I Love Big Orange...Cows by Nancy Lee Badger

Welcome back to History Undressed, guest author, Nancy Lee Badger! Today she's sharing with us her love of Highland cows. Enjoy!

I Love Big Orange…Cows

by Nancy Lee Badger   

Orange? Thank the Highlands of Scotland for sharing the biggest, hairiest, cold-weather adaptive side of beef with America…the Highland steer. Known as Bò Ghàidhealach in Scottish Gaelic, these large docile animals are best known with their long horns and shaggy red coats, but are also bred in black, dun, brindled, and yellow. Although this animal, bred for its lean tasty beef, was developed in the Scottish Highlands and the Western Isles of Scotland, the Scots exported breeding stock worldwide. 

Their heavy coats protect them from the harsh climate of Scotland’s Highlands. High rainfall, strong winds, and hilly terrain are no problem. Even countries whose winter climates are even colder than Scotland have seen an explosion of herds. Their shaggy hair protects them during the cold winters, keeping the fat content low. They also have this uncanny skill to find food in steep mountain areas, or to graze on vegetation many other cattle refuse to try. Highland cows have a long history of living with humans, and the early Scots kept the family cow inside their homes during the winter.

I won’t go into the meat-producing aspects of the Highland steer. Instead, I will share photos I took at the recent Loch Norman Highland Games in Huntersville, NC. The festival is held at the Rural Hill Historic Site, a year-round historic village complete with a cabin, corn shed, blacksmith forge, and Highland cows. For the first time since I started attending these games, I was able to get close to the mama and her calf. Not too close, as Highland cows are highly devoted as well as protective mothers. Cows may produce into their late teens, which reduces the need for frequent herd replacement. Financially, they are a good bet.

The dad was brazen and begged for handfuls of corn. Did he notice men dressed in kilts and women in long dresses? Did he care that several fur-wearing men walked by with longbows across their shoulders. Did he worry that marching band members stopped to visit with dirks on their hips? Since bulls can weigh in at almost 1800 pounds, I was glad the sturdy fence was between him…and us.

I mention the cows in my latest release, My Lady Highlander, which is the first book in my Kilted Athletes Through Time series. Here is a short except:

“Are we close to the border?” Bull asked.

Izzy whispered, “Aye. The darkness will aid us in crossing the meadow unseen. If we be lucky, my former ale master has put up barrels of honey ale.”

“Let’s hurry!”

She laughed at his exuberance, slapping a hand over her mouth. Stealth would keep them alive.

When they reached the edge of the meadow, they crouched behind low branches. If the moon, hidden somewhere behind heavy clouds, reappeared before they traveled the distance across the meadow, they would be as visible as the Highland cows, mooing, to their left.

“What’s that sound? A cow?”

“Aye. Highland cattle, so stay to the right and watch yer step.”

“Great. I’ll probably trip, and land face-first in a pile of cow droppings.”

She chuckled.

“That was funny?”

“Nay. I was thinking…” She fingered the potions in her pocket. “I carry a potion bottle filled with what we call cow-cakes.”

“Why the heck did you bring that along?”

“That title be misleading. ‘Tis actually an infusion of giant hogweed, a potion that can burn the skin. ‘Twas the only weapon I could grab when we…were interrupted.”

“Don’t know where you’d use that.”

She shrugged. “Mind yer steps. If ye do step wrong, I shall do my best to get ye a bath.”

For more information on the breed, there are several breeding associations across the United States and Canada, and they can be found online. Please enjoy my photos.

About the Author

Fourteen books later, Nancy Lee Badger still loves chocolate-chip shortbread and wool plaids wrapped around the trim waist of a Scottish Highlander. Her stories tempt you with the clang of broadswords, and the sound of bagpipes in the air. After growing up in Huntington, New York, and raising two handsome sons in New Hampshire, she moved to North Carolina where she writes full-time. Nancy is a member of Romance Writers of America, Heart of Carolina Romance Writers, Fantasy-Futuristic & Paranormal Romance Writers, Triangle Area Freelancers, and the Celtic Heart Romance Writers.  

