Samantha MacLeod's Blog

Dark Waters, the third book in my fantasy romance series under the pen name Meredith Hart, comes out in early 2021.

But you can take a sneak peek now…

“Anette. Wake up!”

I rose slowly through the misty layers of my dreams, drifting toward wakefulness like a swimmer rising languidly to the surface of a pond. I’d been dreaming of my first lover, Piers, the man who’d taught me how to bake bread, among other things. And the dream world was so slow to relinquish its grip on me  that at first I’d thought Piers was the one shaking my shoulder, calling me from the realm of sleep.

But no, Piers had left Lucien’s Vale years ago, gone to seek his fortune in some town that wasn’t slowly dying as the world spun away from it. And he’d taken his betrothed with him, a pretty little thing from a nice, normal family in town. He’d kissed me for the last time the same day I’d heard in the marketplace that he’d asked for her hand in marriage. I couldn’t even blame him. Why choose Anette, who was tethered to the crazy family in Raven’s Wing, when you could have a girl who would leave Lucian’s Vale by your side? Piers hadn’t even bothered to say goodbye before he left. 

And it was that memory, and the accompanying still-sharp pain of that final, small rejection, that truly pulled me from my dreams.

“Anette!”

A sharp voice, male, snapped through the room and a firm hand clenched my shoulder. The icy shock of loss crashed over me, tightening my throat, making my stomach feel as if it had been filled with stones.

“Oh, Henrix!” I sat up and turned to the old man standing over my bed. “Is Hylene gone?”

My aunt had been in the process of dying ever since we’d saved Vethe from mage fever. She hadn’t admitted as much, of course; no one had. But it was clear that her recovery had turned into an extended convalescence, and then into hospice. She’d stopped eating three days ago, and stopped drinking yesterday. Henrix hadn’t left her side in a week.

I sent a flicker of magic through the air and lit the candle on my bedside table. Henrix looked terrible, as was only to be expected. But he was also carrying a rather large bag slung over his shoulders, and he was staring at me with an odd expression on his weathered face.

“It’s not Hylene,” he whispered.

I blinked, staring at him.

“Listen to me now,” he said, using the phrase he’d repeated over and over again when Vethe and I were children. When we’d been doing something naughty.

“There are a dozen Citadel Masters in Lucien’s Vale.”

My body went cold. Citadel Masters poked around Raven’s Wing fairly frequently, usually wearing disguises. Henrix could always sniff them out, and we’d pretend to be an ordinary family for a couple of days. If Mother was having an especially difficult time, I’d fix her the special draught which knocked her unconscious, then sit by her bedside to make sure she kept breathing.

I rather liked those times, to be honest. Holding my mother’s hand, brushing her hair, fussing with the blankets keeping her warm. Pretending to be a nice, normal family.

“But—” I began.

Henrix held up one finger, silencing me. “You’re leaving. Loop through the woods to the north. Stay as far away from Lucien’s Vale as you can.”

My heart skipped, and my body went from cold to hot. “But—”

“Take the horse,” Henrix continued. “And this.”

He heaved the large bag off his shoulders and onto my mattress. The bedframe groaned in protest.

I waved my hand at the bag and voiced the first of the thousand questions to reach my lips. “What is this?”

“Your cover story,” Henrix answered. “If anyone asks, you’re a noble’s daughter who’s run away from your family. You’re following your lover to Mayhaven.”

Shock froze me. “To where?”

I’d never been further than Lucian’s Vale. Vethe was the one who did all the adventuring in this family; Mayhaven might as well be the far side of the moon for me. Henrix shook his head once. He was growing impatient. 

“Act stupid,” Henrix said. “Act spoiled. Act like you’re used to getting your own way.”

I stared at the large leather bag which had just been dumped on my bed. I recognized this bag, actually. It was one of the nicer things we’d discovered in the attic. I wondered what in the gods’ many names Henrix had put inside of it. Henrix bent down and picked up a pair of lady’s riding boots. Their leather was worn and slightly cracked, but they still looked serviceable.

“There are gold coins sewn into the cuffs,” he said, running his fingers along the folded tops of the boots. “And there are more coins sewn into the hem of the cloak in that bag. It’s an old one. Wear it when you ride and you won’t be an easy target for theives.”

Theives. Good gods above. An uneasy fear blossomed in my chest, dispelling the icy grip of shock, replacing it with something even less pleasant.

“There’s a secret pocket sewn into the bag,” Henrix went on. “In the bottom. You’ll feel it. Don’t open it until you’re somewhere safe.”

