My special guest today is western-with-a- paranormal-twist award-winning romance author, Lyn Horner. She's busy at work on a new series after the success of her Texas Devlins series. Welcome back, Lyn!
Hi Peggy, thank you for inviting me to your gorgeous site.
It’s an honor to be here. Today, I’d like to tell you and your readers about
the new series I’m working on and what led me down this path. So far I’ve
written mainly western historical romance with dashes of paranormal in the form
of Irish psychics.
With The Scrolls of Danu I’m leaving the Old West and venturing into
modern times, but continuing the psychic theme. This series will consist of nine to ten novellas, all separate
yet intertwined by a larger ongoing story. Think of it as a soap opera on
steroids. Wink! The first book, Beyond the Darkness, is set in
County Kerry, Ireland. Following installments will jump around the globe.
Premise of the series: A great secret handed down through millennia
is guarded by ones who derive unique powers from their long dead ancestors, the
Tuatha Dé Danann.
Legend: “In Irish-Celtic mythology,
the Tuatha Dé Danann (“People of the goddess Danu”) are the Irish race of gods,
founded by the goddess Danu.
These gods, who originally lived on ‘the islands in the west’, had perfected
the use of magic. They traveled on a big cloud to the land that later would be
called Ireland and settled there.” – Micha F. Lindemans, "Tuatha Dé Danann,"
Encyclopedia Mythica Online.
According to the legend, the
Tuatha Dé Danann defeated the Firbolg and the Fomorians, prehistoric
inhabitants of Ireland. Later, they were themselves conquered by Milesians from
the Iberian Penninsula and were driven to the underworld. Called Aes sidhe, they are invisible to mortals,
but in a battle against evil, it is said they will fight beside mankind,
wielding lances of blue flame, carrying snow white shields.
Does that kind of remind you of Tolkien’s Lord of the Ring, with
the mystical elves fighting beside men against the evil forces of Mordor? It
does me!
Enthralled by the magic of Irish
myth, I find myself compelled to follow it where it may lead my character. Of
course there will be romance, since that’s what I love best to write, although
not necessarily hot and steamy in every book. Oh, and there are evil ones
trying to get their hands on the treasured scrolls. Maybe they should be
shrouded in black cloaks like, ride fire-breathing mount and carry swords like
Tolkien’s Ringwraiths, you think?
Naw, that would be plagiarism.
Besides, my bad guys live in the real world, not Middle-earth. Well, not the real world, but the real world of my
imagination.
In this scene, Lara Spenser, Chief Keeper of the ancient scrolls, meets a
man she hopes to hire as her bodyguard.
“Come in,”
she called, opening the door and backing away.
Una stepped into the room with a rolling pin gripped
in one hand and flour dusting her apron. She partially closed the door behind
her.
“Mum, he looks a bad un,” she whispered, worry lines
creasing her brow. “Ye oughtn’t to be alone with him.”
Lara hesitated briefly then put the warning down to
melodramatics. “I’m sure I’ll be fine. Please show him in, Una.”
“But mum, he’s –”
“Show him in,” Lare gently insisted, raising her
hand to stave off further argument.
The Irishwoman issued a mournful sigh and nodded.
“Aye, mum, as ye wish.”
While she went to fetch the man, Lara smoothed her
long skirt and self-consciously fingered the jagged scar on her right cheek.
She considered standing to create a stronger first impression but dismissed the
idea with a grimace. Her injured leg wasn’t strong enough to bear her weight
yet, if it ever would.
A man’s heavy tread accompanied Una’s footsteps up
the hall. The door opened again and the plump Irishwoman warily ushered in a
tall stranger. He halted just over the threshold to stare at Lara, obviously
unprepared for her appearance. She stiffened self-consciously and gulped at the
sight of him. He had to be six-foot-three or four. His coffee-brown hair was
shaggy and several days’ growth of beard shaded his square jaw. Clothed in
faded jeans, a dark shirt, black leather jacket and boots, with studded leather
gloves protruding from one pocket, he looked like he belonged in a motorcycle
gang.
“Mum, this is Mr. O’Shea,” Una said tightly, eyeing
the man with a disapproving scowl.
Lara forced a stiff smile. “Thank you for coming,
Mr. O’Shea. I’m Lara Spenser.” Receiving a silent nod in reply, she glanced at
her housekeeper. “That will be all, Una. I’ll ring if I need you.”
Sticking out her chin, the woman appeared ready to
argue but evidently thought better of it. “Aye, mum. Excuse me, sir,” she
snapped at O’Shea, who finally deigned to step farther into the room.
As the door closed behind him, he cleared his
throat. “Sorry for staring. I wasn’t expecting . . . .” He pointed toward her
wheelchair.
“You needn’t apologize. Perhaps I should have
mentioned this when we spoke.” She tapped her fingers on an arm of the chair,
thinking he was probably more shocked by her scarred face. She’d deliberately
not told him about her infirmities when he phoned yesterday. He was a complete
stranger and in her situation it paid not to give out too much information.
Besides, his Texas drawl had rattled her, causing her to stammer like a
tongue-tied adolescent.
“Maybe so, ma’am, but my mama would skin me alive
for my bad manners,” he said in those deep, achingly familiar tones. He added a
genial smile that softened his rugged features. However, that smile didn’t
reach his steel-gray eyes, eyes that watched her intently, making her stomach
flutter and her hands sweat. Maybe she should have listened to Una.
To find out more about Lyn, please visit her blog!
And check out her books at Amazon
Great interview and excerpt!! Tweeted.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Ella! Glad you enjoyed.
ReplyDeleteLoved the excerpt, Lyn! Tweeted it as well!
ReplyDeleteThanks much, Lana! I love tweets! :)
ReplyDeletePeggy, I want to thank you again for having me here today, and for visiting my site.
ReplyDeleteHey Lyn!
DeleteThanks so much for being here today! Your posts are always so much fun. Good luck with the new series, and I hope you come back to visit again soon!
Great excerpt, Lyn. Many happy sales! And--loved that red cowboy hat you have on. Very nice :) Barb Bettis
ReplyDeleteThanks, Barb. Glad you like the concept and the hat!
ReplyDeleteHi Lyn
ReplyDeleteLoved the interview and the excerpt. Looking forward to reading the book. I will gift a copy to my DIL who is Irish as she loved your other books too.
Great photo too. You should change your cover pic.
H Susan, thanks for hopping over from Aussie Land. I'm happy to know you enjoyed the post, and your DIL likes my stories. Watch for Beyond the Darkness in a few weeks.
ReplyDeleteI am thinking about changing the picture.