BOOK BLURB

Isobel MacHamish escaped a betrothal in ancient Scotland. She rebuilt her life in present-day New England, yet something-or someone-is missing. Arson, thievery, a stalker, and a handsome caber-tossing athlete turn her world upside down.

Bryce Buchanan saves a pretty woman-twice. Sent back to ancient Scotland-again-he is trapped between the skittish woman, and a man pressuring her into marriage. Battles, swords, a Scottish brownie, and a power-hungry laird make ‘Bull’ want to head home to New England.

To escape her former lover, and his murderous, father, Izzy finds her inner warrior. And, when the handsome athlete shows her what falling in love can bring, she is torn, because keeping her hands to herself, is one battle she will never win.

Connect with Nancy Lee Badger

Blog                                      http://www.nancyleebadger.blogspot.com
Website                                 http://www.nancyleebadger.com
Twitter                                  https://twitter.com/NLBadger
Facebook                              http://on.fb.me/KMGS4z                    
Goodreads                            http://bit.ly/Vd1Usg
Amazon Author Page           http://amzn.to/13ICHLq

My Lady Highlander Buy Links:

Amazon                              http://amzn.to/1i72gLV

Amazon Print                     http://amzn.to/QKTP2Q

NOOK                                http://bit.ly/1j9Eu51

Barnes & Noble Print         http://bit.ly/1qdbe0n

My Honorable Highlander, Nancy’s first book in her Highland Games Through Time series is part of 10 Timeless Heroes: magic & destiny unite lovers across time and space in this epic collection of award-winning, chart topping tales. From sweet to sizzling romances, 10 Timeless Heroes has a little something for everyone. Over fifteen hundred pages!

Amazon     http://amzn.to/RuFTub

NOOK       http://bit.ly/1ntUSi5

KOBO       http://bit.ly/1iydpJu\

Dragons, Mythology, and Romance by Nancy Lee Badger

Welcome back to History Undresesd, guest blogger, Nancy Lee Badger! Nancy writers historical/paranormal romance. Today she's written a post for us on dragons and mythology! You may remember reading a couple of years ago her post on Dragons of Scotland, if not its worth a read! Enjoy! 

Dragons, Mythology, and Romance

 by Nancy Lee Badger for History Undressed

I love dragons. Who doesn’t? Whether you consider them an extinct species, or mythological hokum, there is mystery to dragons that make them work in a paranormal romance novel. They fill books and songs, have been immortalized in paintings, and their stories have been passed down through folklore. I have written several books where one of my main characters is a Scottish dragon in human form. Some have chosen to change into a human while others transform into a dragon unwillingly.

If you were to open a dictionary, you might see dragons described as mythical monsters that are traditionally represented as great in size, having a lion’s claws and serpent tales. They usually have wings, some have horns, and all are covered by scales. Of course, the word ‘dragon’ is sometimes used to describe a fiercely vigilant or intractable person, or any of various lizards, such as the Komodo dragon, or a flying lizard. Representations of dragons appear in normal life since many countries have adopted them on their flags, coins, statues, and other decorations.

Why choose dragons when I could have just as easily wrote about shape-shifting wolves or cheetahs? We know wolves and big cats are real animals, and people would most likely relate to them more than to dragons, but I like that dragons are naturally surrounded by mystery. Who are we to say they do not exist? This possibility intrigued me. Unicorns give me the same warm feelings, since I love horses, but I focused on dragons. Maybe a story filled with unicorns will pop into my head next!

DRAGON Bites, my collection of several Scottish dragon tales, includes Dragon’s Curse, the story of Draco and Brianna. I searched maps and the internet for an island that would suit my story. When I came across a video of Staffa, near the island of Mull, I saw a huge cave. This cave has been the subject of paintings, and I immediately felt it would be the perfect place for my hero to hide when in his dragon form.

