pages (don't edit or move)

navbar home aboutme review policy reviews

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Author/Book Spotlight: To Love A Highlander by Sue-Ellen Welfonder!

TO LOVE A HIGHLANDER:
Book 1 of a 5-book series, Scandalous Scots, published by Grand Central Publishing.
(Series launched in Dec. 2013 with an e-novella, ONCE UPON A HIGHLAND CHRISTMAS)

4 1/2 Stars TOP PICK from RT!

A TEMPTING PROPOSITION As one of the bastards born to the Stirling court, Sorley the Hawk has never known his mother or father. It’s a burning quest he has devoted himself to uncovering at any cost. But as a roguish warrior who serves at the pleasure of the King, his prowess-both on the battlefield and in his bedchamber-is legendary. So when a flame-haired Highland lass sneaks into his quarters with a tantalizing proposition, he can’t resist taking her up on her offer . . .AN UNQUENCHABLE DESIRE Lady Mirabelle MacLaren will do anything to keep from marrying her odious suitor, even sully her own good name. And who better to despoil her than his sworn enemy, the one they call “Hawk?” As they set about the enjoyable task of ruining her reputation, Hawk and Mirabelle soon learn that rebellion never tasted so sweet.

Set-Up:  Sorley and Mirabelle have met up in the castle chapel to discuss the finer points of the proposition she’s made him…


     Mirabelle swallowed, unable to help herself.  “You are a charmer.”
     A slow smile curved Sorley’s lips.  A darkly seductive smile, as unsettling as how he’d let his gaze slide oh-so-suggestively up and down her body.  Yet his boldness made her pulse leap.  It also warmed her in indecent places.  She touched a hand to her breast, feeling both hot and dizzy despite the chill dampness of the chapel.
     He stepped closer, giving her the distinct impression he’d pounce if she so much as blinked.  “I am fond of women, aye.” 
     “So I have heard.”  She kept her head raised, resisted the urge to wipe her palms against her cloak.
     “Are you nervous?”
     “I am relieved.”  She spoke true, just not admitting she was indeed jittery.  Her emotions were running higher than ever before.
     She was also sharply aware of every ruggedly alluring inch of him.  Including the oh-so-virile bulge she could see through the edges of his cloak.  The glow of a wall sconce slanted right there, proving that he wasn’t just a tall, strapping man, powerfully-built and good-looking.
     He was also just as well-lusted as the court ladies claimed.
     Sorley the Hawk wanted her.
     And he was already prepared to do exactly what she’d asked of him.

~*~*~
Mini-Excerpt (hot):

Set-Up ~ Sorley speaking to Mirabelle, shortly before their first love scene…

"If I cross this threshold, there’ll be no going back. No restraint.’ He gave her a final chance. ‘I will ravish you in there, as I have e’er dreamt of doing. Thoroughly, completely, and until we are both so replete, so sated, that we cannae move. Then we shall begin again."



Sue-Ellen Welfonder is a USA Today Bestselling author who writes Scottish medieval romances for Grand Central Publishing. As time allows, she also writes as Allie Mackay, penning contemporary paranormals, mostly set in the Scottish Highlands.

Her twenty-year airline career allowed her to see the world, but it was always to Scotland that she returned. She spent fifteen years living in Europe, using that time to explore as many castle ruins, medieval abbeys, and stone circles, as possible. Anything ancient, crumbling, or lichened caught her eye. She still visits Scotland when she can as such trips give her inspiration for new books.

Proud of her own Hebridean ancestry, she belongs to two clan societies and never misses a chance to attend Highland Games. In addition to Scotland, her greatest passions are medieval history, the paranormal, nature, and animals. She enjoys long walks and bicycling, loves haggis, and writes at a 450-year-old desk that once stood in a Bavarian castle.

SEW’s Social Media:

Sue-Ellen Welfonder: Book News Only Site



Mailing List: Sign-Up Here


Amazon Author Page (Welfonder):  amazon.com/author/sueellenwelfonder
Amazon Author Page (Allie Mackay):  amazon.com/author/alliemackay

Blog: Tartan Ink: All Things Celtic, Highland Magic, Kilties, & Other Neat Things


**Please note, my main website www.welfonder.com is currently stagnant and will be redesigned later this year.  For now, up-to-date info and book news can be found at my book-news only site: http://tartaninkafterhours.wordpress.com/

Of Note:
TO LOVE A HIGHLANDER has a kitten character named Little Heart.  The book is dedicated to the real Little Heart, a stray kitten who was brutalized and died of his injuries several days later.  He was named Little Heart for the heart stitched into his body bandaging.  His story upset me so much that I decided to write him into this book, giving him the happy ending he should have received in real life. 

