Time Travel, Highlander Style -- Donna Grant is in the Lair!

posted by Christine Wells

It's my very great pleasure to welcome to the lair a gorgeous, talented friend of mine, Donna Grant, who writes fabulous sexy paranormals.

In Donna's Dark Sword series, Highland warriors with gods from hell bound inside them must fight Deidre, an evil Druid who is bent on freeing those gods and bending them to her will.

Now, I don't think I have to spell out the more obvious attractions of this series--the covers do a fine job of that! But I also love the internal struggle each warrior faces in his need to control the god inside him. It is a dark force, and a powerful one--unleashing the god makes the warrior god-like in his strength and abilities--but fail to control the god once he is unleashed and all hell will break loose. Literally!

It's a brave woman who would love such a man, but the rewards... Ah, well, you'll have to read this compelling series and see for yourself!

The third in Donna's Dark Sword series, WICKED HIGHLANDER (out now!!) is about Quinn, the most fierce and reckless of the MacLeod brothers featured in the series so far. Quinn is the brother who lives closest to the edge with the god inside him, so I'm looking forward to watching him walk that line in WICKED HIGHLANDER.

And now, I'll hand the blog over to the creator of these amazing warriors! Welcome, Donna!

Maybe it’s because I write historical novels, but one of the most asked questions I get is “would you travel back in time and to where?”

It’s an easy answer for me. Yes, I would travel back in time, and I’d go to Medieval Scotland. It would take some getting used to, especially the lack of plumbing, toothbrushes, caffeine, and pasta.

I have no doubt life would be more than difficult. After all, we’re used to remote control TV, information easily – and quickly – accessible through computers, not to mention cell phones and iPods. We’re the information age with instant gratification.

Our world is so drastically different than Medieval Scotland. In a few short hundred years, lives went from basic living off the land and seeing people daily to hectic days, buying food from grocery stores, and going months, if not years, without seeing or speaking to your neighbor, much less speaking to people you pass on the street or the mall.

Could we survive in medieval times? Putting aside the leap in physical hygiene over the ages, life was much simpler back then. If you had a problem with someone, you faced them instead of texting or emailing them. If you wanted to call off an affair, there was no hiding behind technology. You stood before them and said your piece.

There’s a debate in whether medieval life was more violent. At least in medieval times, you saw your opponent attack and you had time to retaliate or hide. Now, with bombs that can cross oceans, that silent, almost constant worry hangs over our head.

Still, knowing all of this, I would love to see Medieval Scotland. I’ve always been drawn to Scotland. Maybe that’s why I centered my historical paranormal Dark Sword series there. The third book in the series, WICKED HIGHLANDER, released on the November 2nd, and I hope you pick up the book to be transported back to another time and place.

So, I want to know - Would you time travel if given the option?

I’ll be giving away a signed copy FORBIDDEN HIGHLANDER to a commenter. Happy Reading!

To find out more about me please visit my website . To read more about the Dark Sword series, see pics of the Warriors, take the quiz, download wallpaper, or search characters, please visit my Dark Sword page.

The Timeless Sandy Blair

Suz: MAC DUFF'S SECRET is the third time travel romance you've written. What is it about time travel romances that you like?

Sandy: The possibility-the fantasy--of time travel fascinates me and I often find myself wondering how I'd react if thrown back or forward in time.

Would I-or a particular character--be intimidated by the lack of modern conveniences or become inventive in an effort to reestablish creature comforts? (I.e. try to make toilet paper.) Would I be brave enough to confront injustice or those displaying prejudices we now find appalling? If my hero knew from a modern perspective that something terrible was about to happen would he dare try to change history, knowing there'd be a domino effect, that everything-good and bad--from that point forward would also change? If throw forward in time how would I cope with learning everyone I held dear had died in some horrible fashion? These are the things I find myself thinking about when staring at the ceiling at 3:00AM.

Suz: Are there any unique challenges to time travel romances?

Sandy: Yes. The first challenge is crafting a fresh situation in which the possibility of time-travel is in some way believable. (Standing stones and fairy rings have been done repeatedly.)

The second challenge depends on where the protagonist (s) is heading-whether back in time, forward to the present, or into the future. The author may have to "world build" or do in-depth research into a particular time period (s) and in some cases, do both.

The last hurdle is making a protagonist's reactions to a "new reality" ring true for the reader, which often requires some soul searching on the author's part.


Suz: MAC DUFF'S SECRET is also your second novella. I think you do these very well. What do you like about writing for anthologies? And what do you see as the unique challenges to writing them?

Sandy: Thank you for the compliment. To be truthful I must admit to having an ambivalent relationship with anthologies. I love getting "the call." There's no rejection. The editor has come to me. Yahoo! Better yet, I don't have to come up with a High Concept. The editor has given it to me. Yahoo x 2! Riding high on these thoughts, I always say, "Yes! I'd love to do a novella for this anthology."