In Southern Fried Dragon, I chose my story’s setting after I visited Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor, down in coastal South Carolina. Why couldn’t my heroine be a Scottish dragon looking for love among a fort filled with soldiers while hiding from a rogue dragon?

While researching stories about dragons for these stories, I came across a listing of Loch Ness. Folk lore says that the Loch Ness monster is a dragon? I was very surprised since I always thought it might be a trapped dinosaur. The idea formed into my award-winning short story, Dragon in the Mist. All three of these stories are available individually in ebook form, but I recently bundled them into one book that is also available in print.   

You can find more about dragons in books such as:

DRAGONS by Jonathan Evans 

You can find information on dragons at websites such as:

All About Dragons  

The Circle of the Dragon

The Serene Dragon

BOOK BLURB: Dragon Bites

This is a collection of three novellas. DRAGON’S CURSE, set on the Scottish island of Staffa in the late 16th century, features a young man cursed to transform into dragon at inopportune times and the woman he protects. SOUTHERN FRIED DRAGON pairs a Scottish dragon-turned woman and a federal soldier at Ft. Sumter on the eve of Civil War. DRAGON IN THE MIST is a contemporary love story on the shores of Loch Ness.

More About Nancy Lee Badger

She loves chocolate-chip shortbread, wool plaids wrapped around the trim waist of a Scottish Highlander, the clang of broadswords, and the sound of bagpipes in the air. After growing up in Huntington, New York, and raising two handsome sons in New Hampshire, she moved to North Carolina where she writes full-time. Nancy is a member of Romance Writers of America, Heart of Carolina Romance Writers, Fantasy-Futuristic & Paranormal Romance Writers, Triangle Area Freelancers, and the Celtic Heart Romance Writers.  

Connect with Nancy:

Blog                                

Website                          

Twitter                           

Facebook                       

Goodreads                       

AmazonAuthor Page     

DRAGON Bites, a 3book Collection of Dragon Tales

Amazon Ebook      

Amazon Print          

NOOK Ebook         

B&N Print               

Smashwords            

iTunes                     

WIN your own piece of dragon art: Nancy is giving away this beautiful double-sided window sticker created by Jen Delyth to one person who leaves a comment. Please include your contact info. Winner will be chosen Friday Oct. 18^th.

When Blacksmiths & Farriers Were One & the Same By Nancy Lee Badger

Welcome back to History Undressed, guest blogger, Nancy Lee Badger! She's written a fascinating piece today on the history of blacksmiths in Scotland. Enjoy!

When Blacksmiths & Farriers Were One & the Same

By Nancy Lee Badger   for History Undressed Aug. 1, 2013

The moment I decided that the hero in my third book in my Highland Games Through Time series was a blacksmith/farrier, I was in trouble. Research would only get me so far, so I found some help (thanks Brooke McIntosh!) Why the two terms today? A blacksmith is a metalsmith. He/she uses heat to make objects out of steel or wrought iron that is hammered, bent, or cut, to create railings, light fixtures, furniture, sculpture, tools, or weapons. A farrier specializes in hoof care; trimming and balancing a horse’s hooves, and fitting them with metal shoes. A farrier combines blacksmith skills and veterinarian’s skills, since they know the anatomy and physiology of a horse’s lower limbs.

Historically, the jobs of farrier and blacksmith were practically synonymous. I decided not to use the term farrier in my books as many people have never heard the term. My hero, Jake Jamison, is a modern day farrier who also works with wrought iron to make decorative household items. When he volunteers at Scottish Highland games and festivals, he plays the part of a 16^th century blacksmith. Jake makes horseshoes and nails with a coal-fired furnace, or forge. Forging is actually the process in which metal is shaped by hammering, and the techniques employed are called drawing down, bending, shrinking, upsetting, punching, swageing, and forge welding. These operations generally employ hammer and anvil.

