Celts & More. Lynn Crain's, The Haunting of Maggie Grey. Read What Happens Next!

Welcome! Though it’s the last week of my Celts and More Blog Event, expect more top-notch author interviews at A Writer’s Mind in April.

For those of you swinging in for the first time, this particular event features not only Celtic work written by some of your favorite authors, but focuses on their non-Celtic tales as well. In addition, each author is graciously sharing a never-before-read scene from the main tale being featured. Either it’s been deleted from the story or written especially for this blog event!

This week I’m pleased to welcome romance author Lynn Crain. Here’s what Lynn had to say about the skit she wrote for this blog event… “I've made it a glimpse after the story because it just won EPIC's eBook Award for Historical Erotic Romance.”

Congratulations, Lynn! I love the idea of continuing on for a peek at what happened after the story finished. Crain also donated some pictures of Scotland for your viewing pleasure. Below you'll see snapshots of Castle Dunvegan (the hero's ancestral home), the gardens around Dunvegan on the Isle of Skye, Urquhart on the banks of Loch Ness, a cathedral ruin at Nairn and the palace at Linlithgow

A bit about The Haunting of Maggie Grey…

Maggie Grey had wanted to be a doctor all her life. She achieved her dream along with her husband, Justin. Together they planned to build a clinic on his ancestral home on the Isle of Skye in Scotland. But women doctors in the year 1882 didn’t have many options and even fewer if they were widowed like she had been recently. Arriving in England to visit Elizabeth Blackwell, founder of the London Medical School for Woman, she is discouraged to find that the only real health care on the remote Isle of Skye will be herself, a few aging doctors as well as veterinary doctors.

But she must build a clinic there to escape her memories and fulfill her late husband’s dream. Maggie goes by train and boat to the rather bleak Isle of Skye. The island is almost as barren as she feels and she isn’t sure if she can even fit in. Add the fact that her dead husband is haunting her with the request for her to fall in love again and she knows she’s losing her mind.

But the people of Skye need her…and she is determined not to let them down...but they are slow to accept a widowed woman doctor. Now if she were married again…that would be a different matter…and her dead husband, Justin, knows just the right man for the job, Conall MacGryman, his childhood friend and cousin, a veterinary for the island. Now all Justin has to do is to convince Maggie to give the man a chance so she can fall in love again…for both their sakes.

Never-before-read excerpt…

“Would you look at that?” Conall MacGryman folded the paper to get a better look.

“What do you have there, husband?” Maggie, his wife, peered over his shoulder as she bounced their son on her hip.

Conall smiled up at her and she remembered every reason in great detail as to why she married him. “It says that the book, The Haunting of Maggie Grey, won the prestigious EPIC eBook Award for Historical Erotic Romance. Imagine that.”

She playfully punched him on the shoulder, all the while bouncing their cooing son. “It’s a great story. I’m glad it won.” She leaned down and kissed him. “It’s very true to life and as we know it didn’t end there.”

He growled and pulled them both down to his lap. “Of course the story didn’t end there, lass. It didn’t end at the wedding, it didn’t end with the birth of our son and as far as I’m concerned, it won’t be ending till both of us are in the grave.”

She laughed as he kissed her much like he had that very first time, fierce but gentle. Their son, Justin, giggled at his parents antics as he stood on his mother lap, throwing his arms around both of them. “Ma-ma-ma. Pa-pa-pa.”

“Did you just hear our son?” Conall beamed with fatherly pride.

Maggie frowned at him. “He’s been doing this all week. You’ve just been too busy to notice.”

“Just so you know, wife, I will never be too busy for you.” He crushed them both to his chest for a few brief moments before loosening his hold.

“Aye, I know, Conall. You two are the air I breathe.” She smiled at them, a tear in her eye. Their story was special and she knew just how much yet, she was glad the rest of the world knew as well.

That was fantastic, Lynn! Thanks so much for sharing!

Click here to read another fabulous excerpt from The Haunting of Maggie Grey.

Purchase The Haunting of Maggie Grey here.

What they’re saying…

“With skillful writing, the author created main characters who were likable and whom I became invested in.”

~ Stephanotis
Whipped Cream Reviews

Lynn also decided she’d like to promote one of her Works-in-progress which I thought was a super idea. Here’s a bit about Where's My Underwear Anyway?

