Do you know what's coming next?

You do if you've read to the end of the Empire and the Wolf King...

I’m starting a new story, Torin and the Princess. And it’s been announced in my FB group and now here. It’s in the same world as Kaitlyn and the Highlander and the Scottish Duke, and there will be familiar things, but with unfamiliar people.

Fear not, I promise all the familiar fun and feelings.
While working on this new book, I also plan to release some catch up chapters with Mags and Katie and their family in a new way on a new site, stay tuned here... in these emails, to be the first to read the new chapters as I release them.

Here’s the new book cover and the first two chapters.

Sneak Peek: Torin and the Princess

Chapter 1 - Torin’s POV

Max looked over the windowsill and whispered, “Tis right there, Torin, we just hae tae go get it.”

“Tis easier said than done.”

He drew his sword.

I said, “How many times hae we laid our eyes upon it, yet dinna get our hands on it?”

“Too many times.”

“How many times hae we almost died in the gainin’ of it?”

“Every time, but we dinna die, and this time—”

But I dinna let him finish, I jumped over the sill intae the room while he was still scramblin’ up tae follow me, but I was in full sprint across the chamber. I stepped on a stool, knockin’ it aside as I flung m’self through the air, graspin’ the device off the end table, I raised it in my hand, “Got it!” as I rolled tae the hearth. I jumped tae m’feet, spun, and bounded across the floor back taeward the window. Max was already scramblin’ out, “Ye dinna wait!”

“Ye are too slow!”

I hurdled the windowsill and my feet hit the garden. We were running across the wide lawn, I glanced over m’shoulder. “Och nae! They are in chase!” My breath was coming heavy, our stride was fast, but we would tire soon.

He looked back. “Twelve men! We’re almost to the trees!”

I said. “We ought tae split up!”

“Aye, we meet in Muckhart!” He yelled, “Toss it, I’ma head south! Ye go tae the north!”

I started tae toss it, but it vibrated in my hand, twas shocking.

It felt as if it had grabbed hold.

Mid-stride I tried tae shake it off, but there was the sound of roaring around me, a rumbling coming at me, as if I was caught in front of a barreling horse.

A gust of wind plowed against my back, so hard that I was knocked stumbling forward, a second gust shoved me from the side, I lost m’footin’, and then a gust struck against m’chest, picking me up—

My body felt like it exploded in pain, I was thankful when I lost consciousness.

I dinna ken how much time had passed, twas hours, possibly, but also it seemed as if I had crashed intae a tree — right then — wind whipped and branches clawed as I plunged down through tree limbs, the only thing slowin’ m’descent was slammin’ against a branch, and another and another afore I landed on m’shoulder on the ground. My eyes fluttered open enough tae see the device right there, in front of m’eyes. I weakly said, “Still got it!” And then I said, “And yet again, we dinna die.”

I lost consciousness again.

Sneak Peek: Torin and the Princess

Chapter 2 - Lexi’s POV

The dream went like this:

I was about four years old and staring out from behind a chair curled up small ‘like a kitten’ like I had been told, but I was peeking out. It was dark. The only light was from the fire in the hearth, but I could see a man, a man I loved, and a whip was slicing down on his back. He was groaning in pain, the woman beside him was also someone I loved, desperately, she had her hands clasped together, on her knees, crying and begging the man holding the whip to stop. “Please sire, we daena ken what tae tell ye!”

The man yelled, “Tell me where—!” The whip cracked through the air, aimed at the man’s back again and—

Hands grasped around my waist, I was lifted, struggling, terrified, a hand clasped my mouth, gripping my face so I couldn’t scream. I tried to go limp so I wouldn’t get taken, I needed to help the man and woman, but I was a wee bairn. I couldn’t. I was only supposed to get small. Be quiet.

Don’t let anyone know I was here.

I was held clamped under a man’s arm, banging against his hip as he raced through the night. I squealed with pain and fear.

“Wheesht, lass!” He ran around a corner and then sped across a wide field.

His footsteps hitting the ground, thud, thud, thud. My head was lolling, I was shaken and so afraid, then it grew even darker. He dropped me into what felt like the brush of a riverbank and crouched in front of me, his face was right there. But I didn’t know it, couldn’t hold it in my mind. He had a something in his hand, he shoved it against my chest, he placed my shaking hands on it, around it. “Hold it!”