Tools used in caring for a horse’s limbs that are in use today, and mainly machine-made, are the punch, clinch cutter, shoeing knife, nipper, nailing hammer, rasp, clincher, and the shoeing apron. Items used today that are still very similar to those used historically are the hammer, hoof knife, fire tongs, and hand-cranked forges.

Anvil

Blacksmith at work

Swords

Here is an excerpt from MY RELUCTANT HIGHLANDER where Jake is shoeing his horse in his barn in present-day New England:

The barn door creaked open.

He glanced up. Dust motes floated in the slight breeze created by the open door. A shadow walked toward him with slow, careful steps.

“Jake? May I enter?”

“Sure, but why are you out of bed?” Reluctantly, he shook away the image of her wet, naked body and straightened. Balfour’s partially nailed hoof hit the barn floor with a thud.

“Ye see before ye, an early morning riser. As such, I wanted to meet yer beasts.”

Feigning checking on his horse, he followed Skye’s slow progress from the corner of his eye. She walked closer, and he stifled an urge to tell her she ought to rest. She would refuse to listen to his opinion about anything, so he bit his tongue.

The early morning sunlight illuminated her like a halo. The bright light painted the outline of her black hair with silver tips. With her face in shadow, he was unable to read the weariness or pain she might still suffer.

Instead, he turned his attention back to Balfour. He shoved the animal’s hip, cradled his hoof between his thighs, and listened.

Her steps crunched across the hay-littered wood floor. He knew the moment she stopped at Dara’s stall.

“A magnificent garron. What be his name?”

“Her name is Dara. Careful. She bites.” As if to emphasize Jake’s warning, the animal’s dark brown mane shook as Dara threw her buff-colored chest against the stall gate.

Jake peeked under Balfour’s chest. Amazingly, Skye laughed and patted Dara’s nose. Relief washed over him, when she backed away and continued toward him.

Silence filled the sturdy barn, except for the snips of the grooming scissors, as he trimmed Balfour’s fetlock. The elderly gelding snickered as he begged his owner for attention from someone other than its owner.

“You are a spoiled brat, Balfour,” he whispered, leaning against the horse for balance.

Skye walked closer, and the aroma of wildflowers and fresh grass replaced the familiar smell of horse, hay, and brisk morning air. His body tightened, and his thighs tensed. The horse whinnied.

“Easy, Balfour. Almost done, big boy.”

Her laugh reached his ears like a low, sweet sigh of pleasure.

Jake’s body hardened to stone so fast, he dropped the horse’s hoof on his boot.

In contrast, here he is when Jake finds himself in a 16^th century Scottish castle:

Smoke rose from a center hole, filling Jake with the familiar scent of a blacksmith’s coal-fired furnace. When he glanced at the stone building’s thatched roof, he shuddered. Memories of the castle’s huge barn, going up in smoke in record time, stole his breath.

I almost lost Bull.

The young lad started to introduce him to the smithy’s assistant, a boy no more than thirteen, then glanced up at Jake. “I doona’ know yer name, my lord.”

“I’m Jake Jamison,” He told both youngsters.

“Are ye not a lord? Ye live at the castle.”

He chuckled, then grabbed a pair of thick gloves and a crude apron he spied on a workbench.

“I’m a blacksmith. I feel right at home,” Jake said. Slamming a hammer against red-hot iron would go a long way, to help him forget.

The boys stood, open-mouthed, as the iron morphed into the semblance of a rustic sword. When sweat poured down his face, he threw off his shirt, adjusted the apron, and continued. After he thrust the hot iron into the water barrel, memories of his work at the Highland games made him hesitate.

The first excerpt shows his farrier talents, and the second is more representative of a blacksmith. Hope this helps.

