For Love & Magic Week, here's a tender moment from The Lost Book of Anggird:

WHEN PERARRE RETURNED to work after being out for a week, the Professor greeted her with a slight lift at the corner of his mouth that might almost have been a smile. “Good morning, Miss Tabrano. I hope you are feeling quite recovered from your cold.”

“I’m feeling much better, Professor, thank you. And you?”

“I’m quite well, thank you.”

“Thank you for helping me that day,” she said. “And for the book.” She wanted to ask if he had recovered completely from his own sickness, but was reluctant to embarrass him by bringing it up. She decided she would leave it up to him to mention if he wanted to.

“You’re quite welcome,” he said, glancing through the papers on his desk.

Perarre took her seat at the work table and began looking through the translation she had been working on, trying to figure out where she had left off. She was wearing her hair in a braid; she was still too fatigued from her illness to wrestle with pinning it up. She wondered if the Professor would say something to her about it.

“It’s good to have you back,” he said after a moment. “I had become accustomed to working with you present, and found it difficult to adjust to working alone again.” He shuffled his papers a little longer, then set them down. “I am not a bad person, Miss Tabrano,” he said, still without looking at her.

“Of course you’re not,” she said, surprised that he would say such a thing.

“I know I’m not popular, or even well-liked, but…” He trailed off awkwardly.

Cold, impersonal, unpleasant Professor Rossony had missed her, and cared about what she thought of him? Perarre suspected that trying to figure it out would give her a headache. “I’m glad to be back, Professor.”

The Lost Book of Anggird, available at:
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I'm happy to welcome Olek and Ozena, from The Light Beyond the Storm Chronicles by A.L. Butcher. And be sure to go check out A.L.'s big birthday and Valentine's giveaway at her site!

1.  How did you meet?
Olek: Ozena came running into my life. Her village was raided by slavers, and her people killed or taken. Ozena herself is a hunter and, fortunately, was in the forest at the time,she ran to my master for help, there was no one else who could have assisted. Elves are not free, even those who live in the forest but not all humans treat us so. We live beyond the law, at least in part. Although my master and friend Lord Archos treats us well and the villagers respect us it is not the case elsewhere. Elves are often taken by slavers simply because they can. It was not the easiest first meeting.

2. What was the first thing you noticed about the other person?
Ozena: He was kind and confident. Most elves, even forest elves do not have that confidence. It was fascinating. Olek didn’t treat me like a child, I was just nineteen summers, and he was genuinely interested in me. I was very upset about what had happened but he made me feel safe.
Olek: Ozena was very pretty, very fresh, like a forest pool. I liked her innocence, but also she was brave, she would not be forced to do something she didn’t like. She even stood up to Lord Archos when he wanted to leave her behind when we went to the city and so it was she went along with us. I cannot imagine how terrifying it must have been for a young female elf who had never been beyond  a small village to go to the large human city.

3. Did you know when you met that you would end up together?
Olek: I hoped so. There have been other women, but no one I wanted to spend my life with.  When we met it depended on the outcome of trying to rescue her companions of course. If the outcome had been different then perhaps Ozena would have returned to her village and we might not have stayed together.
Ozena: No. It was not at the forefront of my mind. My sister was missing and my neighbours dead or missing, so of course that was what I was thinking about. In my village one did not take a lover, it was marriage or nothing, but times were strange. Everything I knew was gone, and with it some of my innocence. Times change. Olek got me through that terrible time, he was my rock and with him I learned to live for each day. My relationship with Olek and my friendship with Dii are a positive aspect from something terrible.

4. What do you like best about the other person?
Olek:  She makes me a better man. Ozena is feisty, I have met my match there! Even now she can sometimes be endearing naive.
Ozena: Olek does what needs to be done, even if it is unpleasant. He also makes me laugh and he is very loyal. I have never met anyone like him.

5. What is something you enjoy doing together? (Besides the obvious!) 
Ozena: Hunting. We will ride to the high hills or the edge of the forest and spend the day hunting rabbits or birds. It is a good way to work together, to keep our skills sharp and even risk danger. We’ve killed a bear, boars and wolves.
Olek: What do you think we like doing together (winks)?

