Thank you for coming, I knew you wouldn’t want to miss this. For those of you who are new to the program, welcome to the Inside Scoop, a program dedicated to interviewing the characters in the stories written by Ruth A. Casie.
We've pulled a real coup. Let me give you a little background before we begin. Our investigative reporter Justin Case, is about to interview the hero, Lord Arik, and heroine, Dr. Rebeka Tyler, of Ruth A. Casie's book, Knight of Runes, book one of The Druid Knight series.
I see they are about to begin. I'll fill you in on their story when the interview is over.
Reporter: (Facing the audience) Welcome and good afternoon. Today’s guests are Lord Arik, the exceptional knight who put his life on the line for the woman he loves. Also here is the extraordinary, Dr. Rebeka Tyler. She too was willing to risk it all--to save the man she loves.
It’s the 21st century, time travel is still a Wellsian fantasy but not for Dr. Rebeka Tyler. The renowned renaissance scholar finds herself tossed into the 17th century. While she tries to decode the ancient runes and unearth a family secret in order to return to her time she physically fights for her life against the dark druid, Bran, and struggles emotionally with the druid knight, Lord Arik, and the truth about their past. Neither Rebeka nor Arik can succeed by themselves, they must partner in order to win. But it will cost her dearly, her heart, and, if she's lucky, her future. (Turning to his guests) Thank you both for taking time to talk to us today. The first question I have is for Lord Arik.
Arik: Please, call me Arik.
Reporter: Certainly. Arik, what was your first impression of Rebeka?
Arik: I thought—
Rebeka: He thought I was a pain-in-the-ass.
Arik: Actually, that’s quite correct. (Smirks looking at Rebeka) You had this compulsion to interject yourself and opinions everywhere. You didn’t know your place. And you madam? What did you think of me? An actor. (Exasperated) An actor. (Turning to the Reporter) Can you believe it? The Druid Grand Master and Lord of Fayne Manor and she thinks I’m some sort of carnival performer.
Rebeka: Well, what did you expect? I had no idea I had traveled four hundred years into the past. (Turning toward the Reporter) When I arrived I met Doward, the old tinker. It was Beltane and with the way he was dressed and riding in a horse-drawn wagon I naturally assumed he was an actor going to some reenactment. They’re popular during Beltane. Then when I met Arik and the others, all on horseback and dressed like Doward, well what should I have thought. Arik was marching through the woods all proud and self-important, play-acting.
Arik: (Raising an eyebrow to his wife) I was patrolling my domain. We were under attack, as you well found out.
Reporter: Oh no. (Turning towards Rebeka) And you thought it was all a charade. What happened?
Rebeka: We were traveling and came to the river crossing. The bridge was damaged and Arik and men had to repair it so we could get the wagon across. There was no room for the wagon at the shore so Doward, me and Logan, Arik’s brother made camp up the road. The thieves attacked the wagon. They must’ve thought with only one soldier, a woman and an old man, we would be easy to subdue.
Arik: Subdue? You mean kill. They had every intention of killing all three of you.
Reporter: (The reporter crushed his script in his hands) What happened?
Arik: They were as shocked as I was. You see, both camps were attacked at the same time. We quickly took care of the marauders who attacked us and went to help the others. I didn’t know what to expect. (Shaking his head chuckling, he looked at Rebeka) You dispatched three before I got there. (Turning to the Reporter) She did well. No, she was excellent. She used her walking staff as a weapon in a way I’d never seen. I would have her at my side in any fight.
Reporter: (Looking through his crumpled papers) That supports what I have here. (The reporter looks at Rebeka) You’re a warrior.
Rebeka: Not at all. In college, I took karate for gym credit. I enjoyed the mind-body connection so much that I continued it as daily exercise. At the river was the first time I had ever fought for my life.
Arik: (He took her hand and squeezed it) You did well. That’s when I knew there was more to you than met the eye. (Turns towards Reporter) Doward led me to believe the King had sent her to do research in my library.
Rebeka: That’s not exactly what Doward told you. (Turning to the Reporter) You see, by the time we reached Fayne Manor Doward and I had discovered that I was in the wrong time. We also figured out that the information I needed to return to the 21st century was in the books in Arik’s library.