My Reluctant Highlander Book Blurb

Skye Gunn has spent the last five years trying to forget the blacksmith who followed her back to 16^th century Scotland, to help fight evil. Sending Jake Jamison home against his will was a disastrous mistake. Stealing his heart was not part of the plan. Jake must share his secret, Skye must give her heart fully, and both must dare to love in the time they have.

For more information:

http://professionalfarriers.com/

http://www.simongrant-jones.com/history_of_the_blacksmith.html

http://www.motherearthnews.com/homesteading-and-livestock/blacksmithing-tools-zmaz75ndzgoe.aspx#axzz2Zs9nhuIG

More About Nancy Lee Badger

She loves chocolate-chip shortbread, wool plaids wrapped around the trim waist of a Scottish Highlander, the clang of broadswords, and the sound of bagpipes in the air. After growing up in Huntington, New York, and raising two handsome sons in New Hampshire, she moved to North Carolina where she writes full-time. Nancy is a member of Romance Writers of America, Heart of Carolina Romance Writers, Fantasy-Futuristic & Paranormal Romance Writers, Triangle Area Freelancers, and the Celtic Heart Romance Writers. Nancy and her family volunteer each fall at the New Hampshire Highland Games, surrounded by…kilts!

Connect with Nancy:

Blog        http://www.nancyleebadger.blogspot.com

Website    http://www.nancyleebadger.com

Twitter     https://twitter.com/NLBadger

Facebook    https://www.facebook.com/#!/nancy.l.badger

Goodreads    http://bit.ly/Vd1Usg

Amazon Author Page    http://amzn.to/13ICHLq

Buy Links for My Reluctant Highlander

Amazon  http://amzn.to/11H0Hg1

Amazon PRINT http://amzn.to/12pX5Qc

NOOK   http://bit.ly/16a7lim  

Barnes&Noble PRINT http://bit.ly/10UQa3Z

KOBO   http://bit.ly/12lX2V5

AllRomance  http://bit.ly/19aBsI6

Smashwords  http://bit.ly/11DtTDE

iTunes  http://bit.ly/12Ic1bl

Enter the Rafflecopter giveaway! Click on the link below. Nancy is giving away for 3 prizes (3 winners) a $15 Amazon or B&N GC; free ebook of older books; Dragon Window sticker. Drawing ends Aug. 15th.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Scottish Highland Games-What’s the Big Deal? by Nancy Lee Badger

Welcome back to History Undressed, one of our regular guest bloggers (who is sure to entertain you once more!) Nancy Lee Badger!

Scottish Highland Games-What’s the Big Deal?

By Nancy Lee Badger

My husband and I have attended the New Hampshire Highland Games since they started back in 1975 (before we were married). Later, my husband decided to volunteer at the three day festival. I stayed home with the boys until the youngest showed an interest in his Scottish lineage, then we joined him as volunteers. Later, my other sons also joined in the good times. We watched a small family picnic of a few hundred like-minded people turn into a massive undertaking where over 40,000 people participate.

What’s the big deal? Why do people travel hundreds (or thousands) of miles for a few days of marching bands, ethnic food, and colorfully dressed kilts? When coupled with the spectacular fall foliage of the New Hampshire White Mountains, their visit makes for a memorable experience.

These types of celebrations—often called Games—are held up and down the coast of North America and Canada. The main goal is to continue the heritage and to further the sights, sounds, and flavors of Scotland. There are more people of Scottish heritage living in the United States and Canada then there are in Scotland, and the exodus was a massive undertaking. Even now, Scottish tourism is reaping a boon of business from those seeking their Scottish roots.

Do you know the surname you wish to explore? Come to the local Highland Games and visit Clan Village or the Genealogy Tent. Are you curious about life in merry old Scotland? Visit the Highland Games historical village. Have you ever thought about the culture that made you what you are today? Check out the dancers, bagpipers, and food vendors. It all comes together at any Highland Games.

