New Review: Carmen Caine’s THE DARING HEART – Unusual Scottish Historical Romance with a Venetian Heroine and Venetian Assassins

This is the third in Caine’s Scottish medieval series. Set in 1482, three years after The Bedeviled Heart, the story begins in Sarlat, France where Lord Julian Gray is awakened from sleep by a knife pressed against his ribs. The young woman wielding the stiletto is Liselle, sister to Orazio di Franco and a part of the Vindictam, the renowned Venetian family of assassins. Julian, who pretends to be a profligate spending his time drinking, gambling and wenching, is really the spy Le Marin who is keeping an eye on Alexander Stewart, the Duke of Albany, who wants to take the throne from his brother James III of Scotland. Liselle, who looks forward to the day she will be given her first assassin assignment is thrilled when she is sent to the Scottish court.

The first half of the story does not take place in Scotland and so there is a different feel to this one. Half the characters are Venetian assassins and there are many Italian words interwoven into the text. At times it felt more Italian than Scottish. It is a clever tale and well written and yes, there is Scottish history woven in, too. Cameron (from The Bedeviled Heart) is very much involved in trying to hold the clans together to fight the English as Julian flits around Europe, England and finally Scotland in his attempts to thwart Albany’s plans and deal with all the Italians. 

This is a good story though I did not like it as well as The Bedeviled Heart and that may be due to the heroine’s being a Venetian, and Julian’s inability to deal with her at times, and the more Italian historical feel. As with her other novels, there are no love scenes in this one but some good chemistry.

The Highland Heather and Hearts series (I recommend reading them in order as the characters pop up in each other’s stories):

The Kindling Heart (Bree & Ruan)

The Bedeviled Heart (Cameron & Kate)

The Daring Heart (Julian & Liselle)

The Bold Heart (Merry & Ewan—coming in 2014)

New Review: Francis Housden’s THE CHIEFTAIN’S CURSE – Unusual but Absorbing Tale from the 11th century Scottish Highlands

It took me a while to get used to the author’s writing style and the amount of introspection in between lines of dialog, but once I did, I found this tale from the Highlands held my interest. Housden has captured the feel of a medieval keep and has given us some wonderful characters.

Set in 1081 in Northeast Scotland, it tells of Euan, Laird of the McArthurs, and lord of Cragenlaw Castle, who desperately wants an heir but a witch’s curse has left him with three dead wives who lost their lives and his sons in childbirth. Morag Farquhar, only daughter of Baron Wolfsdale of Northumbria helped the young Scot 12 years earlier when she was 14 and he was severely wounded on the battlefield. When he was healed, she gave him her innocence only to have him leave her without a word. Now she is fleeing her brother who has succeeded her father as Baron Wolfsdale, and hoping to find a haven with her former lover.

Morag arrives at Euan’s castle on a stormy night with an 11-year-old boy in tow who she says is her brother. Euan doesn’t recognize Morag, but sees her as just the woman he needs when she tells him she is barren for he can take her as his leman without worrying about getting her with child (and causing her death). Having few options, and still caring for the man who left her all those years ago, Morag does not object. It’s pretty clear from the beginning that Rob is Euan’s child--and therefore his only heir--though Morag doesn’t reveal this to Euan. Morag, who is not a Scot, seems to blend in well with Euan’s clan, albeit the women keep their distance from her. 

Housden has developed the characters well and weaves an absorbing story of envy, treachery, lies and second chances. The lives of the main characters and families are all intertwined which leads to some fascinating twists and turns. I recommend it.

New Review: Cordia Byers’ SILK AND STEEL – Absorbing Tale from 14th Century Scotland—a wonderful, courageous heroine!

I didn’t have to read very far into this romance to know I had found a great romance. Set in the Borderlands of Scotland in 1333, it tells of a Scottish clan that is decimated by a battle with King Edward’s knights. Left in charge is the young 18-year-old heir who leads the clan in a last desperate attempt to retain control of their castle, Raven’s Keep. But they are unsuccessful, and though the young heir fights hard, Edward’s knight, Justin St. Claire, wins the day and claims the castle. It is only when he goes to have the young heir flogged that he realizes Lord Cregan’s heir is a woman.

