The borders of Scotland in 1514 were a violent and dangerous place. King James Stewart's defeat at Flodden shifted the balance of power and border wars waged by raiders on both sides created a hostile and perilous existence for all.

Heath Kennedy, bastard half-gypsy son of a titled Scots lord, enjoys unusual status as the beloved half-brother of Valentina, wife of the Lord Ramsey. Trying to protect his sister from vicious borderers seeking to murder her husband, Heath is captured and left for dead, his prized stallion and mares stolen.

English lady, Raven Carleton, chafes at the constraints and conventions her parents and the society in which she lives have placed on her. A breeder and trainer of hunting birds, Raven also enjoys an unconventional gallop with her pony on her father's land along the shores of Solway Firth. A revived Heath sees Raven, black hair streaming free, riding astride, skirts edging up to scandalously expose her bare legs, and mistakes her for a gypsy. The independent Raven sets the handsome Scotsman straight, but he takes her pony to make his way home.

Raven cannot get the brazen Scotsman out of her mind, although she knows her future will lie with the wealthy young nobleman, Christopher Dacre. A costume ball, where she is wooed by both men, confuses her mind even more, as does a visit to her grandmother, the witch woman, Dame Doris Heron. As Dame Doris leads Raven through witching rituals, Raven interprets her visions as omens of her betrothal to Chris Dacre.

Dacre and Raven's betrothal is barely spoken, however, when Heath Kennedy ambushes them to reclaim his stolen horses. Heath takes Raven captive as added insult and punish-ment to Dacre, echoing Raven's second ritual vision of a hawk overtaking a raven and forcing it to fly in unison. But Raven's capture puts her in the position of pawn in the deadly border battles and she must decide if her freedom is worth the price Heath Kennedy asks of her.

Virginia Henley weaves history seamlessly into this sensual romance, lush with historical detail and colorfully drawn characters. If you love sinking into this period, surrounded by multilayered characters, and just enough "magick" to make the fairy tale work, THE BORDER HOSTAGE will bewitch you, now out in paperback.