The games part of the description is not the same as the athletics. Athletics are a vital part of Highland games. Where else can you watch a kilted man or woman toss a bag of hay over a high pole with a pitchfork? Where can you watch a man or woman toss a telephone pole? Where can you see 275# or larger muscled men wearing brightly colored skirts* (oops…call a kilt a skirt and you will be shunned)

*My husband wants you to know the difference between a skirt and a kilt is that you wear undies beneath a skirt.

Many states, communities, and organizations host their own Highland Games and Scottish festivals. They welcome everyone…a Scottish lineage or kilt are not required. If you enjoy harps, bagpipes, Highland dance, wonderful food and a sea of sexy men wearing brightly colored wool kilts, please visit a Highland games or Scottish festival soon and see for yourself what the big deal is all about!

I have taken my fifteen years experience as a volunteer at the New Hampshire Highland games to write a Scottish time travel romance that begins and ends at the Highland Games. Please check out MY HONORABLE HIGHLANDER, Book #1 of the Highland Games through Time series. For more information about the games where I volunteer each fall under the Information tent, visit www.NHScot.org

Book Blurb

Bumbling present day herbalist, Haven MacKay, gets more than she bargains for when her love spell goes awry, is cast back in time, and meets her true love -- Laird Kirkwall Gunn.

                       

Kirk’s plans go slightly off course when he falls in love with a woman wandering through the Scottish Highlands. After all, he has pledged to marry another, from an enemy clan, in order to end a century-old feud.

Amazon: http://amzn.to/Knot6H

NOOK: http://bit.ly/K4TqzH

All Romance EBooks:   http://bit.ly/JmqjXJ

ISBN 9781476417400

AUTHOR BIO

After growing up in Huntington, New York, and raising two handsome sons in New Hampshire, Nancy moved to North Carolina where she writes full-time. Due to a Scottish heritage, she and her family volunteer at the New Hampshire Highland Games each fall. Nancy is a member of Romance Writers of America, Heart of Carolina Romance Writers, Fantasy Futuristic & Paranormal Romance Writers, and the Celtic Heart Romance Writers. Nancy also writes romantic suspense as Nancy Lennea and is a proud Army Mom.

Website  http://www.nancyleebadger.com

Blog        http://www.RescuingRomance.nancyleebadger.com

Twitter   @NLBadger

On Facebook as Nancy Lee Badger

FORT SUMTER-Then & Now By Nancy Lee Badger

Today on History Undressed, I'd like to welcome back, Nancy Lee Badger! She's written a great post for us today on Fort Sumter. And I must say, I love the title of her new book!

FORT SUMTER-Then & Now

By Nancy Lee Badger author of SOUTHERN FRIED DRAGON

 

A funny thing happened one year ago this month while celebrating my husband’s birthday. We took a few days off and headed south to Charleston, South Carolina. The harbor is famous for the various forts and battle scenes made infamous during The War Between The States, also known on its 150^th anniversary as The Civil War. As history buffs, and as descendants of those who fought in the war, we wanted to see where it all began. Little did I know that the experience would culminate in SOUTHERN FRIED DRAGON, my latest paranormal romance.

Fort Sumter -- THEN

We toured the first of two museums to get a flavor for what the ferry ride would offer later. We saw grainy black & white photos, and drawings depicting life in the city of Charleston before talk of secession made its way to its halls. The city is nestled in a protective harbor made safe by the many forts lining the waterway. Begun in 1829 while memories of the war of independence from the British were still fresh, the fort was still not nearly complete when the threat of secession grew. The Federal government’s huge five-sided fort on a man-made island of stone was built to protect against possible seafaring attacks from foreign governments or pirates. No one would have foreseen its explosive demise.

My book’s hero, a federal officer of Scottish descent, is stationed at Fort Moultrie when word comes that a special secession convention had voted unanimously to secede from the union. I describe how under the cover of darkness he and his men secretly transferred from indefensible Fort Moultrie and took over the partially built Fort Sumter. In theory, Fort Sumter was a well thought out construction project. Three stories of thick brick and stone, it was immense for the times. However, it was built to withstand bombardments from passing ships, whose low-slung cannons could not breach the inner sanctum.

