Showing posts with label the Scottish Highlands. Show all posts
Showing posts with label the Scottish Highlands. Show all posts

Wednesday, November 1, 2017

My Time Travel Series--Make that Two

My fascination with time travel led to my Somewhere in Time Series and my new Ladies in Time Series. Time travel intrigues me and I love history. Visiting bygone eras is a big part of my stories, and I often include a ghost or two, and other paranormal elements. My time travels are also 'Time Slips' as the characters venture back and forth in time. Plus I'm a fan of mystery and often have mystery in the story. And Romance, of course.

In both series, the story opens in an old Virginia home, (I love old homes and my beloved Virginia), and then transports the main character, or characters, back in time, either in the same house or another place entirely, such as the Scottish Highlands. The very first time travel I ever wrote is Somewhere My Love. 


NEW SOMEWHERE MY LOVE COVER2

Somewhere My Love 

Fated lovers have a rare chance to reclaim the love cruelly denied them in the past, but can they grasp this brief window in time before it’s too late?

Blurb: Two hundred years ago Captain Cole Wentworth, the master of an elegant Virginian home, was murdered in his chamber where his portrait still hangs. Presently the estate is a family owned museum run by Will Wentworth, a man so uncannily identical to his ancestor that spirit-sensitive tour guide Julia Morrow has trouble recognizing Cole and Will as separate. 


As Julia begins to remember the events of Cole’s death, she must convince Will that history is repeating, and this time he has the starring role in the tragedy. The blade is about to fall.

“As I read Somewhere My Love, I recalled the feelings I experienced the first time I read Daphne DuMaurier’s Rebecca long ago. 

Using the same deliciously eerie elements similar to that gothic romance, Beth Trissel has captured the haunting dangers, thrilling suspense and innocent passions that evoke the same tingly anticipation and heartfelt romance I so enjoyed then, and still do now.” ~joysann for Publisher’s Weekly

"A beautiful love story with plenty of suspense and mystery. With a murderer on the loose and a house haunted by the ghosts of the past, can William and Julia figure everything out and survive? Visit Foxleigh Hall and find out." ~Night Owl Romance, a Night Owl Top Pick


Somewhere My Lass 

In Somewhere My Lass, I journeyed back to 1602 Scotland and more deeply explored my Scottish roots. 

An ancient relic, a medieval crypt, a mad Highlander at their throats and time fast running out. Mystery, suspense, romance, Somewhere My Lass.

Somewhere My Lass Time Travel Romance 2013Blurb: Will Mora and Neil be too late to save a love that began centuries before?

‘‘The MacDonald comes’ warns Mora Campbell when Neil MacKenzie finds the young Scotswoman lying unconscious at the top of his stairs after he discovers his murdered housekeeper slumped at the bottom.

Mora’s claim that she’s his fiancĂ© from 1602 and was chased to the future by clan chieftain, Red MacDonald, through ‘the door to nowhere’ seems utter nonsense. Neil thinks she’s addled from the blow to her head until his life spirals into chaos and the avenging Highlander shows up wanting blood. Mora knows the Neil of the future is truly her beloved Niall who disappeared from the past, but he must also remember. And fast.

Although Niall’s kinsmen believe he’s dead, and Mora is now destined to marry his brother, she’s convinced that if she and Neil return to the past, all will be right. The balance of the present and future are in peril if she marries another, and the Neil of the present will cease to exist. The only problem is how to get back to 1602. An ancient relic, the ultimate geek friend, and a little Celtic magic help pave the way back to the enormous challenge that awaits them. If they’re in time.

Reviewed by: Silvermage of Night Owl Reviews ~’Somewhere My Lass was a wonderful time-travel romance. I enjoyed that the time-travel went from the past to 2009 and not the other way.”

“Somewhere My Lass presents a convoluted time-twisting conundrum which becomes more intriguing as it goes along. I found the romance of it touching, the enigma baffling, and the resolution unexpected. A light, interesting blend of contemporary and historical fiction.” ~joysann, Publisher’s Weekly

somewhere_in_the_highlands4.jpg2Somewhere in the Highlands 
Sequel to Somewhere My Lass

Blurb: The MacDonalds are coming! When Elizabeth MacDonald (a.k.a Beezus Mac) thrusts a sealed gold box at Angus Fergus amid panicked requests for him to hide the stolen artifact, she has no idea the ancient cloth it contains bestows unearthly powers. Red MacDonald knows and he’s hell-bent on traveling 400 years into the future to claim the charmed relic, even kill for it.

