Chosen by Desire (44 page)
“I was there once, too.” Her mom hugged her, squeezing her firmly but not too tight. “I’m so happy for you, honey. Max doesn’t know, does he?”
She shook her head. “Not yet.”
“I didn’t think so. Otherwise he’d probably carry you on his back everywhere, he’s so protective. Which is sweet.” Smiling, she smoothed back Carrie’s hair. “When are you telling him?”
“Telling him what?” Max asked from the stairs.
They both jumped.
Her mom was the first to recover. “I better go put on my party clothes. I want to make sure I look good, in case I meet any eligible men in the course of the evening.” She patted Carrie’s shoulder, gave Max a peck on the cheek, and left them alone.
“Tell me what?” he asked as he zipped her dress the rest of the way. “You aren’t still feeling the effects of the Book of Water, are you?”
“Not more than before.” Some of it stayed with her. Every now and then, Max said he felt a bit of the sea in her touch, but she always told him any magic he felt was because of their love.
He turned her around by the shoulders and studied her, concern lining his forehead. “Then what is it?”
“It’s a surprise. A sort of wedding gift.” To distract him, she gestured to her slightly enlarged cleavage. “Does it look okay?”
“You look mouthwatering.” His hands snaked around her waist. “I don’t know how you can look innocent yet so sinful at the same time.”
She laughed.
His cell phone beeped. Cursing under his breath, he pulled it out of his pocket, read the screen, and texted a quick reply before putting it back.
“Something important?” she asked, slipping on her shoes.
“Just Francesca with a question about the flowers.”
She wrinkled her nose. She still didn’t trust Max’s assistant, but she felt bad for her, too. After all, Max asked her to leave right after the wedding to deliver the Book of Water to its rightful Guardian. It was like adding insult to injury, making Francesca watch them get married and then, in effect, banishing her from the only home she’d ever known.
But it wasn’t like there was anyone else who could be trusted with the Book of Water. The Keeper hadn’t been happy that an outsider was delivering it. It seemed that only close family could know about the scrolls without serious repercussions. Meaning death.
The Keeper also wasn’t happy that Max, Rhys, and Gabe were in such close proximity. Carrie thought it was odd that after all these centuries the Guardians knew each other. Almost like they were being reunited.
He had been happy about her and Max, though. He told Max he knew by following her he would find his destiny. Carrie thought the Keeper was a pretty smart guy.
Max studied her with his searching gaze, so she smiled for him. “Maybe Francesca will find her own Guardian to love.”
“No more thoughts of the scroll or Francesca.” He tipped her head back. “Tell me about my surprise.”
She laughed, placing her hand over his scar. “Our child is going to be so relentless. I hope you’re ready for that.”
His brow furrowed. She knew the second he’d realized what she’d said by the way he looked down at her stomach.
Taking his hand, she placed it right over their baby. “In six months.”
She didn’t need to ask what he thought. The way he smiled, slow and full, like the sun coming out from a long bout of night, was answer enough.
I took some liberties in writing CHOSEN BY DESIRE. Ahem.
For example, while there was really a Yongle Emperor, he didn’t use mystic scrolls to bring twenty years of peace to China. I made all that up. Shocking, I know. He
is
believed to be the greatest Ming emperor, though. I picked him because his era name,
Yongle
, means “perpetual happiness.” It seemed fitting.
The stuff from the scroll—also made up. Mostly. The passage stating, “Wood feeds Fire. Fire creates Earth…” is part of the Cycles of Balance from the Chinese doctrine of five phases. I’d go into more detail about the philosophy, but it’s complicated. Wikipedia has a pretty good description, though.
Guanyin is a
bodhisattva
—an enlightened being (or immortal). Her name means “observing the cries of the world.” She’s basically a goddess of compassion and mercy. She’s also kind of like the patron saint of the kung fu style I study, which is why I named my fictional monastery after her.
