Interview with Alexa Bourne

 Come join the party for HER HIGHLAND CHAMPION, a brand new contemporary Scottish romantic suspense! Learn more about Alexa Bourne as she travels on a blog tour! Leave a comment and be in the running for a free copy of HER HIGHLAND CHAMPION, a $10 Amazon gift card, and a Scottish surprise! The more you comment, the better your chances of being the winner! Hope to see you there!

Alexa Bourne Interview with Bernadette Marie

Hello Alexa. Welcome. Can you tell us where the inspiration for Her Highland Champion comes from?

Absolutely! It started as an idea while I visited Glenfinnan, Scotland. It was such a beautiful and peaceful place, and I immediately began thinking about a contemporary romance set there. The story took quite a journey because that 1^st trip to Glenfinnan was in 1997, back when I really didn’t know how to craft a good story. But the scenery, the characters that sprang to life while I was there and the story stayed with me until I was able to revise it and submitted it to Decadent Publishing for the Honor Guard series.

What was the hardest part of writing Her Highland Champion?

Cutting out scenes that I loved but that, I knew as a writer, wouldn’t work. The first version of it was a 400-page novel. When it came time to revise it for Decadent, I had A LOT of chopping to do! But ultimately the chopping exercise has made me a better writer and it has made the story the best it can be.

Which of your characters is your favourite?

In Her Highland Champion, my favorite character is actually Jamie MacDougall, the pub owner. He’s a giant of a man, with a heart of gold even if he sometimes drives me (and the other characters) insane! I hope someday I’ll get the opportunity to write his story as well.

What strengths do you like to give your hero and heroine?

I like to make my heroines brave enough to ask for what they need…eventually. Often they start out not even really knowing what they need and certainly not able to voice what they need. I like my characters to be survivors, people who trudge on even when things get difficult. Sometimes it’s both characters, sometimes it’s only one and the other finds that strength during the book. For my heroes, I like them to be strong enough to protect the innocent, whether that’s the heroine or someone else in the story, even when they don’t want to get involved. I like my heroes to have the courage to do what is right even when it will affect them and their plans.

Thank you for talking with me today, Alexa.

Thank you for having me!

Biography

Alexa Bourne is a teacher by day and a romantic suspense writer by nights, weekends and all school holidays. She also teaches online classes for writers throughout the year. She is thrilled to be writing for Decadent Publishing and to have the chance to share her love of Scotland with readers everywhere.

When she’s not concocting sinister plots and steamy love scenes or traveling and exploring cultures, Alexa spends her time reading, watching brainless TV and thinking about exercising. She loves to hear from readers. To find her, visit www.alexabourne.com or http://alexabourne.blogspot.com, http://www.facebook.com/AuthorAlexaBourne or follow her on Twitter @AlexaBourne.

Her Highland Champion

A Decadent Honor Guard story…. Heather Winchester leads a charming life. With good friends, a beautiful flat in one of the most amazing cities in the world, and a promising future once she finishes her Ph.D, she is finally pursuing her own dreams instead of catering to everyone else’s…except she doesn’t remember any of it. Malcolm Fraser has returned to his Highland village to forget his failings as a professional bodyguard. Believing he could just lose himself in the mundane activities of running his bed & breakfast, he finds a woman’s lifeless body by the loch instead…. Captivated by Heather as she regains her memory, Malcolm is thrown into the line of duty. As danger comes knocking on their doors, will he be strong enough to love her and keep her safe? Genre: Contemporary romance, adventure, suspense/thriller Heat level: 3 Word count – 23k

Champion Excerpt: She turned to the bedside. A man stood there dressed in dark green sweats, with both hands clenched around the silver bedside bar. He was handsome, with light eyes, dark hair cropped close to his head, and a firm jaw. It was his hands, though. They drew her attention. Clean skin, defined knuckles, large fingers. Hands rough from a hard day’s physical labor, and yet, she imagined, gentle enough to caress the afternoon’s sufferings away. “It’s good to see you awake.” He smiled. “You gave us all quite a fright.” Okay, the Scottish accent drew her attention, too. At once, it both melted away some of her fears and sparked a whirlwind of questions. “Where am I?” Her throat scratched like sandpaper. “St. Catherine’s Hospital.” She swallowed hard. “Where is that?” “Fort William.” He reached for something on the table by her bed and brought back a plastic cup with a straw. “Here.” “Thank you.” The warm water coated her sore vocal cords. She handed the cup back to him. Wait a minute. Fort William? The only Fort William she knew was in Scotland. “I don’t understand. How did I get here?” Ignoring the aches in her body, she pressed both palms to the sheets on each side of her and pushed herself up. The blanket fell away from her chest and a new chill surrounded her. “What’s going on?” Her arms shook, and she collapsed back to the bed. “Relax.” The man set his palm on her shoulder, as if to keep her flat against the mattress. The heat of his fingers seeped through her hospital gown and into her skin. “I found you unconscious on the beach in Glenhalish. I called for an ambulance, and they brought you here.” “I was in Glenhalish?” “Aye, on a three day tour of the Highlands. Do you not remember being there?” “No.” She squinted and studied him. No memories surfaced. “Do I know you?” He shook his head. “Only from the beach. I’m Malcolm Fraser.” She opened her mouth and then closed it again. Her gaze drifted to her lap as tears burned in the corners of her eyes. Panic swelled in her chest and into her throat. “What is it, lass?” he asked with such tenderness. “Can you tell me my name?”

Buy Links

Amazon.com:

http://www.amazon.com/Highland-Champion-Honor-Series-ebook/dp/B007PJ1GM0%3FSubscriptionId%3DAKIAJBDF5XQBATGDX4VQ%26tag%3Dspea06-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3DB007PJ1GM0

Decadent Publishing:

http://www.decadentpublishing.com/product_info.php?cPath=75_197&products_id=508&osCsid=jh2l9gpp7ne49cevf4ujdcvrm1

All Romance Ebooks:

http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-herhighlandchampion-769535-149.html

Bookstrand:

http://www.bookstrand.com/her-highland-champion