Review: "Secret of the Glass" by Donna Russo Morin

Reviewer: Stephanie

Blurb: The Murano glassmakers of Venice are celebrated and revered. But now three are dead, killed for attempting to leave the city that both prized their work and kept them prisoner. For in this, the 17th century, the secret of their craft must, by law, never leave Venetian shores. Yet there is someone who keeps the secret while defying tradition. She is Sophia Fiolario, and she, too, is a glassmaker. Her crime is being a woman --Sophia is well aware that her family would be crushed by scandal if the truth of her knowledge and skill with glass were revealed. But there has never been any threat-until now. A wealthy nobleman with strong connections to the powerful Doge has requested her hand in marriage, and her refusal could draw dangerous attention. Yet having to accept and cease her art would devastate her. If there is an escape, Sophia intends to find it.

Now, between creating precious glass parts for one of Professor Galileo Galilei's astonishing inventions and attending lavish parties at the Doge's Palace, Sophia is crossing paths with very influential people--including one who could change her life forever. But in Venice, every secret has its price. And Sophia must decide how much she is willing to pay?

Review: Is it just me, or was history class one of the most painful classes ever, in high school? It wasn't particularly hard, just...boring.
The Secret of the Glass by Donna Russo Morin is of the "historical fiction" genre. For me, reading historical novels was always the best part of history class. It became weary to have to read pages and pages of thick, heavy textbooks, and then sit through hours and hours of dull documentaries (though they were an easy method for me to catch up on my sleep), so being able to read something fictional, yet still relevant, was always a sort of relief. Had I been given the chance to read The Secrets of the Glass in 10th grade Honors World History, I might have dreaded that course a little less. Otherwise, I couldn't quite get myself to enjoy this book.

Don't get me wrong, it's beautifully written. Morin pays such breathtaking attention to detail, and I swear, there wasn't one word that was used twice throughout the entire book. Aside from extensive vocabulary and amazing imagery however, the story lacked intrigue.

Sophia, the protagonist, is an entirely two-dimensional character. She's the most beautiful of the three Fiolario daughters, and the most innocent of them too. Her biggest concerns are 1) her father is suffering from dementia; 2) she is betrothed to a man she despises, Pasquale da Fuligna; 3) she is in "love" with another man, Teodoro Gradenigo; and 4) she is the only woman in the world who knows the art of glassmaking. But because Sophia was such an unrealistic and unmoving character, I couldn't find mind myself feeling sympathetic for her at all. First of all, she practically bawled every time her father blanked out. Every so often, he would forget everything, everyone, and the doctors said he was losing his mind to age. Sophia is supposed to be the practical goody-good virgin; she's not doing anything practical or goody-good by crying for her father's disease. It was painful for me to read about such babyish behavior. Secondly, Morin made it clear that Sophia must marry da Fuligna, a man who is neither rich, nor handsome in any way. I actually laughed at this a little; surely the Fiolario family must have had the tiniest ounce of dignity. Why they would marry their eldest daughter off to a man who neither loved their daughter, nor had anything to offer, I'll be darned. And of course, Teodoro. Ah. He was probably the only character in the book I could imagine without giggling or wincing. Handsome, charming, polite...what a gentleman. So much of gentleman to Sophia actually, that within first meeting him, she declared to herself that she was in love with him. Chemistry? Nooo, who needs chemistry when you have love at first sight (even though you're already engaged)?

Morin clearly attempted to weave an intricate plot with complicated details, but for some reason, the two didn't mix. The Secret of the Glass made out for a really, really interesting textbook. I could have written my essay on Roman Studies with just this book, in the 10th grade. But as a novel, it was weak and had difficulty capturing my attention.

I understand that this book was written because of an initial passion Donna Russo Morin held for Italian glassworks...a little too big of a passion, perhaps? I mean, the first paragraph of the book is an epic simile where glassblowing is compared to the reaching of an orgasm. I thought I was a fan of the hot and sweaty stuff until I read those few lines.

