The Royal House Of Karedes Collection Books 1-12. Кейт Хьюит

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      What did you enjoy about writing about THE ROYAL HOUSE OF KAREDES?

      I was very fortunate to write the launch book for the series. That gave me the chance to give substance to Aristo and to the Karedes family. Breathing life into Aegeus and Tia, the princes and princesses was great fun. I especially loved creating my hero, Alexandros. I’ve always thought the lives of royals must be hard, all that balancing of personal needs with public demands, and here I had the chance to show some of the inner conflicts that are part of a royal’s existence. I loved creating Maria, too. Because I was born and raised in New York, I was able to give her a background with at least some similarities to mine. Like Maria, I attended its schools. I went to university there. My first job was in the part of Manhattan where I put Maria’s loft and, believe me, her feelings on riding a crowded subway car were a mirror of my own.

       How did you find writing as part of a continuity?

      It was great fun but also a challenge. I had to be sure to introduce my secondary characters in ways that wouldn’t be a problem for the other authors, and to describe places (the palace, for example) so that the other authors could “see” it as clearly as I did. I’ve always loved writing my own miniseries because I love the scope and depth a writer gets from dealing with ongoing characters and intertwining plots. Writing BILLIONAIRE PRINCE, PREGNANT MISTRESS gave me that same feeling.

       When you are writing, what is your typical day?

      Hmm. Let’s see. The maid draws my bath, brings me my morning coffee… Oh, if only! Seriously, my working day isn’t a glamorous one. I get up anywhere from six to seven-thirty, shower, put on what I think of as my summer outfit (shorts, T-shirt, thong sandals) or my winter garb (jeans, T-shirt, sneakers), head down to the kitchen where my husband, bless him, is generally already brewing the coffee. Breakfast is toast and coffee with the morning news playing in the background. Then I give my husband a kiss, head for my office, turn on my computer, play a few rounds of Spider Solitaire—it’s addictive—and settle in to work. I take a break somewhere between noon and one o’clock. My husband’s office is upstairs and he comes down and joins me for lunch. Then it’s back to work until he calls me on the intercom and reminds me—by then, I’m lost in what I’m writing—that it’s time for a glass of wine. Depending on my mood, I’ll either put together an easy meal—not much cooking goes on when I’m working!—or he’ll grill something on the deck, or we’ll go out somewhere local for supper. After that, I generally curl up beside him on the sofa to read, catch the eleven o’clock news, and then stagger off to bed.

       Where do you get your inspiration for the characters that you write?

      I’m an inveterate people-watcher. Plop me down in a café in New York or San Francisco, Paris or Athens, and I’m content. I’m very aware of people’s body language and facial expressions. Those things communicate a lot to me. Many of my characters have come to life through my observations of complete strangers who have no idea I’m taking mental notes! Friends sometimes think I’ve based my characters on them. I never do. If I know someone well, I can’t see them as anything but themselves, if that makes sense.

       What did you like most about your hero and heroine in this continuity?

      I love creating Presents heroes, men who are strong and loving, protective and powerful, and maybe just a little bit arrogant. Alexandros is all those things. He’s also a man accustomed to not showing his feelings. I find that, always, a special challenge for a heroine. And my Maria is, I think, the perfect woman for Alexandros. She’s independent, spirited and tough in the best possible meaning of the word. She, too, has learned to keep her emotions in check. That’s why the passion they discover in each other’s arms is so exciting. It changes them, forces them to examine their own true needs, their own true desires. Fate has created Alex and Maria for each other. For me, that fierce sense of destiny is what Presents, passion and enduring love are all about.

       What would be the best—and worst—thing about being part of a royal dynasty?

      The best would probably be the good one can do as a royal. The worst would surely be the public exposure demanded of royals. I tried to convey some of that in Alexandros’s story.

       Are diamonds really a girl’s best friend?

      It depends on the girl. A serious answer? No, absolutely not. When you get down to basics, what women—all women—want is happiness. And happiness comes from much more precious things than diamonds. Good friends. Good health. A loving family… Above all, the love of one special man. Those are the qualities that make a woman’s life full and rich. The glow of diamonds is lovely but the glow in your lover’s eyes when he sees you means far, far more.

The Sheikh’s Virgin Stable-Girl

      SHARON KENDRICK started story-telling at the age of eleven, and has never really stopped. She likes to write fast-paced, feel-good romances with heroes who are so sexy they’ll make your toes curl!

      Born in west London, she now lives in the beautiful city of Winchester—where she can see the cathedral from her window (but only if she stands on tiptoe). She has two children, Celia and Patrick, and her passions include music, books, cooking and eating—and drifting off into wonderful daydreams while she works out new plots!

      With special thanks to Charlie Brooks, Andrew Franklin and Jenny Hindmarsh for making me understand why people are so passionate about horses. And to Gerald O’Rourke for his advice on gambling.

       CHAPTER ONE

      THERE was no reason why a scorpion shouldn’t be lying dead on the ground—but not when Eleni had only just swept the yard. She stared down at its curved black shape and a certainty which defied logic whispered its way in a cold chill over her skin. It was an omen, surely. An evil portent—coming moments before her father’s mysterious guest arrived. She swallowed. For wasn’t desert legend full of signs as ominous as this?

      ‘Eleni!’

      Her father’s shout echoed through the hot, still air and Eleni tensed as she tried to work out what kind of mood he was in. At least the tone was steady, which meant that he was sober, but it was impatient, too and her heart sank—for that could mean only one thing. That he was eager to begin his game of cards—and that his fellow players were growing impatient. Loud, laughing men who were stupid enough to gamble away everything they had worked for.

      ‘Eleni!’ The voice had now become a roar. ‘Where in the desert’s name are you?’

      ‘I am here, Papa!’ she said, quickly kicking the scorpion to a dusty grave in a small pile of sand outside the stables and then hurrying towards the house, where Gamal Lakis stood waiting in the doorway. His wizened and sunburnt face was sour as he looked her up and down.

      ‘What are you doing that keeps you away from the house and your duties?’ he criticised.

      It was pointless telling him that she had just come from the stables, where she had been speaking softly to his beloved horses. And that such constant care and vigilance kept them in prized and peak condition—making Gamal Lakis one of the most envied men in this desert kingdom. She knew СКАЧАТЬ