Also, I bent the tenure process at Cal (aka UC Berkeley) to fit my purposes. And I may have tweaked the topography in Santa Monica. Just a little.
And lastly, I’m pretty sure there isn’t enough iron in blood to turn someone into a metal statue. That was, as we authors like to call it, dramatic license. Nate, however, calls it making shit up.
Where authors give you the inside scoop!
From the desk of Shannon K. Butcher
Dear Reader,
For thirty days, I lurked inside the mind of a deranged serial killer. And let me tell you, it may be an interesting place to visit, but I’m glad I don’t have to live there. Thirty days was long enough, and I spent every one of them looking over my shoulder, in the backseat of my car, and under my bed. Just in case.
Luckily, I had some professional help with the profile for the killer in LOVE YOU TO DEATH, but little did I know how much more it would creep me out when I realized I was creating this character from bits and pieces of
real
people and
real
crimes. In fact, it creeped me out so much that the security system and our dog were no longer enough. I went out, bought a gun, and learned how to use it, just in case someone like Gary decided to come calling.
Ridiculous? Probably. But my Sig Sauer, its magazines holding eighty bullets, and I all feel much better.
This book opened my eyes to a world that I’d never really thought about before. Sure, we see reports on the news about murder and abduction, but there’s always a kind of distance to those stories. This project forced me to put myself inside the heads of both the victims and the killer, and after doing so, every story I’ve seen on the news has suddenly become real—a waking-up-with-nightmares, buying-a-gun kind of real.
Being able to write about two people who fall in love during such a difficult time was something I wasn’t sure I could do, but I hope I pulled it off. Elise and Trent and their love for each other brighten up the darker parts of this book, and their relationship highlights just how important it is to have someone to lean on when things become impossible.
I won’t spoil the end of LOVE YOU TO DEATH, but I can confidently say that I’ve never felt more satisfied with the justice I’ve inflicted on my deserving characters than I did with Gary. I hope you agree. And if you do decide to crawl inside the mind of a serial killer by reading this book, I recommend doing so with the lights on and the doors locked.
Enjoy!
http://www.shannonkbutcher.com/
From the desk of Kate Perry
Dear Readers,
Hot naked men!
An unorthodox beginning, I know, but you have to admit it caught your attention. Also, it’s vastly more interesting to talk about hot naked men than it is to discuss, say, tutus. Not to mention that hot naked men and my Guardians of Destiny series go hand in hand. Tutus? Not so much.
For instance, in the first book, MARKED BY PASSION, we have Rhys, the British bad boy who’s got it all—except the woman who sets him on fire. Rhys is hot on so many levels, and when he strips down… I’d suggest keeping an extinguisher on hand.
And then there’s Max, the hero of CHOSEN BY DESIRE, the second Guardians of Destiny novel. A past bettayal has Max closed off—until he meets the right woman, who makes him want to bare it all. Naked, he’s a sight to behold. Plus, he’s got a big sword, and he knows how to use it.
Unclothed, finely chiseled men. Sassy heroines who tame them. Kick-ass kung fu scenes. Much more exciting than tutus, don’t you think?
Happy Reading!
From the desk of Sue Ellen Welfonder
Dear Reader,
Sometimes people ask me why I set my books in Scotland. My reaction is always bafflement. I’m amazed that anyone would wonder. Aside from my own ancestral ties—I was born loving Scotland—I can’t imagine a place better suited to inspire romance.
Rich in legend and lore, steeped in history, and blessed with incredible natural beauty, Scotland offers everything a romantic heart could desire. Mist-hung hills, castle ruins, and dark glens abound, recalling the great days of the clans and a time when heroism, loyalty, and honor meant everything. In A HIGHLANDER’S TEMPTATION, Darroc MacConacher and Arabella MacKenzie live by these values—until they are swept into a tempestuous passion that is not only irresistible but forbidden, and acknowledging their love could destroy everything they hold dear.