Crimson Heart by Heather McCollum – Interview &  Review

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Description:
Elena has spent her entire life hiding her family name while walking the thin line between lady and servant in a Protestant household. Keeping the secret of her lineage has been a success for years, but now, with a new, fiercely Catholic queen on the throne, Elena’s Protestant caretaker is being targeted. And when Bloody Mary discovers Elena’s true identity, she must not only flee to Scotland for her freedom, but also for her life.

Highland warrior, Searc Munro, has secrets of his own. In a family of healers, his own dark, killing magic must never be known. But when his father’s life is threatened, Searc unleashes his lethal power to save him. With his clan’s suspicious glances and whispers plaguing him, he sets off alone, only to find another use for his magic in saving a beautiful lass being attacked in the forest.

Teaming up as exiles, Elena and Searc head toward Edinburg to find refuge. Yet, with a series of ritual killings haunting the city and a traitor attempting to assassinate Scotland’s regent, suspicion turns to Searc. As word of another British heir reaches the country, the two must find a way to trust each other, despite their secrets, before it’s too late.

Review:

Crimson Heart is book three in Heather McCollum’s Highland Hearts Series. Now for anyone who knows me, they know I don’t like reading series out of order, but I made an exception for this one and I wasn’t disappointed. I really enjoyed Crimson Heart and Heather’s story telling ability. It was fun, fast paced, filled with danger, suspense, intrigue, magic, and of course a lovely romance. I do believe I’ve now found a new author and I plan to go back and read her previous books in this series when I have the time. In the meantime, I went back and read the book synopsis on the previous books and they sound just as good as Crimson Heart.

Heather does a wonderful job of spinning her tale of a lady in hiding and on the run due to her lineage, and a hero who has a dark form of magic that he fears he will be labeled a monster should anyone find out. The pretense to this story had me hooked from the get go and it just carried me away on a fun and adventurous story that had plenty of twists, turns, danger and comical situations that kept me entertained from beginning to end. From the moment I met both Elena and Searc it was an instant like of both characters. When an author can get me to like characters from my first meeting of them, I know I’m in for an enjoyable read and that the author will spin an exciting and fun story.

Elena is quite the enjoyable female lead. She’s feisty, brave, intelligent and can hold her own with a bow and arrow in a fight. She’s not your typical lady of that time who would swoon at the sight of bloodshed, instead, she jumps right in there and helps out all the while protecting our dashing hero in a kilt. Oh yes, Searc is every bit the sexy powerful Highlander and Elena is the perfect woman for this poor crushed soul. Elena doesn’t see Searc’s magic as dark, demon cursed or however Searc would label himself. Elena was able to see past his magic to the brave and powerful protector that Searc is. Thanks to Elena Searc finally sees that his magic isn’t a curse, but instead a source of magic that allows him to protect those he loves and see no harm brought to them.

Searc, what can I say, he’s your dream come true sexy Highlander, and he’s got a very powerful form of magic. There’s nothing he wouldn’t do to protect those he loves and cares for, including Elena now, who’s somehow managed to get under his skin and worm her way into Searc’s heart. He’s so sweet with Elena, and had me melting as I read the scenes with Elena and Searc. Yes, she caused our poor highlander plenty of headaches as she’s quite the headstrong lass and very rarely stayed put when Searc told her too. Those scenes had me laughing out loud, but at the same time falling more and more in love with Searc over his growing feelings for Elena. Just as Elena helps Searc too see his magic isn’t a death sentence, he helps Elena come to terms with who she is, and that she doesn’t need to be afraid of her lineage anymore because he will always be there to love and protect her.

The romance between Elena is slow to build and nicely weaved around all the danger, intrigue and suspense that Ms. McCollum creates in her story. Elena and Searc both fear their lives are doomed due to who and what they are, but in finding one another they come to realize that they can have the one thing they never thought they would, love, and someone to love them unconditionally. Watching them slowly come to this realization, and learning to trust each other is sweet, and romantic and will have you shedding a tear by the end of the book with Elena’s unselfish actions to help Searc. That scene was expertly written and had me on the edge of my seat waiting to see what the outcome would be.

