DRAGONS OF SCOTLAND by Nancy Lee Badger

Today I am talking about Dragons. These legendary creatures are typically pictured as having serpent-like or reptilian traits. Dragons are featured in the myths of cultures spanning the globe. Today, I will concentrate on the mythological dragons of Scotland. Scotland is where I base my newest novella, DRAGON’S CURSE.

From Cirein Croin, a sea serpent believed to be the largest creature ever, to the long, thick tailed wingless Beithar who haunted the quarries and mountains around Glen Coe, to the infamous Loch Ness Monster, dragons have been a part of Scottish folklore. Some say dragons are a mix of the serpent, the feline, and the predatory bird, the great predators of prehistoric times. Once man started to walk upright, he combined them into one terrifying beast, and the dragon was born.

One tale of bravery and love mentions the Rowan Tree. In the tale of Froach & the Rowan Tree, Froach swims to an island to gather berries from a magic Rowan Tree to save the life of his lover’s mother. He slips past the dragon guarding the tree then swims home only to discover he needs the entire branch. Back he goes, but the dragon awakes. Froach is wounded and swims toward home. His lover throws him a sword so he can kill the dragon and get to shore. Some say Froach dies, but the romantic in me believes the few who say he and his lover lived happily ever after. I have included the Rowan Tree in my story line in Dragon’s Curse. A Mountain Ash, in the family Rosaceae, it is native throughout the cool, temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. It finds a welcome home in the Scottish Highlands. With red foliage and large clumps of red berries each autumn, the Rowan is one of the most familiar wild trees of the British Isles.

Another story revolves around the most famous dragon of Scotland: the Loch Ness Monster or ‘Nessie’. Yes, Nessie is classified as a dragon even though many assume it is a leftover dinosaur or lake fish that has grown to gigantic proportions. Tales of Nessie date from the sixth century and one story goes like this: When Saint Columba traveled through the country of the Picts, he had to cross the River Ness. He came across Picts burying a man said to have been bitten by the water-monster. Not a stupid man, Columba ordered one of his men to swim across and return with a boat. The chosen man, Lugneus Mocumin swam off, but the monster saw him and charged. All on shore stood in horror except Columba, who raised his holy hand and inscribed the Cross in the air. He called upon the name of God and commanded the beast, saying, “Go no further! Do not touch the man! Go back at once!” The monster drew back, retreating to the depths of the Loch. Unharmed, Lugneus brought the boat back. Everyone was astonished. The heathen savages who witnessed the miracle were overcome and came to know the magnificence of the God of the Christians.

Nessie and Loch Ness are the most famous tourist attraction in Scotland and the locals will tell you about the mythical sea creature that some have actually seen in modern times and is probably a stranded dragon. The dragon can be seen as a symbol of the Celts, Picts and other early heathens of the area.

Where does this leave us today? Dragons have found their way into many modern books and movies. Shape shifters are a modern day paranormal storyline and several authors have used dragon lore to create stories to entertain us all. My story is slightly different. My hero has been cursed by a dead witch for a crime he did not commit. Cursed to transform into a dragon at inopportune times, Draco Macdonald decides to live out his years on the uninhabited island of Staffa. These plans go awry when Brianna Macleod arrives with a hunting party.

For more information concerning dragons and dragon lore, check your local library, book store, or these websites:

http://theserenedragon.net

http://www.monstropedia.org

DRAGON’S CURSE is available from Whispers Publishing at: http://www.whispershome.com/book_pages/dragons_curse.html

Also available at All Romance E Books at: http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-dragonscurse-442152-144.html

Upload it to your Kindle at Amazon at: http://www.amazon.com/Dragons-Curse-ebook/dp/B003TV4EAO/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1282275913&sr=1-2

I wrote this article and it was originally posted June 25th 2010 at http://HistoryUndressed.blogspot.com

Visit my website! www.nancyleebadger.com

Excerpt:Pleasure mingled with a sudden sense of cautious clarity. “Please, sir. Do no’ dishonor me in such a way.”His quiet murmurs soothed her as she gazed deep into his eyes. Brianna inhaled a sharp breath at the flames dancing in their centers. Fear threatened to undo her, yet curiosity enticed her to press her fingers against his lips, forcing them apart. He growled.“Ah, I see. Ye are a beast.” The calm strength behind her words must have taken him aback, for he loosened his grip on her.“I am more, I am less. I am cursed, yet I feel blessed at this moment. Lay with me and soothe my pain, and I shall do my best to pleasure ye.”

