Their roots were in ancient Ireland with its high kings, in the Isles where the Norse settled and in ancient Dalriada, the Kingdom of the Gaels. They were the great sea lords, plying the waters in their longships and galleys, ruling the western Highlands and the Hebrides for four hundred years.
In this 4th book, I tell you the story of Alexander of Islay, Lord of the Isles and heir to the earldom of Ross set in the early 15th century. Alexander welcomed King James back to Scotland after his long captivity in England. But beneath the king’s words of approval lay treachery. Alexander’s father had won the Battle of Harlaw, securing for his son the title Earl of Ross, but Alexander must convince a treacherous king to allow him to keep it.
The nobles defeated at Harlaw, intimidated by Alexander’s greatness, urged the king to rein in the powerful Lord of the Isles. And so the king, who once considered Alexander an ally, now considered him an enemy and imprisoned him at Tantallon Castle. But Alexander was the one man the Highlanders and Islesmen trusted above all others, and they would rise in rebellion for the wrong done their lord.
In a life marked by much trouble, Alexander would win the hearts of many. Among them would be three women. Each claimed the heart of the handsome Lord of the Isles, but only one truly possessed it.
Born to Trouble is coming in 2024. Follow me on Amazon , and you'll get a notice of its release.
The Isle of Iona is a very special place as anyone who has been there can tell you. A small isle that lies about a mile off the west coast of the larger Isle of Mull in the Scottish Hebrides, Iona has a long and illustrious history. Today, it is a tourist destination and the faithful make pilgrimages to its shores and its Abbey Church. I have walked the white sand beaches, felt the constant breeze on my face and experienced the tranquility that characterizes this sacred place. See more.
For those of you who didn’t know, as a part of my research for my new Clan Donald Saga, I spent the last three weeks in the Western Isles of Scotland, from Skye in the north to the Mull of Kintyre in the south to Arran and Bute in the Firth of Clyde. Today the "Western Isles"are the Outer Hebrides, but in the 13th century, the setting for Bound by Honor, the next book in the series, the Western Isles were all the isles west of Scotland's mainland. See more.