Aeryn Delancie is ready to move away from corporate law and find something new. However, when she runs into her ex-lover, Logan MacKenzie, through a chance encounter she wonders if he could be part of her new life since their horrible breakup fifteen years ago. The barriers between them are immense and fraught with secrets on both sides, forcing them to overcome past wrongs as they forge a future together.

Unedited Excerpt:

“I suppose you’ve come to collect your property.” His predatory stare would make any woman squirm but then again, I wasn’t just any woman.

No ‘hello, how have you been the last fifteen years’ from this man. It was all strictly business. I’m sure this would be only the first change of many I would see. The Logan I knew really couldn’t give a rat’s ass about business or anything else for that matter. He had been warm, loving, and carefree. His attitude had caused a rift between him and his father, which was something I couldn’t understand in the least. My parents died in a car crash when I was half way through graduate school but we were always close. From the moment they were gone, my grandmother Nana, took over for my parents.

“Good…straight to the point. I’m sure your wife loves that quality about you.” I nodded my head in agreement. “If I can come in and collect my underwear…”

He cut me off mid-sentence as he opened the door to usher me in. “No wife.”

This caused me to stop even with him and look up into his smoldering green eyes. “No wife?” I murmured as my heart beat faster.

“No wife,” he whispered back and dipped his head slightly toward mine.

What I wouldn’t do to feel those lips on mine. Until I had my property back, I had to maintain focus. Maybe this working vacation would turn out better than I thought. “I – I need to get my underwear back from you.”

“No can do.” He stepped back, his hand pressed into my back, moving me inside.

I stepped a few feet away, turned and stared at him. “What do you mean ‘no can do’?”

The door shut firmly behind him, he leaned back against it. “What do you want it to mean?”

I sighed aloud this time, realizing this would be harder than I thought especially since there was no wife in the picture. Logan had never been a pushover as he was proving once again. “Logan, I’m not here to play games. I want my underwear back.”

He stared at me a moment more before he pushed himself away from the door where he leaned, watching me as his eyes meandered up and down my body. “Why don’t you follow me and then we can discuss it.”

As I followed him through the large penthouse flat, I noticed the artful blend of old and new. The sofa might have been new but the knitted blanket I recognized as one his mother had made. Past and present dotted the walls in the form of pictures and other memorabilia. “It looks like you’ve done really well for yourself.”

“I get by.” He continued to walk, not even turning to acknowledge the fact I had actually enquired about something personal.

“Boy, friendly, aren’t you?” I muttered under my breath. Suddenly, I found myself pinned against the wall. Not in a bad way mind you but in a sexual, predatory way. My heart felt like it would leap from my chest any moment now. I watched him consume me with his eyes, hot smoldering eyes that spoke of sin and sex and heaven only knew what other delights.

“What do you want me to say, Aeryn?” He leaned into my hair as if breathing in the scent. “Did you expect me to say something like ‘hi honey I’ve missed you these past fifteen years’? Or would you rather I cut right to the chase and take you right here?”

My eyes opened wide and I felt my body drip with desire as my nipples hardened. I wanted this man like no other but I couldn’t…no, it wouldn’t do to let him know that fact…not one little bit. I hadn’t expected the anger and maybe his emotion had something to do with last night. “Ah – actually – ah, I just came for my underwear.” I swallowed hard and watched him look at the workings of my throat. I realized it would take little to entice him to place his mouth there.

Slowly, he leveraged himself away from me, making sure I felt every bulge and muscle in his entire body. “Like I said, no can do.” He turned to continue down the hall and I followed him into a rather large office with a splendid view of Edinburgh Castle.

“Wow.” I could only stare at the castle dominating the scene. “You get to look at that every day?” I glanced at him amazed at the wonder I saw in his eyes. He was just as affected by what stood out the window as I was.

“I do.” He indicated a dark leather chair in front of his desk as I returned to the reality of the situation.

I turned away from the window and slowly sat in the chair when my eyes caught something above his desk. I gasped and leaned forward to get a better look. In a beautiful display case were my underwear artfully presented like any other piece I had seen while walking through the penthouse. “Just what do you think you’re doing?” I finally managed to grind out through clenched teeth. This wasn’t funny one little bit.

Sky here. This sounds like it’s going to be a delicious read, Lynn. Thanks again for sharing!

Learn more about Lynn and her work at her Website.

Be sure to pop over to The Write Life to meet another talented author and perhaps win a prize!

Cheers
~Sky