Brianna nodded. The realization she possessed no control over her actions proved the man had cast a spell. He bent lower and kissed her with a tenderness she never hoped to share with a man. Any man.

Certainly no’ Ranald.

“Who is this Ranald? I plan to kill him, so tell me where to find him or I shall feel compelled to remove the head of every man on this island to make sure I have laid him low.

She laughed. “Ranald is a pig, though I doubt he tastes as fine. Gregor, Cook, and Nia pledged to look out for me. He shall no’ be a problem.

Her words seemed to sway him because he returned his lovely mouth to hers and continued his satisfying assault with fingers, lips, and tongue.

DRAGON’S CURSE Free Excerpt

           The water foamed and splashed as if more than one creature fought beneath the surface. Brianna stared through the sea spray, wiping her face with a tattered bit of fabric. She stared toward whatever swam beneath the surface. The sun glinted on something very odd. Emerald-green scales and a long, barbed tail curled just under the surface before the water clouded with a crimson hue.

“Is that blood?” Nia whispered.

“Aye. I think something has come to our aid.”

“I hope the beasties are no’ fighting over who gets to eat us.”

Brianna laughed aloud. The sound startled both her and her friend. “Nay, I am no’ crazed. Fear does strange things to a person. I, too, hope we survive this adventure.”

“Adventure?” Nia shook her head, pointing to a large piece of floating debris, and said, “Look.”

“Tis probably a piece of decking. Mayhap we can raise our feet above the water and look less appetizing to the beasties.”

“Good idea. Swim for it,” Nia cried.

Brianna led the way. Numb fingers clutched the jagged plank. Pain seared up her arms as the wood scraped away skin and dripped blood into the water. “Ye first,” Brianna insisted when she saw a shivering Nia’s pale skin. Brianna rejoiced when her companion reached the safety of the large planks.

“Now you,” Nia said.

“Move over a bit so I can—“

With a flurry of foam, she lost her grip.Water closed over Brianna’s head. She brushed against something scaly before it pulled her beneath the waves. Talons clasped her around her waist. Suddenly, she was above the ocean surface. Wind and water stung her eyes. She kicked and struggled against the vise-like grip holding her above the waves as she tried to understand her predicament. When she brushed damp locks of hair from her face, she stared at a horrifying reflection on the sea’s surface: a huge flying dragon with a small woman in its grip. Both her hands flew to the claws wrapped around her middle. Held fast, the flap of the beast’s great wings filled the sky with an eerie thump.The stench of blood intruded, filling her nose and making her gag. This beast had won the fight under the sea, but what happened to Nia? What happened to Gregor, Cook, and the rest of the party? Would any survivors know of her death at the hands of a dragon? Would anyone grieve her loss?

“Dear God,” she cried. “What about Draco?” The beast trembled at her words. It glided toward land. She recognized the steep cliffs of Staffa and the beach where she gathered driftwood. She spied the waterfall where Ranald met his death. Clenched between the murderous talons of a dragon, she made plans to run as soon as they landed.

“Draco! Help me!” He promised he would come to her aid should she call, but he could not hear her from this distance. The man owned no weapons and no armor. Landing with a gentle bump on solid ground, the golden talons retracted. Now free, Brianna hiked up her skirts and blindly jumped over rocks and roots as she flew into the bushes. Low-lying brambles scratched her naked calves. She survived worse than this when a rope had tangled around her leg and pulled her under the sea.

“I nearly drowned. A sea beast wanted to eat me for supper, now a dragon has stolen me away to this island. What else could happen?” Out of breath, she glanced back at her attacker from the relative safety of jutting rocks and prickly groundcover. Nothing. No dragon.Silence filled the air until a high-pitched squeal made her jump. A huge boar, bigger than any the hunters had brought down during their stay on Staffa, pawed the ground a few paces from her hiding spot.

