Thunder on the Moors by Andrea Matthews

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Andrea Matthews will be awarding an Ebook copy of books 2 and 3 in the series to one randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Thank you for visiting us here at It's Raining Books. Why do you write in your genre? What draws you to it?

I write historicals – historical romances and historical mysteries. I’ve always loved history. There’s something mysterious, romantic, and courageous about it. So, whatever I write needs to include a historical aspect, whether it’s historical romance or historical mystery. Even my paranormal romance has a bit of Irish mythology and history in it. But I like a little romance as well, so just like the history, my novels need to have that as well, even my mysteries. There’s a tenderness in the developing love between two people that enhances the story and fills it out for me. The third thing I like to include is a touch of the paranormal, probably because I believe there is magic in this world, if only we look for it.

What research is required?

For Thunder on the Moor, which is a time travel historical romance, I had to do a lot of research on two periods in history. It included everything from the clothes they wore, to events that were taking place, to everyday food and language. Time travel or not, it was still historical, and as a historian, I wanted my facts to be as close to accurate as possible. For my other series, The Cross of Ciaran, which is a paranormal romance, I still had to do research into the history of ancient Ireland and it’s myths. Even if the priesthood I was creating didn’t really exist, I wanted it to seem realistic, as if it could have been. I also had to do some research into the 1960s, just as I would for a historical novel. As for my mystery series, which is still in the writing stage, it’s historical as well, so research into the place and period was involved there as well.

Name one thing you learned from your hero/heroine.

Nobody is perfect. Even a hero or heroine has their faults.

Do you have any odd or interesting writing quirks, habits or superstitions?

I can’t say that I do really. I pretty much write whenever and wherever I can, and I don’t have any special rituals or superstitions when I write. I don’t know if you’d call it a quirk or not, but I like to make character sheets, family trees, and sometimes maps for the characters and places in my novels. I also have a small looseleaf binder for each book, where I hand write my notes. That way I can check them without having to toggle back and forth on the computer. I don’t need complete silence to write either. Is that a quirk? In fact, I usually have the tv on while I’m writing. I just tune it out unless something comes on I want to hear.

Are you a plotter or pantser?

I generally start out as a plotter, as far as the basic plot goes. In other words, I have a general idea of the direction the story is going, as well as a beginning, middle, and end. Once that’s established, I turn into a pantser – adding and subtracting events as the story develops.

Look to your right – what’s sitting there?

A child’s rocking chair, but it’s on the other side of the room, not right next to me.

Anything new coming up from you? What?

This year I have a few projects planned. The third book in The Cross of Ciaran series is due to come out at the end of May. In fact, it goes to my editor in a few days. I’m also hoping to publish a historical mystery at the end of August under the name, I. M. Foster, which will be entitled “Murder on Oak Street” Then to wrap the year up, I’m planning to publish the fourth book in The Thunder on the Moor series at the end of November.

Do you have a question for our readers?

I’d love to hear what they think about the novel. Do they like the characters? Did they enjoy the story? Did it touch them emotionally?

Maggie Armstrong grew up enchanted by her father’s tales of blood feuds and border raids. In fact, she could have easily fallen for the man portrayed in one particular image in his portrait collection. Yet when her father reveals he was himself an infamous Border reiver, she finds it a bit far-fetched—to say the least—especially when he announces his plans to return to his sixteenth century Scottish home with her in tow.

Suspecting it’s just his way of getting her to accompany him on yet another archaeological dig, Maggie agrees to the expedition, only to find herself transported four hundred and fifty years into the past. Though a bit disoriented at first, she discovers her father’s world to be every bit as exciting as his stories, particularly when she’s introduced to Ian Rutherford, the charming son of a neighboring laird. However, when her uncle announces her betrothal to Ian, Maggie’s twentieth-century sensibilities are outraged. She hardly even knows the man. But a refusal of his affections could ignite a blood feud.

Maggie’s worlds are colliding. Though she’s found the family she always wanted, the sixteenth century is a dangerous place. Betrayal, treachery, and a tragic murder have her questioning whether she should remain or try to make her way back to her own time.

To make matters worse, tensions escalate when she stumbles across Bonnie Will Foster, the dashing young man in her father’s portrait collection, only to learn he is a dreaded Englishman. But could he be the hero she’s always dreamed him to be? Or will his need for revenge against Ian shatter more than her heart?

Read an Excerpt

Hurrying up the turnpike steps, she passed by one of the few decent-sized windows and froze. She could see over the barmekin wall from here, and her eyes fixed on the rugged men who bore down upon them from the southwest. With a flaming spear signaling their lawful approach, the band of angry horseman sallied forth, trumpet blasting and sleuth hounds barking at their heels.

The glint of sunlight hitting a sword caught her attention, and she squinted to see better, cursing herself for not sneaking a pair of binoculars along on the journey. She uttered a quick prayer, hoping it might be Dylan or her uncle, but she couldn’t tell, not at this distance.

Biting her lip, she focused on the figure who came closer to the barmekin wall with each stride of his horse. How angry he looked in his plated jack with his pike held high. And yet something about him unleashed an entire flock of butterflies within her stomach and sent shivers down her spine so intense they caused her knees to quiver.

It’s him! The late afternoon light illuminated his face, and though she couldn’t really distinguish his features enough to identify him, somehow she knew. The heat rose in her cheeks, and she fanned herself, determined to retain her composure.

About the Author

Andrea Matthews is the pseudonym for Inez Foster, a historian and librarian who loves to read and write and search around for her roots, genealogical speaking. She has a BA in History and an MLS in Library Science and enjoys the research almost as much as she does writing the story. In fact, many of her ideas come to her while doing casual research or digging into her family history. She is the author of the Thunder on the Moor series set on the 16th century Anglo-Scottish Border, and the Cross of Ciaran series, where a fifteen-hundred-year-old Celt finds himself in the twentieth century. Andrea is a member of the Romance Writers of America, Long Island Romance Writers, and the Historical Novel Society.

Buy Link: Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/Thunder-Moor-Andrea-Matthews-ebook/dp/B07ZS7V3TB

Andrea Matthews Historical and Paranormal Romance - Website - https://andrea-matthews.com
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