Protecting Beezus from his old nemesis is only one of Fergus’s problems. Before they can stop him, Morley MacDonald, descendant of Red MacDonald, snatches the prize and leaps through the time portal to head the MacDonald clan and kill Fergus’s MacKenzie ancestor. If he succeeds, Fergus will cease to exist.

Danger grows in the feud between the MacDonalds and the MacKenzies as the pair, along with an ingenious friend and high tech inventions, returns to 1604 Scotland to face these brawny Highlanders and reunite with kin. Will Fergus overcome his mistrust of Beezus and fan the growing spark between them before they battle Morley? If he waits, it may be too late.~

So many readers were taken by the strong, quirky character, Fergus, in Somewhere My Lass (as was I) that I decided to write Fergus’s story. Yes, I have plans to write yet another story in this continuing saga–part of my Somewhere in Time series. Plotting is underway for that book. In the tone of Somewhere My Lass, Somewhere in the Highlands is an unusual twist on the time travel theme, with high tech gadgets, sci-fi lingo, and action packed. And a fun dash of romance, of course.

“I absolutely loved Fergus’s story! Fergus is the perfect geek hero, smart, funny, thinks on his feet, and cute! I love Beth’s stories, she has a wonderful way of writing so that you are right there in story with the characters. I thoroughly enjoy the tone of her stories and her settings, Beth’s stories are wonderful and definitely worth the read.” Amazon Review


SOMEWHERE THE BELLS RING: (Christmas) Now available in Audio!

Wonderful old homes are a major part of my Somewhere in Time series. The image below is of the old Virginia family home place that lies at the heart of many of my stories and is the setting for my ghostly Christmas romance novella, Somewhere the Bells Ring.

Chapel Hill - old VA family home place

                   (Photograph of the old Virginia family homeplace)


Nostalgia about the late 1960’s and an earlier era, WWI, coupled with a vivid dream inspired this vintage American Christmas ghost story. 

‘Although Somewhere the Bells Ring has a holiday theme, it’s an anytime read for Romance Lovers.’

Blurb: Caught with pot in her dorm room, Bailey Randolph is exiled to a relative’s ancestral home in Virginia to straighten herself out. Banishment to Maple Hill is dismal, until a ghost appears requesting her help. Bailey is frightened but intrigued. Then her girlhood crush, Eric Burke, arrives and suddenly Maple Hill isn’t so bad.

To Eric, wounded in Vietnam, his military career shattered, this homecoming feels no less like exile. But when he finds Bailey at Maple Hill, her fairy-like beauty gives him reason to hope–until she tells him about the ghost haunting the house. Then he wonders if her one experiment with pot has made her crazy.

As Bailey and Eric draw closer, he agrees to help her find a long-forgotten Christmas gift the ghost wants. But will the magic of Christmas be enough to make Eric believe–in Bailey and the ghost–before the Christmas bells ring?

For Somewhere the Bells Ring:

“Ms. Trissel captivates her reader from the moment you start reading the first page. She has written a compelling love story that spans some fifty plus years and keeps you entertained every step of the way with the story within a story…I fell in love with Ms. Trissel’s characters and look forward to the next delightful story ready with Kleenex box in hand. A must read for every romance fan.” ~Reviewed by Robin for Romancing the Book


****My talented daughter Elise Trissel did all the Somewhere in Time covers except for Somewhere the Bells Ring.

LADIES IN TIME SERIES 

Somewhere My Lady is the first book in my exciting new Ladies in Time series. A ghostly time travel romance with a deadly mystery unfolds in a wonderful old house on the James River in Virginia. Can you solve the mystery? Took me a while.


Story Blurb:

Lorna Randolph is hired for the summer at Harrison Hall in Virginia, where Revolutionary-War reenactors provide guided tours of the elegant old home. She doesn't expect to receive a note and a kiss from a handsome young man who then vanishes into mist.

Harrison Hall itself has plans for Lorna – and for Hart Harrison, her momentary suitor and its 18th century heir. Past and present are bound by pledges of love, and modern science melds with old skills and history as Harrison Hall takes Lorna and Hart through time in a race to solve a mystery and save Hart's life before the Midsummer Ball.