The minute I hang up the phone that's when the hate part-the panic--kicks in. My mind starts screeching, "They only want how many pages?!? How can anyone write a story worth reading using so few words? You can't even say hello in under 50, you idiot! And you promised to deliver in 90 days?! What were you thinking? What?!"

A few glasses of wine later I've usually settled down, have a Universal theme and "What if?" scenario in mind, am ready to bounce these off my trusty Cp (Bless you!) and get down to the hard work of making these characters empathetic/believable. And somehow it all comes together on time.

Suz: So, give us a quick peek at MAC DUFF'S SECRET without giving away too much, since it is a novella.

Sandy: Would love to.

"How bad could it be?" That's all Sarah Colbert thought when she agreed to chaperone her private school's sixth grade field trip through Edinburgh. She's about to find out when she and her students find themselves trapped in a Highland glen that time forgot with a battle-scarred warrior they'll never forget.

Suz: Are you working on anything new that we can look forward to reading?

Sandy: I currently working on three novels; two light-hearted Scotland-set historical Romances and my first historical (biographical) fiction, which is generating loads of personal angst and anticipation. After that, who knows? I may start working on the Gothic Romance I've had simmering on the back burner for two years. (He's delicious...in a dark and brooding sort of way. )

Okay...so weigh in readers...Do you like time travels? What is your favorite part of them? And do you like big anthology books like the Mamoth books?

Sandy will be giving away a copy of her anthology MAC DUFF'S SECERET in THE MAMMOTH BOOK OF TIME TRAVEL ROMANCES to one lucky commentor.

Princes of the Universe

by Nancy

Did you ever watch an early episode of a hit TV show and wonder how it ever survived to be a hit? I just had that experience with Highlander. I discovered the show late in its run and enjoyed the imaginative worldbuilding and the swordplay, in addition to liking the characters. I received the Season 1 box set for my birthday and sat down to watch it. However, I thought some of the acting was really not very good (not the principals, but the guests). I know there are great actors in Canada--I see them on TV every week, especially on the SciFi network--but they didn't often appear in the early episodes of Highlander.

And seeing one more ignorant rube villain with a wretched abomination of an excuse for a Southern accent might've been the end of the box set. However, I persevered. About halfway through Season 1, the show seemed to hit its stride. The principal actors found a rhythm. The guests seemed much better. The stories felt tighter. Also, there were fewer fake-Southern rubes.

The chemistry between Adrian Paul and Alexandra Vandernoot was also great. The show did a good job, I felt, from its very beginning in exploring the complexities of a relationship between a man who can live forever unless somebody cuts off his head and a woman who's fated to grow old first. The series touched on this theme several times. It also addressed the effect of living with someone who has people literally out for his head. Vandernoot's Tessa was spunky without being unrealistic.

Duke alumnus Stan Kirsch also found his feet pretty quickly. His first appearance foreshadowed something bigger for him, but the series kept it under wraps for the rest of the season. He and Paul had an interesting dynamic, mentor and protege but not always a smooth interaction. My friends who attended Highlander conventions described the cast members as friendly and welcoming to their fans.

So the series had some good things going for it. In addition, it was based on a successful movie franchise starring Christopher Lambert as the original Highlander, Connor MacLeod. Like Stargate SG-1, it had a built-in fan base because it spun off from a successful movie. The movie also had a great "buddy" relationship that evolved from mentoring, with Sean Connery as the mentor-turned-buddy-turned defeated Immortal. And what better excuse to include a photo of Sir Sean in the blog? To his credit, Lambert helped launched the series and appeared in at least one of the TV-movie sequels, Highlander: Endgame.

The swordplay was way cool, also. The DVD extras in my box set include swordmaster Bob Anderson (who "worked with everyone from Errol Flynn to Darth Vader" and taught swordplay on the--speaking of Sir Sean--uneven Arthurian picture, First Knight). He talks about the efforts they made to keep the swordplay safe, and there are other bits about choosing different blades for the individual guest stars. And there was that rockin' music by Queen.

The last episodes, introducing more and varied Immortals, such as Darius and Fitzcairn, and the concept of the Watchers, gave greater depth to the world. So did the Parisian setting, though I have to wonder whether just anyone can tie up a barge across from the Ile de la Cite.

If you visit here often, you know I love Stargate SG-1, with Carter being my favorite character. Yet she had some really, truly, deeply cringe-worthy lines in the first few episodes. They were not just in favor of women's equality but were strident. The show lasted, though, and the characters gained depth. Maybe being on cable helped. I didn't ever glom onto Highlander fandom, but I wonder if the fan base was what kept the show going until it found its feet. Anybody know?



Have you ever hung on to a show that seemed far from fulfilling its promise and then been delighted when it finally reached its stride? Have you done that with a book or with a life endeavor? Have you hung in and been disappointed? Delighted?