Most historical romances are romance novels with little tidbits of the respective history thrown in; The Secret of the Glass was an informative description with tidbits of respective romance thrown in. If you're into that kind of stuff, this book will enchant you. But if you're like me and require more fiction than fact, then Morin's story may bore you to tears.

Rating

Interview with Kate Cotoner

Jen: Today we welcome Kate Cotoner to Romancing the Book. Kate, will you please share a short bio with us?
Kate: I live in the north of England with my OH and a demanding bonsai named Mr M. I have a fondness for Asian men tempered with a love of hunky Germanic and Mediterranean types, and manage to combine love for all three types whilst watching Formula One motorsport. I love history, needlepoint, reading, watching brainless blockbusters and meaningful foreign films, staring at US crime shows, and baking French-style bread. I like strong, plot-driven stories and charismatic characters set against a sweeping, romantic backdrop of history, suspense, international locations and whatever else happens to take my fancy at the time.

Jen: Tell us about The Imperial Cat and where it's available.
Kate: The Imperial Cat is available from Torquere Press as part of their Color Box line. Here’s the blurb:

Matsumoto no Hirotaro hates his job in the Bureau of Ceremonial. For years he's longed to advance through the ranks of the nobility, but his dreams of becoming an imperial chamberlain are crushed when he saves a tailless gray cat from being drowned by the Empress' guards. The cat seems to bring him nothing but bad luck... until he meets Katsuyuki, a beautiful, blue-eyed nobleman who's strangely out of place at court.

Katsuyuki is a shape-shifting ghost-cat who's lost his tail as punishment for causing a terrible fire. He makes it his mission to ensure Hirotaro is promoted to chamberlain, and as he enjoys the freedom of being human, Katsuyuki falls in love with Hirotaro. But he hasn't reckoned on the jealous suspicion of Hirotaro's friend, Lord Narihira, who could destroy Katsuyuki's newfound happiness forever...

Jen: At what age did you discover writing and when were you first published? Tell us your call story.
Kate: I can’t remember the first story I wrote, so it must have been a long time ago! I used to prefer drawing to writing and entertained my classmates at school with risqué comic strips. I know my limitations with art, though, and I began to write more than draw. There are fewer limitations on writing than drawing, I find!

As for my call story, it’s more of an SMS story *g* My first book was published in Chinese, in Taiwan. My translator friend and I had a popular column on a pan-Asian fiction site, and spurred on by our readers’ comments we sent off a novel to the biggest of the yaoi/BL publishers, Uei-Shiang. The first novel was rejected as too culturally generic; the second novel was too culturally specific... so it was third time lucky. My friend texted the good news as soon as the publisher called her. It was quite a crazy time as OH and I had just packed all our worldly goods into a shipping container and we’d temporarily moved in with OH’s father for a week before we flew from New Zealand to the UK. I’d just said an emotional goodbye to my friends and colleagues, I had a stinking cold, and then came the text. I remember jumping up and down and my father-in-law looking quite bemused by the whole thing!

Jen: Describe your writing in three words.
Kate: Ooh, that’s difficult. I’m going to ask OH (who is also my beta) to do it instead: “detailed, accessible, and involving.” I pretty much agree, actually – I enjoy writing about historical time periods that may be unusual and different to readers, yet I try to keep a lightness to the presentation of my research.

Jen: How do you approach your writing? Do you plot or go with the flow?
Kate: A few years ago I definitely went with the flow. I’d start with a vague idea and know what the final sentence was, and wrote until I hit it. These days I have to plot – I sketch out the major and minor plot arcs, sometimes in detail, sometimes with just a couple of lines, and then I build it up with dialogue scraps or random descriptions, and then write in a linear fashion from there. Sometimes I get bored or stuck and skip ahead, and having the plot arc firmly in front of me makes skipping sections much easier. Of course it’s all pretty flexible, too – characters and events can slip in and gain weight if necessary, or they can be cut back, but I find it easier to have a map of where I’m going.

