Pamela Montgomerie ~ Scottish Time Travel Romance

Excerpted from Chapter One

The North Sea, off the Coast of Scotland, 1687

Rourke Douglas held fast to the capstan, the rain soaking his shirt as his frigate, Lady Marie, pitched in the gale. Lightning slashed through the storm-darkened sky, threatening to tear the masts apart. Over the roll of thunder, the eerie sound of Hegarty’s chanting rose from the hold of the ship, making Rourke’s flesh ripple with unease. Magic rode heavy on the air.

A high wave broke over the deck’s wooden planks in a shower of seawater.

"Close the hatches!” he barked to his crew. “Secure the guns!"

"We're too close to the shore, Captain!” His bosun, Joshua Cutter, lurched into place beside him, his pitted face sharp with disbelief and a challenge Rourke was tiring of. “If the wind turns we'll be dashed upon the rocks."

Rourke scowled. "Then we shall hope the wind doesna turn, shall we not, Mr. Cutter? Return to your post and hold our position!”

The bosun blanched, took a step back, then whirled and hurried away.

God’s blood, if they survived the storm, he’d have a mutiny on his hands. As much as he hated to admit it, Cutter was right. But he’d made a vow to Hegarty to hug the shoreline until the night was through. Even if it meant damning his ship and everyone on board.

A gust of wind caused the ship to lurch hard to starboard. Rourke braced himself, holding tight.

“Order the sails furled, Mr. Baker!" he shouted to his hapless first mate. If they did not soon roll the sails up tight against the growing gale, they’d capsize. If they survived this storm, he’d happily hang Hegarty from the highest mast for manipulating him into this dire predicament.

Through the rain Rourke could just make out the rugged shoreline of his native Scotland — a sight he’d not seen since he was ten and never intended to see again. He must have been deep in his cups the night Hegarty secured his promise to go back. Naught but a sail-by, Hegarty had assured him. No need even to make port. A simple trip.

As if anything concerning Hegarty could ever be simple. Not until they arrived had the dwarf told him the ship must remain perilously close to shore for a day and a night. He’d not explained why. They both knew all too well.

The prophesy.

His gut twisted and rolled as if mimicking the churning sea. He should never have let Hegarty force him back here.

"Captain!" the pilot cried. "We're being pulled toward the rocks!"

God's blood. "Unfurl the mizzen!"

The ship leaned heavily as the wind caught the single sail. His promise be damned. But even as he braced to issue the orders to set full sail, he knew it was too late. A second sail would cause them to lean too far into the frenzied waves, capsizing the ship.

The rain slashed across his back in a pelting, stinging torrent. This was Hegarty’s fault. He rued the day he'd ever laid eyes upon the little man, yet without him he’d be long dead. Hegarty was a rock in his shoe, gifted with abilities no man should possess, but Rourke owed him. Too much.

A loud crack challenged the thunder.

“Mast down!” shouted the bosun.

In grim disbelief Rourke watched the mizzenmast crash to the deck, shredding rigging and splintering deck boards.

As crewmen scurried to secure loose rigging, Hegarty appeared, cursing and stomping up the stairs from belowdecks. The dwarf wore Rourke’s best waistcoat like a tunic, his wild mane of red hair dragging with the weight of the rain. He put his head down against the strengthening gale and made his way toward Rourke.

The ship pitched and Rourke grabbed the dwarf before he could be swept overboard. “Look at my ship! You’d damn well better be through.”

“‘Tis a poor day for magic.” Hegarty glared at him as if he blamed him for calling down the storm. “We must stay until it’s done.”

“No more. We’re through here. If we survive this storm, I’m making a new heading straight back to the West Indies.” And buying that plantation on the Isle of St. Christopher he’d been eyeing. He’d bloody well had enough of the sea.

Hegarty clung to his wrist, his small fingernails digging ridges into Rourke’s skin. "Today is the day, Pup. She must come to us. The prophesy will unfold at last.”

The words twisted like a dull blade in Rourke’s gut. “And I would be far, far away when it does. I promised to bring you back and so I have. On the morrow, I’m leaving, with or without you.”

Hegarty regained his footing and smiled with that infuriating surety that always boded ill.

Rourke shook his head against the canny look in the smaller man’s eyes. “You’ll not pull me into this Heg. I was not named in the prophesy. Only her.”

“Named? Not precisely.” Hegarty continued to smile, unnerving him.

“Dammit man, you’ll not involve me. ‘Tis you who is determined to set this disaster to flight. Why can ye not leave well enough alone?”