“Nice piggy,” Brianna whispered. Great. I can turn and run back toward the dragon or be gored by an irate pig.

“Go up.”

Who said that? No matter. Turning, Brianna slipped a bare foot into a low crack in the nearest rock formation. Pushing upward, she climbed. Apparently enraged by her escape attempt, the animal’s squeals turned to angry snorts. The rock shook when he collided head-on with its base. “Go ahead. Knock yourself silly.” The boar backed up and struck again. The boar’s irrational mood and raw strength left Brianna’s bloody fingers grasping for a better hold, but she held. She nearly lost her footing when he attacked a third time. Clinging to loosened soil, which covered the jagged boulder, she also worried about the dragon. Has it let me go, or does it plan to scoop me from my perch once I reach the top?

“Brianna?”

Shocked senseless, her grip loosened. She fell. The scrawny branches of a gorse bush, growing from a crack in one side of her stone perch, scratched her cheek and snatched at her hair. She screamed until she stopped with a thud.A warm, male hand swept tangles from her face. The coarse skin of a masculine thumb swept blood from her painful cheek as she collapsed, with a sigh, into Draco’s chest.

“Ye do no’ fly. Do ye?” he asked.

“I certainly do no’, ye beast. Draco!” She pushed far enough away to stare up from his arms. “Be careful! A wild boar is near! He almost pushed me off my perch.”

“I should no’ wonder since I accomplished the task with only my voice.”  

Hope you enjoyed this sneak peek at my Scottish historical paranormal available from Whispers Publishing. Buy link: http://bit.ly/93hRiM

You can also find it at All Romance E Books and at Amazon for Kindle. 

BLOGGING WITH AUTHOR PATY JAGER

 

I’d like to thank Nancy for having me here today. I’m excited to introduce you to the world of the Nimiipuu and my idea of Native American spirits. Spirit of the Mountain which releases this Friday in e-book and print is the first book of a trilogy about siblings who were made spirits by the Creator. Whole I made up the spirit world and their shape shifting and powers, the day to day living of the Nez Perce I tried to keep as factual as the information I could find.


At the time of my story the Nez Perce were nomadic, living off the land and its bounties. They had horses, but had yet to be introduced to cattle. Salmon, eel, and steelhead, were commodities of their region starting in May and early June and ran through the summer. They traveled first to the lower streams and worked their way to the high tributaries. The fish were caught, some eaten fresh others smoked and either stored for later use or used for trade. There was much rejoicing and ceremonies when the harvest was successful.


Kouse and other early roots were gathered during the spring while they were still along the lower streams fishing. They would meet at meadows in the high country once the snow had melted and gather roots. The women used sticks to dig the roots form the ground. They gave thanks to the Creator for growing the food that help sustain them through the winter months.


During the warm months they harvested wild plants, berries, pine nuts, and sunflower seeds. In the meadows they also gathered wild onion, carrots, and other plants. On the Forested mountainsides, they picked hawthorn, serviceberries, chokecherries, blackberries, and huckleberries.


Their diet also consisted of game animals and birds. They preserved what could not be eaten at once and had caches where they stored the preserved food until it was needed. So while they led a different life than the White man was used to, in reality they were not that much different in their methods of staying well fed.


Blurb for Spirit of the Mountain


Wren, the daughter of a Nimiipuu chief, has been fated to save her people ever since her vision quest. When a warrior from the enemy Blackleg tribe asks for her hand in marriage to bring peace between the tribes, her world is torn apart.


Himiin is the spirit of the mountain, custodian to all creatures including the Nimiipuu. As a white wolf he listens to Wren’s secret fears and loses his heart to the mortal maiden. Respecting her people’s beliefs, he cannot prevent her leaving the mountain with the Blackleg warrior.
When an evil spirit threatens Wren’s life, Himiin must leave the mountain to save her. But to leave the mountain means he’ll turn to smoke…


Excerpt


Wren’s eyes glistened with unshed tears. “My gift is to save The People. The weyekin who came to me in my vision quest said this.” She wrapped her arms around herself as if staving off a cold breeze.


Himiin hated that they argued when they should relish their time together. He moved to her, drawing her against his chest, embracing her. The shape of her body molded to his. Her curves pressed against him. Holding her this way flamed the need he’d tried to suppress.


He placed a hand under her chin, raising her face to his. The sorrow in her eyes tugged at his conscience. To make her leaving any harder was wrong. But having experienced her in his arms, he was grieved to let her go. Even for the sake of their people.


Her eyelids fluttered closed. Her pulse quickened under his fingers. Shrugging off the consequences, he lowered his lips to hers. They were softer than he imagined. Her breath hitched as he touched her intimately. Parting his lips, he touched her with his tongue, wanting to see if she tasted as sweet as she smelled.


Honey.


This is the third day of my six day blog tour that includes a puzzle and a prize. Copy the puzzle piece in this post to a document and collect all the pieces at the blogs I visit. Then when you have them all, send them to me at patyjag@gmail.com and I’ll put your name in the drawing for a copy of Spirit of the Mountain and other goodies.

I’ll draw the name and post it on my blog on Monday, August 16th. If you want to go back and check out all the blogs to join the contest, hop over to my blog and find the places I’ve been. http://www.patyjager.blogspot.com/


If you’d like to read more about me and my books or enter my website contest go to: http://www.patyjager.net/


Nancy, Thanks for having me!Paty

I am very glad to have a wonderful author like Paty Jager here with me today. Please take a moment to visit her website and PLEASE leave her a comment!  

 

RWA 2010…a good time had by all

Another year is over and the mystery of “How are they gonna pull off moving a huge conference from one part of the country to another in about two months?” has been answered. Michelle Monkou and her fabulous staff at the Romance Writers of America headquarters came through. We will all feel disappointment over not visiting the lovely, yet too wet Nashville area, but Orlando and the Dolphin/Swan Resort complex welcomed us in style.

There were too many events to report at this time, so I’ll give some highlights. The Chapter Leadership all day meeting was an eye-opener to this new vice president (me). I want to publicly thank my wonderful roommate, Florina Craven, President of the Charleston Chapter for surviving my bout with food-poisoning.

The Literary signing was a well-attended madhouse! I was unable to visit all the authors on my list, but was happy a few new authors (my chapter mates) were there; Katherine Ashe, Qwillia Rain, and Kelly Gay to name a few.The workshops I attended were great; I survived my agent appointments; my new friend and virgin conference attendee Carla Smith…oops, I meant to say FIRST TIMER Carla Smith, had a fantastic first-ever agent appointment…the agent requested she send her full manuscript! 

The Golden Hearts were awarded to deserving not-yet-published writers and many new faces won the Ritas. The after-award party in Sabrina Jeffries suite was well attended and we love having her as part of the Heart of Carolina RWA here in the Raleigh area. She comes to most meetings and freely gives of herself whenever a struggling new writer (or one who has been around the stacks) has a problem. She looked fabulous and her party started off with fun and laughter when Nancy Berland and Lori Keizer were caught wearing the same outfit…from necklace to sparkly shoes!

The write up posted today at PUBLISHER’S WEEKLY’S BLOG is wonderful. Please visit 

http://blogs.publishersweekly.com/blogs/beyondherbook/?p=1846&cpage=1#

for a full-length shot of these two lovely ladies. My shot was taken over a few heads, but I think I caught the happy hijinks.   

Nancy Berland and my friend, Lori Keizer, laugh about their RITA dresses!


DRAGONS Descend on Orlando

I am leaving soon to attend my second Romance Writers of America annual conference. Last year, I took the train along with fellow local chapter members. We met in Washington, DC. with over 1,000 other writers; hopefulls, newly published, and NY Times best sellers, to perfect our craft and rub elbows. The experience was awesome and a bit frightening. I wore my ‘First Timers’ ribbon uneasily. At my age? And among all these strangers who probably knew a lot more about the publishing business than me.

