By
H K Carlton (Guest Blogger)
Thank
you so much for hosting, today. I’m excited to once again share
this story with readers. The Devil Take You, is a bit different for a
historical romance. Though it’s still heaped with historical
significance of the time—set in 1307 during the Scottish Wars of
Independence and the story also focuses on, of course, a romance, but
the ‘hero’ is the villain.
I
wanted to create an anti-hero, a severely flawed, cruel, and
malevolent character with no hope of redemption.
Meet
Gard Marschand—known in the Highlands as the legendary devil—an
evildoer of epic proportions. Marauder, murderer, thief, a man hell
bent on revenge. He is prepared to do anything, no matter how heinous
to accomplish his goals. This man is nobody's hero. But even in
his wickedness, he still holds to his own moral code, skewed as it
may seem to decent folk.
So,
how then, do we create a romance when the protagonist is such a
deplorable character?
Place
a feisty Scottish lass—with a few secrets of her own—in the
devil's path, of course!
This
story was challenging right from the beginning, and I knew that
I had to create the right woman with a combination of strength,
resilience and an overabundance of, if not understanding, at the very
least acceptance, for a man who has no remorse for any of his
wrongdoings and with no inclination or desire to change. Braelynn
Galbraith began as the woman in the wrong place at the wrong time,
but she eventually evolved into a character that could stand
toe-to-toe with the devil and hold her own.
I
hope you’ll enjoy, The Devil Take You—
Blurb
Braelynn
Galbraith wants peace for her beloved Scotland, marriage to her
childhood sweetheart, and a house full of children. In that order.
But evil incarnate, in the form of Gard Marschand, turns her life
inside out and destroys all hope of a decent marriage.
Known
in the Highlands as the legendary devil, Gard Marschand raids his way
across Scotland and England amassing power and property in his
malevolent wake. He will stop at nothing in his pursuit to regain
what is lost—
even conceal his true identity and associate with his enemies. His
determination is all-consuming until he and his men lay siege to
Ross-shire holding and one feisty Scottish lass obliterates his
single-minded purpose.
Can
Gard abandon his deep-seated need for revenge for a love that just
might save his rotten soul? Or will he succumb to the demons that
hound him and surrender to the devil within?
I
believe your stay in purgatory has only just begun…
This
story has been previously published
Add
it to your Goodreads
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What
readers are saying
What
a fabulous, well crafted story! I could hardly put it down. I love
Brae as much as I loved Holly in the Always Cambridge series. They’re
not the same character at all, but Brae is just as spunky, brave,
creative, smart and grounded.
This
book was wonderful in so many ways. Feisty heroine, brooding hero,
historical facts woven into the plot, descriptions of sweeping
landscapes, drama and intrigue...well-deserved praise!
I
love a good historical romance, especially those set in Scotland.
With a spirited young miss in Brae and a rogue in Gard, HK Carlton
has created two of my favorite characters in The Devil Take You. With
a story that ranks with those of Jude Deveraux and Nora Roberts, HK's
tale will sweep you up in a tide of passion and intrigue that will
keep you turning pages.
Excerpt
Brae
slept until the noise of the camp rising woke her.
She
dressed, then packed her gear and waited for Marschand’s tent to
come down, and the day’s travel to begin.
She
was unsure with whom she would ride this day, Llach or Marschand. Or
if she would have to walk. She could not march too far without
eating. She was starving.
Half
and hour later, Brae waited outside, where Marschand’s quarters had
stood only moments before.
“Did
you eat?” Without a sound, Marschand appeared at her side.
She
jumped. “Nay.”
“Why
not? Do you think if you do not consume, that in death, you will
escape me?”
“Nay,
it had no’ occurred ta me, but it is somethin’ ta keep in mind.
Thank ya for the suggestion.”
His
lips tightened.
“As
usual I am no’ allowed ta leave your quarters, but no one brings me
food,” she explained. “And you are off doin’ wha’e’er it is
tha’ ya do. I’d think ya might be nicer ta the one ye need ta
rely on.”
His
dark eyebrows knitted. “You grant yourself too much importance.”
Unable
to help herself, even after Hudson’s warning, she said, “Ye ne’er
ken when I could reword your correspondence, or jus’ plain no’
read the whole o’ it. Puttin’ ya in a bad position.” She
challenged, returning his scowl. “Ya migh’ want ta think aboot
tha’ the next time ye be dolin’ oot your punishments. I can be
vindictive, too. ’Twould seem ya have a whole lot more ta lose than
I do.” She tried to walk away, but he snaked his hand out and
grabbed her braid, hauling her backward.
His
black eyes glittered as he yanked on her hair so hard, she had no
choice but to face him. “Why do you not learn?” he sneered.
“And
why dinna ye learn? I think I jus’ made meself perfectly clear.”
Slowly and deliberately, she reached downward in hope that neither
Marschand nor his men would detect the measured movement.
“And if you
are of no use to me,” Marschand countered, “then I have no
use for you. Do not bite the hand that feeds you, Mistress Galbraith,
is that not what you once said?”
“No
one feeds me, Marschand, be tha’ no’ wha’ precipitated this
particular argument?”
“And
perhaps the withholding of food may continue, Miss...” He stopped
speaking when she pressed the blade from his own dirk against his
skin. A trickle of blood ran down his neck. His mouth quirked, and
his eyes lit from within.
He
is the most confounding man! If she did not know
better, she’d think he was proud of her. “Ya see, Marschand,
I am learnin’. Soon ya willna be able ta push me
aroond.”
“You
need to be willing to use it, Braelynn.” With lightening speed, he
took hold of her wrist and applied enough pressure that she was
forced to drop the blade. “Or I will continue to push you around
all I wish.” He ground his hips against her, leaving her no doubt
as to what kind of pushing he meant. “But it was a splendid
attempt.” He winked. The carefree action surprised her—so at odds
with his severe nature. “However, I did enjoy the bloodletting.”
Copyright
© 2019
H.K. Carlton
104K words
Buy
Links:
Now
available @ Apple,
B&N and Smashwords
Coming
to other vendors soon
Also available
in Print
I
hope you enjoyed the extract!
If
you’d like to sample another snippet, head on over to my blog Pick
a Genre Already and
read the first chapter.
Happy
Reading!
Kymmie
xoxo
About
the Author
H
K Carlton is a multi-genre Canadian author of romance, with over
thirty titles in publication. From naughty to nice, historical to
contemporary, time travel to space travel, and everything in between.
Variety
is creativity’s
playground—It’s
where you’ll
find me
Author
Links
Blogs:
Outrageous
Girls (contributor)
2 comments:
Thank you so much for hosting today, Lisabet!
I hope your readers enjoy the excerpt. I love these characters and I had a ball writing this story. It's always interesting taking fictional characters and story lines, and weaving them into the historical significance of the time. Scotland holds a special place in my heart, as do Gard and Brae, so it only seemed natural to begin their story in the highlands.
Happy Reading!
Cheers!
H K
Congratulations on the release! I am honestly in awe of people like you who can write a serious historical. I've done some historical shorts, and one novel with a Victorian subplot, but the amount of research required for a 100K novel is simply daunting.
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