Jen: What is it about the romance genre that appeals to you?
Kate: It’s a genre I find comfortable. Not so much in a slippers and bedsocks kind of way, but nevertheless it’s comfortable like an old friend, a favourite meal, or a good piece of chocolate. I was on a work trip last week and I bought a bunch of old romance novels from a charity shop and read one every night – you know how the story will end, that’s the comforting part, but it’s the way the characters reach the end that’s so gripping. That’s what I love about romance – the ending is ‘safe’, yet you know the journey can thrill you.

Jen: What kind of research did you do for this book?
Kate: One of my favourite historical eras is the Heian period of Japan (794-1185), a time when relative peace and prosperity gave rise to an extraordinary court culture. Due to the (very uneven) distribution of wealth and the comparative peace of the time, helped by Japan’s increasing isolation from the rest of the world, the nobility had time to write poetry, create perfumes, and indulge in love affairs. For the story, I read a lot of primary sources, especially Sei Shonagon’s The Pillow Book, Murasaki Shikibu's Tale of Genji and her personal diary, as well as many secondary sources dealing with clothing and the minutiae of Heian court life. The nobility had all kinds of rules and regulations on how to act in every aspect of life, including the colours of clothing, which were restricted by rank. Since The Imperial Cat was for Torquere’s Color Box line, I picked a rank-restricted colour (kikujin, olive green) and built the story around that.

Jen: Do you feel as if the characters live with you as you write? Do they haunt your dreams?
Kate: Sometimes they do. I usually start with a character rather than a plot or a place, and they slot themselves into the story they want to tell. Occasionally I dream an entire story, which is *very* useful – especially if I manage to remember it all! But usually I end up thinking about the characters a lot – you can over-think them, too, of course, which is annoying – but if I let them sit and simmer for a while, they come up with the goods. Those are the characters whose stories I most enjoy telling.

Jen: Is there a genre that you’d like to write? Is there a genre you’ll probably stay away from and why?
Kate: I’ve written in all the genres I’d like to try. Until late last year, I’d always said I’d never write sci-fi, but when Aleksandr Voinov was putting together the Echoes of the Future anthology for Noble Romance, he suggested that I try my hand at sci fi, and I wrote a dystopian cyberpunk tale called ‘Conduit’ that I still hold as one of my favourite stories of the last few years. So never say never, I suppose – although having said that, I know beyond doubt that I’d never write a contemporary medical romance. I don’t like hospitals!

Jen: Who has inspired you as an author?
Kate: In terms of the way he writes and conducts himself, it’s got to be the Turkish author Orhan Pamuk, who won the Nobel Prize for Literature a few years ago and who was prosecuted by the Turkish government for speaking out against the Kurdish and Armenian genocides during the Ottoman Empire. His novels are very complex and melancholic, very beautiful stylistically. I can only read his books every other year because they make such an emotional impact. At the other end of the scale, I love Lee Child’s Jack Reacher books – fast-paced, action-packed, no clever wordplay, very little characterisation, but they just work; and Child happily admits that he only writes them for the money. Pamuk and Child stand at extremes, which is why I find them inspirational. I couldn’t be like either of them, but I enjoy reading both of them.

Jen: What did you do to celebrate your first book?
Kate: Jumped up and down for a bit *g* OH and I may have gone out to the pub; I honestly can’t remember, I was feeling so grotty with a cold!

Jen: What do you do in your free time?
Kate: Read! I also love cooking and baking, and at the moment I’m halfway through making a huge tapestry cushion cover. It takes me months to finish one of those as I only sew when I’m watching TV, but it might go faster now the autumn/winter TV season has started and there’s actually something decent to watch!

Jen: What's next for you?
Kate: Later this month I've got a creepy M/M novelette, The Silver Knight, coming out from Torquere Press. It's a historical paranormal set during the 12th century Anarchy (civil war) in England. A monstrous blood-fiend terrorises the villagers of Kirkfield, but when Sufyan, the Prince Bishop's chief summoner, investigates the case, he finds more than he bargained for in the shape of the silver knight, Everard de Montparnasse. It's a sort of classic ghost story based on the old English tales of revenants, which are similar to vampires but also quite different.