A portion of the royalties will be donated to my favorite cat rescue organization, Alley Cat Allies.

~*~*~ 
Career Awards, etc..

DEVIL IN A KILT debuted with a 4 ½ Star Top Pick RT Review and also earned RT’s “Best First Historical Romance” Award.

Many of my other titles have received RT Top Picks and RT Award Nominations.  I’ve also made the USA Today Bestseller List, and the Waldens Bestseller List (when it still existed).

All of my books (except DEVIL IN A KILT) have sold to major Book Clubs (Doubleday, Rhapsody, etc..)

All of my books have been translated into many languages.

Quite a few titles are also available as audio books.

~*~*~
My Writing:

I am now a ‘hybrid author,’ still contracted by NY (GCP), but very excited to be indie publishing my oop titles and writing new Allie Mackay series to put out on my own.  So far, I have re-vamped and re-released my Allie Mackay Scottish time travel, HIGHLANDER IN HER DREAMS, and also have two e-novellas and boxed set indie-pubbed: FALLING IN TIME (Scottish time travel novella) and THE SEVENTH SISTER, a magical tale set in Ireland.  I see the future in digital/indie publishing and am thrilled by the opportunities it offers to authors.
~*~*~ 
Scottish Romance Author Group

I am thrilled to be part of a newly-formed 7-member author group.  We all write Scottish romance and have great things planned for Scotland-loving readers.  Our first project is a Scottish romance bundle we’re collaborating on.  The stories are all new, fresh, and original work (Scottish historicals) and will release in Nov.  This bundle is just the beginning.  Other projects are in the pipeline.

Members are (in alphabetical order): Lily Baldwin, Kathryn Lynn Davis, Ceci Giltenan, Kate Robbins, Tarah Scott, Suzan Tisdale, and Sue-Ellen Welfonder.

Last bits:

I am married (for nearly all my adult life) and live with my German husband in southwest Florida.  Our home is shared by a wee (sadly aging) Jack Russell terrier male named Em.  All things revolve around him.

Little known ‘quirk’ – German is the language spoken in home, not English.  That’s because my German is better than my husband’s English.  I’ve been speaking German as my main language so long now that I have a slight German accent and even think and dream in German.


26 comments:

  1. Thank you so much for doing this, Kristina! I appreciate it very much. (still smiling about your beautiful review) I'll give away a signed print copy of TO LOVE A HIGHLANDER today. All readers welcome, incl. International.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Save time Sue-Ellen...just send TO LOVE A HIGHLANDER to me! (just call me shameless and desperate. LOL)

      Delete
    2. You are so funny, Dale! Good luck in the drawing!! ;)

      Delete
  2. Wonderful excerpt and mini-bio!!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Lovely review and interview! Sue-Ellen is talented! Definitely on my want list - who can pass up a hot highlander?
    lattebooks at hotmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks so much, Susan! I love hot Highlanders, too. :) Hope you'll enjoy the books.

      Delete
  4. Enjoyed it all!! Did learn something new about you and that is speaking German in your home. I'm so glad you were able to give Little Heart his happy ending. :) Hugs.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ha ha ha, Karen! Yes, German is the language of my private world. It isn't my mother tongue, but having lived there more years of my life that in the US, it is the most natural and comfortable language for me to speak. Also read and write it fluently. I am sure anyone who lived any amount of years in a different country would pick up the language.

      Little Heart, the true kitten's sad fate really, really upset me. I couldn't put it from my mind. It was terrible, so sad. So now he 'lives on' and is remembered by everyone who reads the book (or sees mention of him online). I love that!

      Delete
    2. More of my life "than" in the US..." So sorry. I really hate typos... ((:O

      Delete
  5. I thought I knew just about everything about you, until the last bit about speaking German at home, COOL! Am loving this book, and cant wait to read more, especially the Allie Mackay ones, but You know I love ANYTHING you write. Great interview, glad you are independent now, and good luck on ALL future endeavors. Hugs & Rainbows, Wendy

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Excellent, Wendy! See my reply above to Karen C. It is more 'natural' to me to speak German than English. Probably because I lived there so many years. I've now been speaking German longer than I have been speaking English, so it feels like my 'mother tongue,' even though it isn't. Every once in a while I slip a German word or phrase into a manuscript. My editor or the copy editor just mark it, for me to fix back to English. ;) Do the same thing when speaking with US friends. In the middle of a conversation, I sometimes slide into German - until I see the confused looks on their faces. :)

