It's UK heroes time. Silver James chats about Faerie Fate. Comment by July 16th to win!!!

Welcome to my Sizzlin’ Hot Heroes of Scotland, Ireland, England & Wales summer blog event. Last week was a smashing success and I don’t doubt this week will be just as successful. We do love our UK heroes! This week it’s my pleasure to introduce talented author, Silver James. She’ll be dishing out about her latest release, Faerie Fate. Naturally, there’s a contest involved. For a chance to win an Ecopy of Faerie Fate and a $6 gift certificate to The Wild Rose Press main store, be sure to leave a comment!

FAERIE FATE

If you could go back, do it over again, would you take a chance to find true love? What if you had no choice?

On her fiftieth birthday, the faerie catapult Rebecca Miller a thousand years into the past to find her happily ever after with Ciaran MacDermot, Chief of Clann MacDermot and the last Fenian warrior in his line. In the twenty-first century, Becca is old enough to be Ciaran’s mother. In the tenth, she’s young enough to be his bride.

The fae forgot to mention one slight stipulation. The lovers must be bound before the Festival of Light, or Becca will forever disappear into Tir Nan Óg, the faerie Land of the Ever Young. Will they discover the binding words before time runs out and they’re torn apart forever? Or will their eternal love defeat their Faerie Fate?

Without the words, history is doomed to repeat itself.

SKY: Welcome, thanks for joining me this week!

SILVER: Thanks for inviting me, Sky! It's a real pleasure to be here talking about one of my favorite things—hot, Celtic men.

SKY: Mmm, couldn’t agree more! By the way, LOVE Faerie Fate’s cover! Tell me, what inspired you to create your hero’s character? Did he simply form as you wrote or had he been in your mind for some time?

SILVER: Ciaran, unlike many of my heroes, developed slowly. I had the idea for the plot and the heroine's character came to me almost whole cloth, unlike his. He had to be a warrior and he had to be comfortable in at least the two “incarnations” of his life presented in the book. He was rather illusive at first but one day, he pulled up a stool, sat down opposite me with a tankard of ale to sip while we talked. We spent a lovely afternoon getting to know each other. I learned all sorts of things about him, and some of them, like his wry sense of humor, surprised me.

SKY: *Smiles* Already sounds like my kinda guy. Give me a little insight into Ciaran’s personality. Is he cunning, aggressive, arrogant, kind, humorous─share all!

SILVER: Yes. All of the above. LOL. And add stubborn, honorable, caring, and open-minded. (He has to be in order to believe Becca has returned to his time from the future.) Ciaran is a warrior clann chief in 10th Century Ireland. The King of Connaught relies on his military expertise and aid. The people of Clann MacDermot depend on him to be fair and just and to defend them, too. He's also a lonely man. His cousin is quite the rake, his captain of the guard has a wife, and while Ciaran could bed any cailín in the village, he sleeps alone. Instinctively, he wants to love a woman's heart and soul, not just her body.

Ciaran rescues a battered Becca and installs her in his chamber to heal. In this excerpt, she's just awakened to discover him watching:

Becca sucked in her breath. That gorgeous guy lounged against the door jamb, leering at her.

“How long have you been there?” she sputtered.

Grinning lopsidedly, he affirmed her worst fear when he answered, “Long enough, cailín.”

The man positively purred at her, and she couldn’t keep her eyes from straying. Lord but he was tall, and all that black hair, not to mention… She jerked her gaze back to his face.

Ciaran really hadn’t meant to watch her get out of bed, but when she threw back the covers and was naked… Then she swung those magnificent legs over the side of the bed, and he couldn’t force his eyes to look away or his body to behave. He was pleased she’d boldly looked him over. Tit for tat, he thought. Then the delicate pink tip of her tongue swept across her bottom lip, and he almost groaned aloud. He knew the gesture was unconscious on her part, which made it even more enticing. When her top teeth tugged at her lip, it was all he could do to stand there. Every muscle in his body wanted to sweep her into his arms so he could kiss her soundly. She blushed and the fact she was embarrassed by her perusal of him amused a man who’d never been amused by a cailín before.