Jen: Where can you be found on the web?
Kate: My website is at www.katecotoner.co.uk

Jen: Is there anything you’d like to ask our readers?
Kate: As I’m primarily a historical writer, I wonder which historical periods your readers are most interested in, and why?

Jen: Are we holding a contest for you?
Kate: To win a copy of any of my published ebooks (see www.katecotoner.co.uk/books.html), leave a comment and I’ll pick a winner at random. Be sure to leave your email address so I can contact you! Contest ends Friday 12 November.

Excerpt from "The Imperial Cat" by Kate Cotoner

Narihira came to stand beside him, his gaze fixed on Katsuyuki. "Who is that?"

Hirotaro shook his head. "I've never seen him before in my life."

The frown creasing Narihira's forehead deepened. "His outfit is strange. The color combination is well chosen, but he's not wearing any hakama."

"No hakama?" Hirotaro chuckled. "Little wonder the ladies are so interested in him. Summer silks are thin enough that they'd be able to see everything if they stood at the right angle under the right light."

"Are you sure you don't know him? Such partiality in the face of social censure usually suggests a previous acquaintance..." Narihira let his words trail off.

It took Hirotaro a moment to understand what Narihira meant, and when realization came, he gave a startled laugh. "Oh, you think Lord Katsuyuki and I were lovers? I assure you it's not true. You know whom I've slept with. You have a better memory for their names than I do! I haven't slept with Katsuyuki. Truly, I haven't." He paused, catching a glimpse of the young man through the crowd. "I would remember a night with him. He's..."

"Beautiful," Narihira said, his voice brittle.

Hirotaro looked at him in surprise. "Yes, he is. Beautiful and eloquent and with better court manners than me." Suspicion dawned, and he asked, "Are you--"

"No." Narihira turned away from the question. "I'm being foolish. It's nothing."

It was so flagrantly far from the truth that Hirotaro gazed at him in consternation. Narihira was always so polished, even when something upset the tranquility of his existence. This was the first time Hirotaro had seen his friend disquieted, and he couldn't help but feel concerned. He put out a hand. "Narihira..."

"Please forgive me. This evening has been more trying than I anticipated." Narihira forced a smile to his lips and looked beyond Hirotaro, his eyes narrowing. "Here comes your champion."

Giving his friend a hard look that indicated this conversation wasn't over, Hirotaro swung about and bowed. "Lord Katsuyuki. I am delighted to make your acquaintance." As he straightened, he examined the young man and felt the shock of attraction go through him like a body blow.

Katsuyuki stood before him, slender and elegant despite his peculiar mode of dress. His hair fell in a gleaming inky wash over his shoulders, and his robes, layered shades of maroon and turquoise, contrasted with his pale skin and complemented the unusual color of his eyes. Dark blue, Hirotaro noticed, the same blue as the summer sky at dusk. Entranced, he leaned closer and caught a tantalizing and familiar fragrance.

"You favor the Blackness scent," Hirotaro said with delight.

A flicker of anxiety showed in Katsuyuki's gaze, but he recovered himself to smile. "Yes. I believe it suits all occasions perfectly."

"My aunt would disagree with you. She is always scolding me for using it." Hirotaro smiled until his cheeks hurt. He knew he was babbling inanely. If only he knew how to make small talk. "Lord Narihira is much more fashionable with his scents," he said, all but elbowing his friend to encourage a response.

But Narihira was staring at Katsuyuki, his eyes narrowed and his lips slightly pursed as if he was trying to place the young man, or categorize him, or read his mind, or whatever else Yin Yang Masters did when faced with something they didn't quite like. Feeling out of his depth, Hirotaro continued, "It's unusual for a man to appear in public without a hat. Seeing your hair loose like that... it's so intimate."

