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N J Layouni

Tales of a Traveler Book Two: Wolfsbane

Romance

Tired of thinking about her worthless ex-boyfriend and the humiliating way in which they parted, Martha Bigalow goes on a hike hoping the dramatic hills of the English Lake District will help her to forget. But as she crosses an ancient set of stepping stones, she slips and falls into an angry river. Time Travel. Sideways. She wakes in cave, wearing nothing but her dodgy, mismatched underwear. Her only company is the man who saved her life: a tall, dark, and disturbingly attractive stranger named Vadim. Too bad he's a medieval re-enactor gone feral. Or so she assumes. But this is no crazy dream. When Martha fell into the river she--somehow--left the twenty-first century far behind... and medieval Erde is nothing like home. Now, all that stands between her and almost certain death is the crazy man with the sword. And then he offers her his protection... with the role of his "wife." Vadim is a wanted man. An outlaw. The last thing he needs are any complications of the female kind, but then he happens upon a strangely attired woman lying beside the river... Martha is bold, outspoken, and altogether irreverent, and every instinct he has warns him to abandon her... only he cannot. Her allure is already much too strong. Against his better judgement, despite all the risks, Vadim offers to help Martha find her way home. Until then, Martha must adapt to medieval society, steer clear of the Evil Earl and his minions, and maybe--just maybe--learn how to trust her heart again.

Book Bubbles from Tales of a Traveler Book Two: Wolfsbane

Past Present...

The UK boasts some of the most amazing castles. Some are intact, many more are in ruins but, to me, they're all equally fascinating. Just like Martha, I love roaming these ancient dwelling places and imagining the scenes of the past. The well-worn tread of a stone step sends my mind into flight as I imagine the countless feet that once ascended a particular staircase. I love sitting in the grounds of castles, mentally 'filling in' the gaps in the missing masonry, restoring the stone ruins to their former glory. This excerpt is an example of one of those daydreams.

Light and Shadow...

Anselm is one of my favorite characters. He may be a bad guy but he's not an easy man to hate! While I was writing his scenes even I was torn between loving and loathing him. No one is completely bad, right? In book two, I concentrated on 'coloring in' Anselm's character. I wanted my 'black sheep' to be as 3D as possible and for readers to experience shifting loyalties, just as Martha does.. Did it work? Only you can decide.

The world viewed through a man's eyes...

Although I'm female, I love writing male characters, particularly men who are set in their ways and have no intention of changing. They're always the most fun to write! "A bloke wouldn't say that!" Fortunately, I have a small army of male fans and critique partners who keep my writing 'real.' They take great pleasure in slapping my wrists whenever I happen to put a dress on one of my boys, thank goodness!

Medieval time from the perspective of a twenty-fir

In my youth (!), I was a member of a UK based medieval reenactment group, and our events took us to some of the most amazing battlefields and castles in the country. During these idyllic weekends we had to be "authentic", even down to what we ate. As a writer, this got me thinking. What would it be like if it was for real? What if I traveled back in time, to a place, or a castle? How would it look? Even in medieval clothing, would I stick out like an over-ripe pimple? What were the people really like? Would they help me, or would they burn me at the stake as a witch? And so, over time, the 'Traveler' series was born.

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