I know I’ve found a new author in Heather McCullom, and I think anyone who loves sexy powerful Highlanders, magic, a damsel on the run, danger, and intrigue with a good healthy dose of romance on the side, then I feel you too will have found a new author to put on your TBR list.

Until next time, happy reading everyone.

Reviewed by Marcie

Copy provided by Publisher

Hi Heather. Thank you for taking the time to answer some questions today.We are always looking forward to reading about the author behind the book.

Heather:  Thanks so much for having me on The Reading Café!

TRC:  Would you please tell us something about yourself? 

Heather:  Let’s see – I’m a mom of three loud and spirited kids, ages 15, 13 and 7. I’m a dog mom of a crazy, rescued golden retriever and wife to my very own Highland hero, Braden. I’m also an author of historical, paranormal romance, an ovarian cancer ass-kicker, and a lover of baked goods fresh from the oven.

TRC:  Have you always been interested in writing? 

Heather:  I’ve written stories and poems since I was little. By high school I was writing romance for all of my creative writing assignments. Everyone thought I’d be an English major. I surprised them all by majoring in Cellular Immunology, a branch of Biology. I said that I didn’t like people telling me how to write. Ha! And now I have editors doing just that and it’s not so bad. It’s funny how I’ve come back around full circle to my first love, writing.

TRC: Is there anything (in general) you find particularly challenging about writing? 

Heather:  Oh gosh! There are so many things, but challenges keep us on our toes, right? Characters who refuse to follow my plot (Highlanders are stubborn) and just finding time to write while balancing a family are the two hardest parts of writing for me.  

TRC: Crimson Heart is the third book in your Highland Hearts series. For those who may not have read the first two books, can Crimson Heart be read as a standalone? 

Heather:  Yes, each book in the Highland Hearts series can be read alone, but past characters come into play in later books. Knowing something about those characters can make the reading more fun. So I recommend reading them in the following order:

HIGHLAND HEART – short prequel to Bk 1
CAPTURED HEART – Book 1
TANGLED HEARTS – Book 2
UNTAMED HEARTS – long novella, I call it Book 2.5
CRIMSON HEART – Book 3

TRC: Can you tell us the premise of Highland Hearts, and how many books do you have planned?

Heather:   Highland Hearts takes place in 16^th century Britain and follows the Macbain and Munro clans. The characters journey from the rugged Highlands to King Henry VIII’s court in London and then back up to Edinburgh Castle, which was the seat of Scottish rule.  The series is a cross between The Tudors, Braveheart, and The Pirates of the Caribbean. And what makes it even more fun is the spark of magic within the series. All the women, descended from a magical healer from the 10^th century, inherit the ability to move small particles such as blood and tissue to heal a body or air and water to affect the weather. Only women possess the magic, that is until Searc Munro reveals his secret in Crimson Heart.  I only had three books in mind but ended up publishing the prequel and then writing a long novella (Untamed Hearts) to give the reader more fun after Tangled Hearts. So Crimson Heart is supposed to be the last book in the series, although one of the characters at the end of Crimson Heart is begging me to write her story. So I’ll have to see : ) 

TRC: Would you please give us a brief description of Crimson Heart?  

Heather:  Sure! Here is the blurb.

Elena has spent her entire life hiding her family name while walking the thin line between lady and servant in a Protestant household. Keeping the secret of her lineage has been a success for years, but now, with a new, fiercely Catholic queen on the throne, Elena’s Protestant caretaker is being targeted. And when Bloody Mary discovers Elena’s true identity, she must not only flee to Scotland for her freedom, but also for her life.

Highland warrior, Searc Munro, has secrets of his own. In a family of healers, his own dark, killing magic must never be known. But when his father’s life is threatened, Searc unleashes his lethal power to save him. With his clan’s suspicious glances and whispers plaguing him, he sets off alone, only to find another use for his magic in saving a beautiful lass being attacked in the forest.

