**EDIT 12/2/23: The release date for The Wickedness of a Highlander has been delayed to February 13, 2024. Visit the book’s page on elisabraden.com for details.
[Please note this letter was sent to subscribers of Elisa’s newsletter on October 14, 2023. If you’d like to receive updates like this in the future, click here to subscribe. It’s free. It’s easy. It comes with bonuses. And it’s the surest way to stay informed about new releases, sneak peeks, price specials, and other fun stuff.]
Writing is a solitary profession. It suits me. I’m one of those introverts who’d rather have her teeth drilled than go to a convention. Plus, hearing your characters tell you their story requires a fair bit of quiet time. Yep, I’m THAT kind of weirdo.
But I’m not actually alone. Those of you who fell in love with a wastrel named Chatham and took a chance on a mad lass named Annie surround me. You support me. You cheer me on toward the finish line. In case I forget to say it later, I couldn’t be more grateful for your company. You are the reason I do this, and I love you for it.
So, I hope you’ll forgive me for what must have seemed like an awfully long silence, especially if you’ve been with me for a while. I’m here to explain and offer some happy news. (Feel free to skip to the end if you just want the HEA. Jeesh. Writers sure are long-winded, huh?)
What the heck took you so long???
My health has always been a little precarious, but it went from bad to catastrophic in the past few years. I don’t like talking about this stuff because I always think it’s like visiting the retirement home and hearing every excruciating detail about Mrs. Danby’s intractable goiter. For the love of God, why is that my business?!
Anyway, I feel like I owe you something for being so patient. At the risk of boring you senseless, here goes: A few years back, I went from being a slow writer to a writer who couldn’t stay awake long enough to finish a page, let alone a chapter. I couldn’t think, couldn’t plan, couldn’t clear the fog long enough to find my way through a story. Every sentence took five times longer to craft, and the periods of recovery (yes, I needed those) between writing sessions grew and grew and grew.
What the heck was wrong with you???
If my leg breaks tomorrow, I can still write. If I have the flu, I can still write. If my tooth cracks or I develop tennis elbow or an intractable goiter, I can still write. I know what you’re thinking: Okay, tough girl, then what was stopping you?
A constellation of chronic conditions (say that five times fast), including autoimmune problems, heart problems, metabolic problems, and sleep disorders, killed the one tool this writer cannot live without—my mind. You know, that place where my characters talk to me? That place that feeds me their stories like a download into a hard drive? Yeah, that was closed for business.
But here’s the good news: My story has a happy ending.
I am better.
Not perfect, not lightning fast, not less of a weirdo. But better. And man, that’s wonderful to say. Maybe someday I’ll share details about what I’ve done to change my health. The short version is it’s not meds, not procedures, nothing particularly conventional. It’s what I eat. And it’s been miraculously healing. But that’s a story for another day.
What matters to you is this: The Midnight in Scotland series is about to get its next chapter.
When the heck are we getting Alexander’s story???
Here’s the HEA: I’m writing again. Even better, I’m LOVING writing again. Which means the story of Alexander MacPherson and Sabella Lockhart is ON, baby.
The title: The Wickedness of a Highlander
The launch date: December 26th, 2023 [EDITED 12/2/23 – release date is now February 13, 2024] for the e-book and paperback. The audiobook will likely come a little later, but I’ll let you all know when I have the date.
The cover: It’s a beauty, don’t you think?
The story: Details coming soon. Don’t worry, you won’t miss it. Just be sure you’re signed up for my newsletter and stay tuned to your inbox.
Can we pre-order???
I haven’t set it up yet, but I’ll work on that soon and notify you through my newsletter when everything’s finalized, including the story description. Watch for another update about Wickedness to come in the next week or two.
What about Rannoch’s story???
The title: The Love of a Highlander
The launch date: Sometime in 2024. The exact date is TBD, but I’ll announce it via newsletter when I have it nailed down, so this is still the best way to stay informed.
The cover: Let’s save a little something for later.
The story: I mean, Rannoch and Magdalene. Enough said, right? Oh, you need more than that? Okay. I’ll work on it.
December is sooo far away. Is there anything to tide us over until then?
I’m so glad you asked. Yes. Projects galore are in the works. I have two releases coming in October. The first one is available today (October 14th), though some of you may have read it already.
The Secrets of a Moonlit Night is a novella I wrote for last year’s Dragonblade Publishing Halloween anthology, A Midnight Requiem: The Ghostly Hour. If you bought that anthology, then you have the book. But if you missed it the first time around, I’d encourage you to give it a read. I love this little matchmaking ghost story so much. It’s a branch-off novella in my forthcoming Oddflower Series with Dragonblade, and while you can certainly read it as a standalone story, it’ll give you a taste of things to come. The link is below. It’s only 99¢ for the Kindle book or you can read it free in Kindle Unlimited.
