Julianne MacLean and Highland Inspirations

THE ENEMY IN HER BED
Lady Amelia Templeton would rather die than surrender to a man like Duncan MacLean. He is the fiercest warrior of his clan—her people’s sworn enemy—and tonight he is standing over her bed. Eyes blazing, muscles taut, and battle axe gleaming, MacLean has come to kill Amelia’s fiancé. But once he sees the lovely, innocent Amelia, he decides to take her instead…

THE LOVER IN HIS ARMS
Stealing the young bride-to-be is the perfect revenge against the man who murdered Duncan’s one true love. But Lady Amelia turns out to be more than a pawn of vengeance and war. This brave, beautiful woman touches something deep in Duncan’s soul that is even more powerful than a warrior’s fury. But when Amelia begins to fall in love with her captor—and surrenders in his arms—the real battle begins…

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So pretend for one minute that you are a romance author, and you are looking for your next story idea. Where does it come from?

I am going to wear my heart on my sleeve today and confess that I have a thing for Gerard Butler. He won me over duringhis first scene in Phantom of the Opera, where he portrayed the ultimate tortured hero and lured the innocent young heroine into the private depths of the theater and seduced her with his music of the night.

The way he played that character was an inspiration for one of my older books, PORTRAIT OF A LOVER, which was about a shunned son of an aristocrat who lived outside of society, perceived by some as a monster.

Skip ahead a few more years, when Igo to the movies and salivate over Gerry’s sword-swinging prowess in 300. I am simply compelled – COMPELLED I tell you – to write a hero who embodies all the savage, courageous, brutal, yet honorable qualities of such a man.

 

Hence, a Scottish Highlander trilogy is born. I tossed aside my customary“English gentleman hero in a top hat” to embrace the savage beauty of man like Gerry.

Please, Hollywood, I beg of you. Make a movie out of my book, CAPTURED BY THE HIGHLANDER, and send Gerard Butler to Nova Scotia to consult with me about the deep, soulful aspects of Duncan MacLean, the lead character in the book. Gerry, I won’t ask you to supress your Scottish accent. You can be yourself, and you can film the movie in your home country, and wear a kilt. I will even come to Glasgow and have lunch with your mum, tell her what a great job she did bringing you into the world, and share a few laughs.

Here’s a brief excerpt from the first book in the trilogy – just for you, Gerry – but if you decide you prefer the hero in Book 2 or Book 3, I’m am totally flexible. They were all based on you anyway. You can look at the covers for all three books on my website at www.juliannemaclean.com, and make your choice.

In the meantime, here’s a taste of what you have inspired in this warm-hearted and hard-working romance author. And thank you from the bottom of my heart for being such a desirable Highlander and stirring the passions of my muse. I fulfilled an entire three-book contract thanks to you.

From Chapter Three of CAPTURED BY THE HIGHLANDER…

Amelia sat on the floor of the cave, fighting against an overwhelming sense of defeat. No matter how hard she tugged and wrenched at the thin ropes binding her wrists, she could not free herself. She was trapped like a helpless fawn in a wolf’s den, and soon her captor would return and do what he’d wanted to do to her all along, since the moment he’d crept into her fiancé’s bedchamber.

Then suddenly he was there before her, kneeling down, pulling a knife from his boot. Terror exploded within her.

“Please,” she said, tugging harder and more desperately at the bonds. “If you possess the smallest shred of humanity, you will let me go. You must.”

He raised the knife in the dim light, and just when she thought he was going to cut her throat, he sliced through her bonds instead. They dropped lightly to the ground.

“You’re a fighter, aren’t you?” He took both her hands in his and held them up to inspect the undersides of her wrists. “I admire your tenacity, but look what you’ve done to yourself.”

A thin trail of blood was dripping down her arm. He reached for a cloth, dipped it into the pot of water that hung on a hook over the unlit fire, and touched it to her wrists. Gently, he washed the blood away.

“Are you going to kill me?” she asked, glancing uneasily at the sword he carried. “Because if I am to be put to death, I wish to know.”

He remained focused on what he was doing. “I’m not going to kill you.”

She was grateful for the information, certainly, but was still a far cry from feeling calm and reassured.

“What about the other Highlander?” she asked. “He doesn’t seem to like me very much.” She glanced toward the mouth of the cave.

“You’re right. He detests the very ground you walk on.” The Butcher folded the cloth and continued to wipe her forearm with the cleaner side of it.

“Why? Because I am English? Or is it because I am engaged to Colonel Bennett?”

He paused. “I reckon both those things make him want to murder you where you stand.”

The cloth touched a tender spot, and Amelia snapped her hand back.

He looked at her intently, and somehow without a single word, he persuaded her with his eyes to endure the discomfort without complaint. She found herself responding, as if she were being lured into a comfortable obedience…

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Many thanks to Julianne for joining us today!

For a chance to win a copy of CAPTURED BY THE HIGHLANDER, leave a comment below. Good luck! 😀

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