Miku, a beautiful young poetess, lives a cloistered life at her uncle's opulent feudal estate in windswept northern Japan. But when her uncle, a devious warlord, commands a powerful and darkly handsome samurai to tame her headstrong independence, will Miku choose to run from all that the intriguing soldier has to offer--or will she finally find the uncompromising love she has only dreamed of in her poetry?
And here's a little more about our newest contributor: For Ashley, inspiration finds its best outlet when she picks up a pen. A lifelong student of literature and history, perhaps it was inevitable that she'd find her way to historical fiction. Nursed on Shakespeare and weaned on Twain, she learned early that the most important part of any story is the characters themselves. Her stories deliver breathtakingly exotic--and deeply erotic!--romantic adventures, whether in the windswept mountains of medieval Japan, the steamy jungles of Central America, or the elegant courts of Regency England.***
Ashley enjoys being outside as much as possible--hiking, kayaking, and exploring. On a rainy day, she enjoys needlework or reading a good book. And she absolutely love cooking for my family and friends!
Occasionally we get news from authors who aren't regular contributors, but who write unusual times and places. We love to pass it along to our readers! This week I heard from Noble Romance Publishing author E.D. Walker, whose THE BEAUTY'S BEAST was released on September 6. Congratulations! THE BEAUTY'S BEAST is a paranormal historical romance from Noble Romance's Sweetheart Line. The story draws on elements of the "Beauty and the Beast" fairy tale, as well as Marie de France's medieval lais, "Bisclavret." Here's the blurb:
Lady Kathryn's father has sent her to court to find a husband, but being penniless and disinterested doesn't bode well for her success. Bored by the petty intrigues of court, she finds her loneliness is eased when the king charges her with the care of his newest acquisition: an uncanny black wolf. What the king doesn't realize is his remarkable pet was once Gabriel, his favorite knight, cursed into wolf form by an unfaithful wife.***
The beast's too-knowing eyes and the way he seems to understand her every utterance convinces Kathryn the wolf is more than what he seems. Resolving to restore him, she doesn't count on the greatest obstacle being Gabriel himself. The longer he stays in wolf form as a captive of the court, the harder it becomes for him to remember his humanity. And to fight his wolfish urges to maim and kill.
Only Kathryn's affection and determination stand between Gabriel the wolf and Gabriel the man. But when the wife who betrayed him returns to court, will Kathryn's love be enough to keep Gabriel from exacting a brutish revenge that will condemn the wolf to death?
Booklist Online did a feature earlier this week titled "Core Collection: The New Stars of Historical Romance." The list featured past Unusual Historicals guests Meredith Duran, for her Indian-set DUKE OF SHADOWS, and Sherry Thomas, and also our dear contributors Margaret Mallory and Anthea Lawson! Margaret's KNIGHT OF DESIRE and Anthea's PASSIONATE were singled out in this fantastic collection of today's best historical romance authors. Great job!***
Congratulations to Lila DiPasqua, who has a title for her third "Fiery Tales" romance, this time a full-length romance that promises Cinderella as we've never read it before. A MIDNIGHT DANCE will hit the shelves from Berkley Sensation in August 2011. Can't wait to see the cover!
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Join us Sunday when Berkley Heat author Christina Phillips will be here to chat about her sexy romance FORBIDDEN, set in Wales during the Roman Empire. She'll also be giving away a copy to one lucky commenter! Be sure to join us then. ***
We'll also draw the winner of Lila DiPasqua's AWAKENED BY A KISS guest appearance on Sunday. You still have time to leave a comment or question for your chance to win.***
Stay with us through the coming weeks when we'll be featuring the best unusual historical authors! Sarah Parr, Zoe Archer, Jeannie Lin, and Renee Ryan will be our guests. Join us!
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Have a good weekend! Remember, you don't have to be an Unusual Historicals contributor to submit good news to the weekend announcements. If it has to do with unusual historicals, we'd love to shout it out to the world! Send announcements to Carrie. See you next week...