This year, we are meeting in Orlando, Florida. We had  planned on Nashville, TN but flooding damaged the convention center, so there you go. I am driving part way to my roomie’s home then heading down, three of us in her minivan. This year I will proudly wear a ‘First Sale’ribbon! I have also signed up for some volunteer duties and will represent my chapter at the Chapter Leadership meeting.

I hope to meet several members of two on-line RWA chapters. Speaking via e-mails and in chat rooms will have more appeal once I can put faces to names. I hope to talk about kilts and Scottish dragons with members of the Celtic Heart Romance Writers. I will share paranormal story plots with members of the Fantasy-Futuristic & Paranormal Romance Writers.

I have had two e-books books released in the last month. One is a contemporary romance (under the pen name Nancy Lennea) and the other is my debut Scottish historical paranormal. I have a romantic suspense scheduled for release on September 30th. This has been a banner year and I look forward to more exciting news.

My greatest need right now, I feel, is to acquire an agent. I have a three book series I am working on. SPELLBOUND HIGHLANDER is also a Scottish historical with witches, time travels, and handsome Highlanders. Wish me luck! If you see me at nationals, please say “Hi!”

Nancy Lee Badger w/a Nancy Lennea

SECRET LOVE MATCH available now at www.redrosepublishing.com

DESTINY’S MOUNTAIN coming September 30th 2010 from Red Rose Publishing

DRAGON’S CURSE available now from www.whispershome.com and www.amazon.com for Kindle

BOOK BLURB

Sometimes a special gift and an unwanted curse cannot keep destined lovers apart.Brianna Macleod has accompanied a shipload of her guardian’s friends to a remote island off the coast of Scotland. She eludes these Highland hunters to keep her innocence…and her gift of sight. Her attitude against falling for womanly desires changes when she nearly drowns. Saved by the talons of a terrifying winged beast, she awakens—naked—in a cave, beside an unusual man.Cursed by a vengeful witch to transform into a dragon at inopportune times, Draco MacDonald hides on this deserted island to live alone: until he plucks a servant girl from certain death. Fueled by jealousy, and tempered by fear for her safety, he succumbs to an unfamiliar desire to mate. Her kisses propel him to dare to make her his own.Set in 1592 Scotland on the Scottish island of Staffa, the cursed hero battles a ghostly witch, a hunter set on rape, and his own growing desire for a young woman with premonitions of his death. 

EXCERPT 

The urge to hunt finally propelled him from his sanctuary as he pondered why the witch neglected to provide night vision. He flicked his tail at the indignity of hunting at dusk, but such was life. He kept his distance from the hunting party, which was safely ensconced in tents for the night. With his astute sense of smell, their fetid stench filled the air while his nostrils flared in search of Brianna’s fragrance. “To see her once more would go far in giving me the comfort of a good night’s sleep.” His words came out as a growl. Under his scales, muscles quivered.He dipped below the cliff face as he swooped and glided, flapping his thin, leathery wings now and then to keep his bulk above the sea. He had filled his belly with two seals, and then plucked a seabird, that had the misfortune to fly too slowly, from the sky. Both filled his mouth with a taste of the salty waves, so he searched out his favorite fountain. With a few flaps, he lunged at the small cascade tumbling from the top of the rock face. He soared below the cliff’s rock-strewn edge, gulping mouthful upon mouthful of fresh water. After filling his belly to cool his throat, he roared with delight. After returning his kisses, Brianna banished him to the silence of his own imagination. Then, he recalled Jean’s laughter when he kissed her under a tree.Had she compared him to another? Possibly Lorn, I should imagine.Had she played him for a fool? Did she purposely lead him astray to fill Lorn with jealousy?When Draco kissed Brianna, her sweet body leaned into his chest. Her delicate fingertips caressed his hair and shoulders with honest need and unabashed passion. His human body, hidden beneath scales and claws, throbbed with a yearning he never dared to feel again. His time with Jean never progressed beyond light kisses. He would spend the remainder of his years alone. Catching an updraft, he flew up and over the cliff and froze in midair when the object of his thoughts suddenly screamed. Brianna actually screamed at him. Her voice filled the night air with her terror. The vibration made his wings falter, and he tumbled end over end toward the sea.His last conscious thought was guilt at the trembling in her voice and the look of fear plastered on her pale face. 