"Quite simply, one of the best paranormal, time slip stories I’ve ever had the pleasure to read," ~Splashes Into Books

‘Somewhere My Lady is a fun supernatural romance that will have you slipping in and out of the past and future as if you were a spirit yourself.’’ ~Colleen’s Book Reviews

"Written with the style of a classic - fitting for the modern world...The warmth of the story and the sweet romance, mixed perfectly with the mysterious plot interwoven into Lorna and Hart's adventure. While I didn't want it to end, the story wrapped up beautifully. I will definitely be rereading this book in the future, and would recommend it to anyone."  

***This book is dedicated to my dear little dog, Sadie--the last story she saw me through.

The White Lady, (Book 2 the Ladies in Time series), is out on November 10th, and available in pre-order now. The story was inspired by the ghostly white woman lore I'm familiar with from the Shenandoah Valley and surrounding mountains. One such account speaks of a young woman dressed in white observed walking along the riverbank by the children of a valley family. When asked, their father told them she was the spirit of a brokenhearted woman who had died years before, that they would likely see her again, and to leave her alone. They did and kept their distance. 


After researching these haunting tales, I discovered this lore is widespread in America and the UK and dates back centuries. It's a paranormal 'thing,' or should I say she is?

The white woman is described as a sad solitary figure deep in mourning, having been jilted in love, possibly left at the altar, maybe pregnant. Desperate, she generally kills herself or fades from illness and then lingers as a mournful restless ghost. While creepy, she's not usually vindictive. Usually....

In addition to research into ghostly white woman lore, I had one of my waking visions. I was walking around our meadow with the cows when I saw a young couple in my mind. He was fixated on the beautiful portrait of a mysterious lady while the girl endeavored to get his attention. She called him Ignus--a name I've never heard before--and warned him of the inherent dangers she sensed in this ghostly woman. He wouldn't listen. Guys never do. But there was something exceptional about Ignus, and then there's her best friend Stan...

This paranormal time travel romance takes place in a Victorian house in Staunton, Virginia at Christmas with flashes back to the Civil War and the end of WWI.

Story Blurb: 

Avery Dunham has always been ready to follow her friend, time-traveling wizard, Ignus Burke, on incredible adventures. This time, though, she has serious misgivings. It’s just one week before Christmas, but she cannot get him to change his mind. The usually cool and collected magic-wielding leader is wholly obsessed by the portrait of the White Lady whom he is bent on rescuing.

Almost as soon as they begin their journey, it becomes clear their mission is a trap. Avery was right: this adventure is not going to be like any other.~


***Neither The Somewhere in Time or The Ladies in Time stories need to be read in order, except that Somewhere in the Highlands is the sequel to Somewhere My Lass.


****Follow my Amazon Author Page and keep up with my releases: https://www.amazon.com/Beth-Trissel/e/B002BLLAJ6/


Friday, July 8, 2016

Fantasy, Mystery, Time Travel, Ghosts, and Romance--Somewhere in Time Series



Open the door. You never know where it may take you. Who likes time travel? Maybe a ghost or two? Highlanders? A mystery to solve? Love stories?

The idea behind my ‘Somewhere in Time series’ is that the story opens in an old Virginia home (I love old homes!), ranging from stately plantation manors to Victorian beauties, and then transports the main character, or characters, back in time either in the same house or to another place entirely, such as the Scottish Highlands. And each story has a door.

Moreover, I’m intrigued by ghost stories, and Virginia has more tales than any other state. I find myself asking if the folk who’ve gone before us are truly gone, or do some still have unfinished business in this realm? And what of the young lovers whose time was tragically cut short, do they somehow find a way? This is the theme behind my light paranormal, murder mystery, ghostly, time travel romance novel, Somewhere My Love.


Somewhere My Love (Book 1, Somewhere in Time):
Fated lovers have a rare chance to reclaim the love cruelly denied them in the past, but can they grasp this brief window in time before it’s too late?

Blurb: Two hundred years ago Captain Cole Wentworth, the master of an elegant Virginian home, was murdered in his chamber where his portrait still hangs. Presently the estate is a family owned museum run by Will Wentworth, a man so uncannily identical to his ancestor that spirit-sensitive tour guide Julia Morrow has trouble recognizing Cole and Will as separate. As Julia begins to remember the events of Cole’s death, she must convince Will that history is repeating, and this time he has the starring role in the tragedy. The blade is about to fall.

"A beautiful love story with plenty of suspense and mystery. The story will draw a reader in and will not let go until the very last page. It is a novel that will live in the hearts of its readers for a very long time."  ~Reviewed by Hitherandthee for Night Owl Romance

In Somewhere My Lass, I journeyed back to 1602 Scotland and more deeply explored my Scottish roots.  

'An ancient relic, a medieval crypt, a mad highlander at their throats and time fast running out. Mystery, suspense, romance, Somewhere My Lass.'


Blurb: Will Mora and Neil be too late to save a love that began centuries before?


‘‘The MacDonald comes’ warns Mora Campbell when Neil MacKenzie finds the young Scotswoman lying unconscious at the top of his stairs after he discovers his murdered housekeeper slumped at the bottom. 


Mora’s claim that she’s his fiancĂ© from 1602 and was chased to the future by clan chieftain, Red MacDonald, through ‘the door to nowhere’ seems utter nonsense. Neil thinks she’s addled from the blow to her head until his life spirals into chaos and the avenging Highlander shows up wanting blood. Mora knows the Neil of the future is truly her beloved Niall who disappeared from the past, but he must also remember. And fast.


Although Niall’s kinsmen believe he’s dead, and Mora is now destined to marry his brother, she’s convinced that if she and Neil return to the past, all will be right. The balance of the present and future are in peril if she marries another, and the Neil of the present will cease to exist. The only problem is how to get back to 1602. An ancient relic, the ultimate geek friend, and a little Celtic magic help pave the way back to the enormous challenge that awaits them. If they’re in time.


Reviewed by: Silvermage of Night Owl Reviews ~ “Somewhere My Lass was a wonderful time-travel romance. I enjoyed that the time-travel went from the past to 2009 and not the other way.”



Somewhere in the Highlands (Somewhere in Time)
Sequel to Somewhere My Lass

Blurb: The MacDonalds are coming! When Elizabeth MacDonald (a.k.a Beezus Mac) thrusts a sealed gold box at Angus Fergus amid panicked requests for him to hide the stolen artifact, she has no idea the ancient cloth it contains bestows unearthly powers. Red MacDonald knows and he’s hell-bent on traveling 400 years into the future to claim the charmed relic, even kill for it.


Protecting Beezus from his old nemesis is only one of Fergus’s problems. Before they can stop him, Morley MacDonald, descendant of Red MacDonald, snatches the prize and leaps through the time portal to head the MacDonald clan and kill Fergus’s MacKenzie ancestor. If he succeeds, Fergus will cease to exist.


Danger grows in the feud between the MacDonalds and the MacKenzies as the pair, along with an ingenious friend and high tech inventions, returns to 1604 Scotland to face these brawny Highlanders and reunite with kin. Will Fergus overcome his mistrust of Beezus and fan the growing spark between them before they battle Morley? If he waits, it may be too late.~


So many readers were taken by the strong, quirky character, Fergus, in Somewhere My Lass (as was I) that I decided to write Fergus’s story. Now, I plan to write yet another story in this continuing saga–part of my Somewhere in Time series.
But first, I need to finish the time travel I am currently at work on.



“Beth Trissel is a master at weaving Scottish lore with the modern day without it seeming forced or implausible all while weaving a beautifully-crafted tale of romance and adventure. There'd better be more Fergus coming. I mean it!”~ Born with a Book

The Somewhere in Time Series; where the past meets the present.

Speaking of wonderful old homes, (a major part of this series) the image below is of the old Virginia family home place that lies at the heart of many of my stories and is the setting for my ghostly Christmas romance novella, Somewhere the Bells Ring.



'Although Somewhere the Bells Ring has a holiday theme, it’s an anytime read for Romance Lovers.’


The story opens in 1968 and flashes back to 1918 and the end of WW1.

Blurb: 


Caught with pot in her dorm room, Bailey Randolph is exiled to a relative’s ancestral home in Virginia to straighten herself out. Banishment to Maple Hill is dismal, until a ghost appears requesting her help. Bailey is frightened but intrigued. Then her girlhood crush, Eric Burke, arrives and suddenly Maple Hill isn’t so bad.


To Eric, wounded in Vietnam, his military career shattered, this homecoming feels no less like exile. But when he finds Bailey at Maple Hill, her fairy-like beauty gives him reason to hope–until she tells him about the ghost haunting the house. Then he wonders if her one experiment with pot has made her crazy.


As Bailey and Eric draw closer, he agrees to help her find a long-forgotten Christmas gift the ghost wants. But will the magic of Christmas be enough to make Eric believe–in Bailey and the ghost–before the Christmas bells ring?


For Somewhere the Bells Ring:


“Ms. Trissel captivates her reader from the moment you start reading the first page. She has written a compelling love story that spans some fifty plus years and keeps you entertained every step of the way with the story within a story…I fell in love with Ms. Trissel’s characters and look forward to the next delightful story ready with Kleenex box in hand. A must read for every romance fan.” 
~Reviewed by Robin for Romancing the Book

I am currently at work on a new ‘Somewhere’ themed romance. Maybe two. 
Time Travel, Ghosts, Fantasy, Mystery, and above all Romance may lie on the other side of the door.

My Somewhere in Time Series is available on my Author Page at Amazon.



Friday, October 19, 2012

Who Loves A Good Time Travel Romance? -- Beth Trissel


I do! I do! *Beth has her hand up.

After incorporating a time travel element in the form of flashbacks to early nineteenth century Virginia into my first such story, ghostly romance novel Somewhere My Love, my ultimate challenge was setting a time travel romance novel in Scotland. I’ve never physically been there, though many in my family have and told me all about its grandeur and charm. I’ve certainly read, heard, and seen many descriptions of Scotland.  Being a history buff I’ve read up on and watched numerous programs set in the British Isles. I’m a British junkie, an anglophile, while equally preoccupied with early America. But then America and Great Britain are both tied together, and were especially linked in the colonial time period.  The Shenandoah Valley of Virginia where I live and my family has lived for several hundred years resembles the hills, mountains, and valleys of Scotland and Ireland that drew so many Scots/Irish to settle here. So that gave me an ‘in.’


Up until SOMEWHERE MY LASS I’d set all my stories in America, past and present. This departure to Scotland was, as I said, indeed a challenge, but I drew deeply on my English Scots-Irish roots, which I’ve been doing all along. Apart from the prominent Native American heroes and characters in my work (Through the Fire, Red Bird’s Song, The Bearwalker's Daughter, The Lady and the Warrior, Kira, Daughter of the Moon) the others are all of English/Scots-Irish backgrounds, with a smidgen of French. My ancestors, too, have a smidgen of French in the meld, a Norman knight who sailed with William the Conqueror.

A little more about the inspiration behind SOMEWHERE MY LASS:

As is often the case, the opening of this book was inspired by a dream, one that grabbed my attention and made me wonder where in the world do I go from here? Inquiring minds like mine want to know the rest of the story and so I delved & plotted, lay awake nights trying to recapture that dream. Ultimately, this suspenseful time travel evolved from years of research into my distant Scottish roots and a long-held fascination with the idea of actually being transported to the past, with a proviso that I can return to the present whenever the thrill wears off. Say, by tea time. My characters are far more adventurous than I.

Certainly, I was influenced by my beloved C S Lewis in his Chronicles of Narnia that I grew up reading. I’m still looking for Narnia. Isn’t everyone? Not to mention, movies like Back to the Future and Timeline –I don’t care what the critics say I’d loved it–but I like to think, and my editor assures me, that I’ve achieved an original take on the oft visited time travel theme. And no, I’ve not read author Diane Gabledon or other Scottish time travels so cannot be accused of those influences.  One of the most beautiful books I’ve ever read with exquisite imagery and intriguing time travel is Tom’s Midnight Garden by Philippa Pearce, and Susan Einzig. A book written for older children but really for anyone. Me, for instance. It’s an absolute delight.

Back to Somewhere My Lass…of course, my love for old castles and the Scottish highlands also lent inspiration. The concept behind my SOMEWHERE series is that the story opens in modern-day, so far my home state of Virginia and I don’t see that changing, and then transports the reader SOMEWHERE else–either back to an earlier time in the same house, as in SOMEWHERE MY LOVE, or another place altogether, as in SOMEWHERE MY LASS. Sounds simple enough, right? But writing these stories isn’t. There were times when I thought I’d never make it through ‘Lass’ but am thrilled that I did.
 
Did I get the setting right?  Only those of you who dwell in that beautiful land or have visited Scotland can say.  I loved writing SOMEWHERE MY LASS and am doing a sequel.

****
Blurb: Neil MacKenzie’s well ordered life turns to chaos when Mora Campbell shows up claiming he’s her fiancĂ© from 1602 Scotland. Her avowal that she was chased to the future by clan chieftain, Red MacDonald, is utter nonsense, and Neil must convince her that she is just addled from a blow to her head–or so he believes until the MacDonald himself shows up wanting blood. Mora knows the Neil of the future is truly her beloved Niall who disappeared from the past. Although her kinsmen believe he’s dead, and she is now destined to marry Niall’s brother, she’s convinced that if she and Neil return to the past, all will be right. The only problem is how to get back to 1602 before it’s too late. The balance of the present and future are in peril if she marries another, and the Neil of the present will cease to exist. An ancient relic and a few good friends in the future help pave the way back to the past, but will Mora and Neil be too late to save a love that began centuries before?
****
First Excerpt:

“You are a beauty.” His words were a hoarse whisper.

The rise and fall of her chest betrayed a deep inhalation of breath. A flicker of reproach lit her eyes. “I dinna think ye took heed of me at all.”

He winced at the well-deserved jab. “About before, I’m sorry I left you so suddenly. But there’s no earthly way I could fail to notice you. I’d have to be deaf, dumb, and blind and even then…”

The tension in her face eased and then the hurt returned. “Oh, aye? How could ye forget all ye knew?”

He remained as he was, threading that wealth of hair through his fingers. Again, the rational part of him argued, “Is it possible you’re imagining you knew me before?”


She balked, a mutinous glint in her eyes. “Nae.”


He slid his hand to the finely crafted silver chain at her throat and coaxed the coverlets further down. A slight gasp escaped her lips. He muted any outward response to the thrill running through him. The scooped neckline of her nightgown revealed the tops of white breasts sprinkled with freckles. Above this heart-hammering sight hung the crucifix. 
“I gave this to you?” he managed to ask without betraying the swell of emotion surging inside him.

“At our betrothal.”

Second Excerpt:
How in the name of— Stunned beyond oaths, Neil gaped down at the slender young woman dressed in an outlandish Scottish costume. Hair the color of a flaming sunset spilled down over the red and blue tartan plaid draped around her like a shawl. A circular brass brooch heavily engraved by some skilled craftsman held the edges together. A full green skirt covered the rest of her, a hint of petticoats beneath.  

Good God. She looked straight out of the Old Country. In profound disbelief, he knelt beside her and laid his hand on her shoulder. He wasn’t hallucinating. She was real enough, warm against his hand. Stranger still, the peaty scent of turf smoke emanated from her. And some perfume he couldn’t place, but inherently knew.

Moss rose, maybe? The rich meld of fragrances carried him back, but to where? Baffled, he shook her gently. “Miss?”
She gave a soft moan.


“Are you hurt?” he asked.

She turned toward him, fluttering a dark fringe of auburn lashes. Another moan issued from between what surely were petal soft lips. He frowned at the ugly bruise marring her forehead. Had that maniac done this to her? The rest of her smooth skin was pale except for the sprinkle of freckles on her nose—not too long with a pert tilt, Neil noted, along with an absence of any other immediate injuries. Thank God he hadn’t been too late to help this young woman. Perhaps he’d frightened off her attacker, the coward. Although he had no idea where the killer had gone.
Neil remained on his guard. He mustn’t take anything for granted. The only certainty—a violent criminal was on the loose. Difficult to keep watching over his shoulder, though, with the inexplicable stranger commanding his attention.

Intrigued, despite the gruesome circumstances of their meeting, Neil locked his gaze on her once again. Vivid blue eyes, cast with a purplish hue, opened wide. Unusual color and deeply stirring. She blinked and stared up at him as if he’d materialized out of the mist. But it was she who’d mysteriously come upon him with such wonder and beauty.

His already pounding heart skipped a beat for an entirely different reason now. He looked long into her eyes…for a moment he forgot the grisly murder, forgot everything. There was a timeless quality in those violet depths; the term “window to the soul” took on a whole new meaning. And it seemed to him that he’d seen these eyes before… Impossible. 

He came back to himself. Mastering the tremor threatening his speech, he said, “You were knocked out, but you’ll be all right.”


She shook her head, wincing. “None of us will. The MacDonald comes,” she warned in a Scottish brogue.

The hair on the back of Neil’s neck bristled. And so it begins, a voice inside him said.

****
*Above Pic of The Door to Nowhere, or so Neil thinks.

SOMEWHERE MY LASS is available in digital download at:
The Wild Rose Press, Amazon as a Kindle, Barnes & Noble in Nookbook and from other online booksellers.

Most Recent Amazon Reader Review: 
5.0 out of 5 stars terrific time travel, October 10, 2012


"What a great story! This book has it all Historic, and modern all with highlanders. I love the way the author has taken all the usual "rules" of time travel stories and thrown them away. We get old things in modern day and very modern in the past. Even the secondary character is a hero. I don't want to say too much because I don't want to spoil it. I was stunned at the ending I want MORE. A great fun read!"

***Amazon has all of my books long or short, kindle and print.


Wednesday, February 1, 2012

More About Historical/Paranormal Romance Author Beth Trissel


Married to my high school sweetheart, I live on a farm in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia surrounded by my children, grandbabies, and assorted animals.  An avid gardener, my love of herbs and heirloom plants figures into my work. The rich history of Virginia, the Native Americans, and the people who journeyed here from far beyond her borders are at the heart of my inspiration.  In addition to American settings, I also write historical and time travel romances set in the British Isles.
My fascination with Colonial America, particularly stirring tales of the frontier and the Shawnee Indians, is an early and abiding one. My English, Scot-Irish ancestors had interactions with this tribe, including family members taken captive. In Red Bird’s Song, I honed in on my early American roots in a story featuring the Scots-Irish and an Indian attack that happened to my ancestors.  Native American themed historical romance Through the Fire is also based on research into my colonial forebears and the French and Indian War.  I signed a contract for the sequel to Through the Fire, entitled  Kira Daughter of the Moon, due out later in 2012.
“Through the Fire is full of interesting characters, beautifully described scenery, and vivid action sequences. It is a must read for any fan of historical romance.” ~Poinsettia, Long and Short Reviews
“This book touched my soul even as it provided a thrilling fictional escape into a period of history I have always found fascinating.” ~ Laurie-J Reviewer for Red Bird’s Song at Night Owl Romance
“With “Red Bird’s Song”, Beth Trissel has painted an unforgettable portrait of a daring and defiant love brought to life in the wild and vivid era of Colonial America. Highly recommended for lovers of American history and romance lovers alike!” ~Review by Virginia Campbell
Intrigued with all things Celtic, much of my writing features these early Scot-Irish ancestors who settled in the Shenandoah Valley and surrounding Allegheny and Blue Ridge Mountains. This absorption with Colonial America also extends to the high drama of the Revolution and ancestors who fought on both sides of that sweeping conflict as depicted in Enemy of the King.
*Image of the Alleghenies by my mother, Pat Churchman
“An amazing and vibrant look into the American Revolution…this sexy historical is a must read!” ~Coffee Time Romance And More
“I love historical romances. They are one of my favorites and anymore when I think of a historical I think of Beth Trissel.”~Reviewed by Bella Wolfe, You Gotta Read Reviews
“Beth Trissel is a skilled storyteller and scene-builder. She immediately plunges the reader into  action and excitement with a vivid sense of time and place.” ~Historical Romance Author Kris Kennedy ( for Enemy of the King)
Historical/light paranormal romance Daughter of the Wind, following on the heels of the Revolution, is set in the ruggedly beautiful Alleghenies among the superstitious Scots with a young couple caught in the clash between two warring Peoples.  The story is inspired by a tragic and true tale but I conjured a happier ending for mine.
“Ms. Trissel’s alluring style of writing invites the reader into a world of fantasy and makes it so believable it is spellbinding.” ~Camellia, Long and Short Reviews
Moreover, I’m intrigued by ghost stories, and Virginia has more tales than any other state. I find myself asking if the folk who’ve gone before us are truly gone, or do some still have unfinished business in this realm? And what of the young lovers whose time was tragically cut short, do they somehow find a way?  Love conquers all, so I answer ‘yes.’  The theme behind light paranormal murder mystery, ghost story romanceSomewhere My Love, the first in my ‘Somewhere’ series.
“As I read Somewhere My Love, I recalled the feelings I experienced the first time I read Daphne DuMaurier’s Rebecca long ago. Using deliciously eerie elements similar to that gothic romance, Beth Trissel has captured the haunting dangers, thrilling suspense and innocent passions that evoke the same tingly anticipation and heartfelt romance I so enjoyed then, and still do now.” 
~ Joysann, Publishers Weekly
Time Travel, Ghosts, and Reincarnation.  Sacred relics and star-crossed lovers. Fantasy, mystery, magic, and above all romance... 
The idea behind my ‘Somewhere series’ is that the story opens in an old home, so far Virginia, and then transports the reader back in time either in the same old house or another place entirely, such as the Scottish Highlands. “Know that love is truly timeless.” ~Author  Mary M. Ricksen 