Jamelyn (“Jami” to her men) is a courageous young woman who was raised as a son by her uncle, Lord Cregan. When King Edward, for his own purposes, commands Justin marry the rebellious girl who hates the English for what they have taken from her, the battle begins. Jamelyn means to outwit the arrogant Englishman who is critical of her and her people.

From the very beginning, I loved this heroine and finding out what would happen to her had me turning pages way past my bedtime. However, I have to say it was a bit of “loved her, hated him.” Jamelyn was manipulated by every man she’d known, first her uncle, then Justin, then Anthony (Justin’s friend) and even King Edward. Justin behaves the cur time and again, even flaunting his mistress in front of his wife. I was (at least at one point) tempted to feel sorry for his mistress because though she was a bitter, vengeful woman who would stop at nothing to have the man she wanted, she had loved Justin since she was 15.

It is an absorbing story that kept me reading late into night, unwilling to put it down. Byers brings many threads together at the end for a satisfying finish to a great story. I recommend it!

New Review: Genevieve Graham’s SOUND OF THE HEART – Sweeping Saga of the Scots’ Fate After Culloden and Life in the American Colonies

This is a sweeping historical saga, and companion to UNDER THE SAME SKY, Graham’s first novel. It covers more than a decade, and at times seems more historical fiction than romance but it does have a worthy love story running through it, so I consider it a crossover. It begins in 1745 with the Battle of Culloden that cut a dark scar on the history of Scotland as the English tried to wipe out a people whose desire for independence they could not abide.

Most of the story is told from the perspective of the hero, Dougal MacDonnell, whose father died in his arms at Culloden. Dougal doesn’t know the fate of his younger brothers but believes the youngest one may be dead. He believes his other brother, Andrew, with whom he is telepathically connected, may be alive. (Andrew’s story is told in book 1.)

Taken prisoner by the English and nearly starved, Dougal escapes with a young boy, Aiden, who Dougal protects as they travel to London and then back to Scotland where they live in a small crofter’s cottage for years.

Deep into the novel, Dougal discovers Glenna, a young Scots woman, and the two become lovers and live together for years only to be separated by the English and sent to the Colonies. Reluctantly, Dougal becomes a part of Montgomerie’s Highlanders wearing the only plaid allowed a Scot, the English Black Watch, as he searches for Andrew and Glenna in the Carolinas.

In her well-researched, superbly written saga, Graham shows the gritty side of war, the ugly filth of the streets of London, the irony of the Scots having to fight the Indians, rape of women (the heroine is raped), and the very real starvation faced in those dark days. It is rich in detail, superb in language depiction and the characters well developed. This is not, however, a classic historical romance given the nature of the events or the fact the hero and heroine are separated for long periods. Sometimes the focus is only on the hero’s adventures or the heroine’s perils (we don’t get the heroine’s point of view until the last third of the book).

It’s a story of great loss and survival when one would prefer death. (“Sometimes the sensation of loss was so intense it was as if someone had reached within her and yanked out whatever she needed to move forward.”) In the end it’s a story of the new life that can grow from such loss—and a new beginning, albeit with scars from the past.

It must have been like that for the thousands of Scottish (and Irish) who were driven from their countries by the English. It is an absorbing, worthy story that will give you a picture of what it was like to be a Scot and shipped to the colonies as an indentured servant for no greater crime than being a Scot. No wonder they became the backbone of General Washington’s Continental Army fighting with all their heart to enable America to throw off English rule.

New Review: Juliana Garnett’s THE SCOTSMAN – Superb Story of a Highland Chieftain who followed Robert the Bruce and the English beauty he loved!

What I immediately liked about this book was the history is so well woven into the story, it swept me into the minds of the Scots who followed Robert Bruce in their fight for freedom from the English rule. Aye, it's a grand tale.

Set in 1313-1314 when the Bruce and his men retook Stirling Castle and eventually gained military victory over King Edward, it tells the story of Sir Alexander Fraser, laird of his clan and avid Bruce follower, and Lady Catherine, daughter of the cruel English Earl of Warfield.

To free his brother and another of Bruce’s men taken captive by Warfield, Alex abducts Warfield’s beautiful daughter who is betrothed to a man she doesn’t know. Catherine is an intelligent independent woman who resents her father’s cruel indifference to her wishes not to wed. At first she finds Alex Fraser to be a crude barbarian but then she discovers he is as educated as she and a wise leader of his people. As for Alex, he is so taken with the red-haired, violet-eyed beauty, though he knows he risks his brother’s life, he cannot resist her. The chemistry slowly builds between Catherine and Alex in this well told tale. 