The title: The Secrets of a Moonlit Night
The launch date: October 14th, 2023
The cover:
The story:
A governess with a swindler’s past
Sinister rumors of a mysterious figure known as the Half-Faced Man swirl around the ruins of Northcliffe Abbey. But governess Elizabeth Nightingale knows claptrap when she peddles it. So, when the real Half-Faced Man comes to her door demanding she keep her three young charges away from his property, Elizabeth isn’t frightened by his scars. She’s frightened by how easily he sees through her disguise to the woman beneath.
A man who looks past the scars
Renovating an ancient abbey is hard enough without village gossip, ghost-shy workmen, and curious neighbor children to contend with. Architect Thomas Warwick doesn’t need any more complications. And it doesn’t get more complicated than being trapped inside his cellar with the bewitching governess next door.
A night to bring secrets into the light
Battling a blazing attraction neither expected, Thomas and Elizabeth must learn to trust in each other. But can two hearts with so many scars become a match made in moonlight? Or will the abbey’s haunted past threaten a love that’s just begun?
(Note: This story was first published as part of the Dragonblade Publishing Anthology, A Midnight Requiem, October 2022)
Link: Buy on Amazon or Read Free on Kindle Unlimited
My second October release is tucked inside this year’s Dragonblade Halloween anthology, Once Upon a Haunted Romance, featuring brand-new novellas from bestselling authors Meara Platt, Chasity Bowlin, Maeve Greyson, and more. My story is Once Upon a Haunted Knight (I’m sensing a theme, here), a completely standalone tale unconnected to any of my series.
Oh, my word, all. This story was such a labor of love. I was an absolute emotional wreck in absolutely the best ways while writing it. It deserves its own newsletter, but I have to share the story description because I’m still living in that world and pining for this couple. I cannot WAIT for you all to read it.
The title: Once Upon a Haunted Knight: A novella by Elisa Braden featured in Dragonblade Publishing’s Historical Romance Anthology, Once Upon a Haunted Romance
The launch date: October 28th, 2023
Preorder: Find your favorite link
The cover:
The story:
Every dream job has a catch
Housekeeper Adeline Black’s new position seems too good to be true. Dusting a collection of peculiar relics? Too easy. Having a splendid house all to herself? Too lovely. Addy’s not about to question why she was told to never open the library door. Or why there’s a mysterious portrait of a medieval knight locked inside. But libraries need dusting, too. And what’s the harm in chatting with a knight over tea? It’s not as if he’s real. It’s not as if she’s falling in love.
Every portrait has a story
Sir Hugh Marshal is very real. Unfortunately, so is his curse. Trapped in an eternal prison, he’ll take whatever distraction he can get, even if she’s a bookish housekeeper with a stubborn streak and a vexing sense of whimsy. Even if he might be falling in love.
Every curse has a key
When Addy realizes Sir Hugh is more real than she imagined, she vows to help free him. But the curse will kill anyone who tries to break it—including the stubborn woman who’s captured his heart … the woman he must drive away before his curse becomes her downfall.
Last but not least, coming in November is a white-hot firecracker of a novella I wrote for last year’s Duke in a Box holiday anthology. If you have that collection, then you’ve probably already read Right Place, Wrong Duke. If you haven’t read it, well. What can I say? You’re missing out.
First of all, it’s part of the Midnight in Scotland series. Did you know that? Now you do. Secondly, if you’ve read The Temptation of a Highlander, you’ll recognize some of the characters. Thirdly, did I mention it’s super hot? Yeah. I might have to revisit this couple. I have a feeling I’m not quite done with Silas Northfield yet.
The title: Right Place, Wrong Duke: A Midnight in Scotland Novella
The launch date: November 10th, 2023
The links: Still to come. I’ll notify you through my newsletter when everything’s in place.
The cover:
The story:
A duke, an abduction. What could go wrong?
Young widow Lucie Carmichael has made too many mistakes in her life—choosing the wrong husband, trusting the wrong solicitor, wearing the wrong shade of red to a funeral. But this time is different. This time, she has a plan. The Duke of Dingwall is about to evict her family from their ancestral home, and she means to change his mind, even if it involves a little abduction.
A night in Scotland, a woman in red. What’s a man to do?
Silas Northfield is not the Duke of Dingwall, no matter how many times a mad Scottish beauty in a tight red dress insists he is. When she abducts him from a meeting with his half-brothers, Silas decides to take matters—and the luscious Lucie Carmichael—into his own hands. But teaching Lucie to unleash her stunning sensuality might be his greatest mistake. Because she’s sworn never to remarry, and he’ll need more than a night to satisfy his hunger for this heartbreaking woman. He’ll need a lifetime.
(Note: This story was first published as part of the Duke in a Box Steamy Historical Romance anthology, November 2022)
Okay, now we’re talking. Got anything else in the pipeline???
There’s always more. But this email is getting REALLY long. Keep an eye out over the next couple of months for updates and sneak peeks. Now that I’m feeling more productive than a snail in a freezer, I’ll try to do a better job of keeping you informed.
After all, you’re my cheering section. My favorite thing in the world is to give you something to cheer about.
With all my love,
Elisa
Elisa Braden 