Reporter: I see.
Rebeka: I’m not certain you do. It was a dangerous game we both played. He was certain I was sent by his enemy, Bran. I was certain he’d kill me if he knew I traveled through time. I looked into family journals and diaries. I had no idea where to look or even what I was looking for. But everything I did made Arik more suspicious of me. And, well, I came from a time when women speak their mind. I didn’t endear myself to Arik.
Arik: But the emotions were stewing underneath. (In a hushed whisper) We wanted each other but didn’t trust each other.
Reporter: Wait a minute, why didn’t you tell Arik what you were looking for.
Rebeka: I don’t mean to toot my own horn but I’m a renowned history professor. It was 1605. Do you think for one moment anyone would believe me? What they would do to me? And before you say anything, yes, Arik is the Druid Grand Master but I didn’t know it then and I didn’t believe in magic. (She looks at Arik) At least not at that time.
Reporter: I find that a bit incongruous. How would you explain your time travel if not with magic?
Rebeka: (She looked down and laughed) I know. Stupid isn’t it. It’s amazing how we hold on to our prejudices. (Her voice was husky) But Arik taught me about magic—on so many levels.
Arik: (He looks at her and tries not to smile.) She needs the lesson repeated…often.
Reporter: Well, thank you both very much. (Pulling on his shirt collar.) Is it warm in here? (The reporter turns to the audience) You can find out more about Lord Arik and Lady Rebeka in Knight of Runes, Book I of the Druid Knight Series by Ruth A. Casie just grab a copy on Kindle Unlimited or at Amazon. Also, look for Book II of the Druid Knight Series, Knight of Rapture also available on Kindle Unlimited.
Title Knight of Runes
Author Ruth A. Casie
Genre Romance, Historical Romance, Paranormal Romance, Time Travel
Publisher Timeless Scribes Publishing
Book Blurb
When Lord Arik, a druid knight, finds Rebeka Tyler wandering his lands without protection, he swears to keep her safe. But Rebeka can take care of herself. When Arik sees her clash with a group of attackers using a strange fighting style, he's intrigued.
Rebeka is no ordinary seventeenth-century woman—she's traveled back from the year 2011, and she desperately wants to return to her own time. She poses as a scholar sent by the king to find out what's killing Arik's land. But as she works to decode the ancient runes that are the key to solving this mystery and sending her home, she finds herself drawn to the charismatic and powerful Arik.
As Arik and Rebeka fall in love, someone in Arik's household schemes to keep them apart, and a dark druid with a grudge prepares his revenge. Soon Rebeka will have to decide whether to return to the future or trust Arik with the secret of her time travel and her heart.
Excerpt (This is the scene mentioned in the interview):
England
May, 1605
I should not have stayed away so long.
Unable to shake the ominous feeling of being watched, Lord Arik kept the small group moving quickly. On high alert, his eyes continually swept the underbrush bordering the rain-slicked forest trail. He and his three riders escorted the wagon with the old tinker and the woman quickly through the forest. At length, he slowed the pace, the horses winded as they neared the Stone River.
“The forest is flooded,” he said. “I suspect the Stone will be as well. Willem, ride ahead and let me know what we face at the crossing.”
Willem did his lord’s bidding and quickly returned with his report. “The river ahead runs fast, m’lord. The bridge is in ruins and cannot be crossed.”
Arik raised his hand and brought the group to a halt. “We must make repairs Doward,” he said to the old tinker, “there’s no room for the wagon at the river’s edge. You and the woman stay here and set up camp. Be ready to join us at the bridge when I send word.”
Logan, Arik’s brother, spoke up. “I’ll keep watch here and help Doward and Rebeka.”
Arik nodded and, with the others, continued the half mile to the bridge. “I am not pleased with this new delay.”
“It can’t be helped, m’lord,” Simon said. “We would make better time without the wagon.”
“We cannot leave Doward and the woman in the forest on their own, not with what we’ve heard lately. We’ll have to drive hard to make up the lost time,” Arik said as they came to the crossing.
