Born to a Greek mother and British father and raised in the heart of the Ottoman Empire, Mari Sinclair's allegiances are as mixed as her heritage. A shot exploding above her head convinces Mari it is time to cease spying for the British and return to her work as a naturalist and illustrator. The British government refuses to let her go and blackmails her into continuing. They saddle her with the far too handsome Major Bennett Prestwood, an overbearing, battle-weary soldier, ordered to ensure she fulfills her mission for the crown: to draw the specifications of a new fort in an area so perilous two agents have already perished in the attempt. When passion flares between them, Mari must decide if she can trust her heart to a man who obeys orders at all costs...even if the ultimate cost is her life.
After fighting Napoleon for twelve years, Major Bennett Prestwood believes that without duty, life would be chaos. Yet when he's ordered to travel to Constantinople to protect a spy, he hesitates. Too many family obligations await him in England to waste time protecting a foolish woman who cares nothing for her own safety. Despite his expectations, the stunning beauty he is assigned to protect tempts him to look beyond the duty which has always ruled his life. When the danger toward her is revealed, he must rely on his expertise to discover the person behind the plot. But what if that duty forces him to sacrifice the life of the woman he loves?
And here's a little more about Anna:Anna Randol was raised in San Diego, California. When she was eight, she decided her diary was too dull and decided to write as if she lived on a raft in the Amazon with her imaginary dog, Cream Puff. At twelve, Anna decided racing down rapids with only a dog for company might get rather lonely. Handsome heroes began to appear on her raft, and her love of fast-paced, adventure-driven romance was born.***
When Anna's not writing, chasing her children, or re-painting her walls, she's pursuing her second love: hitting and kicking things really hard at her local kung-fu studio.
Congratulations to Jean Adams sold YESTERDAY'S DREAMS, a tale of reunited lovers set in the present-day Bay of Islands in New Zealand, to The Wild Rose Press.
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More congratulations to Michelle Styles, who just signed a four-book contract with Harlequin. The books will be set in the early Victorian period. In addition, her latest early Victorian has been titled TO MARRY A MATCHMAKER and will be released in the UK in July 2011.
To celebrate, Michelle is giving away a complete set of her Roman-set historical romances over at Christina Phillips's blog. Leave a comment for your chance to win!
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Fresh Fiction Readers recommend Margaret Mallory's current release, KNIGHT OF PASSION, as a favorite summer read. This is Margaret's second book to be selected as a "Fresh Pick!"Margaret also has two book signings in Northern Michigan during the Labor Day Weekend: Sept. 5th between noon–1:00pm at Horizon Books (243 E. Front St., in Traverse City) and Sept. 5th between 4:00–6:00 pm at The Book Store (330 Main St, in Frankfort).
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Anna C. Bowling's "From Fanfiction to Fantastic Fiction" workshop goes live at on September 6th through October 3rd. The cost is $15 for members and $25 for non-members.
Learn to use fan fiction techniques to create original stories and characters without having to look over your shoulder for copyright lawyers. Let favorite movies, television or music inspire your own creativity, put your own spin on archetypes and themes we all know and love and avoid the dreaded Mary Sue along the way. The name of the game is inspiration, not imitation.***
Topics covered include thinking outside the screen; use character archetypes to find the core of why we love our favorites the way we do; learn how to gather a multimedia trove of inspiration; what to keep and what to change while putting your unique spin.
Zoe Archer's WARRIOR, the first of her four-part "Blades of the Rose" series, comes out on Tuesday, Sept. 7. It was awarded an A review from The Good, the Bad and the Unread, which declared, "This is a must read for anyone looking for a fun, exciting tale of love and adventure."To help promote the series, Zoe was interviewed by RT Book Reviews, which can be viewed here.
In addition, the second book in the series, SCOUNDREL, received a starred review and pick of the week from Publisher's Weekly: "Archer follows WARRIOR with another delightful tale of an intelligent, competent woman sharing adventure and romance with a formidable partner...London's personal growth paces the adventure story beautifully, and readers will cheer for both the romance and the Blades."
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Join us Sunday when Harlequin Historicals author Jeannie Lin will be here to chat about her Undone short story, "THE TAMING OF MEI LIN", set in Tang Dynasty China. She'll also be giving away a digital copy to one lucky commenter! Be sure to join us then. In addition, come join the Sept.-Oct. launch celebration for "The Taming of Mei Lin" and Jeannie's October debut, Butterfly Swords at this special website.
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We'll also draw the winner of Susanna Fraser's THE SERGEANT'S LADY 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! Lila DiPasqua, Christina Phillips, Sarah Parr, and Zoe Archer 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...
