title: Forlorn Hope: The Storming of Badajoz
author:  James Mace 
description: <span>Multi-time Ancient History best-seller James Mace developed hispassion for history at a young age, and has made Ancient Rome a life'sstudy. He penned the initial draft of his first novel, "Soldier of Rome: The Legionary", as a cathartic means of escapism while serving with the U.S. Army in Iraq from 2004 to 2005. <br /><br />His well received series,"Soldier of Rome - The Artorian Chronicles", is a perennial ancienthistory best-seller, as is his series about The Great Jewish Revolt andthe Year of the Four Emperors. In recent years, he has branched out into other historical eras, having written three books set in the Napoleonic Era, with a series about the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879 planned for 2016.<br /><br />He can be reached via his website: legionarybooks.net<br /><br />Official Facebook page: facebook.com/legionarybooks<br /><br />Twitter: @LegionaryBooks<br /><br />Blog: legionarybooks.blogspot.com/</span>
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  *The MacEgan Brothers
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Someone grabbed her. His hand clamped over her mouth, the other arm gripping
  her waist as he spun her around. A blade of moonlight slipped from behind the
  clouds, casting a beam upon his face.
  
  She froze at the sight of Ewan MacEgan. By the Rood, she’d never thought to
  see him again. What was he doing here?
  
  His sculpted bare chest gleamed silver, his pectoral muscles rising and
  falling as he breathed.
  
  “Looking for something?” he accused.
  
  The last time she’d seen Ewan, he’d been a gangly boy of sixteen. The boy had
  become a man. A handsome one at that. His dark blond hair was cut short,
  emphasizing a lean face and a strong jawline. Broad shoulders revealed a tight
  strength she hadn’t remembered. Ridged muscles lined his abdomen, down to…
  
  Oh, dear God above. He was naked.
  
  With that, every coherent thought left her. He looked like a savage Celt. Ewan
  had a wildness about him that made her uneasy.
  
  He released one wrist and ripped her