Guest Blogger, Mary Wine

Please join me in welcoming acclaimed author Mary Wine as the special guest blogger here today at Thoughts in Progress.

Mary’s latest release is TO CONQUER A HIGHLANDER and will be released on Tuesday, July 6. Thanks to Mary and Danielle at Sourcebooks I have two copies of TO CONQUER A HIGHLANDER to award to two lucky visitors commenting on Mary’s post between now and 8 p.m. on Friday, July 9. Be sure to include your e-mail address if it’s not included in your profile.

Mary has agreed to answers some of my crazy questions about her writing and give us some insight into her background. You might be surprised as to what she collects and what she enjoys making.

First, could you give the readers a quick summary about your upcoming book and the series?   
   
To Conquer a Highlander is the launch book for a great set of Highland romances set in 1437. James the first of Scotland was murdered and it set in motion a period of unrest. These books are written against the backdrop of a world in unrest and I think it makes the love story even better.

What drew you to write about Scottish Highlanders?    

I guess I just love to see a place where people grow stronger both physically and mentally. The sense of loyalty these people had for their kin is amazing and their ability to live in such a rugged setting is also impressive. But most of all, I loved their enjoyment of life. Their music, dance and art. They were the men Rome never conquered.

What do you see as the pros and cons of writing a series?  

The advantage is that I get to tell the stories of the other characters. When you’re writing one story, there are always people that your

hero encounters which demand their own tale. That’s sort of the down side of it too because sometimes, those other stories don’t want to wait for the author to finish the book they are working on.

I understand you have a collection of sewing machines and enjoy making historical garments. Could you tell us a little about that?    

I’ve always enjoyed making dresses from the past. Even when I was a child, I was trying to dress up my dolls in fancy ball gowns. I used to sit in the history section of the library and just read the books because I loved the garments. Through the years, I’ve worked on my skills of reproducing the garments by using tailors notes. It’s an interesting process and wearing the clothing gives me a unique insight to how these people lived.

Ever consider writing a book or series about a seamstress?  

Yes, in fact, I’m working on it now.

You write in a number of genres, you enjoy sewing, have a second degree black belt in marital arts, how do you schedule it all? Do you have a writing schedule you follow or just write whenever you can?  

I’m strict about my writing. I do it as I would any full time job because other wise I wouldn’t have any books out there. But just like everyone else that works…exercise is important. I began doing martial arts with my sons and it’s been a very rewarding challenge.

What's next for you? 
  
I’ve got a wonderful line up coming…You know about To Conquer a Highlander this month, August will see another Brava, Bedding the Enemy and in October the follow up book to To Conquer a Highlander, will release: Highland Hellcat. Folks can check my website for excerpts and the book that will come after these titles.

Anything we haven't covered you'd like to let the readers know about? 

That I love hearing from my readers. You can email me at Talk2MaryWine@Hotmail.com. I often decide what book to work on next by my emails.

Mary, thank you so much for stopping by today and giving us a look at your writing and what’s ahead for you.

Here’s a little more information about Mary. She has written nearly twenty works of erotic fantasy, romantic suspense, and historical romance. An avid history-buff and historical costumer, she and her family enjoy participating in historical reenactments. Mary lives with her husband and two sons in Yorba Linda, California. For more information, please visit her website http://www.marywine.com/. 

Now for a brief synopsis of TO CONQUER A HIGHLANDER:
A fierce Highland laird ready to kill for king and country…
When Torin McLeren discovers his neighbor’s plot against his king, he takes their daughter as his prisoner, thereby stopping her father’s plot from going forward. But that leaves him with a woman under his roof whom he can’t ignore, and not just because she’s his enemy’s daughter…

A woman who’s as much trouble as she is temptation…
Shannon McBoyd decides to use her captor to experience passion for the first time, and then to destroy him. But her plan goes awry because once she has lured Torin into her bed, she no longer wants to hurt the one man who seems to value and understand her…

Even if her father will kill him—and her—when he discovers what they’ve done...