      So glad you're enjoying TO LOVE A HIGHLANDER! And it makes me so happy that you're looking forward to my upcoming Allie Mackay titles. I love those books so much. No way would I give up control of them again. I love the power and opportunities indie pubbing gives authors. I'll soon be releasing a bunch of them (revamped titles and a totally new series) all at once. I am still NY-contracted for my medievals. But I do see indie as the way of the future. Many, many authors are going that route and with valid reasons. Now is a fabulous time to be a writer. :)

      Delete
  6. I was also surprised about your speaking German in the home. I wish I had continued my French studies in school but, like many of my classmates of the time, as soon as it was no longer a mandatory course we dropped it.
    It is nice finding out little tidbits about authors as it makes them more than just a name on a book.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kiltie Girl (love the by-name), I'd bet that if you spent time in France, you'd be speaking it again in quick time. I did speak German before I met my husband in Germany and moved there to marry him - I spoke 'airplane German,' having studied it at the urging of my airline. They needed foreign language speakers on international flights. Anyone who mastered the language was guaranteed the peachy European flights and bonus pay. So I took a course, learning how to make announcements and speak with passengers. It was only once I moved to Germany, and was totally immersed in the land, language, and culture, that I became fluent. I hope someday you will pick up French again. It's a beautiful and romantic language.

      So glad you enjoyed Kristina's spotlight. I remember the days when authors were just a b/w pix and a mini-bio at the back of books. This is much better, the interaction social media allows today. Hope you'll visit me on FB - I'm always talking kilts, burrs, and beards. Likewise my friends and readers, so you'd feel right at home, I think. :)

      Delete
    2. KiltieGirl, Random.org selected you as the winner! Congrats! :) Sue-Ellen, do you want her to send her info to your email address?

      Delete
  7. Hi Sue-Ellen
    I so loved that you gave Little Heart a happy ending, But just by reading your books I can tell you have a good heart like that.
    I think it is so nice that you speak German in your home.
    I love the reviews on you book but I didn't read the except of ("To Love a Highlander") because I am in the middle of read it now.
    So far it is Great I love it!!! I love it that the heroine is so stronger and independent and straight forward!!! So far very very great!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You are kind, Tonya! Thank you so much for such lovely words. I certainly do have a soft heart for animals. I grew up in a menagerie, so have always loved animals of all kinds. And I worked actively in field rescue for many years and would go back to such work again in a heartbeat, without deadlines. As is, I do what I can with donations and making people aware. The real Little Heart's fate upset me so much. I couldn't forget him. It felt right, and was very important to me, to put him into the book. In the story, and in the dedication. Now anyone reading the book (or hearing about him online) will remember him. He isn't forgotten. I love that. Otherwise, I agree about writers and their words. Some of my colleagues will deny it, but I really believe that if you read the books, you are seeing into the heart and soul of the author, too. All our likes and dislkies, every hurt, sorrow, tragedy or triumph, all our joys and greatest moments of happiness, our beliefs and world views, it all flows into the ink on the pages. The author is right there, always. Where else can story come from? It comes from our life experiences. From who we are deep inside. So know the books, know the authors, yes.

      German - I love speaking it and wish I knew even more languages. I had a great advantage in marrying a German and living there for so many years. Being immersed in a land and culture is always the best way to learn a language. It also helped that my husband was too lazy to master his English. He spoke it, but just. ((:O He took the easy way out and let me master his language! ;)

      Thanks re the reviews. They have been really good on this one, and I'm very grateful. So glad you're enjoying the story so much. :)

      Delete
  8. Kristina, I hope you will choose a winner for me. It's always hard for me to do so as I'd like everyone to win. If the winner already has TO LOVE A HIGHLANDER, she can choose an ebook from my available backlist, under either name.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Of course! I will email you with a winner tomorrow! Thank you for being on my blog and spreading the word!

      Delete
  9. Oooh! Hi Sue-Ellen! I've loved every one of your books... and would love to win this one! I love my Highlanders!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks so much, Lindalou! I know you love the books, and Highlanders! So do I! :)

      Delete
  10. Glad to see all these promotions for your book - you have to be thrilled

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for looking in, Kathy! It's been very heartening to see so much positive interest in this book, yes. I am very appreciative. (((HUGS)))

      Delete
  11. Kristina ~ Thank you so much for doing a Spotlight on me today! It was fun and I really appreciate it. Thanks, too, for drawing the winner. Btw, I love the design and colors of your blog. Very cheerful and inviting. :)

    Everyone else ~ Thank you so much for looking in today/tonight! It's been fun chatting with you. I'll peek in here in the morning so no one is missed. Have a great night!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Kristina, I love the post! Had me smiling the entire time.

    Sue-Ellen, Huge (((HUGS))) and love to you! :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for looking in, Captain! ;) Should've know you'd still be up late. Fellow night owl that you are. ;)
      Love and (((HUGS))) back to you!

      Delete