Thunder on the Moor (Thunder On The Moor Book 1) by Andrea Matthews and Meet The Author

This is so good.

Thunder on the Moor by Andrea Matthews released in 2019 in the historical time travel romance genre.

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?

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.

~*~

This post is part of a tour. The tour dates can be found here:

https://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2022/02/vbt-thunder-on-moor-by-andrea-matthews.html

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

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.

The men in the story

Tell you about the men in my story? What would you like to know? For the most part they’re loyal to the death. Well, most of them are, but we’ll deal with the villains in a minute. They are border reivers, so loyalty to kith and kin is a staple for the most part. They tend to be honorable and not afraid of a good frey. Some are obviously more experienced than others. Will Foster, our hero, tends to wear his heart on his sleeve a bit more than the other, older members of his family, but when it comes to protecting those he loves, he can be as stoic as the rest of them. The truth is, they all have hearts as large as the Borders themselves, though they put on a good show of it. Otherwise, Will’s siblings vary in temperament and personality, just like those of any family would. His eldest brother, Walt, can seem a bit gruff at times, but he’s taken his younger siblings under his wing, so he’s always looking out for them. Deep down, however, he’s as soft as a pussy cat – a pussy cat with claws and fangs if his family is attacked. He tends to be more diplomatic in dealing with situations, though he hasn’t quite perfected the calm façade of his father, Graham. Both men put the welfare of those under their care above their own desires and comforts. After all, Walt too will lead the surname one day, so he’s truly following in his father’s footsteps.
Now, as for the Armstrongs – time traveling Robert is much the same, though the twentieth century has taught him it’s all right to show his emotions a bit more. He’s more apt to talk things out than his eldest brother Geordie, who tends to run into battle headfirst without stopping to consider the alternatives. As head of the surname, Geordie expects his word to be followed, and while he does have a good heart, he doesn’t quite have the finesse of his brother or Graham Foster, his counterpart in England. Their brother, Andrew, is much like Robert, perhaps with a bit more mischief lighting his eyes. He sometimes does things against his better judgement when he believes it the right thing to do, which of course, angers Geordie. Fortunately, Andy knows his brother’s heart and has little fear of the grumpy, old bear.
As for the twentieth century men, Edward is a true borderer at heart, though he’s a bit more cautious than his sixteenth century associates. After all, he is a fish out of water once they return to the sixteenth century. Since he has connections fo both the Armstrongs and the Fosters, his heart is torn more often than not. Quite a dilemma since the families are locked in a deadly feud. Dylan Hetherington probably grows the most during the story. He’s a bit of a rogue, carefree and ready for an adventure when the book starts off. Gradually, he learns the meaning of honor and loyalty, as well as love, something he’s not been on the receiving end of much in his life, despite his romantic exploits.
Now we come to the villains. Johnny Heatherington is related to the Fosters, though the only loyalty he practices is to himself. He’d sell out his own mother if it could benefit him. And he’s a scruffy looking fellow to boot, which makes one wonder how he ever married in the first place, let alone won multiple wives. They’ve all regretted accepting his proposal, however, for he’s a cruel and demanding husband, who is just short of being declared persona non grata in his own surname. The Rutherfords are just plain nasty creatures, who have no respect for anyone, even their own family members. While Ian is attractive and can be charm itself, there’s an underlying wickedness in his soul, which tends to reveal itself at the most inopportune times. His father, Hob, and brother Sandy are worse than he is. At least, he takes care of his appearance. As for his brother, Fergus, there may be hope for him yet. Only time, and another book or two, will tell.

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

Facebook – www.facebook.com/andreamatthewshistoricalromance

Twitter – www.twitter.com/AMatthewsAuthor

Instagram – www.instagram.com/andreamatthewshistoricromance

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19718311.Andrea_Matthews