Garnett (aka Virginia Brown) includes wonderfully rich descriptions of life in both the English castle and the Scottish keep and adds meaningful dialog and well-developed characters for an enthralling story. Her action scenes are amazing (Chapter 25 had me biting my nails!). Her love scenes are truly well done and from the male perspective, too! What a great author! 

Needless to say, I highly recommend this one and I’ll be buying more of her medievals.

The Wearing of the Plaid!

"It is a coat of arms, the tartan, worn proudly for all men to see and take warning. And the plaid is an admirable piece of invention, serving as a suit of clothes or a blanket for sleeping or a braw protection against the wildest storm."
                                                                                       --Jan Cox Speas, MY LORD MONLEIGH


What Scottish or Highlander historical romance would be complete without men wearing plaid? But did you know that many of the tartans we recognize today were the creations of tailors during the reign of Queen Victoria? Nevertheless, the basic concept of the plaid and the wearing of the kilt have their origin in the early Scottish and Irish clans and families, so we can take heart.

The kilt, or philabeg (the older Gaelic name) that is now standard Highlander dress, has its origin in the older garment called the belted plaid. The pattern, or setts, of multicolored stripes and checks identify the clan or regiment. Although the kilt is the most recognizable of the tartans, it also takes the form of trews (trousers), shawls and skirts.

The kilt first appeared as the great kilt, the breacan or belted plaid, during the 16th century and is Highland Gaelic in origin, a full-length garment whose upper half could be worn as a cloak draped over the shoulder, or brought up over the head.

Rob Roy MacGregor

The first tartans were the result of individual weavers’ designs, which were slowly adopted to identify individual districts and finally clans and families. The first recognizable effort to enforce uniformity through an entire clan was 1618 when Sir Robert Gordon of Gordonstoun, wrote to Murry of Pulrossie requesting that he bring the plaids worn by his men into “harmony with that of his other septs.”

After 1688, with the fall of the Stuart clan and rise in the spread of Jacobism, the English government took a more active role in the Highlands. In 1707, The Act of Union succeeded in temporarily uniting the political factions and clans that were opposed to the Act. The tartan came into its own as a symbol of active nationalism. The wearing of the tartan spread from the Highlands to the Lowlands, which were previously not known for the wearing of the tartan.

After the Rising of 1715, the English government raised regiments to curtail what they perceived to be lawlessness. A large number of Highland men enlisted serving in the private ranks. From the time they were first raised, these independent regiments became known as the Black Watch, a reference to the darkly colored tartans they wore. In 1725, six independent Black Watch companies were formed: three from Clan Campbell, one from Clan Fraser, one from Clan Munro and one from Clan Grant. (The identification of Clan Campbell with the English Crown did not endear them to other clans.) Taking advantage of the partisan nature and warrior instincts of the Highlanders, the men of the Black Watch companies were authorized to wear the kilt and to bear arms, thus it was not difficult to find recruits. In 1740, the independent companies became a formal regiment and a new tartan was developed that has ever since been known as the Black Watch tartan.

Black Watch tartan

By 1746, the English government enacted a law making it illegal for Highlanders to own or possess arms. A year later, the Dress Act restricted the wearing of Highland clothes. Any form of plaid, philbeag, belted plaid, trews, shoulder belt or kilt were not allowed in public. By the time the Dress Act was repealed in 1783, the fabric of Celtic life had been forever altered. Old traditions and customs were lost forever and, owing to the English, the wearing of the plaid was no longer a way of life for Highlanders.

During the 1800s, the wearing of the belted plaid began to be replaced by the kilt, a plaid that had the traditional pleats permanently sewn in place and separated the lower form the upper half. And that is the garment we think of today.

New Review: Rebecca Brandewyne’s FOREVER MY LOVE - Captivating Scottish Love Story, A Bodice Ripper at Times Disturbing

I read Rebecca Brandewyne's historical romance for her ability to sweep me away to another time and place and to create a world I feel a part of...and for her wonderful stories of a love that overcomes great obstacles to endure. FOREVER MY LOVE does all that, but there are some disturbing elements with this one that I feel constrained to point out to fellow readers. Notwithstanding those, I can recommend this as a captivating Scottish historical romance with a sweet ending.
 