Please Vote for DRAGON’S CURSE!

Dear readers;

My book cover for DRAGON’S CURSE is in a contest on the popular blog & review site, YOU GOTTA READ. Traci Markou did a fantastic job of pulling together all the pieces of information I shared in order to come up with a strikingly beautiful cover for my debut Scottish historical paranormal romance. I am proud of the cover and accepted the first proof she showed me!Please honor Traci and my publisher, who hired us both, by voting for us at

                                                  http://yougottareadcovers.blogspot.com/

Please hurry! Voting ends soon!

Many thanks,

Nancy Lee BadgerDRAGON’S CURSE available now at www.WhispersHome.com

and at www.Amazon.com for Kindle

Writer Inspiration & Highland Games

HIGHLAND GAMES

Bagpipes, the Loch Ness Monster, castles, whisky, the Highland moors…these things instantly bring to mind small—yet steeped in history—Scotland. Many American and Canadian citizens can trace their roots back to Scotland and some of these people celebrate these relationships by organizing, volunteering at, and attending Highland games. When I first met the man I was destined to marry, his grandfather and father had already done immense research into their Scottish ancestry. Both a grandfather and grandmother hailed from clans, in this case Gunn and MacBean. We have attended the New Hampshire Highland Games from the time they started back in 1975. In the early 1980s, my husband began his long stint as volunteer. I stayed home with the boys until the youngest showed an interest in his Scottish lineage, then also volunteered. Marching bands, odd looking food, and colorfully dressed kilts amid the spectacular fall foliage of the New Hampshire’s White Mountains makes for a memorable day.The NH games has turned into an annual three day event, now visited by over 40,000 people! We volunteer as a family and, even though my husband and I moved to the south, we still travel to the NH games annually where we offer our service in the information tent. Our sons join us there to help us sell official programs, hand out maps and schedules of events, and sell raffle tickets, the proceeds of which fund scholarships.This annual celebration has turned into a major undertaking and the Board of Directors and office staff work tirelessly to coordinate the many entertainment venues, clan representatives, venders of food and goods, and hundreds of volunteers, in order to bring the sights, sounds, and flavors of Scotland to New England.Volunteering every hour of the three days is too much to ask of anyone, since there is so much to do and see, so my husband and I gather several hardy individuals to share the load. This affords everyone with time to either go watch the sheep dog trials, taste the shortbread, scones, bridies,  meat pies, shop the venders, or listen to rock bands. No one wants to miss the athletes as they toss the caber, a tree length wooden pole.

Many states, communities, and organizations host their own Highland games and these games welcome everyone…a Scottish lineage or kilt are not required! If you enjoy harps, bagpipes, Highland dance, wonderful food and a sea of brightly colored wool (and is there anything more sexy than a man in a kilt?) please visit a Highland games or Scottish festival soon. Here are a few links that will help you on your way. If you visit the New Hampshire Highland games in Lincoln, NH Sept. 17, 18, 19 2010 please stop by the information tent and say “Hi.” My family and I will be busy helping out.

Check out these links:  

The New Hampshire Highland Games in NH   www.nhscot.org.

The Grandfather Mountain Games in NC  www.gmhg.org

Central Florida Scottish Highland Games www.flascot.com

Pacific Northwest Scottish Highland Games in WA www.sshga.org

Celtic Roots Festival in Ontario  www.celticfestival.ca/

The Maine Highland Games in ME www.mainehighlandgames.org

The Vermont Highland Games in VT www.quecheescottishfestival

These are only a few of the festivals available in the United States and Canada.

For a little more on the historical aspect of the games, read my article

HIGHLAND GAMES: THEN AND NOW:   http://bit.ly/bJXkR8

Nancy Lee Badger writes fulltime and lives with her husband in Raleigh, NC. She loves everything Scottish. She is a member of Romance Writers of America, Heart of Carolina Romance Writers, Fantasy-Futuristic & Paranormal Romance Writers, and Celtic Heart Romance Writers. She is celebrating the release of her Scottish historical DRAGON’S CURSE available from Whispers Publishing.

