DESTINY OF LOVE

Cobblestone Press
Release Date: 2008
ISBN: TBA
Genre: Historical Paranormal
Length: Novella

After discovering a magical stone, an impoverished noblewoman cannot find peace until she stops the impending murder of a handsome laird.

Cambria of Stoneglade wants only to live in peace, but when she finds a mesmerizing stone, her life takes a dark turn. Wearing the stone allows Cambria's dreams to become more vivid, more real and when she sees a handsome lord being murdered, she must decide if its just a dream or a foretelling of what is to come.

DESTINY OF LOVE is the first novella in THE DESTINY STONE anthology being released as seperate novellas.

To read excerpts of the other two novellas by Mary O'Connor and Georgia Tribell, click here for DESTINY'S FORTUNE and click here for DESTINY'S GUARDIAN.

REVIEWS

EXCERPT

Stoneglade, Highlands of Scotland
Summer, 1127


Patience wasn’t a virtue Cambria was born with. Usually she managed a bucket full for her grandmother, but that morning she was already scraping the bottom.

“If you would only listen to me,” her grandmother grumbled as she finished washing the dishes from their sparse morning meal. “We could be living the life of grandeur as we should be had it not been for Alexander, the sorry excuse for a king.”

Cambria had lost track of the times she’d heard the story of how her great grandfather had gotten caught trying to aid King David’s bid for the crown and in the process was beheaded, his lands and title stripped from the family. Since that time, Cambria’s family had scraped by at the small cottage in Stoneglade, a clearing nestled in the middle of two great clans, the MacCaig’s and the Frasier’s.

“Grandmother, we are quite rich in our love,” she said in an attempt to gather as much patience as she could. Her grandmother was all she had left in the way of family.

“Och, lass,” her grandmother said wearily and sank into a rickety old chair. “If only you knew.”

Cambria had heard enough. She wasn’t sure why she wasn’t able to listen to her grandmother’s grumbling as she normally did, but this morning she had a need to run free in the forest.

She reached for the fishing pole she had constructed and headed to the door. “I’m going to catch us a fish for our noon meal and maybe another for supper.”

Her grandmother merely waved her away, and Cambria hastily left the cottage. She took a deep breath once the door was closed behind her and slowly blew it out while she looked around the beauty that was Scotland.

A smile pulled at her lips as she started the trek to the loch. Her journey was slow through the forest. She loved to see the sunlight filter through the tall pine and fir trees. Ferns grew in clumps on the damp earth, birds sang noisily, and all was right in the world. The forest was her haven. All she had to do was venture into it, and she found the peace she needed so desperately with her grandmother.

She couldn’t understand why her grandmother didn’t realize that they were likely to be poor for the rest of their lives. Dreaming wouldn’t change that. Her grandfather had taken a risk, and it cost him and the family everything, With a shake of her head, she pushed her dark thoughts away and smiled as a falcon flew overhead through the dense canopy of trees. Its cry was one that touched a part of her soul. For a few moments she stayed where she was with her eyes closed, listening to the falcon’s cries.

When the bird’s cries became too distant, Cambria opened her eyes, a smile on her face before she headed to the loch. Few clouds were in the sky, and the sun was bright and hot as it shown down on the dark waters.

Cambria went to her usual place atop one of the massive stones protruding from the ground at the shores of the loch and cast her rod. She was content to sit in the sun and enjoy the beautiful day while she waited for the fish to bite. Yet, as the sun climbed higher in the sky, she knew it was unlikely that she would catch something in time for the noon meal.

When the sun was directly overhead, she untied the cloth from the oatcake and cheese she had packed and began to eat, unable to keep from worrying if her grandmother was eating the loaf of bread she had left for her. It wasn’t unusual for Cambria not to return to the cottage during the day since most of the time she was fishing, hunting or in the small village trading for necessities they might need.

She hated that there were days she couldn’t get away from her grandmother fast enough, for she knew there would come a day very soon when her grandmother would no longer be around. Cambria wasn’t looking forward to being alone but, then again, her options were few.

The pickings in the village were slim, and what men did show an interest in her she couldn’t abide being near. Long ago she had accustomed herself to living her life alone. She wished it were as easy as her grandmother made it sound because, if it were, she would already have a husband and maybe a bairn or two playing in the sun.

Cambria sighed. Daydreaming was for the foolish, and she was anything but foolish.

A tug on her line caught her attention, and she jumped to her feet to pull the fish in. The more she pulled, the more the fish fought. The fish jumped out of the loch as it fought to free itself. Cambria whistled at its massive size, knowing it would feed her and her grandmother for two days.

“Come on,” she yelled to herself.

Sweat beaded her brow as she fought the huge fish. Every time she thought she had gotten him, he would pull away again. Cambria’s arms and back ached, but she refused to release the fish.

“You bloody fish,” she ground out between clenched teeth just before the line broke and she fell backwards onto the rock.

Tears stung her eyes as her breath came in great gulps and her eyes watched the fish dive deeper into the dark waters of the loch.

“So much for a good supper.”