An old woman's curse upon two families is lived out in this story of Scotland in the 15th century. The ancient tale was told of three castles on Loch Ness (we are given a map) and of bonnie Anne MacBeth of Glenkirk who was taken captive by the Carmichaels of Bailekair (and Dundereen) and never returned. The MacBeths stormed the castle of Bailekair to get her back, but they were defeated and left in shame. The old woman had raised the girl and her curse predicted the coming of the Devil's own spawn (a MacBeth, our hero) and the daughter of the lion, a "golden tigress" (a Carmichael, our heroine), the latter who would bring much suffering and death. The old woman essentially foretells that what the Carmichaels wrought will be brought down on their own heads. All this in the first 20 pages! Sooooo, we begin with the prediction of a lot of bad stuff. I suppose we should not be surprised then when all the bad stuff happens. And, it does--for 500+ pages. (She gives you your money's worth!)

Hunter MacBeth is a handsome rogue and warrior who had a gypsy mother who disappeared at his birth causing his father to take his own life. For some reason we are not told, Hunter has the "accursed" Carmichael eyes (purple). When he comes upon the beautiful Mary Carmichael, the only daughter of the Lion of Bailekair, Hunter mistakes her for a whore and tries to buy her favors. Mary, insulted, strikes out with her own insults and then knocks him out with a rock. Realizing she is a Carmichael, Hunter vows to have his revenge and finds it when they both end up at King James' court. At first Hunter's only desire in taking Mary is to ruin and shame her, and he does that (it seems all the Highlanders in this book who take women intend rape; perhaps it was historically the done thing); but once Hunter has her, he realizes he loves the proud, courageous beauty. And she loves him. Ah, but you know it won't be that easy. The story goes on as one tragedy after another happens; they are continually separated; and the blood of both clans flows freely.

Brandewyne does a great job of weaving a complex tale and her characters are so real and the villains so evil, you will find your emotions reeling. There was a point, midway through the story when I found their many trials wearying, and both Hunter and Mary got on my nerves, but the ending was sweet—and worth waiting for. I did find it hard to believe she would think Hunter could leave his monogrammed dirk in the back of someone he supposedly murdered. (He was nae a fool, as they say.) And I found it hard to believe Hunter could be as cruel as he was at one point. But perhaps Brandewyne intended we think badly of them.

This romance takes some endurance, as much happens and the main characters travel to Western and Eastern Europe of the day, but like so many of her stories, the end is worth the patience it takes to get there. It is an intricately woven story of first love, betrayal, heartbreak, unrequited love, loss of innocence and childhood dreams, and finally, enduring love.

Some might be put off by the brutality and rape, but they do seem to fit the tale. I can only say you will not be bored. For those Brandewyne fans who are not dismayed by the issues I have raised, you will find the story well worth the read.

New Review: Jan Cox Speas’s MY LORD MONLEIGH – Beautifully Written, Poignant Love Story From the Scottish Highlands in the late 17th Century

This is another great story from Speas set in the Scottish Highlands in the late 17^th century during the time when the Scots fell under Cromwell’s cruel hand and King Charles lived in exile in France. The Catholic Royalists, such as our hero, Lord Monleigh, faced opposition from both the English and the Covenanters (Scottish Presbyterians).

The story has a melancholy feel that persists as 23-year-old spinster, Anne Lindsey, who lost her parents and then her relatives with whom she was living, is forced to live with staunch Covenanters who treat her like a servant. As the tale begins, Simon, the Earl of Monleigh, who Anne knows, is in prison in Edinburgh awaiting death while Anne’s benefactors look forward to his execution. As the story proceeds, Anne looks back at her memories of Lord Monleigh, beginning with the night she met him on the moors high above the ocean.

Monleigh is man who can be a wise, though at times hard, a leader of his clan fighting to restore his king, but at the same time a charismatic charmer of the lasses. When he focuses his attentions on innocent and beautiful Anne, she has no will to resist. He exposes her to adventure, music and passion she has not known, but has longed for. He believes he has rescued her from a dismal life, but he has also exposed her to danger, and he offers her no future. He is hunted by the English for his raiding and smuggling, something he does to pay the high English fees levied on the Scots, yet all the while knows the noose is tightening about his neck.

