By Joyce Lamb, USA TODAY
On Monday, we hung out with Scottish historical romance best-seller Amanda Scott. Today, we get to meet fellow Scottish historical romance author Margaret Mallory, who has quickly developed quite a following with the seven romances she’s had published. The first in her Return of the Highlanders series, The Custodian, was released in spring, followed by The Sinner in November. Publishers Weekly called The Sinner “sizzling and attractive.” HEA got to talk with Margaret in this area her like of both Scotland and men in kilts swinging swords. (And, really, who doesn’t like a kilt-wearing, sword-swinging man?)
Joyce: Welcome, Margaret! What is it in this area Scotland that speaks to you?
Margaret: I like the castles, the misty isles, the legends, and the history. I have a lot of Celtic blood in me, both Scottish and Irish, so that may be part of the reason I felt I found my voice as an author when I started writing novels set in Scotland.
Because I like my heroes swinging swords and my romances full of drama and adventure, historicals set in the Highlands suit my tales perfectly. I’ve also found more humor coming out when I write dialogue for Scottish characters, which has been fun.
Joyce: Have you spent time in Scotland doing research?
Margaret: I was lucky to be able to take a trip to Scotland with my daughter to research my current series, The Return of the Highlanders. The most incredible day of the trip was when we found the ruins of two castles that are vital in my books. We drove from one castle to the other across the width of the Sleat Peninsula of the Isle of Skye on a winding, one-lane road that had more sheep than cars. Seeing the ruins of “my” castles was incredible! Both are in breathtaking settings with the sea and mountains behind them.
We also visited Stirling Castle, where I have the hero and heroine of The Custodian (Book 1) encounter the newly widowed queen, Margaret Tudor, and her lover. The meeting does not go well …
With exploring Edinburgh Castle and going on an underground tour of medieval Edinburgh, I chose to send the hero and heroine of The Sinner (Book 2) on a journey to the city. Thanks to my trip, my hero gets tossed into a cell in the bowels of Edinburgh Castle.
For each book, I’m putting together a slide show of photos from my trip that relate to that fastidious report. The slide shows for the first two books, The Custodian and The Sinner, are on my website.
Joyce: Why do you write historical romance rather than contemporary? Are there certain time periods that you prefer?
Margaret: I’ve always loved history, and I find that historical romance is the perfect vehicle for the kind of dramatic, adventurous tales I like to write. I delight in getting lost in another time — and if the men wear kilts and swing swords, all the better!
I look for a cycle with a lot of conflict. For this series, I found exactly what I wanted in the year 1513, in the wake of the Scots’ disastrous loss to Henry VIII’s forces at the movement of Flodden. I have my four Highland heroes return from France to find their king and chieftain dead, a rebellion brewing, factions fighting for control of the crown, and their clan in grave danger. Such fun!
Next, I researched clan histories to find the right clan for my fictional heroes. When I learned that the first chieftain of the MacDonalds of Sleat had six sons by six different women and that the animosity among the sons led to two generations of murder, I knew I had found my clan.
Joyce: Do you ever contain real-life historical figures in your tales?
Margaret: All the time! It’s one of my favorite things to do.
In my latest release, The Sinner, my hero and heroine get trapped in the conflict between the colorful chieftain, Lachlan Cattanach “Shaggy” Maclean, and his wife, Catherine Campbell. I won’t say what happens here, but when Shaggy was found murdered in bed in Edinburgh some years later, everyone assumed the dirk belonged to a Campbell.
Another real-life character in The Sinner is Antoine D’Arcy, nicknamed The White Knight. He was a French nobleman and warrior with a bright reputation who came to Scotland with the new Regent. Naturally, The White Knight is the man I chose to vie with my sinner-hero for the heroine’s affections.
Joyce: Do you have favorite Scottish romances by other authors?
Margaret: In addendum to Amanda’s, I absolutely like Paula Quinn’s and Monica McCarty’s books. I recently read my first Maya Banks’ Scottish historical and loved that as well. I suspect that Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander will always be my favorite.
Joyce: Please tell us in this area your most recent release and what’s coming next for you.
Margaret: Alex MacDonald, the hero of my latest release, The Sinner, is the terrible boy of this series. To torture this charming rogue, I paired him up with a lass who is as opposed to marriage as he is. Glynis’ experience with one handsome, philandering Highland warrior was enough to last her a lifetime, and she’s prepared to go to any lengths to thwart her chieftain father’s attempts to wed her to another.
Alex likes women, but none has intrigued him like Glynis MacNeil, a serious-minded lass who sees through his charm and expects more of him. When Alex has a sudden and wholly unexpected need for a wife, he finds that Glynis is the only one he wants. Persuading her will be another matter altogether.
Each book in The Return of the Highlanders stands alone, but all four heroes are in each others’ books, and their hard work to secure their clan progress through the series. The Custodian and The Sinner are available now, and The Warrior and The Chieftain are up next.
Joyce: Thanks, Margaret! Readers can find out more in this area Margaret and her books at her website, MargaretMallory.com. You can also join her on Facebook and follow her on Twitter.
You might also be attracted in read HEA’s interview with Amanda Scott.