Defensively, she pulled the throw closer around her. “Do you mind?” she snarled pointedly.

“I don’t mind at all.” His masculine conceit fueled his smug grin.

Becca looked around for something to throw at his arrogant face. Guessing her intentions, he laughed before ducking out the door and tugging it closed behind him.

SKY: Suburb excerpt! Turning up the temperature─Why are readers going to fall in love with your hero-lust for him?

SILVER: Ciaran is a man who, when he falls in love, will do whatever it takes. That said, he is also a man of honor and sometimes, honor demands he walk away from the woman he loves in order to do his duty. He is also a romantic at heart. Proud, he can still show his gentle side. He is all Alpha Male. Arrogant. Strong. Completely sure of himself, despite Becca leaving him gobsmacked. Even so, he has a big heart and he loves his cailín with his entire heart and soul.

In this excerpt, Ciaran has been summoned by the king for an extended military campaign. There is much still to be settled between him and Becca, but it will have to wait until his return:

Becca wrapped the mantle around her like a toga. She ran from the room but stopped on the top step of the stairs, unaware her guard had stopped behind her. Men milled about the great hall, Niall and a few others shouting orders. Ciaran stood in the midst of it all, a wild warrior tall and strong.

She couldn’t breathe. He wasn’t just handsome. He was beautiful in the way the Rocky Mountains were with their rugged majesty, the way a desert sunset was all crimson fire, blazing across a blue sky, so brilliant one had to squint. Her eyes filled with rainbows as she blinked away tears.

Ciaran looked up and stopped breathing. Like some ethereal fae, Becca stood at the top of the stairs wrapped in his mantle. Her hair framed her face and bare shoulders in a golden nimbus. The subtle reds and grays of his plaid suited her. His chest swelled as he remembered to breathe. The sight of her standing on the stairs wearing nothing but his colors was one he would gladly take to his grave. He touched his heart with his fingertips then made a fist. Extending his clenched hand toward her, he opened his fist, hoping she’d understand.

Becca recognized what Ciaran’s gesture meant. She stretched out her hand and envisioned it gently wrapping around his. She drew back her fist, laid it above her heart and then spread out her hand. Ciaran had offered her his heart. In return, she’d taken over the safekeeping of it in her own.

Ciaran smiled at her, lust, need, and something deeper, more profound shining in his eyes. Becca kissed the tips of the first and second fingers on her left hand and blew him the kiss. He caught it and pressed his hand to his lips. Abruptly, he turned away from her, his voice rising above the babble around him.

“We ride!”

SKY: Another super excerpt. Ciaran sounds delicious! Thanks so much for visiting and sharing.

SILVER: Thanks for being such a terrific hostess, Sky. It's been my pleasure to be here.

About FAERIE FATE (available now):

FOUR STARS This is a wonderful mix of adventure and humor, with an unforgettable heroine who follows the voices in her head and travels back to a time of handfasting, dreamy Irish men and clan wars. Although Ciaran and his Irish ways are not new to romance novels, Becca is extremely humorous and fun, and makes the reader laugh out loud as she waltzes into yesteryear.

~Romantic Times Magazine

Captivating, Timeless and Passionate! Faerie Fate crosses the boundaries of time and faerie law to reunite two souls in the sacred binding of love. Silver James is a writer to watch!

~Jennifer Lyon, award-winning author of the Wing-Slayer Hunter Series (Ballentine)

About FAERIE FIRE (coming September 17, 2010):

“An expert blend of edgy romantic suspense and captivating magic, Silver James spins a tale that places the mystical heart of a paranormal into the rock hard torso of a suspense.”

~Roxanne St. Claire, national bestselling author (and Silver James fan!)

Silver's website and blog: Penumbra

FAERIE FATE by Silver James available now from The Wild Rose Press, Amazon.com, B&N.com, and Borders. You can also by the ebook from most on-line ebook sellers.

Don't forget, for a chance to win an Ecopy of Faerie Fate and a $6 gift certificate to The Wild Rose Press main store be sure to leave a comment by Friday, July 16th 12 PM EST.

~Sky