6. How has the other person changed you?
Ozena: I think I am braver now. I will try things I had never dreamed I would do.
Olek: I am probably kinder now. Our work can be…difficult. I kill, I steal, I lie but I know that there is a side of myself which is loved for kindness, for being generous and brave. That means a lot to a man like me.

7. What are the biggest differences between you? How important are these differences?
Olek: Ozena is kinder than I am, but she is still very much the forest elf. Sometimes she does not understand the nuances of life with humans, or the life of a city elf. It can cause problems in our work, but Ozena is learning. I am older, and more worldly.
Ozena: Sometimes Olek can be cruel. Not to me, of course, but he sometimes enjoys the darker side of our business a bit too much. His loyalty is to Lord Archos first, then to me. Sometimes that is hard to deal with. I shouldn’t complain, he has been with Archos longer than I have been alive and they are very close, but you know I am his wife.

8. What do the two of you have in common?
Olek: We both like to hunt and explore. We are both loyal and know what must be done.  We both like to tumble.
Ozena: (Laughs) Trust Olek to think of that! We are both elves, well he is a half-elf and we have both lost people we care for.  We like to hunt, we like to swim in the thermal pools and we both like elven lore.

9. What does your family think of your partner, and what do you think of your partner's family?
Olek: My family is Archos and Dii. Fortunately he cares for Ozena. Dii and Ozena are like sisters.
Ozena: My family is Olek, Dii and I suppose Archos, although I am never quite sure what he is thinking.

10. What role does magic play in your relationship?
Olek: Archos and Dii are mages, and we are adepts. By law we are all illegal, as the possession of magic is forbidden.  We are surrounded by magic every day so to us it is important. I would die to protect any of those three from the Order of Witch-Hunters.
Ozena: My sister was a Spirit Child – a magechild who could converse with spirits. Now I live with two mages and the best weapons-master I have ever seen. I did not really understand about adepts before I met Olek. Basically the magic enhances what we can do. Perhaps I would not be so skilled with a bow if I were not an adept.

11. What are your plans for the future?
Olek: We have much to do and many allies to find. There is a war to win.
Ozena: I would like a child but at present the time is not right. We have elves to find.

12. "The whole is greater than the sum of the parts" How is this true for the two of you?
Olek: Together we are stronger. Ozena is much better archer and wild tracker than I am. I am better in an urban setting and at close quarters. It is good to have some else I can rely on to watch my back.
Ozena: I would agree with that. We both possess knowledge the other does not.

Be sure to check out A.L. Butcher's big Valentine's Day giveaway - tons of books to win!

Love & Magic Week continues with a peek at a magical moment from Chosen of Azara:

After this, Sevry ignored everything else he saw, all his attention focused on watching for the girl to reappear. The next time he saw her, she looked like she was fifteen or sixteen years old. She was in the same place as before, crouching next to some plants by the path. She looked around at him, then stood, her hand going to the sparkling pendant she wore. She opened her mouth as though about to say something, then cocked her head, as though hearing someone calling her from a distance. As she turned to hurry away, she waved at him.

Again he sought for her, and again he saw her, standing on the hillside path, holding a wide, shallow basket with both hands, and facing him, almost as though she had expected to see him. She was fully grown now, perhaps twenty years old. Sevry noticed the neckline of her pale green dress first; he couldn’t help it, any man would have. The dress was cut low, exposing a generous amount of fair, full, lightly freckled bosom. Then, for the first time, Sevry saw the object that dangled from a fine silver chain around her neck, resting just above the cleft between her breasts: a small crystal vial, crafted in a style that had been lost when Savaru was destroyed.

Savarunan crystal. And, Sevry now realized, despite the red hair, green eyes, and softly rounded features, the young woman had a fine-boned Savarunan face. She could only be the granddaughter or great-granddaughter of Juzeva and the red-haired Madrinan prince.

Sevry stepped towards the young woman, and into nothingness.