Unfortunately, the southern secession forces took over several batteries that stood on land less than a mile away. Their shells easily flew up and over the walls, landing inside the fort where they did horrific damage. Luckily, no lives were lost, but return fire was sparse. The Federal soldiers were small in number and most cannons faced the open sea. They had no fuses to explode the cannon balls and their food was nearly gone. Surrender came within thirty-four hours of the first shell.

Fort Sumter National Monument

The boat ride out into the harbor was pleasant. When we walked along the wharf and stared at what was left of the walls, we were silenced by what we saw. Even though little is left of the original structure, our visit allowed us to walk through the Sally Port and into the inner parade ground. Dozens of cannons were on display surrounded by battered walls, broken staircases, and decrepit barracks.

The section called Battery Huger, added years later, contains another museum and a tattered flag that once flew above the fort. A grassy overlook allows visitors to look toward the sea and imagine the soldiers as they waited for supply ships that never arrived. The fort’s five-foot-thick walls still stand, but only the first floor. Parts of the second level are in ruin, but the entire third level was blown away as the war progressed and after the Confederates took control of the grounds. There is little left of the enlisted men’s barracks, or the officer’s quarters. Though the fort was 90% complete by the time the Federal soldiers were fired upon and held ports for 135 guns and could house a garrison of 650 men, only about nine or ten casement guns returned fire. Only 85 men stood against thousands during April 12 through April 14^th, the beginning of what became four years of Civil War.

BOOK BLURB

Amid cannon fire, and the threat of Civil War, love and trust will find a way.

Dru Little flew away from her home in a cave beneath a Scottish Island to end her lonely existence and find companionship across the sea. Her journey in late 1860 has led her to the modern American city of Charleston, South Carolina. Hiding her true self, she takes over the life of a serving girl and enjoys the hard life working in a tavern near the wharves. She has no idea that her life will turn upside down in a dark alley the moment a handsome soldier saves her life.

Lieutenant Shaw Stenhouse has his own worries. Southern secessionists are talking up a storm in Charleston. His fellow Federal soldiers are suddenly at risk from the community they are here to protect. The possibility of civil war takes a backseat when he saves a comely lass from drunken sailors. A good deed and a stolen kiss put a smile on his face until the threat of war becomes a reality. Their instant attraction proves disastrous when Dru spots her former lover, the Black Dragon, working for General Beauregard and the southern troops. As the clandestine group plans their attack on Fort Sumter, and Shaw’s soldiers, she takes to the sky.

Dru fights against the threat of detection, while she fears losing Shaw’s love. What will he do when he finds out that she is a powerful Scottish dragon Hell-bent on carrying him to safety? When Shaw discovers her hiding inside the heavily guarded fortress, thoughts of espionage—and worse—catapult the two lovers into danger from many sides.

When her former lover threatens Shaw, Dru must decide which is more important: protecting another of her kind, now nearly extinct, or protecting the human male, the man she has come to love.

EXCERPT

Dru wanted to take flight and find Shaw. Was he all right? Where could he and his fellow soldiers have gone? Would she ever see him again?

She missed his kisses, but wanted him to stay safe. Her heartbeat pounded in her human chest when she dreamed of him. Her body softened when she remembered his taste, his smell, and the feel of his naked chest as he rose over her.

Why had Mistress Cumberland interrupted them? Her body had made ready for his, welcoming him. Frustration filled her nights since he kissed her cheek and returned to Sullivan Island.

Now? He’d left Fort Moultrie for places unknown.

Maggie muttered something.

Dru refilled the pitchers, then tossed pieces of Maggie’s fried chicken on a platter. The aroma made Dru’s stomach growl. “Maggie, speak up. I cannot offer my opinion if I do not know the question.”

“I am complaining, that be all. I would rather be abed. My head aches and I feel the cold, today.”