As soon as the words left his mouth, Hirotaro wished he could take them back. Now he sounded too blatant. He cast a desperate glance at Narihira, hoping he'd take the hint and smooth the awkwardness with a more genteel topic of conversation.

"Blue eyes," Narihira mused, his gaze fixed with unwavering intensity upon Katsuyuki. "Unusual for these islands. You must be from the northern provinces."

Hirotaro gave his friend a sharp look, startled by Narihira's abruptness and the way he made the comment sound more like an accusation.

Katsuyuki inclined his head, his eyes gleaming. "I am from Mutsu."

Narihira sniffed. "Then you must be related to the Abe family?"

"There is a distant connection." A smile curved Katsuyuki's mouth. "Very distant."

"I work in the Bureau of Divination with several members of the Abe clan. I will enquire as to the nature of your antecedents." Narihira had become very formal, his back rigid, his manner stiff and cold. He flicked his gaze over Katsuyuki once more, then nodded to Hirotaro. "Please excuse me."

Shocked, Hirotaro watched his friend stride away. He'd never seen Narihira behave so abysmally before and was filled with shame. The feeling worsened when he saw Katsuyuki's anxious expression. "I'm sorry. He's not always so rude," Hirotaro said quickly. "Narihira is usually much more pleasant and polite. I do apologize on his behalf."

Katsuyuki looked at him. "He wants to protect you."

A startled laugh broke from Hirotaro. "Protect me from what?"

"Me," said Katsuyuki, and smiled.

Guest: Lori La Bey on "What's in that email?"

After my epiphany I didn’t feel there was any option but to record my experience in being included in Judi Moreo’s Life Choices: Putting The Pieces Together (Turning Point International). I also knew some day I would take a formal step out of the “Enabler Closet” and share my experience in hopes of helping people who care for others. As my cursor hovered over the Judi’s Moreo’s email, my whole body started to tingle. I didn’t know who she was or what was in that email, but I did know it was important and I would read and respond to whatever it was. I remember sitting in my office and physically saying out loud to myself, “WOW, I wonder what’s in this email?”

As I opened the email and read Judi’s offer to submit a story for the book, I didn’t hesitate. I knew I was to submit a story. I shot Judi an email back asking a few more details and then told her I would be sending one of two stories for review. From there, it was in God’s hands if my story would be chosen for the book or not.

Lori how do you feel about writing? Does it come naturally or do you have to work at it?

Since I was little I’ve always loved to write. I am horrible with spelling and grammar so that is a chore for me, but thank God for spell check that helps but by no means is perfect! I did have two English teachers and my Mother who encouraged me to write. Miss Calvin in Middle School (we used to call it Junior High way back than), and Mr. Anderson in High School. I loved them all dearly and they tried so hard to help with grammar and spelling. It just wasn’t my thing, yet each was able to see past my faults and believe in me.

In my heart, I know we are all communicators and that includes writing. The problem is so many of us get hung up with being judged by others and worried we aren’t good enough. I’m here to tell you, “You are good enough. In fact, you’re Great! And no matter what you write or how you write it, it is perfect. There is no one way to communicate, so get past your fear and just write. If for no one else but yourself.”

I wrote for me. I never had visions of being an Author. If someone would have asked me that years ago I would have laughed. People need to get past the perception of having to be perfect. Once they do, I think they can enjoy the process of releasing feelings and ideas, and documenting events and playing with their imagination. Writing is a form of freedom like no other. It should never be taken from us, and it should never be taken for granted or given up on.

For me personally, I know now I have several books in me. The one I am currently working on is about removing fear when dealing with Alzheimer’s disease. This book will help people identify stress triggers both for themselves and the person diagnosed, so they can move forward and create remarkable moments. Another book will focus on how Caregiving is Perceived, Received and Delivered in this country. It will highlight the new “Hybrid CAR Egivers™” which I speak about. It is about getting individuals along with businesses and organizations to work together to provide optimal care in a new light. Someday, I would also like to write a book about my spiritual awakening. The ups and downs of connecting on a higher level.

