After binging season two of Bridgerton, I’ve been craving more historical romance. Combine that with my love of fantasy, and I was delighted to chat with author Roma Cordon about her debut novel, Bewitching A Highlander. Roma talks about her book, her path to publishing, what she’s working on next, and more!
Tell us a bit about Bewitching A Highlander?
Bewitching A Highlander is Book I in the Scottish Highland Warriors Trilogy. It is a happily ever after, historical romance, with fantasy elements, set in Scotland in 1747. Breena, a 24-year-old healer, hiding her neuroses and witchcraft, sets out to rescue her father from an enemy clan, the Campbells. She ends up not only learning about her family’s dark witchery past, but falls for a debonair future chief, Egan Dunbar, who saves her from the clutches of an ornery sentry.
Egan, a future chief, itching for revenge, disobeys his father to help Breena, an enchanting lass, whom he can’t seem to keep his eyes or lips off of.
And to save Breena from the Campbells, he will risk everything, including disobeying his father for the first time in his life and inciting a clan war.
I’m intrigued by the concept of putting a witch and a Highlander together. What inspired this pairing?
Sally Owens from the Sandra Bullock movie, Practical Magic, is my all-time favorite character. And Scotland’s history, it’s culture and people have always fascinated me. Couple this with the fact that historical romance novels are my favorite genre of fiction, then it goes without saying, Bewitching A Highlander is a combination of all of my favorites in one book!
You have an extensive list of book recommendations you referenced when researching your book. What is your research process?
Research is a fun part of the process of writing. For this book I travelled to Scotland and visited places like the Isle of Skye, Dunvegan Castle, Eilean Donan Castle, the Isle of Harris/Lewis, etc. I spoke to tour guides and shop owners. I consulted with spell craft reference writings by Scott Cunningham, Ann-Marie Gallagher, Marion Weinstein, etc. For period costumes I found Milla Davenport’s The Book Of Costumes helpful and for architecture Lady Henrietta Spencer-Churchill’s Classic Georgian Style’s book was a wonderful source of information. Plus, it goes without saying, where would we writers be without Wikipedia, Google, and Pinterest.
What was the path for publishing Bewitching A Highlander?
It wasn’t without its challenges, but I took this as a learning experience since this is my first novel. I received multiple sources of feedback from beta readers to free-lance editors. And I contacted multiple publishing houses. I was delighted to spark an interest in CamCat Books, when they saw my recorded pitch from the Writer’s Digest Conference pitch-slam event.
I see there are two more books in this trilogy. Do they follow the same characters or new ones? Anything about these future books you can share with us? Book II in the Scottish Highland Warriors Trilogy is the story of Phoebe Dunbar, Egan’s sister, and her love interest, Slade MacLean. As it turns out, Egan from Book I, will have a lot to say about this relationship.
This book answers the question: What happens when an unstoppable Highlander by the name of Slade MacLean, who is dead set on revenge and retribution, encounters an immovable lass by the name of Phoebe Dunbar?
Book III is the story of Rowan MacNeil, Breena’s childhood friend and her love interest, Conner Drummond. When Conner Drummond was last in the Highlands, he fought the Redcoats at the Battle of Culloden. Now that he's back, he's in for a different kind of battle. One that involves a Hellfire witch by the name of Rowan MacNeil.
What a piece of advice you’d give to aspiring authors?
Don’t do it. Keep your day job. But if you must, only your love of the craft and your passion for writing will get you through it. It’s not for the faint of heart. And if you have what it takes, you will work your tail off, you will get through it and you will excel. And it will be worth it.
Where can people preorder Bewitching A Highlander?
Amazon, CamCatBooks, Barnes and Noble, Apple Books, IndieBound, Bookshop.org, Kobo.
Here are the links:
2) https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/bewitching-a-highlander-roma-cordon/1140546920?ean=9780744305104
8) https://www.target.com/p/bewitching-a-highlander-by-roma-cordon-hardcover/-/A-85872236#lnk=sametab
Where’s the best place to follow you?
Twitter, Instagram, Goodreads and BookBub. I am also on Facebook but not actively.
Here are the links:
