving me a review . . . .