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.
Welcome to the March 21st stop on the blog tour for Thunder on the Moor by Andrea Matthews with Goddess Fish Promotions. Be sure to follow the rest of the tour for spotlights, reviews, author guest posts, and a giveaway! More on that at the end of this post.
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Author Guest Post
Who Were the Border Reivers?
To really discuss who the Border reivers were, we first need to go back to the fifth century. England had not yet become one nation, and the Kingdom of Northumbria extended from the northern lands well into the southern part of what was to become Scotland. It’s no wonder familial ties between the border inhabitants began to develop and tighten, even after England and Scotland had emerged as separate countries.
Alas, when they did, the line went right through the old Northumbrian kingdom, and the border lands became a sort of buffer zone for the seemingly endless wars between the two nations. The borderers themselves became excellent fighting men, valued for their skill and aptitude — at least during times of war. But when the dust settle, and peace reigned, these brave soldiers were left to their own devices in a land that had been ravaged by war. Not knowing anything else, they continued their warlike ways, turning to cattle rustling and blackmail as a means of existence.
Remembering the familial ties of the past, they swore their allegiance, not to any king, but to those of the own surname on either side of the border. They were English or Scot, but only after they were Armstrong or Foster. Alliances would be made with other families when needed, but it was the surname that determined who they would join forces with, not some distant king. In this way, they survived the only way they knew how — by fire and sword.
And so, from the fourteenth century to the seventeenth, these rugged men played havoc along the border, contributing such terms as blackmail and red-handed to the English language. Whether they were of common stock or born to the gentry mattered little, for they were first and foremost Borderers, more like each other than those in other parts of their own countries. They rode for their surnames and left a rich legacy behind them. Though they may no longer thunder across the moor, their tales survive in song and story, even if time and distance has lent an air of the romantic to their exploits.
About the Book
Thunder On The Moor
Thunder On The Moor Book One
by Andrea Matthews
Published 20 October 2019
Inez M. Foster
Genre: Historical Time Travel Romance
Page Count: 432
Add it to your Goodreads TBR!
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?
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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. In fact, it was while doing some genealogical research that she stumbled across the history of the Border reivers. The idea for her first novel came to mind almost at once, gradually growing into the Thunder on the Moor series. And the rest is history, as they say.
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Giveaway Alert!
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.
a Rafflecopter giveaway| Mar 21 | Westveil Publishing | Mar 22 | The Pen and Muse Book Reviews |
| Mar 23 | Full Moon Dreaming | Mar 24 | It’s Raining Books |
| Mar 25 | Long and Short Reviews | Mar 28 | Viviana MacKade |
| Mar 29 | Romance Novel Giveaways | Mar 30 | Rogue’s Angels |
| Mar 31 | Archaeolibrarian – I Dig Good Books! | Apr 1 | fundinmental |
| Apr 4 | Kit ‘N Kabookle | Apr 5 | All the Ups and Downs |
| Apr 6 | Hope. Dreams. Life… Love | Apr 6 | The Faerie Review |
| Apr 7 | Sandra’s Book Club | Apr 7 | Harlie’s Books |
| Apr 8 | Lisa Haselton’s Reviews and Interviews |
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Thanks for hosting!
I so enjoyed reading the excerpt!
looks interesting
Thanks so much for featuring my novel and loving me to write a guest post.