Kimberly Killion Talks Scotland and Brings the Man Candy!
Crew and maties! Raise a tankard and shout three Huzzahs for the return of Kimberly Killion, author of Her One Desire (you remember, the wicked cool historical with the daughter of the High Executioner and the Scottish Spy). Guess what? Finally after months and months (and months), her second novel is now on the shelves: Highland Dragon. And best of all, she's here to bring eye candy (see below) and talk heroes!
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Ahoy mateys!
I’m so bloody thrilled to be back aboard the ship! I love me some landlubbers and all, but I’ve gots ta say, I’ve been itchin’ to spend some time with Hellie and the crew.
I talked to Jack about a topic for today, and after much debate (I won) we decided to talk about heroes. Now, you’ve got your pirates, your vampires, and your firemen, but since I’m partial to the braw Scotsman, I want to focus all my energy on him today. You’ve got your page and squire, your kinsmen and womanizing sidekick, but, really, who is the Big Kahuna of the Scots? That’s right, The Laird! Oh, you’ve got to love him. He’s bold, and arrogant. He’s wicked and demanding, but deep down, he’s gentle and sensitive. And who do you suppose can get inside the laird’s head? Oh, aye! The heroine.
Now, before we get all tied up here…
“Hellie, pass the rum.”
“Much thanks.” *wipes mouth on the back of her sleeve and passes the bottle*
In my second release, HIGHLAND DRAGON, I’ve got me one fine braw Scot, and you guessed it, Laird Calin MacLeod has a sensitive side. You see, he’s been betrothed to this fiery lass since she was but a wee bairn. The problem is, she’s the daughter of the evil bloke who murdered his father. 
“Damn!” *Hellie takes a swig, eyes wide and attentive.*
So, you guessed it…Laird MacLeod is a tortured soul, but he ain’t seen nothing yet. This wench pulls, yanks, and jerks on his every last nerve, but she a smart lass indeed. She makes demands of him.
“What kind of demands?”
Well…here’s an excerpt:
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“If ye intend to take liberties on my lips prior to our union, I would request that ye bathe with soap a minimum of once a sennight. Starting this day.”
He snorted loudly at her blatant insult. “M’lady, are ye implying that I smell?”
“I am implying naught. I am telling ye that ye stink.” Akira batted her thick lashes at him. “And this—” she tugged roughly at his beard, “—I fear may be infested. If ye’ve any inclination of kissing me prior to our vows, then your beard will need to go as weel.”
Calin’s eyes widened. “M’lady, a Highlander without a beard is as rare as a sheep with nay wool. I have nary a doubt, ye are testing me.”
Akira crossed her arms over her chest and raised both brows to challenge him.
“Ye cannae be serious. Ye want me to…shave. The bath is acceptable, even desirable at this point, I admit. But the beard? ’Tis a most unreasonable request. Ye cannae ask this of me.”
“Then ye refuse?” She shot him a contrived glare to reflect her stubbornness.
Calin stroked his beard, contemplating briefly. “I’ll not do it. I refuse.”
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Now…I’ll give you and the crew one guess as to what my boy decided to do. *wink*
But, I’ll not ruin the story by giving away too many secrets. You’ll just have to pick up HIGHLAND DRAGON and see what happens.
So, let’s hear from you all…What is your favorite type of hero? Is he a braw Scot or are you partial to those bloodsuckers?
I’ll be in and out as I’m driving home from Chicago, but I’m hoping my first mate, Megan Kelly, will man the helm so I can play with ya’ll.
Time for book pimpage:
Check out my award-winning novel, HIGHLAND DRAGON.
Secrets and lies have a price that must be paid in blood through the generations. In medieval Scotland, Laird Calin MacLeod must choose between avenging his father’s death and surrendering to the passion he finds in the arms of his enemy’s daughter.
Visit Kimberly Killion’s website for contests, excerpts and more: www.kimberlykillion.com
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Best of all, Kimberly is giving away a copy of Highland Dragon to one commenter. So pour a drink and start dishing about your favorite heroes.
Books by the Crew
49 comments:
Hi Kimberly, welcome back!
