At the beginning of 2014, I had 7 books out. Of those 7, 4 of them are set in Scotland and 1 is set in England. AND they are all connected, with characters making appearances in each other’s books. (The other 2 are set in the US.) Why do I write stories set in the UK? It’s a part of my heritage I love exploring. I have family in northern England and outside of London. My grandparents’ families came from Scotland. When I get to visit the family, it’s like going to a whole new world. Yes, we speak the same language…but we don’t. They have several phrases and words most Americans have never heard and some of our favorite sayings wouldn’t mean a thing over there. I guess that’s part of why I write books set there, so I can bring a bit of the language differences to people’s attention.
A friend of mine suggested for my next novellas I “move away” from the UK. She thought it might be a good experience for me to venture out into the rest of the world and sink my teeth into a different country. I’d been talking to her about other story ideas I have (with stories set in Mexico, Thailand and Turkey) and she encouraged me to work on one of those next.
So what did I do? I went back to the UK. Broken Road is my latest book, a contemporary novella set in a Scottish Highland village. Writing the story for Cat and Ian was like coming home for me. I returned to the community where I first got my writing chance. I revisited some of my favorite characters and got the opportunity to share more of what I love about the United Kingdom with more readers. So yes, now I’m up to 6 out of 8 books set in the UK.
I do intend to write the novellas set in other parts of the world…someday. I will also keep plugging away at my full-length romantic suspense books set in the USA. But I have a very good feeling I’ll end up with new characters in the UK before long.
What about you? Do you enjoy contemporary stories set in the UK? Or would you rather the setting be the USA?
Blurb:
Catriona MacGregor leads a quiet life, working in the local school of Glenhalish, Scotland and spending time with close friends. She’s content to sit back and be an observer of the life around her. But all that changes when a recently deceased family friend leaves her a flat in Edinburgh and challenges her to spread her wings.
With his work as an international bodyguard, Ian MacKenzie has no time for a serious, committed relationship. Yet when he comes home to Glenhalish for a visit and to clear his mind, he is drawn to down-to-earth Cat. The more time they spend together, the more he wants her.
Though they agreed to a friends-with-benefits arrangement, Cat soon discovers exactly what she wants for herself and it involves all of Ian—body, mind and soul. Their connection ambushes Ian. He’s not ready for the intensity they share.
Can this Highland lassie steer her lad back onto the right path to a love that will last a lifetime?
Excerpt:
Cat sat at one of the foldaway tables and sipped her wine. A pleasant breeze rolled off the loch and made the candlelight shimmer. So much laughter and chatter whooshed round her, and again her heart hung heavy. Could she give up all she had here for a new life in Edinburgh? Did she have the courage to try? What if Fiona had been wrong in her will and given Cat more credit than she truly deserved?
Ian marched toward her, pulled her glass from her hand, and set it on the table. “Come.” With a firm but gentle grip, he tugged her out of the chair.
“Where?”
“I need you to save me.” He whirled her round and pulled her close to his hard-muscled body. She pressed her palms to his chest. The heat under her fingers shot straight into her center. He wrapped his arms round her waist and eased them onto the dance floor in time to the slow rhythm of the music.
Cat laughed. “You, a big, braw lad, need me, a wee lass, to rescue you? I find that hard to believe.” But, she was ever so grateful for whatever sent him to her. They’d always been friendly with each other, sort of like her relationship with Ewan, except…not.
He spun her round so she could see the other side of the dance floor. “See those lasses flirting with the MacDougall brothers?”
Women with tight clothes and high-pitched laughs dangled over the makeshift bar. “What about them?”
“Two of them are trying to lay claim to me.”
“And?”
“I don’t do romantic relationships.”
“What?” Handsome, smart, strong. He had it all.
You can buy Broken Road at:
Decadent Publishing | All Romance Ebooks
Bio:
Alexa Bourne is a teacher by day and a romance writer by nights, weekends, and all school holidays. She also teaches online classes for writers throughout the year. She writes romantic suspense and contemporary romance and is thrilled to have the chance to share her stories with readers everywhere.
When she’s not concocting sinister plots and steamy love scenes or traveling and exploring new cultures, Alexa spends her time reading, watching brainless TV, and thinking about exercising. Okay, she also spends way too much time interacting with readers and writers on social media sites. But don’t tell her editors! Find out more about her and her books on her website, www.alexabourne.com.
You can also find Alexa at:
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5818611.Alexa_Bourne
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorAlexaBourne
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AlexaBourne
Blog: http://alexabourne.com/cuan-macdougall-pub/
Email: alexa@alexabourne.com
Filed under: My Guests Tagged: Alexa Bourne, Broken Road, Contemporary Romance, Decadent Publishing, novella, Romance, scotland, UK
