Temptation of the Warrior will be out at the end of March, and I’m pretty excited about it! This book follows up A Warrior’s Taking, my first Celtic sorcerer-warrior book featuring Brogan Mac Lochlainn (released from Avon July 07).

The hero of Temptation is Brogan’s brother, Merrick Mac Lochlainn, the high chieftain of their people. They face a grave threat from a malignant, hostile power, and the only way to combat the evil one and all her allies is to wield two powerful, magical stones that were hidden by ancient elders somewhere in space and time.

Merrick and Brogan learn that the stones will be found in 19th Century England, and so they must leave their enchanted homeland to find them.

Temptation of the Warrior takes place in 1826. Merrick knows he must find the northern road to Carlisle, which will somehow lead him to the stone. But when he arrives on England’s shore, weakened and disoriented from his passage through time, he encounters a lone woman on the northern road being attacked by highwaymen. He manages to assist her, but does not emerge unscathed from the confrontation.

The young woman, Jenny Keating, has left a terrible place – a school for young girls that is run by a mean and abusive headmaster. (I was thinking of Jane Eyre’s school when I wrote this) and she has a mission of her own that will take her to Carlisle. Merrick incurs an incapacitating injury, causing him to forget who he is. When gypsies arrive to take him and Jenny away from the murderous robbers on the road, she allows them to believe Merrick is her husband.

Let me just say that Merrick does not stay incapacitated for long, even though his memory does not return right away. It is quite easy for him to believe he is married to the enthralling, spirited young woman who stays with him in the gypsy caravan … But without his memory, he doesn’t realize that using his magic could very well draw the malevolent power that wants to destroy him.

I’ll post an excerpt on my website MargoMaguire in another week or two. Stay tuned!