As you have might picked up, my life’s purpose seems to focus on relationships and how we connect with one another. The story in the book, “A Caregiver’s Nightmare - Mirror Image,” is an important piece focusing on life balance as a Caregiver and provides helpful questions to assist people in figuring out when you have crossed the line between Caregiving and Enabling, and what the difference is.


Last Lori, would you recommend being involved in a collaborative book like Life Choices?

My gut answer is “YES”, but I also know that Judi Moreo has been fantastic to deal with. So was Brenda Elsagher who wrote “Bedpan Banter” a collection of work regarding medical stories of humor and inspiration. I have three stories in Brenda’s book. I must say however, I have heard horror stories with friends and colleagues involved in other projects. I would encourage anyone to investigate the possibility, along with the process, and who they would be working with. Ask for references and a copy of a past completed work so you may personally review it. I can honestly say with confidence “I highly recommend Judi Moreo and Brenda Elsagher. Both are professional, organized, and on schedule. As for the process with the Life Choices book, it has gone quickly and has been fun and exciting every step of the way. I am looking forward to the book launch in Vegas at the Palace Station Hotel, along with being at the Vegas Voice Health and Wellness Fair both on October 30th, 2010.

In addition to writing, Lori La Bey of Senior Lifestyle Trends loves Speaking, Training, and Consulting. Currently she has a Resource Website and Blog both called “Alzheimer’s Speaks.” The Blog focuses on the emotional side of Caring for an Alzheimer’s patient. The resource website is for people dealing with Alzheimer’s disease be it Caregiver, Patient, or Professional. Lori jokes that she is an Advocate on Steroids for Alzheimer’s disease, but knows in her heart what she has learned needs to be passed on. Although there were difficult times caring for her Mother with Memory loss over the past 30 years who is now in her end stages of Alzheimer’s disease, and caring for her Father who had Brain Cancer and passed away in 2001; Lori says the experience was life changing in many positive ways. Her wish is to ease the burden of Caregiving, so others my see the gifts wrapped inside aging and illness. Please visit Lori La Bey’s websites for more information and feel free to contact her through any of these sites.

Resource Site http://www.AlzheimersSpeaks.com
Blog http://www.AlzheimersSpeaksBlog.com
Business Site Http://wwwSeniorLifestyleTrends.com
Youtube Site http://www.youtube.com/user/AlzheimersSpeaks?feature=mhum#p/f
Join us on Twitter http://twitter.com/AlzSpks

Readers, Lori is giving away a copy of Life Choices to one lucky commenter. Due to shipping costs, the contest is only open to residents of the US and Canada. To enter the contest, you first need to leave a comment or question for Lori. Then to finish your entry, you must either leave your email address in your comment or send a message to contests.bookblog@gmail.com. The winner will be chosen on Sunday, November 7.

Guest: Donna Grant

I'm so excited to be here at Romancing the Book! Thank you so much for inviting me.

The reason I became an author is fairly easy. I had to get the stories out of my head! I've always had a very active imagination (ask my parents, I'd scare myself silly as a kid and couldn't sleep alone), so it didn't surprise anyone in my family when I tried writing my first novel. The fact it was a romance also didn't shock anyone since that's all I read.

There is so much about being an author I love. I love setting down to start a new book. The excitement and adventure and love that await me with new characters are as thrilling to me as jumping out of airplanes is to adrenaline junkies. I love diving deeper into a story, and I even like revisions. I might complain and think I might not be able to do them, but always, I take a deep breath and give it a go. It helps that I have the most awesome editor on the planet.

The one thing I love above all else about being an author is you, the fans. The emails and letters and cards are simply the best. I keep everything, too! All the emails I print out and put together in a binder with the letters and cards I receive. It's readers who connect with our characters as deeply - and sometimes even deeper - than an author does.

