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"A
beautiful novel, seamlessly executed, cathartic in the way of tragic love
stories, yet even more satisfying for the triumphant finish that rewards
Basilio and Cassandra's honor pledged in love." |
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NIGHT
OF FIRE |
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from the back cover... Lady Cassandra St. Ives had sworn off marriage ever since becoming a happy widow, but lately her affections have been engaged by a mysterious, long-distance correspondent. Cassandra has shared her soul with her far-off admirer, and when he invites her to visit his home she accepts the invitation gladly. Expecting a kindly old gentleman, Cassandra is stunned to find that Count Basilio Montevarchi is a virile man in his prime who knows her heart's most intimate desires--and is only too willing to fulfill every one... The moment Basilio sets eyes on the vibrant beauty he recognizes a soul mate he will never be able to claim as his own. A long-standing betrothal - and the honor of his family--dictate that Basilio must deny the force of their passion until the confines of responsibility finally force them apart. Now Basilio must find a way to keep his heart's desire--before he loses her forever. Click here to read the full excerpt. THE STORY BEHIND THE STORY The St. Ives family series of books was conceived in a group - the entire family and their history came to me one afternoon sitting on my porch on a summer afternoon. I filled an entire notebook with my scribblings in a few hours, something I've never done before. (I should add that I'd been on a Georgian research kick after discovering the story of an obscure and fascinating composer, Joseph Boulogne, The Chevalier St. George, and trying to find out more about him for months -- quite a lot of pieces of Joseph's life show up here. Hint: look at Gabriel for clues). Anyway, I knew that Adriana in THE BLACK ANGEL would be the first book, and when I pitched the series to my editor, I wrote a quick synopsis of what I thought would be the second book -- Phoebe's story -- too. But when it came time to write the second book in the series, I found it was the tortured Cassandra in my heart. Her sorrow haunted me a bit through Adriana's tale and I wondered what had formed her, and what sort of man would capture her resistant heart--this independent and rather prickly soul who values her independence more than all the love in the world? The answer came to me in a dream. Now, I know many writers swear by this formula, but I am sadly not one of them. There have only been two other times in the entire history of my writing career (which now spans almost two decades--yes, I started as a wee, wee babe!) when a dream revealed what a book would be, and both times, it was a character who came to me. This time, it was an entire book--structure, character, conflict, everything, all told in letters between a beautiful count and the sorrowing Cassandra, and a strangely wonderful character who captured my heart, Analise di Canio, who plays an extraordinary part. That gloomy February morning, I did my best to capture those letters from my dream, and the book was born. Most of them did not make it into the actual book, because I found I was more interested in what happened to them--this trio of players who are all bound by honor, who are led, in strange and beautiful ways, to the fulfillment of each of their most heartfelt dreams. It was not an easy book to write, I must admit. After that first, illuminating dream, I had to work very hard to coax the truth of it out of a trio of characters who were stubborn and idealistic and not always terribly cooperative--but in the end, it's a book I love a great deal. It's an exploration of passion and the nature of vocation, but it's also about faith---faith lost and found, faith in ourselves and in others and in hope itself. If you're looking for a sexy, intensely emotional roller-coaster ride, I hope you'll take a look at NIGHT OF FIRE. As always, I love to hear your reactions. Email me! |
