Hello Everyone:
This year 2016 has been quite a year for authors. I’m fortunate in
that The Wild Rose Press is my publisher and that I have four books in The Duke
Series Available. Thought you might be interested in how I chose Barbados
Island as a location for segments of my novel, THE DUKE’S MAGNIFICENT BASTARD.
Decades ago, my then husband and I
vacationed in the Caribbean and visited
Barbados and Aruba. The water was blue; the
winds were breezy, and the sun was HOT on
the beaches. Wary of being on the other end of sun poison, I lathered my body
was sunscreen, wore a caftan with a mandarin collar and long sleeves, and a
turban to prevent my exposure. Sitting in a chair under a large tropical umbrella,
I felt safe from nature.
Fast forward two hours and I felt my
cheeks flush and the lobes of my ears stung. I gathered my sun-tanned husband, and we went back to the hotel to summon a physician. Yes, I had
sun poison and could not subject myself to the outdoors. Not wanting to spoil things for my companion,
I suggested he broil in the sun and leave
me and my lobster-like skin to stay in
the room. Not very much fun, so I started reading a tourist version of Barbados history from the hotel guest books.
The maid would come in daily, and we’d
chat. She was an Arawak Indian, and she
would regale me with stories of her family and its culture.
Stuck in the room, I’d wait for her to
knock on the door. Of course, she had her duties, so our time was brief. She
told me about Taino descendants of an extinct
elite tribe, and I was able to get to a
library and read about their history.
Back to the hotel, I started writing
notes on a yellow pad to use one day for
a novel. Writing was my obsession, and though
not published, compiling notes filled my binders. Obviously, I did not bring a computer or any
version thereof.
My editor informed me that I could write
a prequel of 7,500 words or more, and so I wrote the 15,000-word prequel, THORN, SON OF A DUKE. It depicted Thorn Wick’s
life on the islands as a half-breed with his mother, a descendent of a Taino
King, in a dynasty that no longer existed. At age seventeen, his dying mother
has him promise to visit his father in England, the renowned Duke of Althorn,
who was unaware of his existence.
This prequel led to the full-length
novel, THE DUKE’S MAGNIFICENT BASTARD. Yanked from the West Indies, Thorn sails to London, England where he is considered
illegitimate. Can anyone imagine the emotions that consumed him? He belonged to
two opposite worlds, and in each, he had
to fight for existence. Except for the noble duke’s recognition and that of the
family who supports him, acceptance though difficult was made easier. Every time he thought he conquered the
obstacles, another one showed its ugly head.
Thorn fights against all the odds. His goal is for acceptance by aristocratic
society with honor like his father.
Thus,
the novel unfolds. WARNING: Contains a multi-cultural Anglo-West Indian hero, an
aristocratic English heroine, a noble duke, an evil witch doctor, a Barbados
chieftain intent on redemption, and an amazing Argamak Turkmen horse all
within the bounds of romance, and intrigue, with an element of suspense. It
released on November 4, 2016.
Prepare to be transported from island life in
Barbados to aristocratic England and then back to Barbados where stunning
revelations wrack our hero’s world. Did I mention that this is a spicy Regency?
I’ve never created a duke
I didn’t fall in love with, and though Thorn Wick is not one, in his heart, he is a man to honor…and worthy of love.
The
Duke’s Magnificent Bastard - Release Date November 4, 2016
Once in a while
In the middle of ordinary life
LOVE gives us a FAIRY TALE.
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