I get absolutely giddy when I get an email from a reader who found a secondary character that really connected with her, when she begs for his story and gets excited when I tell her he does get his own book. There is just nothing better than knowing someone has read one of my books and enjoyed it. It truly warms my heart!

Readers are very important to an author's career. It's reader who can help push a book or series in ways that a publisher never dreamed of. It's readers who help to inspire an author. It's readers who spend hard earned money on our books for an escape. And I feel particularly humbled when I know someone has bought my books.

A simple thank you never seems good enough, so I try to spend as much time with readers as I can. I love interacting with them and learning what they liked - and even what they didn't enjoy - about my books. You can find me most days on Twitter and Facebook and even MySpace. I do have a blog that I try to post to at least twice a week.

Sometimes deadlines, revisions, copy edits, galleys, and promoting a book can really pull me away from readers, but I do try to give them a portion of each day. I endeavor to go to conferences and readers luncheons so I can meet up with readers and mayhap meet new ones.

With the release of my newest, Wicked Highlander, the third book of my historical paranormal series, Dark Sword, I've met some really great readers through my blog tours and contests. I've had some great response to the series, which is so wonderful.

I get a lot of questions though. Like how did I come up with the idea? That's a difficult one to answer really. I don't remember the exact idea, but I do remember thinking I could have a lot of fun with it. At first it was going to be a trilogy about the three brothers, but the more I thought about the books, the more I began to plan for them, the more I realized that I could make the series as long or as short as I needed. As it is, I plan on 15 books. I hope I'm lucky enough to be able to write all of them, and as of right now, I'm contracted for 6 books.

But when I was deciding on the characters, I wanted the heroes to be larger than life. I wanted them to have gone through hell, literally, and managed to pull themselves somewhat out of it. But it wouldn't be a romance if the hero didn't need a heroine to help him. I like strong heroines, and if my heroes were going to be immortal with primeval gods inside them, then my heroines had to be able to stand against them or they'd be run over.

So, the answer came when I realized my heroines were going to be Druids. What better way to mix the legends and lore of Britain than with my Highlanders? Each hero, or Warrior, has a different god inside him giving him different powers than the others. (i.e. teleporting, controlling water, reading minds, etc…) However, my Druids would have simpler magic. They talk to trees, help plants grow, and heal the sick. Each Druid would also have something special that was just hers, and in some way it would help/effect each Warrior. I've had such a grand time pairing up the Druids with each Warrior.

Now, here's the back cover for my hunky Highlander, Quinn and his book Wicked Highlander.

The Dark Sword series unleashes the magic, passion, and fury of three legendary brothers - cursed by fate but bound by desire for the women they love...

A HEART IN CHAINS...

The most reckless and fierce of the MacLeod brothers, Quinn is a prisoner of the god inside him, tormented by his inability to save his family from slaughter. His fury governs him, and day by day he loses himself to the darkness in his soul. But Quinn has a profound yearning for a woman's love...

A PASSION UNBOUND...

Raised by Druids, the achingly beautiful Marcail is as spellbinding as the ancient magic that surges through her body. To Quinn, she is the most desirable woman he has ever known. But to his enemy Deirdre, she is the perfect bait to lure Quinn into her trap. Once the two lovers are in her wicked grasp, their passion will be put to the ultimate test...

Thanks for stopping by, and for those who comment you could win your choice of a signed copy of Forbidden Highlander *or* Dangerous Highlander.

To learn more about me, please stop by my website at www.donnagrant.com! To learn more about the Dark Sword series, watch book trailers, learn the characters, take the quiz, and read excerpts, please visit www.donnagrant.com/darksword.

Peace and love!

Hugs,
D

* * * * *

Readers, you heard Donna, if you want to enter the contest for one of her backlist Dark Sword novels, you first need to leave a question or comment for Donna. Then to finish your entry, you must either leave your email address in your comment or send a message to contests.bookblog@gmail.com. We'll pick the winner on Sunday, November 7.