“Safe,” I repeated. My throat felt tight; the word came out pinched.

Click here to join Meredith Hart’s newsletter list for all the updates.

Way back in the late 90s, when I was 17, I went to a dingy concrete “concert venue” to watch my high school friends rock out with their punk band.

About halfway through the show, the Nazis showed up. Literally. Three big white skinheads wearing swastikas came in the door and started yelling at the band.

So I did what anyone would do. I pushed my way through the crowd, stood in front of the biggest Nazi, and started yelling back, telling them they weren’t welcome and they needed to get out.

Now, I cut a pretty intimidating figure back in ’97. I wore a lot of tie-dye, sported a pair of really thick glasses, and had the physique of a teenage girl who belonged to the drama club and spent most of her free time reading.

But the Nazis? They left.

My boyfriend later told me he was scared. I don’t remember feeling afraid. I don’t even remember making a choice. When you see someone being a racist, sexist, homophobic asshole, you stand up to them. It’s just what you do.

And, if anyone tries to use my beloved Norse mythology to prop up their shitty racism, kindly direct them to this post on my blog.

Like many white people, I’ve spent the past two weeks listening to the stories of people of color with a growing sense of misery and horror. 

I’m so sorry.

I’m sorry we still have Nazis and white supremacists. I’m sorry for all the fear and racism people of color are still experiencing in 2020. And I’m sorry for the ways I’ve been blind to my own privilege (like the privilege to stand up to Nazis without fear because I was a skinny white girl).

If you’re looking for ways to help, Time has a great list of suggestions right here. And if you want to talk about it, drop me a line. I’m listening.

Finally… MAKE SURE TO VOTE!!!!

Americans, click here to register to vote. Let’s make this country live up to its own standards, my friends!

Like what you’ve read? Click here to join my newsletter and I’ll send you a free copy of Tam Lin, my sexy modern take on the Scottish folktale.

I honestly wasn’t sure I’d be able to pull this one off during lockdown with the kids.

But, by some miracle, In the Shadows of the Citadel is coming together. I just need to enter the edits, and the second book of the Flame & Blade series – my epic fantasy romance under the pen name Meredith Hart – will be DONE!

If you’re on my Advance Review Team, you’ll be looking at an ARC in mid-May. The book should be available for sale by the end of May.

Just be warned: This is NOT the end of the series. Things only get more complicated (and more dangerous) for Vethe and Lyria in the shadows of the Citadel.

The Goblin King was vain, and inclined toward cruelty. He was also, as Sarah regretfully discovered the first night she allowed herself to be seduced by a visiting dignitary from the elves, not a particularly skilled lover. And he laughed at his own jokes.

Still, Sarah did not regret the decision she’d made all those years ago. Not really. Her half-brother seemed happy enough as a goblin. These days, he wore a strange little hat and lived with another goblin on the edge of the city. Privately, Sarah hoped he had no memories of being human. Publically, she was careful to ignore him.

And if there were ever times, after she’d had too much wine or when the King had spent an excruciatingly long time forcing the goblins to dance for his amusement, when she strayed down the path of regret, Sarah would catch herself. 

What exactly had her other options been?

Returning to the human world? Now, there’s a dead end. What would she have done with herself in the human world? A few years at the community college, perhaps; her grades had never been impressive. Weekend performances at the local theatre, most likely. And a string of dead-end relationships with vain, cruel men who would have all reminded her, on some level, of the Goblin King. 

She probably would have found a day job where her pretty features and ability to act interested would be an asset, something involving a front desk and framed pictures of her cats and a telephone ringing every fifteen minutes.

Then the years would have ticked by, the same as they did in the Goblin Kingdom. Only, instead of watching her subjects, Sarah would have been watching men with far less experience than her move past her desk and into their own offices as her vain, cruel lovers became fewer and fewer and her roles at the community theatre narrowed to wicked stepmother, wicked witch. Wicked old woman.

No. 

At least here she lived in a castle.

At least here she was Queen.

* * * * *

Just like half the freaking world, we’re on plague lock-down here in Maine. It’s given us a lot of time to introduce our kids to the classics – by which I mean movies from the late 80s.

Watching Labyrinth again reminded me of how I’d always wanted Sarah to stay in the Goblin Kingdom. Only now that I’m 40, the Goblin King’s offer doesn’t seem quite as attractive as it did when I was 13. Perhaps Sarah would have felt the same way after a few decades of “Pit of Eternal Stench” jokes/threats… but would she have admitted it?