I burst into tears.

He scrambled away.

I said, “Where they go? Go back! Take me back!”

He said, “Och nae, lass, daena let go—”

* * *

I drew in a big terrified breath and scrambled to sit up, grabbing my chest.

Cooper had his hand on my back. “You okay, Lexi?”

I tried to get my breath, but it was staggered and I felt like I was suffocating. I had my arms around my knees, trying to breathe.

He sat up and shook me. “You okay?”

Then, “Lexi?”

He flung the covers off and crawled so he was in front of me. He held both of my hands and put his cheek on the back of my head. He said, “Shhhhhhh.”

I nodded.

“Shhhhhhh, now whistle.”

I pursed my lips and blew. A weak sound came out.

He said, “Do it again.”

I nodded, pursed my lips and blew again.

“There you go, that was stronger, do it again.”

I blew once more. That one was strong. He said, “Can you breathe?”

“Yes.”

He collapsed beside me. “Holy shit, Lexi, that was scary, I was in deep sleep.”

“It was the nightmare again.”

He rolled toward me and took my hand. “I know, babe.”

“…I just don’t get why it’s so real, like, it doesn’t feel like a dream it feels like I’m there in the room.”

“But you aren’t, you’re right here, in the bedroom.”

I sat quietly thinking, “It’s almost more like a memory, but weird because I don’t remember it happening, but then again, I’m really little… ‘wee bairn’. Have you heard the term ‘wee bairn’?”

“No, you’ve asked me that before.”

“Yeah, I know, I’m sorry.”

“It’s not a memory, your family can attest to that.”

I had my cheek on my knees, facing him. “Yeah. I just… I was young, right? Four, do you remember things when you were four?”

“I think you would remember something like that, and again, Lexi, your family…”

I nodded and lay back down in bed. “Yeah, you’re right, it just always haunts me for a bit after, I have to think it through.” I pulled up the covers. “It feels like a memory, but it’s not, it’s a dream, got it.”

I looked over at him in the darkness, I could make out his features, handsome and familiar. “I’m sorry I woke you up. You have a flight to catch, how soon before you have to leave?”

He looked over at the alarm clock with a groan. “Two hours.”

“Damn, I’m sorry, go back to sleep, I’m fine.”

He kissed my hand. Then kissed my forehead. “Good night, Lexi, love you.”

“Love you too.”

* * *

Over his shoulder I could see out the bedroom window and the woods beyond the lawn. A comforting view. I could close the curtains at night, but I hated to. I liked to see what was out there, and loved getting up with the morning sun streaming into the room.

The tall pine trees rustling in the wind, black against the moon glow of the night sky, but then I realized the uppermost boughs were beginning to whip with strong gusts of wind.

A storm.

There was a flash of light, so bright it lit up the room, and then thunder clapped, loudly.

Cooper startled and said, “Oh shit!” He looked around half asleep. “A storm? Did you know we’re having a storm?”

“I didn’t hear it mentioned, this one is right above us.”

The screen door on the porch began swinging, banging against the house — bang, bang, bang.

I climbed out of bed as Cooper mumbled, “Don’t go out in it.”

“Not crazy.” Wearing a tank top, pajama pants, and thick socks, I padded from my bedroom down the hall toward the foyer.

The wind was howling and thunder clapped and lightning sparked outside. I opened the front door and wind gusted in. Brrrr. I stepped out on the porch, grasped the screen door, yanked it closed, and secured it with the hook latch.

But then I caught sight of something, down by the tree line. Another flash of lightning — it looked like something, or someone lying on the ground. Three seconds later and there was a clap of thunder, the wind seemed to slow.

“Weird storm,” I said to myself, peering out into the night, my face pressed to the screen.

Was someone out there?

I kept watching. The wind died, there was no more lightning. The air smelled of ozone and wet earth.

Whatever it was, it was not moving. I watched for a bit longer, and then, contrary to my assertion to Cooper moments before, I opened the screen door and went ‘out in it’ to investigate.

* * *

Coming this summer.


I hope you enjoyed that little glance, can’t wait for you to read it!
xox,
Diana