Dru smiled. The weather had turned blustery, but warmer than the winters she spent in Scotland. “Why not take to yer bed? I can handle the few men who have not the sense to keep to their homes this day.”

“Ah, you are a lovely lass. What would Mistress Cumberland say?”

“She’s off to church then to her daughter’s home for dinner.”

Maggie removed a large tray of biscuits from the oven, then wiped her hands on her apron. She sighed as she kissed Dru on the cheek, then trudged up the back stairs. The peck on the cheek, so similar to Shaw’s kiss, did not ignite her senses the way they sparked to life when Shaw drew near.  

Dru hefted the pitcher of cider, foregoing the ale. Men had no need to get in their cups tonight. Cradling a basket filled with Maggie’s biscuits, she pushed through the door separating the hot kitchen from the much cooler dining hall.

As she walked among the tables, a half a dozen men nodded. She filled their tankards and offered biscuits.  Her heightened dragon hearing caught their conversation. The tone sounded tinged with anger, while some chuckled.

“Aye, they turned tail and ran,” one man said.

“The fort is burning. Nobody’s home, I hear.”

“Are you talking ‘bout the soldiers from Fort Moultrie?” Dru asked, biting her bottom lip for her impertinence.

“We are, woman. The soldier boys are cowards.” Laughter filled the dining hall.

Dru forced a smile, though inside she worried about Shaw. The fort was aflame? Where was he?

“Where have they gone, do ye suppose?” she asked, pouring more cider to delay her return to the kitchen. She would rather take flight, follow Shaw’s scent, and carry him to safety. Maybe, all the way back to Scotland.

“I have no idea,” one man said, before downing his cider.

“I know.”

All heads turned toward a spry old fisherman who had settled by the front window. Dru recognized him as the kind man who’d delivered Shaw’s gift. He sat alone with a cup of tea.

“What do you know, Joseph?” A large dockworker stood and tossed the man a hot biscuit. Joseph caught it on the fly without moving more than one arm.

“I’ve me sources, boys.” Joseph smiled.

Dru walked over to his table and poured him a tankard of cider. She would not return to the kitchen, even to reheat his tea, until she heard what he knew about the soldiers.

“They moved camp, ‘tis all.”

“Moved where?” asked another patron. Everyone went quiet, as if Joseph was a storyteller, guiding the story to its mysterious conclusion.

“Fort Sumter, in the bay.”

For more information about Fort Sumter and Charleston:

Fort Sumter National Monument http://www.nps.gov/fosu/index.htm

Ferry Service to Fort Sumter http://www.spiritlinecruises.com/sumter_overview.asp

Charleston, SC Welcome Center http://www.charlestoncvb.com/

South Carolina Aquarium  http://scaquarium.org/default.aspx

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

After growing up in Huntington, New York, and raising two handsome sons in New Hampshire, Nancy moved to North Carolina where she writes full-time. She and her family continue to volunteer at the New Hampshire Highland Games each fall. Nancy is a member of RWA, Heart of Carolina Romance Writers, Fantasy-Futuristic & Paranormal Romance Writers, and the Celtic Heart Romance Writers. Nancy also writes romantic suspense as Nancy Lennea and is a proud Army Mom. Nancy’s earlier release, DRAGON IN THE MIST, recently won 1^st Place in the Silken Sands Self-Published STARS Literary Contest hosted by the Gulf Coast RWA Chapter.

Website: http://www.nancyleebadger.com

Blog: http://www.RescuingRomance.nancyleebadger.com

Twitter:  @NLBadger

Facebook: http://on.fb.me/v12gxG

More about Nancy’s latest release:

Title:  SOUTHERN FRIED DRAGON

Author:  Nancy Lee Badger

Genre: Paranormal Historical

Length: 30,000 Word Novella

Amazon ASIN: B0074CX7SE

Buy Link: http://amzn.to/zgv30B