Buy Link: http://bit.ly/93hRiM   Also available as a Kindle download at Amazon.com.

Visit her website: www.nancyleebadger.com, and her blog www.RescuingRomance.nancyleebadger.com For excerpts and more information.

Nancy will be attending the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games in North Carolina July 8th through July 11th 2010 and hopes to see you there. She’ll be the one busy scribbling in her notebook while sitting under the Clan Gunn or Clan MacBean tents.

DRAGON’S CURSE RELEASE DAY!

TODAY IS THE DAY!

I am now a published author and I am thrilled to see my book listed on the main page of the Whispers Publishing website: www.whispershome.com. I am also pleased my article, SCOTTISH DRAGONS, was posted today on a blogsite I write articles for called HISTORY UNDRESSED. This site contains a wealth of information on everything historical and I hope you’ll read my article at http://historyundressed.blogspot.com.

I hope you’ll check out Whisper’s website, read an excerpt, and buy my Scottish historical paranormal. Here is the direct buy link:  http://bit.ly/93hRiM

Nancy

JUGGLING SELF-PROMOTION

I have my first two books coming out on June 25th. One is a full-length contemporary romance I wrote as Nancy Lennea for Red Rose Publishing…SECRET LOVE MATCH. The other is a novella length book, DRAGON’S CURSE from Whispers Publishing, that can be best described as a Scottish historical paranormal romance. I have kept busy lining up guest blogs and am writing guest articles and answering interview questions left and right. These promotions run through August and I have to juggle two books, two names, and two publishers.

Last Saturday I attended our monthly meeting of the Raleigh, NC based RWA chapter, Heart of Carolina romance Writers: www.heartofcarolina.org. The guest speaker, Claudia Dain, related a quote she’d heard. I have printed it out and have posted it over my desk as release day closes in: Warning-dates on the calendar are closer than they appear. 

Nancy Lee Badger w/a Nancy Lennea

SECRET LOVE MATCH June 25 from Red rose Publishing

DRAGON’S CURSE June 25 from Whispers Publishing

My DRAGON’S CURSE Cover is here!

dragons_curse_200×300-med1.jpg 

BOOK BLURB

Sometimes a special gift and an unwanted curse cannot keep destined lovers apart.

Brianna Macleod has accompanied a shipload of her guardian’s friends to a remote island off the coast of Scotland. She eludes these Highland hunters to keep her innocence…and her gift of sight. Her attitude against falling for womanly desires changes when she nearly drowns. Saved by the talons of a terrifying winged beast, she awakens—naked—in a cave, beside an unusual man.

Cursed by a vengeful witch to transform into a dragon at inopportune times, Draco MacDonald hides on this deserted island to live alone: until he plucks a servant girl from certain death. Fueled by jealousy, and tempered by fear for her safety, he succumbs to an unfamiliar desire to mate.

Her kisses propel him to dare to make her his own.

Set in 1592 Scotland on the Scottish island of Staffa, the cursed hero battles a ghostly witch, a hunter set on rape, and his own growing desire for a young woman with premonitions of his death.

EXCERPT

     “She is gone.” Draco sat on a rocky outcropping and stared toward the main coast of Scotland. Storm clouds rose in the north while rain shrouded his island under low gray clouds.Within moments, icy droplets pinged on his scales and dripped off the leathery wings curved over his head. Smoke puffed from both nostrils as he remembered making love with Brianna.

     “Love? She could ne’er love a dragon,” he muttered.

    “Are ye a dragon or a man? All I see is a coward.”

     Draco launched himself toward the gray figure. Agatah swiped one boney arm to her side, and he plunged to the sea.He clawed his way to the surface and headed for shore with two paddles of his talon-clad limbs. A huge breaker pounced upon him and shoved him to the sandy bottom. He stayed submerged as he ran on open talons until he reached the shore.

     “I hate the water.”

     “I know this, ye dumb beast. ‘Tis why I tossed ye in.”

DRAGON’S CURSE

is a Scottish historical paranormal novella 

and will be available June 25, 2010

from Whispers Publishing   www.whispershome.com