Like what you’ve read? Click here to join my newsletter and I’ll send you a free copy of Tam Lin, my sexy modern take on the Scottish folktale.

I mean, really… who wouldn’t want to read a book about love, adventure, and monsters?

“The Flame and The Blade by Meredith Hart has the perfect combination of love, adventure, and monsters,” writes Juls on Goodreads. “I couldn’t put this book down. I really loved it.”

I wish I could go back in time and tell my 13-year-old self that someday, not only would I get to read books like this, I’d actually WRITE one. #LifeGoalsAccomplished

Click here to check out the full review

Stay tuned for more updates about the Flame and Blade series, my epic fantasy romance under the pen name Meredith Hart

The Wolf’s Lover, my paranormal romance between a wildlife biologist in Yellowstone National Park and Loki’s son Vali, will be FREE for Valentine’s Day next week!

And making the promo material for its free run is reminding me of just how dang much I love this book.

Of all the female protagonists I’ve written, Karen is the closest to my heart. Okay, so I’m not a wildlife biologist studying wolves in Montana who falls for a Norse god, but we still share a lot of common traits… and not just the skiing.

I struggled with post-partum depression after both my children were born, and I’ve battled garden-variety depression off and on for my entire life. It was deeply cathartic to write those dark times into Karen’s story. Putting it into the context of battling a dragon was a nice touch, too.

Vethe is a bitter, sarcastic wildmage who’s lived his entire life on the wrong side of the King’s law.

Lyria is a take-no-crap member of the Guard’s Guild desperate to prove herself after a disastrous love affair nearly ruined her career.

And now you can meet them both… for FREE!

That’s right, The Flame and The Blade – the first book in my epic new fantasy series under the pen name Meredith Hart – is now available on Amazon.

And it’s free until Friday!

Check it out, and drop me a line to let me know what you think.

He’s a fire mage who’s lived his entire life on the wrong side of the King’s law.

She’s a guard desperate to prove herself.

Together, they will enter the legendary Demon Forest…

The Flame and The Blade comes out on January 21! And look at the beautiful cover Ravenborn Covers designed for Vethe and Lyria.

“Will we be setting off tomorrow morning?” the guard asked.

My aunt Hylena shook her head so vehemently it was almost as if the guard had suggested she sleep with poisonous snakes. “Oh, no. Absolutely not. You’ll leave immediately.”

Not a surprise. There was, after all, one other member of this family hidden away in Raven’s Wing, and I knew Hylena was desperate to keep my mother’s existence a secret. Not that Hylena had any reputation left to save. I doubted any of the noble families in Mayhaven or the King’s vast estate would even recognize Hylena, let alone remember that she’d once had a sister.

If the guard was surprised by this, it didn’t show on her face. She really was a master of the blank expression. Or perhaps there just wasn’t much going on behind those light blue eyes.

“I can take one more bag of supplies,” the guard said. “Nothing too heavy, though. If you have multiple essential items to bring, you’ll need to provide your own mount.”

That was a joke. The woman had to have known from one look at the place that we couldn’t afford horses. We couldn’t even afford a gods-damned donkey.

“That’s fine,” Hylena replied. For the first time since the guard had stepped through the door, my aunt looked at me. “Vethe travels light.”

The guard raised a doubtful eyebrow at me. I managed to force a somewhat pathetic smile as I thought wistfully of my secret wineskins filled with Mage Fire. I’d hoped for a big, burly guard with a beard so huge it could hide small woodland animals. Someone who’d want to get drunk around the fire with me and trade stories, and who perhaps wouldn’t notice if a few of his silver pieces went missing.

Instead, I got the ice queen. Wonderful.

Stay tuned for more updates about The Flame and The Blade, my forthcoming epic fantasy romance under the pen name Meredith Hart

Ah, I love January!

Not only is it a Very Important Birthday Month (I’ll be 40 in three weeks), it’s the month of new beginnings and fresh starts. It’s a blank sheet of paper, just waiting for your story!

It’s also a month of new releases!

The Flame and The Blade, my epic enemies-to-lovers fantasy romance, comes out on January 21. And the cover reveal is coming your way early next week!

He’s a fire mage who’s lived his entire life on the wrong side of the King’s law.

She’s a guard desperate to prove herself.

Together, they will enter the legendary Demon Forest…

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Stay tuned for more updates about The Flame and The Blade, my forthcoming epic fantasy romance under the pen name Meredith Hart