From the desk of Sue Ellen Welfonder
Dear Reader,
Sometimes people ask me why I set my books in Scotland. My reaction is always bafflement. I’m amazed that anyone would wonder. Aside from my own ancestral ties—I was born loving Scotland—I can’t imagine a place better suited to inspire romance.
Rich in legend and lore, steeped in history, and blessed with incredible natural beauty, Scotland offers everything a romantic heart could desire. Mist-hung hills, castle ruins, and dark glens abound, recalling the great days of the clans and a time when heroism, loyalty, and honor meant everything. In A HIGHLANDER’S TEMPTATION, Darroc MacConacher and Arabella MacKenzie live by these values—until they are swept into a tempestuous passion that is not only irresistible but forbidden, and acknowledging their love could destroy everything they hold dear.
In writing their tale, I knew I needed something very special—and powerful—to help them push past the long-simmering feud that could so easily rip them apart. With such fierce clan history between them, I wanted something imbued with Highland magic that would lend a dash of Celtic whimsy and lightness to the story.
Fortunately, I didn’t have to look far.
One of my favorite haunts in Scotland had just the special something I needed.
It was the Thunder Stone, an innocuous-looking stone displayed on the soot-stained wall of a very atmospheric drovers’ inn on the northwestern shore of Loch Lomond. Said to possess magical powers I won’t describe, the stone is often borrowed by local clansmen. I’ve eyed the stone each time I’ve stopped at the inn and always thought to someday include it in a book. A HIGHLANDER’S TEMPTATION gave me that opportunity.
Changed into a prized clan heirloom and called the Thunder Rod in A HIGHLANDER’S TEMPTATION, the relic provided just the bit of intrigue and lore I love weaving into my stories. I hope you’ll enjoy discovering if its magic worked. Hint: Darroc and Arabella do have a happy ending!
With all good wishes,