Meet Terri Brisbin … and her sexy Highlanders!

by Anna Sugden

I’m delighted to welcome my good friend, two-time RITA nominee Terri Brisbin - and her Highlanders - to the Lair!

Terri has been writing romance fiction since 1995 and has had 16 historical and time-travel romances published by Berkley-Jove and Harlequin Historicals. When not living the glamorous life of a romance author in the southern NJ suburbs, Terri spends her time being a wife to one, mom to three boys as well as a dental hygienist to hundreds. Active in several RWA local chapters, Terri currently serves on the Board of Directors of Romance Writers of America.

And, on a personal note, I’d like to add that Terri is a great champion and supporter of her fellow romance writers - she keeps us motivated through the best and worst of times!

To find out more about Terri or her fabulous books, please visit her website: http://www.terribrisbin.com/

Welcome Terri

Anna, thanks for that warm welcome and the invitation to visit with the Romance Bandits and readers.

I know we have a number of visitors to the blog who LOVE Scotsmen … a few Banditas too *grin*. Would you introduce us to your Highlanders?

This trilogy of stories (and there may a fourth at some point) is all about the wonderful MacLerie men – Connor, the laird, had the first book (TAMING THE HIGHLANDER), now Rurik, his loyal friend and cousin is featured in this new book, SURRENDER TO THE HIGHLANDER, and the clan tanist and negotiator, Duncan, will be featured in an August release (POSSESSED BY THE HIGHLANDER). They are all very interesting and have their flaws and strengths – Connor has a terrible reputation as a wife-killer and does not like to be questioned, Rurik is half-Scots/half-Norse and is a true prodigal son who wants more, and Duncan places honor and his clan above everything else in his life. Don’t they sound like men in need of a good woman?

Tough heroes need strong heroines. How did you choose the heroines for these three tough men?

Well! A long time ago, a wonderful author (Delia Parr) suggested during a workshop that in order to create strong conflict you should give the hero the absolutely worst kind of woman for him. So Connor, who still carries the terrible secrets of his first wife’s death, is forced to marry someone who is protecting her own secrets. Rurik, who loves women and who loves to do two things in life (both start with “F” and one is fight!) has a heroine who is a nun! (Well, he thinks she is a nun!) Duncan, who lives by his honor, is forced to marry a woman who has none...or so he thinks!

It must be fun researching these books. I know you love to travel. Have you got some interesting tales of your quest for things Scottish?

I have had the chance to travel to Scotland twice and have visited many of the places I write about. On my first trip there in 2002, Sue-Ellen Welfonder took me to Dunstaffnage Castle and I had the chance to stand on the battlements and look out over the Firth of Lorne. This turned into a scene I wrote for THE MAID OF LORNE. Also, eerily, it was also there that I found what looked to be the archway through time I described in my very first romance, A LOVE THROUGH TIME. The strange thing is that I’d never seen pictures of this castle until my visit but it all felt familiar.....

I am going back to Scotland in the spring and can’t wait to visit some places I haven’t seen yet – Stirling Castle, more of Edinburgh, and a side trip to the Highlands.

Unfortunately, my other Scottish quest – to meet Gerard Butler – has not been successful...but I’m still trying!

As lovely as your Highlanders are, you write about Englishmen too (YAY!). And a fascinating time period. Can you tell us a bit about some of the other books you’ve written?

Sigh..... I also love medieval England. I’ve written 4 novels and 2 novellas that are all set in the late 1190’s and early 1200’s and involve the Plantagenet dynasty – Henry II and his wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine, and their sons Richard and John. And talk about different, non-traditional heroines! those stories feature women who were very different from most noble-women of their time—one is the king’s mistress, one is pregnant with another man’s child, one has been held hostage and pretends to not remember all that happened, one is the village harlot, one almost died and has amnesia, and one is on the run after refusing her parents’ choice of a husband.

Next up will be a trilogy set during the Norman invasion in 1066 and I can’t wait to write those! I plan on visiting some of those sites on my spring trip, too.

If you were to travel back in time to one of your favourite time periods, which would it be and what would you miss most about life in 2008?

I think I would love to visit Elizabethan England and see her up close. Elizabeth defied all the odds countless times and became one of England’s strongest rulers. She took a nearly-bankrupted, religiously-divided, politically-threatened kingdom and brought it back from the brink of disaster to make it a world superpower. You gotta’ like a woman who can do that!

Toilet paper! Email! Telephones! On a more mundane and practical level – I would miss medicines and hot water and a good bed and so many other things. I am definitely getting old and crotchety and need my comforts!

Over to the rest of you. Terri would love to answer any questions you have about her books and research trips. And we’d both like to know which time period you’d travel back to, as well as what you would miss most.

Terri will be giving away prizes to two lucky visitors. She’ll pick up something special on her upcoming trip to Scotland for two winners and they’ll get their choice of any of her available backlist books.