Characters:

Ewan McWhorter was born wielding a sword under the Highland Sky, which set him up as a figure of destiny. A key figure in the war between the united clans and English. 

Isobel: Never a damsel in distress. While Ewan is the face of the united class, Isobel is the true brains, a strategic genius. It pains her to push back against her father, but she believes in Ewan’s cause.

Lock: Ewan's most loyal friend is Lachlann “Lock” Robertson, a druid apprentice who gets overcome by dark magic.  Ewan was forced to kill lock at the end of the last book, which has created quite a stir among the fanbase. 

Cormac: The Bard.  Cormac isn't the muscle or the prince; he’s the soft-hearted, sharp-tongued scribe who travels with the hero. He’s the one who stands at the back of the shield-wall during battles, looking terrified, but later writes the sweeping, earth-shattering poetry that makes the hero look like a god. Cormac is a man of massive internal storms, prone to grand dramatic pacing, over-thinking every tactical situation, and drinking far too much ale to soothe his frayed nerves. He is fiercely loyal to his circle, entirely useless in a physical fistfight, but devastating when wielding a metaphor or a lute.

Fergus - Fergus, A half-feral Highland drake that repeatedly steals food and causes disasters. They first encounter him in the second book, he’s about the size of a small puppy. They name him Fergus, and he ends up following them throughout the rest of the books, as a loyal if not always helpful ally.  It’s an ongoing joke in the book that Fergus is getting larger each book. 

Adversaries: 

Lord Alistair Sterling: A ruthless English commander or magistrate sent by the Crown to subdue the Highlands. He doesn't fight fair; he plays the Scottish clans against each other with bribes and false promises. He is sophisticated, cruel, and views Ewan not just as an enemy, but as a tactical puzzle to solve.  

Chieftain Murdoch Campbell. Isobel’s father.: A villain closer to home. He is the leader of the opposing Scottish clans, Murdoch believes the "united clans" are a fools' errand and actively collaborates with the English to secure his own power , making him a direct, personal foil to Ewan’s destiny.  

The Usuper King: A dark figure manipulating events behind the scenes. He is the one who corrupted Lock. Ancient, consumes the souls of young druids to maintain his power.

Clans

Warring clans - fighting the British is made more difficult by local clans who stand against the united clans.  Ewan has fallen in love with a girl he grew up with who happens to be part of one of those clans. Isobel Campbell. In later books, that love will make Ewan an outsider to both sides.

United Clan/Outcast Clan - The earlier books have Ewan leading a group of clans who are working together to push back against the British and loyalist clans. But after Ethan killed Lock and used dark magic to bring him back, he was sent into exile.  Those most loyal to him now call themselves the Outcast Clan and continue to pursue their war, even without the United Clans aid.

Bibliography:

The Piper of Blackrook Moor - stand-alone romance book

Beneath the Highland Sky series

1. Beneath the Highland Sky

2. The Inn at Glenmorrow

3. When the Thistles Bleed

4. Shadows Over the Glen - Lock Dies

5. Where the Heather Blooms (this title refers to the battle where Ewan kills lock. Heather flowers bloomed over his body…which will be key to saving Lock.  New book that came out just as our book starts)

6. Six brooding scottsmen on a hill”....a working title.  “The Twin Hearts of the Outcast Clan” - upcoming book that Ethan really needs to start working on.

Ethan is currently working on a semi-autobiography/writing textbook called “My Year of being lost in the fog” 

Justice for Lock - After Lock’s death at the end of Shadow over the Glen, numerous “Justice For Lock” rallies popped up around the world.  Unbeknownst to the majority of the readers, Briarwood Press was secretly behind this as a publicity stunt.  Ethan even attended one of them incognito and has a selfie he took with a burning Ewan McWhorter effigy.

It’s no secret that the new book is going to be about Lock’s resurrection.  But how does that happen?  And in what form?  Will readers be satisfied with this turn of events?  Will people call bringing back Lock a cheap attempt to regain readers who swore off of Ethan Blackwood forever?  Eagle eye readers would be able to chart events in this book back to things seeded in the earlier books, but will people actually pick up on that?

• Early in his druid apprenticeship, Lock learns about the ancient laws of Anam-Cara (soul-binding) or a specific Highland ritual where a druid's magic can be anchored to the earth if they are slain on sacred ground. 

• When Ewan is forced to kill Lock, it takes place on a specific ridge where the legendary heather blooms. The heather didn't just grow by chance; it bloomed because the earth absorbed Lock's untainted, core magical essence before the dark magic of the Usurper King could completely destroy his soul. 

• Ewan and Isobel have to sneak into the Usurper King’s lair to get an element that they need to finish the ritual.  At one point, it momentarily seems like Isobel is killed, which causes another uproar, but thankfully that was all a ruse to get past the Usurper King’s Black Banshees.

• The Fragmented Soul: Lock is brought back, but he is fundamentally changed. Because his soul was anchored by the heather, he is now deeply connected to the natural magic of the Highlands, but he has severe memory gaps. He remembers the ancient druid lore, but he doesn't remember Ewan, or worse, his last memory is of Ewan driving a blade into his chest. Ewan now has to win back the trust of a best friend who views him as a murderer.

• The Twin Hearts: To keep him hidden from the Usurper King who still wants his soul, Lock’s spirit is kept in a locket that Ethan has given to Isobel for safe keeping.