"Beth Trissel has written a captivating ghost story entwining a contemporary love story with the mystery of a murder from the nineteenth century. The wonderful characters and evocative historical details caught my attention from the first page.” ~ Romance Author Helen Scott Taylor for light paranormal romance Somewhere my Love
In Somewhere My Lass, I journeyed back to 1602 Scotland and more deeply explored my Scottish roots.  I’m at work on the sequel.
Reviewed by: Silvermage of Night Owl Reviews ~’Somewhere My Lass was a wonderful time-travel romance. I enjoyed that the time-travel went from the past to 2009 and not the other way.”
“Somewhere My Lass presents a convoluted time-twisting conundrum which becomes more intriguing as it goes along. I found the romance of it touching, the enigma baffling, and the resolution unexpected. A light, interesting blend of contemporary and historical fiction.” ~joysann, Publisher’s Weekly
Nostalgia about the late 1960’s and an earlier era, WWI, coupled with a vivid dream inspired my vintage American Christmas ghost story romance Somewhere the Bells Ring.  
‘ALTHOUGH SOMEWHERE THE BELLS RING HAS A HOLIDAY THEME, IT’S AN ANYTIME READ FOR ROMANCE LOVERS.’
*Image of the Virginia Family home place (circa 1816), the inspiration and setting for the old home in Somewhere the Bells Ring.
For Somewhere the Bells Ring:
“Ms. Trissel captivates her reader from the moment you start reading the first page. She has written a compelling love story that spans some fifty plus years and keeps you entertained every step of the way with the story within a story…I fell in love with Ms. Trissel’s characters and look forward to the next delightful story ready with Kleenex box in hand. A must read for every romance fan.”
~Reviewed by Robin for Romancing the Book
Though set in England, the tumult taking place in France during the explosion of the French Revolution is the backdrop for my new historical romance, Into the Lion’s Heart.  This story launched the new series The Wild Rose Press is debuting called Love Letters, the premise being that a letter is responsible for bringing the hero and heroine together.
“A brilliant historical romance by Beth Trissel. You can feel her passion in the story, very well written and characters that you can feel. Into the Lion’s Heart will take you through a journey of love, and enough surprises to keep you hanging on. If you love a beautiful historical romance you will enjoy this story!”
Recently I branched out beyond historical and light paranormal romance with a nonfiction book about country life entitled Shenandoah Watercolors,available as a Kindle, FREE to Amazon Prime members.
I’m a member of RWA ®, Virginia Romance Writers, and Celtic Hearts Romance Writers.  My work has received many awards including a 2008 Golden Heart Final with my American historical Through the Fire.
2008 Winner Preditor’s & Editor’s Readers Poll
Publisher’s Weekly BHB Reader’s Choice Best Books of 2009 
2010 Best Romance Novel List at Buzzle
Won Book of the Week Five Times At LASR
“If you can imagine it, you can achieve it; if you can dream it, you can become it.” ~ William Ward

  
For more on my work please visit my website at: www.bethtrissel.com
My Daughter of the Stars Blog is loaded with a variety of posts centered around the general theme of Historical and Light Paranormal Romance, gardening with a focus on herbs, heirloom plants, and country life, but many other topics as well. Even more articles are posted at my other blog One Writers Way at: http://bethtrissel.wordpress.com/
*Image of my garden taken by daughter Elise