As an Englishman, I must say that those characters north of the border can be a wee bit rough. And worse still, I'm told that they drink their whisky neat with no ice. And even worse than that I have heard that some distill their own!! *grin*
I loved your first book. The opening scenes in the English dungeon are still seared into my memory. The way that Lizbeth had treated her father's whip with wolfesbane to anaesthetise the pain was a touchingly feminine contribution! No male author would have thought to do that. But then, the victim was a SCOTTISH spy *grin*
I'll bet the equivalent Scottish dungeon would be much less comfortable and the ENGLISH prisoners might not have kept their pillicocks!
I guess you will have done a lot of research on medieval dungeons and torture. May I ask what could attract such a charmingly feminine writer to visit such scenes of savage violence?
I'm glad you did though! :D
Hi Kimberly,
God, I love Scottish Highlander;s. The brawnier, the better. But under all that push and fighting is integrity, honor and a deep devoted love for his Heroine. sigh..... I am so happy The Highland Dragon is out. I can read about the Laird's day in and day out. :)
Thanks for sharing Kimberly.
Carol L.
Lucky4750@aol.com
Welcome aboard, Kimberly! I can't wait to get down and dirty (pun intended) with Calin. I do love those braw Scots! I never, ever tire of them. :)
You totally forgot to say Scotsmen are STUBBORN! :)
I'm married to one... have much first hand experience with that! LOL
Love the excerpt. I'm guessing he wants to please his lady in the end and gets rid of the 'infested' thing! LOL
I'm very partial to the alphas... in any shape or form. Just give me a man that knows exactly what he wants with just the right amount of ambition and manliness and I'm good.
I'm looking forward to this book. I need a good Scottish romance.
Quantum,
I'm probably not half as charming or "delicate" as the normal female author. I am always arguing with my crit partners because I like to do the killing and they want me to focus on the romance.
As for the dungeons...there's another one in Highland Dragon. LOL I hadn't realized it until you started talking about dungeons.
Do you think I might be a wee bit off in the head???
Good den, Carol!
So glad you stopped by and really, imagine how boring life would be without a braw Highlander or two (or 5) *wink*
So I'm sitting here thinking about being on the ship with 5 braw Highlanders...ok, while that's good and all, that's not where I was going with this...Did ya'll know it was a Scottish buccaneer who first settled in Belize???
PJ,
Oh, aye...down and dirty it shall be, but one thing about my characters...they are obsessed with bathing. I hadn't realized it until someone pointed it out, but I just don't like letting them do the nasty if they are "nasty". hehehehe
Tiffany Clare,
You married a Stubborn Scot?!?! So tell me, does he have a beard and does he pout and give you the silent treatment? I'm verra curious to how that modern braw Scot behaves. :)
>>>I’m very partial to the alphas…<<<Agreed! I find it difficult writing a MaryJane hero when he is the leader of hi clan and all. Alpha seems to fit the bill.
*spews Pepsi at her screen* A MARYJANE Hero? OMG! That's the best defamatory remark for beta I've ever heard! (Though I do love the occasional Beta.) I wonder if a Scotsman could be a beta and a laird? Is that even remotely possible? Nah. Unlikely. *LOL* Those are like mutually exclusive descriptors.
Wait, wasn't Jaime from the Outlander series--wasn't he sorta beta? And a laird?
I love a hot looking man in a kilt, wielding a deadly sexy accent and a great big sword. *blinks* You know a broadsword. Highlanders always carry them. What? It's in Braveheart. Didn't you see Mel Gibson's sword?
Um - I second everything Hellie just said!
Welcome Kimberly!
Your book has gotten some great word of mouth on twitter and online. Congrats on the new release!
Welcome back aboard Kimberly!
And you brought such handsome fellows with you.
I love the Scottish Lairds too. And I'm with whoever said that I bet he shaves his beard to make nice with his girl. Though I bet it isn't without at least some concessions....
:)
Sabrina,
YOu know I'm doing the twitter thing, but I just don't get how to converse with all the @ things and such. I want to participate in one of those follow friday events, but don't know how to get it started. Lil help???
Hellie,
Pepsi!!! At this hour? I do hope you have rum mixed with that. LOL
I think you are right about Jamie being a beta. *shrug* I've tried to write a more sensitive hero, but he always turns alpha.
Marnee Jo,
>>>And you brought such handsome fellows with you.<<<
Do I not always bring the man candy?!? Come now. Hey, speaking on man candy, did any one you make it to the Ren Fairre in KC? I so badly wanted to go.
And you all guess right about my boy, Calin. He did in fact sereate himself from his facial hair, but she pays for it. LOL
Hi, Kimberly! I can't wait to pick up Highland Dragon. It's been way too long since I've read a historical with a sexy Scottish Laird! And I almost think you have to be an alpha hero to get away with wearing a kilt. :)
*wicked look* I don't know. I don't know if he shaves the beard. I have a whole naughty scene in mind where he convinces her the beard is a very good thing.
Kimberley I'll be happy to help you on twitter. I thought it was a stupid waste of time until I learned how to really use it to advantage.
My first recommnedation is to get TweetDeck. It's a free program but totally changed how useful twitter is. You can get instant updates of the people you follow and it's easier to retweet people and send them messages. I highly recommend it. It will help you "get" twitter a lot.
Look for a Follow Friday post from me to you (obviously on Friday) and it will give you an idea of how to do them.
First off, Kimberly has the most awesome shoes. Almost as awesome as the brawny men she totes around. Such a hard job that lady has.
I'm realizing it's been forever since I've read a Scottish hero. Hmmmm.....how did that happen? Must rectify this right away and Calin sounds like just the man to break me back in. *w*
I'm guessing by the cover the beard is gone. (Not that covers ever match, but that's a different blog entirely.) And the "but she pays for it" bit has me wondering "Did they do Brazilians in these times?" LOL!
Now, for the umpteenth time, a Beta is NOT a maryjane hero. A maryjane hero is simply a wuss and obviously NOT a hero. Betas are NOT wusses.
*deep breath* Will I be defending my Betas to my dying breath? HUH?! Where's Janga when I need her?!
Hi Kimberly :)
Thank you for sharing today. I loved the excerpt. Great dialogue!
All the best,
RKCharron
xoxo
Kim! Sorry I'm late everyone! You'd think I took the day off yesterday, or something. LOL
I'm liking the eye candy in the blog. Nice. I wish I would've gotten here a little earlier this morning because he looks like he's been drooled on a bit already.
Well, we all know I love the vamps. I love demons. But I'm partial to brawny Scots as well.
Pirates. Me heros have always been pirates!
Though right now a good pilot with a fast plane would make me list. Sittin' in DC, hopin' me flight takes off. Inclement weather back home in California could make this an interestin' day!
A little off topic - I gave in and finally decided to do NaNoWriMo. Anything to help me along!
If you're particiapting feel free to add me as a buddy and I'll nudge and encourage all I can! I'm CheekyGirl there.
You can sign up for that already? I need to check that out. I've never done it before, but I think I need to this year. I could knock out another 260 pages in a month, right? Right?
*crickets chirping*
Yeah, I was afraid of that.
Hellie,
I finally got my first mate to take over the helm so I could catch up and I knew you all would be partying without me.
Now, about Calin's beard...let me just say, the wench makes a lot of demand of my boy and he wants to make her happy, plus he wants thos sweet kisses, but I'll not give it away...you'll just have to read it. *wink*
Melissa,
If you are loking for an alpha male in a kilt, then I do hope you pick up the book. I will admit I love Hannah Howell's Scottish heroes. She has a great voice and is the queen of Highland hunks. ;)
Sabrina,
I would really appreciate some twitter tips. I'll check out tweetDeck. What does it do? I did TwitterFon I think. My blog topics go to twitter then to facebook and the like, and I think I can post from my phone, but haven't done it in a while.
And how do I retweet? I've heard people talk about that. I guess I just need to take Twitter 101.
OK...I'll keep my eyes peeled for you this friday. Am I following you now? What is your name over there? Do I have to be following you to make this work???
Bo'sun,
Hmmm...I see I've struck a cord with the whole Maryjane comment. Bloody hell! I hate to piss off the crew! How can I make it up to you???