“Well enough for whom?” The dwarf’s smiled disappeared, his dark eyes flashing as he pressed the tip of his finger into Rourke's soaked chest. “Naught will be right until the prophesy unfolds. It will unfold, Pup, and it will involve ye whether ye like it or not.” He flashed Rourke a smile of such certainty that the hairs rose on Rourke’s sodden flesh. “Now release me so that I may return to the business at hand.” He patted Rourke’s chest. “Do not look so grim, lad. Ye’ve been waiting for this all your life, whether you know it or not. You’ve been waiting for me to find Brenna Cameron.”

END OF EXCERPT. Like it? Order it.

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The Accidental Sale

I sold Sapphire Dream by accident. Seriously. A happy, happy accident, as it turned out.

Sapphire Dream and I go way back. I started writing this book nearly ten years ago, back when Berkley was publishing their Time Passages line of time travel romances. But I was having trouble figuring out the story and Berkley ended the Time Passages line, so I set the book aside for awhile as I worked on other things. But the characters kept calling to me.

By 2004, Brenna and Rourke, the heroine and hero of Sapphire had told me their story and wouldn’t leave me alone until I wrote it. So I did, finally, and entered it in the Golden Heart. In July 2005, Sapphire Dream (or Sapphire Dreams, as it was called then) won the Golden Heart for Best Paranormal. A month later, a Berkley editor I’d met at a conference requested I send it to her. I crossed my fingers that this would be the one that launched my career. It wasn’t.

That editor left Berkley and my manuscript got passed to another editor, and undoubtedly buried beneath the pile of manuscripts already on her desk. My first sale came a year later when my 2006 Golden Heart finalist, The Dark Gate, sold to Silhouette Nocturne. My new agent called Berkley to get the status of Sapphire Dream and was told, “Sorry, but we’re not interested. We’re not currently buying time travels.” Rejected.

I thought that was the end of the road. The story that had been so near and dear to my heart for so long seemed destined to join the dust bunnies under the bed. I never actually got the rejected manuscript back, but at that point, I figured it had simply been recycled. Turns out, I was wrong.

Another year went by and I wrote more books for Nocturne and developed a proposal for a new single title shape-shifter series, the Feral Warriors. It was while my agent was shopping the Feral Warriors that I got The Email from Berkley. Two years and one month after I sent the manuscript, a new Berkley editor discovered Sapphire Dream languishing in the pile on the desk she’d inherited from her predecessor. Four days later she made me an offer for Sapphire Dream and the sequel. Six weeks later, Avon bought the first three books in the Feral Warriors series, beginning with Desire Untamed. A few weeks after that, Silhouette bought the fourth and final book in my Esri series for Nocturne. Three publishers. Three editors rolled their eyes and shook their heads and said, “Please take a second name.” So Pamela Montgomerie was born.

I refuse to claim a favorite among my books, but there’s a unique pleasure and satisfaction in watching this story that has tugged at my heart and imagination for so many years, finally get its day.

"...an interesting, exciting read.”

~ Fresh Fiction (posted October 2009)

"Fast-paced action, interesting plot lines, charismatic characters, and steamy romance all combine to create a romance that you won't be able to put down.”

~ Night Owl Romance Book Reviews (posted August 2009)

"Sapphire Dream is, hands down, one of the best most exciting time travel romances I’ve ever had the pleasure to read. It’s action packed from beginning to end. This is no gentle travel back in time. Brenna and Rourke are so vivid they practically leap off the page.”

~ Manic Readers (posted July 2009)

"Sapphire Dream is an ingeniously plotted time travel. Pure reading magic.”

~ Amelia Richard, SingleTitles.com. Read the entire review. (posted June 2009)

"[Sapphire Dream] is a compelling tale of magic, revenge, betrayal and romance. …will keep readers spellbound.”

~ Romantic Times Magazine (posted June 2009)

"One of the best time travel romances I’ve ever read.”

~ NY Times Bestselling Author Mary Jo Putney, author of Loving a Lost Lord (posted April 2009)

“Edge of the seat suspense, heartstopping passion and poignant emotion make Sapphire Dream a fantastic, rollercoaster read. I dare you to put it down before you finish it!”

~ Anna Campbell, award-winning author of Tempt the Devil (posted April 2009)

“...an action packed, passion filled tale by a master storyteller. An excellent read!”

~ Laurin Wittig, award winning author of The Devil of Kilmartin (posted April 2009)