The frame of the bridge stood solid, but the planks were scattered everywhere, clogging the banks and shallows. Arik leapt from his horse onto the frame to begin the repairs. “Hand me that planking.” Arik pointed to the nearest board.
Simon grabbed the nearest plank and examined it. “Sir, these boards have been deliberately removed.”
Arik reached for the board just as an arrow whooshed out of the trees and slammed into the plank’s edge. Willem pulled his ax from his belt. In a fluid, practiced movement, he spun and sent his ax flying. The archer fell into the river and was swept downstream, Willem’s ax lodged in his forehead.
A dozen or more attackers broke through the stand of trees. Poorly dressed fighters carrying clubs and knives moved toward them. There was only one sword among them, held by the leader—Arik’s target.
Arik tossed the board into the river and readied his sword. “They plan to pin us here at the river’s edge. Come, we’ll attack before they form up.”
Arik and his men surged forward, driving a wedge through the enemy’s ragged line, forcing what little formation they had to scatter and fight, each man for himself.
A man, club in hand, rushed at Arik. Before the attacker could bring his weapon into play, Arik pivoted around him. He raised his sword high and slammed the hilt’s steel pommel squarely on the man’s head and moved on before the man’s lifeless body collapsed to the ground.
Willem and Simon, on either side of Arik, advanced through the melee. Their swift swordplay moved smoothly from one stroke to the next, whipping through the air. They slashed on the down stroke and again on the backswing, sweeping their weapons into position to repeat the killing sequence as Arik and his soldiers steadily advanced, punishing any man who dared to come near them.
“For honor!” Logan’s war cry carried from the small camp to Arik’s ears.
Arik stiffened. Both camps were now under siege. He pulled his blade from an enemy’s chest. The body crumpled to the blood-soaked ground. Arik breathed deeply, the coppery taste of blood in the air.
“For honor!” he bellowed in answer. His men echoed his call, arms thrown wide, muscles quivering, the berserker’s rage overtaking them.
The remaining assailants fled headlong back into the forest.
Motioning to his men to follow, Arik raced toward Logan and the camp. He could hear shouts and cursed himself for not seeing the danger earlier. He crested the hill and came to an abrupt halt.
Logan’s sword ripped through the air as he protected Doward. The tinker drew his short blade and did as much damage as he could. But it was the woman Arik noticed. Her skirt hiked up, she twirled her walking stick like a weapon, with an expertise that left him slack-jawed. She dispatched the enemy, one by one, in a deadly well-practiced dance.
A man rushed toward her, knife in hand. The sneer on his face didn’t match the fear in his eyes.
She stepped out of his line of attack, extended her stick to her side and, holding it with both hands, swept the weapon forward, striking the intruder across the bridge of his nose. Blood exploded from his face in an arc of fine spray as his head snapped back. Droplets dusted her face, creating an illusion of bright red freckles. As he fell, she reversed her swing and caught him hard behind his knees. He went down on his back, spread-eagled. The woman swung her stick over her head and landed a precise blow to his forehead that knocked him unconscious.
As the woman spun to face the next threat, her glance captured Arik’s and held. In the space of an instant, time slowed to a crawl. Her hair slowly loosened from its pins and swirled out around her. His breath caught, and his heart quickened as a rapturous surge raced through his body. Something eternal and familiar, with a sense of longing, unsettled him.
In the next heartbeat, she tore her eyes away, leaving him empty. Time resumed its normal pace. Another fighter lay at her feet.
Arik joined the fight.
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Author Biography
RUTH A. CASIE is a USA Today bestselling author of historical swashbuckling action-adventures and contemporary romance with enough action to keep you turning pages. Her stories feature strong women and the men who deserve them, endearing flaws and all. She lives in New Jersey with her hero, three empty bedrooms and a growing number of incomplete counted cross-stitch projects. Before she found her voice, she was a speech therapist (pun intended), client liaison for a corrugated manufacturer, and vice president at an international bank where she was a product/ marketing manager, but her favorite job is the one she’s doing now—writing romance. She hopes her stories become your favorite adventures. For more information, please visit RuthACasie.com or visit her on Facebook, @RuthACasie, Twitter, @RuthACasie, Instagram RuthACasie, or Pinterest RuthACasie.
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