Teaming up as exiles, Elena and Searc head toward Edinburg to find refuge. Yet, with a series of ritual killings haunting the city and a traitor attempting to assassinate Scotland’s regent, suspicion turns to Searc. As word of another British heir reaches the country, the two must find a way to trust each other, despite their secrets, before it’s too late 

TRC:  You write both Historical Romance and YA Paranormal Romance. Do you have a preference? Have you ever thought about writing in another genre?

Heather:   I always love the book I am currently writing and the genre follows. I wrote the YA so my teen could read my books as my others are rated “R”. And I fell in love with the fun, snarky voices of my teen characters. But after a few months of slang, I start to yearn for my Highlanders again and usually find myself dreaming of Scottish brogues and brawny heroes in kilts.  I have all sorts of books in my head, waiting to be born. I have a contemporary romance ghost story series, a sci-fi dystopian trilogy, and a memoire based on my Russian grandmother’s life surviving a concentration camp in WWII. Although there is also another Scottish paranormal romance series whispering at me too.  

TRC:  You recently released Siren’s Song, a YA Paranormal romance. Is this a standalone or a series? Can you please give us a brief description of Siren’s Song? 

Heather:  Siren’s Song is definitely a standalone, but I am currently writing a sequel which follows one of the other characters in the book.  Jule Welsh can sing. She enthralls people with her bel canto voice. But it takes more than practice to reach her level of exquisite song; it takes siren’s blood running through her veins. Jule is starting her senior year at Cougar Creek High when her relatively normal world begins to resemble a roller coaster flying through a carnival scare house. Her mother is diagnosed as insane and committed, a psycho-stalker is snapping pictures of her to put into his homemade Jule-shrine, her voice is suddenly putting people into comatose trances, oh and the gorgeous new guy in town, Luke Whitmore, is interested in her . . . but also wants to kill her.  If you’d like to see the book trailer, it can be found here: SS Book Trailer (Psst, the house in the first shot was mine in high school and it was haunted). 

TRC:  You also have a series, Dragonfly Chronicles, which you note on your website that you are thinking about book #5. What is the status on this, and can you please give us a brief description of this series? 

Heather:  Yes, there is a 5^th and final book coming in The Dragonfly Chronicles. I have just started writing Sacrifice and hope to release it early next year.  The Dragonfly ChroniclesA powerful Wiccan mother is hunted by a pack of thirteen bound demons. To save her four daughters before she’s killed, she hides each of them in a different time period with one of her magical powers. So each book takes place in a different era with the heroine possessing a different magical ability. In the fifth book, they will come together with their soul mates and the overall story protagonist, Drakkina (a spirit woman), to save the world from the demons.  

TRC:  What are you currently working on?

Heather:   Right now I’m writing the first draft of Sacrifice: Book Five in The Dragonfly Chronicles and also working on edits to the sequel to Siren’s Song, my YA.

TRC:  What is your writing process? Do you like to write at specific times, in a special place? 

Heather:  I’m a very visual writer. I like to see my characters (basic features & strong emotions) and settings (authentic historical details). So I create collages for my books. I take a day toward the beginning of each new project to cut out pictures of landscapes, people and objects that mean something to my story. I paste them on an open folder, poster board or even in a blank book to give me something to glance at while writing.

I’ve also started using a process that Blake Snyder describes in his screenwriting book, Save the Cat. It helps with plotting and pacing. I use a big white board, divided into four acts, and lots of index cards.

I have a lovely little writing desk with curvaceous, slender legs which I’ve named Eleri. I light my stained glass lamp (named Jule) and lose myself in my stories. But on cool days (I live in the south so below 90 degrees is a must) I sit with my lap top on my screened back porch to write. Out there I can listen to the birds and breezes and smell my herb garden. I write best before 3PM, partly because my energy level drops then but also my children are about to come home from school.  Last but not least, I must have a hot chai latte to sip to wake up my muse. She seems to require the taste of cinnamon to produce beautiful narrative and snappy, authentic dialogue.  

TRC:  Many authors have friends or family, that they bounce ideas and information back and forth. Do you have anyone you like to discuss your stories with? 