In Anne’s own words: “He had enthralled me, bewitched and enraptured me; and I knew I played a dangerous and deadly game by so giving myself into his keeping. He was no god, in truth, or even godly. He was only a man, a mere mortal, who went in leather breeks and a dark cloak lined with scarlet, wearing a long sword at his side and a wicked blue dirk in his belt—who felt anger, boredom, indifference, who loved and hated as other men; who stood taller than most and held his dark head with a greater pride.” (Magnificent writing in my opinion.)

The story is told through Anne’s perspective and in the first person, and somehow that seemed to fit. It is beautifully written with near magical dialog and tender emotions on every page. I cannot recommend it highly enough to those who love the deep historicals from Scotland. It’s a keeper.

Should you wish to acquire it, at the moment you will have to buy it used and in paperback, but trust me, it will be worth it. And while you’re at it, I recommend getting Bride of the MacHugh, also by Speas, and equally as good (see my review).

Welcome to Scottish/Highlander Romance month on my blog!

 

“Above her, the triple summit of Ben Cruachan overhung the loch like a thundercloud; and the hills lay piled against one another, more purple than the heather, bluer than the still loch waters, lifting against the heart-shaking blue of a summer sky. It was no longer the Scotland of rain and mist, and whaups crying before a high wind; it was an enchanted place, touched with magic, as if each moor and hill had taken to itself the gay wild lilt of the Gaelic heart.”

                                                                             From Bride of the MacHugh by Jan Cox Speas

May is Scottish and Highlander romance month on my blog. I'll be featuring reviews of wonderful romances to treasure and a special post on the wearing of the plaid, and, of course, I'll post my Best List.

Join me in a tribute to Scotland's past and the courageous Scots men and women who have made the country great. And to put you in the mood, watch this short video of the Highlands set against the music of Braveheart!

New Review: Jan Cox Speas’s BRIDE OF THE MACHUGH – A Highland Classic and an Absorbing Love Story from 17th Century Scotland!

My friends on Goodreads recommended this book to me, and I was happy to find it. A bestseller when it was first published in 1954, it has been off the market for some time. The edition I read was published in 1978, available used at the present time. It’s worth obtaining a copy, trust me. If I could give this novel more than 5 stars, I would. It’s a keeper and so well written it would be a good model for authors today. Even though there are no love scenes per se, there is a lot of sexual tension and much romance to satisfy the historical romance lover. The writing is simply beautiful.

Set in the Scottish Highlands in 1614, it tells the story of Elspeth Lamond, a beautiful young woman, the product of a handfast 20 years earlier between her Campbell mother and Lamond father, both Scots. Raised in England, she is a favorite at Queen Anne’s court. Her uncle, the powerful Archibald Campbell, Earl of Argyll, has plans to marry her off to a rich, titled man. But to fulfill a promise to her dying mother, she leaves London for the western coast of Scotland to Inverary, the home of the Campbells, her mother’s clan. On the way, she is abducted by the MacHughs and held at Rathmor castle where she was born, the lair of her father Robert Lamond and his ally, Sir Alexander MacHugh, Chief of Clan MacHugh—the feared “Black MacHugh.”

Alex is attracted to the strong willed Elspeth—a perfect match for him—from the very beginning. He wants her as “his lass,” but does not speak of his love nor offer her marriage. Elspeth is exasperated by the arrogant Scots chieftain who kisses her whenever he likes (though she does not reject those kisses, oh no). Then she discovers she likes the Scots who surround her and the wilds of the Highlands—and she likes the MacHugh. As her father tells her of the qualities that make Alex stand out as a leader, respected by all, he remarks, “…Scotland is a quarrelsome place at times, my dear Elspeth, and a man must look sharp to keep his head intact upon his shoulders.”

Schemes and treacheries abound in this well told tale, not only from Elspeth’s uncle but from Alex’s mistress, the beautiful Kate who would force him to wed her by getting with child. Alex takes a stand with the MacDonalds in their battle for independence in the Isles against the Campbells fighting as King James’s cats paw. The characters are compelling, the action suspenseful and the anxiety as to whether Elspeth will end up with the MacHugh will have you turning pages late into the night.

I liked Alex and Elspeth so much they are going on my Favorite Heroes & Heroines list. 

