title: The Innocent Flame of Seduction
author: Hesley, Darlene
description: Great history, great romance, great angst, great sex! Those are comments from test readers about The Innocent Flame of Seduction – A Tale of Love and Loyalty in Medieval Ireland. Set a decade after the Norman invasion, many people in 12th Century Ireland, including Magaidh, a stunning 20-year-old Gaelic woman who greatly undervalues herself, fear the traditions, rituals and beauty of their Celtic ancestry will be swept away. With no husband or no great talents like her family of artisans, Magaidh accepts the opportunity to attend a resistance campaign in the most remote reaches of western, coastal Ireland. There she meets Raghnall, a warrior from a band of Fianna, a leader among men who would spill his last drop of blood to fight the Norman invaders and preserve Ireland’s Celtic legacy. Also at the campaign, Magaidh meets an elder, Ethnui, who leads her along a path she never dreamed would be hers – to ease the suffering of others and become a woman of healing. To their great surprise, Magaidh and Raghnall also discover more to fight and live for beyond their love for their culture. They are soulmates who charm each other’s hearts with courage and wisdom. The Innocent Flame of Seduction – A Tale of Love and Loyalty in Medieval Ireland, is an historical romance on the sexy side, featuring a strong young heroine, and a warrior-for-hire with a mysterious past, linked to the nobility of Ireland. Unfortunately, a warrior cannot bear to live the simple life of a townsman and a young Irish woman cannot live on a battlefield. Can love live side-by-side with loyalty? What is stronger – devotion to culture, or devotion to the yearnings of the human heart? Magaidh and Raghnall struggle to answer these questions. Excerpt: “You confuse me, Raghnall. You seem a brute, yet you speak eloquently of the stars. You have no woman, yet you are the sort of man women desire. You seem intelligent beyond what I would imagine of those in your profession.” Magaidh stared at him sideways. “Surely you long for life with a woman…a home you can call yours…children of your own.” “I do not,” Raghnall snapped. “I am not one of your classes,” he said. “I live outside the boundaries of society. I refuse to be absorbed by people of your kind, either by desire or design.” “I’ve never met anyone like you,” Magaidh said quietly. “To neither want nor need what is socially commonplace seems rebellious.” A chill ran up her spine. “To live a life unchained by society’s ideals is a brave choice indeed.” Raghnall gave her a look of shocked surprise. “I thought you would be incensed at my words…insulted even.” Magaidh shook her head back and forth slowly. “No. No…not at all…not insulted...not incensed.” A thrill built low in her belly. “The thought of such defiance is stimulating. I wish I had the courage to throw off social tradition and care not what people thought. I wish I had half the sense of rebellion you have.” Excerpt: “I want tonight to be a different memory from last night. The sharing of bodies can be wild and fierce. It can also be tender and kind. Both bring much pleasure.” The night breeze was warm, but Magaidh shivered as he undid her belt. She lifted her bottom and he pulled her léine slowly up and over her head. She was not wearing her linen underneath and the moon shone on her breasts. “You are very, very beautiful,” Raghnall breathed, caressing her breasts and leaning forward to rub his face between them. Magaidh wove her fingers into his golden hair and held him tight against her chest for several minutes before he pulled away. “I want these to be fully in my view as we share our bodies,” he said, his hands cupping her breasts. “I wish to see you above me, your form and face one with the stars in the night sky.” Excerpt: His long mane fell loosely about his shoulders and cast golden locks down his chest and back. “I have never known a woman to smell as sweet. I can only imagine, and soon will know, if you taste as sweet as you smell.”