Heather:  I brainstorm with my 15yo daughter about my YA books. She helps me (while rolling her eyes) with teen slang and attitude.  I bounce ideas off my mom, husband, and girlfriends for my adult books. One of my friends, who is a technical editor in her day job, has become my beta reader and offers fantastic insight and catches my inconsistencies (especially eye color, don’t know why I can’t remember that!).

TRC:  What books, authors or people in your life have influenced your writing? 

Heather:  Every book I read influences my writing, from my first romance The Flame and the Flower by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss to the screenwriting book I read a few weeks ago called Save the Cat by Blake Snyder. Karen Marie Moning opened up the world of paranormal Scottish romance with her time traveling Highlander series. Even Twilight has influenced my YA stories with its dangerous hero.  Gosh – everything has influenced my writing. I lived in a haunted house for five years. That certainly opened up my eyes and my mind to the unusual in the world. And I’ve recently fought and hopefully won the war against ovarian cancer with fifteen months of chemo and a year of recovery. Meeting cancer warriors, watching them quietly battle to save their lives and the worlds of their families, has influenced the themes of my books and ideas of what love looks like. In my upcoming YA sequel, the heroine must learn to handle her fear of dying, something I struggle with myself (not that I plan to die anytime soon : ).  

TRC:  When you are not writing, what other interests or hobbies do you have?

Heather:  Well I’m a full-time mom of three, so my kids keep my interest with boyfriends, learner’s driving permit, hockey practice, soccer practice, horseback riding, gymnastics, parties, school projects, etc. I’m also a dog mom to a crazy rescued golden retriever who requires daily runs to keep her from exploding with energy.  Since I’ve been sick and recovered, my amazing Highland husband and I have started the SHOUT Against the Whisper campaign to educate women about the sneaky, nearly-silent symptoms of ovarian cancer. I knit hats for chemo patients and the two of us run a booth at a popular women’s event in the area each year. We hand out symptom cards everywhere.  What are the symptoms? I’m so glad you asked because knowing them may save your life or the life of a woman you love. I list them in the backs of my books too in hopes that the information will reach more and more women.  

If you are experiencing any of these symptoms every day for more than three weeks, please go see your doctor. My tumor grew to grapefruit size in 5 short months and was spreading.
Symptoms of Ovarian Cancer:
Bloating that is persistent
Eating less and feeling fuller
Abdominal pain
Trouble with your bladder
Ovarian Cancer cannot be detected by a PAP Smear. Additional symptoms may include fatigue, indigestion, back pain, pain with intercourse, constipation, and/or menstrual irregularities.

Other hobbies? I also like watching birds, mild gardening, and baking things I shouldn’t eat on my diet. Let’s see, I also like decoupage, knitting, and all things related to drinking a proper tea.  

TRC:  Would you like to add anything else? 

Heather:  Thank you so much for having me here today! Your questions were so much fun! For more information about me, my books and ovarian cancer, please check out my web site at www.HeatherMcCollum.com. I can also be found here:
Twitter https://twitter.com/HMcCollumAuthor
FB https://www.facebook.com/HeatherMcCollumAuthor
Pinterest http://www.pinterest.com/hmccollumauthor/
Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4185696.Heather_McCollum

LIGHTNING ROUND

Heather:  Yay! This is like being a contestant on Family Feud except all my answers are right : ) 

Favorite Food: Haddock burger with cheese and tartar from the pier on Beals Island, Maine. After that, nearly any breakfast food that exists.  

Favorite Dessert: Pie, blueberry, pumpkin, shoo fly, chocolate chess, coconut custard, and so on. 

Favorite Movie: Pitch Perfect 

Favorite TV Show: Big Bang Theory 

Favorite Movie or TV Celebrity: Ellen DeGeneres  

Dark or Milk Chocolate: Dark, especially with cranberries and nuts in it 

Favorite literary character (not your own): Charley Davidson in Darynda Jones’ Grim Reaper series. She’s hilarious! 

Dog or Cat: Dog, I’ve grown up with them and love them despite their shedding. And unfortunately I’m allergic to cats.   

TRC: Thank you Heather, for answering our questions. The Reading Café wishes you the best of luck with Crimson Heart.