By the way, if you like the more modern cover, I'm showing 
it here, but I, for one, do not prefer it. I like the fact the 
original cover by Tom Hall shows the MacHugh as a 
rugged guy who is dressed and looking very intensely
into the heroine's eyes. He is much more as I pictured him
from the novel.

How We Got to Where We Are Today: Modern Historical Romance Over the Last Several Decades, or A Recommended Reading List for the Uninitiated

 

Sometimes when I talk to fellow readers of historical romance, or even authors, and I mention a name from the past, an author who helped shape the genre, like Kathleen Woodiwiss or Rosemary Rogers, I get a blank stare in return. It occurred to me that as lovers of a genre it might be helpful to read some of the classics to see where we’ve come from and to enjoy the greats who have contributed so much to the craft.

I’m not going as far back as Ivanhoe, Pride and Prejudice, or Jane Eyre. I’m not even reaching back to the seminal novels of Georgette Heyer in the early 20th century. Except for two novels of note in earlier decades, I’m starting in the 1970s when the bedroom door was flung open never to close again. And while I may not have included your favorite author, by reading the romances on this list, you’ll have a good idea of our beginnings and what so many wonderful authors have done for the genre. Think of it as an education in modern historical romance.

Where an author has written many novels (some early authors are still writing best sellers today), I tried to use their earliest work that influenced the genre.

So, here’s the list of the historical romances I recommend you read. Each has something to show you. Some may require you to shop online for a used book though many are available as eBooks. I’m not saying they will all be your favorites, or that they are all mine. And I realize some readers will think I left off one I should have included (do comment about those as I update this annually).

This is a sampling meant to give you a picture of how the genre has developed over time. Most are novels I’ve rated 5 stars, so I promise you won’t be bored. 

Included because of their significance…

·       Bride of the MacHugh by Jan Cox Speas (1954)

·       Bond of Blood by Roberta Gellis (1965)

The 1970s: The Pioneering Years

·       The Flame and the Flower by Kathleen Woodiwiss (1972)

·       The Wicked Marquis by Barbara Cartland (1973)

·       Sweet Savage Love by Rosemary Rogers (1974)

·       Devil's Desire by Laurie McBain (1975)

·       Love’s Tender Fury by Jennifer Wilde (aka Tom Huff) (1976)

·       Caroline by Cynthia Wright (1977)

·       Love’s Wild Desire by Jennifer Blake (1977)

·       Captive Bride by Johanna Lindsey (1977)

·       The Rainbow Season by Lisa Gregory (1979)

The 1980s: The Explosive Years

·       Lady Vixen by Shirlee Busbee (1980)

·       Skye O’Malley by Bertrice Small (1981)

·       Devil’s Embrace by Catherine Coulter (1982)

·       Rose of Rapture by Rebecca Brandewyne (1984)

·       Whitney, My Love by Judith McNaught (1985)

·       The Wind and the Sea by Marsha Canham (1986)

·       Mountain Mistress by Nadine Crenshaw (1987)

·       The Hawk and the Dove by Virginia Henley (1988)

·       Capture the Sun by Shirl Henke (1988)

·       Nightwylde by Kimberleigh Caitlin (aka Kimberly Cates) (1988)

·       Sweet Savage Eden by Heather Graham (1989)

·       Heartstorm by Elizabeth Stuart (1989)

The 1990s: The Developing Years

·       Dark Fires by Brenda Joyce (1991)

·       Flowers From the Storm by Laura Kinsale (1992)

·       Outlander by Diana Gabaldon (1992)

·       Enchanted by Elizabeth Lowell (1994)

·       The Passions of Emma by Penelope Williamson (1997)

·       Night in Eden by Candice Proctor (1997)

·       Kilgannon by Kathleen Givens (1999)

The 2000s: The “Standing On The Shoulders of Giants” Years

·       By Possession by Madeline Hunter (2000)

·       Beyond the Cliffs of Kerry by Amanda Hughes (2002)

·       The Captain of All Pleasures by Kresley Cole (2003)

·       Laird of the Mist by Paula Quinn (2007)

·       Broken Wing by Judith James (2008)

·       My Lord and Spymaster by Joanna Bourne (2008)

·       The Duke of Shadows by Meredith Duran (2008)

·       Raeliksen by Renee Vincent (2008)

·       Eyes of Silver, Eyes of Gold by Ellen O’Connell (2010)

·       Pieces of Sky by Kaki Warner (2011)