On the shoes...I take it you saw me at conference sporting my plaid pumps. Glad you liked them as they are hell on my baby toes.
>>>Did they do Brazilians in these times?<<<Ummm...they did in Italy, but that's a different book, lol.
OK...I'm reading for the Beta lecture. Bring it, oh and grab some more rum. *w*
Hiya Sin! I wondered when you'd show up. Were you up late swabbing the deck???
Chance,
You flying out or flying in???
Sabrina,
The NaNo terrifies me, but I soooo need it. I've had a couple ideas creep up on me in the last few weeks and I'll like to play with them, but I'm so not a fast writer. I'd like to hear any tips anyone has on this whole NaNo thing...
Huh. NaNoWriMo and twitter. Two things I know absolutely nothing about but suspect they would do two opposite things for my writing. I guess Twitter is good for promotion but I'm afraid if I don't keep my back turned to it I'll never have anything to promote! That NaNoWriMo sounds like something I need to do though!
That's "Hellie TIED..." Damn fingers.
Kim - Technically, Hellie tide the maryjane comment to the beta thing. So it's her fault. As is usually the case. She likes to provoke me.
I just get tired of Beta being equated with weak. Those words are not synonimous. But I also agree that it would be very difficult to write a true Highlander hero and have him be anything but Alpha.
Yep, saw the shoes at the literacy signing in DC. And the sash (though you told me the real name for that and of course I don't remember) was a nice touch too.
*grins* I admit it is my fault. I totally did it to tweak the Bo'sun. It's only fair. She provokes me all the time.
See?! She makes this stuff up. I'm the least provoking person on this ship.
:)
*taking a decided step to the right and out of lightning strikes*
I share Terri's partiality for beta heroes, but for me one of the wonders of Romancelandia is that we don't have to choose. We can enjoy alpha, beta, and gamma heroes--and some that defy classification--in all their splendor. :)
No beard on my Scot, but he does brood and give me the silent treatment when he's mad.
My favourite hero is the historical highlander!
Hellie - Be careful where you step, it's a long way down and the water is cold this time of year. I'd hate for someone to accidentally push you.
Janga - They called beta heroes "maryjane heroes". Help me out here. This is no time for diplomacy!
Terri, my dear, namecalling is the pitful defense of the threatened. Those of us with superior intelligence and a broader world view have to be patient and understanding of the unenlightened. :)
I love a good Scotsman. Strong and honorable.
Whew! Finally got home! Let me see what I missed...
Bo'sun...I can't believe that Hellie would stir the s**t. LOL I'll have to do a search to find that BETA/Maryjane conversation. *wink* Maybe I can get you two into a fistycuffs.
Tiffany,
I'm not a fan of facial hair either, but the fact is, in the Highlands, these men wore beards so I decided make a big deal out of it in this particular book. I admit, I enjoy torturing my poor Calin. ;)
Hooray for Chey and her love of Highlanders!!!!!!!!!
>>>Those of us with superior intelligence and a broader world view have to be patient and understanding of the unenlightened.<<<
ACK! Are thems fightin' words!?
Kim,
I can't wait to pick up your newest-I loved Her One Desire.
I'm taking Jackie Ivie's online workshop and am enjoying your contributions.
Di
Di R,
I love Jackie! She is so funny. I'm sure you will enjoy her class. She put a lot of time into it.
And I'm so glad you enjoyed Her One Desire!!! Yay!
Hope you enjoy Calin and Akira's story as well. ;)
I’m not a fan of facial hair either, but the fact is, in the Highlands, these men wore beards so I decided make a big deal out of it in this particular book.
See! This is the sort of attention to detail that is so awesome about your books!
I like my Highlanders and I like my vampires it depends on what type of mind frame I'm in there is even a few books that have Scottish Vampires the rill hot.
sasluvbooks@yahoo.com
Soooo...Jack is calling for me, but I wanted to quickly pop back in to thank Hellie and the rest of the crew for having me on. *Coming Jack*
Gotta run, Jack gets so impatient when he's ... *wink*
Muah XOXOXO
Thanks for spending the day with us, Kim! You're always one of our favorite guest pirates.
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