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Next up for Love & Magic Week: Get to know more about Sevry and Lucie from Chosen of Azara:

1. How did you meet?
Sevry: I had been searching for a very long time for a magical talisman that would help me restore my destroyed land, Savaru. I was carrying out the search through magical means that I'm not at liberty to describe when I saw her. We actually met in person some months later when I took refuge from a storm at her father's house.
Lucie: He's never told me exactly what he was doing when we saw each other by magic. I guess he can't, or isn't supposed to. And then it was a huge surprise when he showed up at my father's house! I'd never imagined I'd really get to meet him in person.

2. What was the first thing you noticed about the other person?
L: He wasn't wearing very many clothes - I don't mean like that! [blushes] I mean, I noticed how many scars he has, and wondered how hard his life must have been, for him to have that many scars.
S: I noticed her hair, curls of fire and copper glowing in the sun. And I noticed that she was wearing the talisman I was looking for on a chain around her neck.
L: Now, dear, that isn't all you noticed, is it?
S: [blushes] Well, um, I did also happen to notice that the neckline of her dress was fairly low-cut and that she had a fine figure... But the talisman. That was the important thing.

3. Did you know when you met that you would end up together?
S: No. My options for my life were severely limited by the duty I'd been given, to find the talisman that would restore Savaru to life. Falling in love and marrying were not among those options.
L: I was engaged to someone else at the time, so, no.

4. What do you like best about the other person?
L: He treats me with kindness and respect, and even though he's had such a hard life he's still determined to always do the right thing. And he's very handsome and has a beautiful singing voice and tells wonderful stories from Savaru from long ago.
S: I love her voice, and how she sings the old songs from Savaru that she's learned. And the way she makes me feel young and hopeful again. And her courage and gentleness.

5. What is something you enjoy doing together? (Besides the obvious!)
L: We both love music, so we like to sing together.
S: And she's teaching me how to play the lute. I wanted to become a bard when I was a child, but the war prevented it. So now she's helping my dream to finally come true.

6. How has the other person changed you?
S: She made me feel loved, and gave me something to love and live for besides Savaru.
L: He helped me learn to see beyond myself and my own little world, and to have courage to do the right thing even when it's hard.

7. What are the biggest differences between you? How important are these differences?
S: Well, there's the age difference. I'm considerably older than I look.
L: Although, when the difference is more than a few hundred years, I don't think it really matters any more.
S: If the difference in our ages doesn't bother her, it doesn't bother me.
L: He also had a very hard life, and I had a very easy life up until I met him and things... happened. We saw the world in very different ways and our priorities were very different because of that. But I think what happened is he took the good things from his hard life and I took the good things from my easy life and we put them together to make our new life better. Does that make any sense?

8. What do the two of you have in common?
S: We both love music.
L: And we both want to make Savaru a beautiful place to live again.

9. What does your family think of your partner, and what do you think of your partner's family?
L: My brothers didn't like Sevry at first, because my fiance at the time was a good friend of theirs. But then Estefan showed his true colors, and my brothers realized that Sevry was much better for me. Now they like him very much. My father, he just wants me to be happy, so whatever makes me happy is fine with him. I think he thinks well of Sevry, too. As for my grandmama...
S: Lucie and I are actually distantly related, and her grandmother is my closest living relative. Lady Lillia didn't think much of me at first, because I was trying to take Lucie away from her secure, comfortable life and the good marriage that was planned for her.
L: I think grandmama has finally come around, though. She lets Sevry call her "cousin."

10. What role does magic play in your relationship?
S: It was through magic that we were able to find each other across time and space.
L: [sighs] Isn't that romantic?

11. What are your plans for the future?
S: Raising our family, and restoring Savaru to the beautiful, prosperous land it once was.
L: And learning to play the lute.

12. "The whole is greater than the sum of the parts" How is this true for the two of you?
L: We brought a dead land back to life, and now we're working to give it a future. How awesome is that?
S: I was the last king of the old Savaru, and I'm the first king of the new Savaru. I couldn't do it without my queen.

Here's a peek at a romantic moment in Chosen of Azara:

“Lucie, you have to decide now. What will you do?” His voice was quiet but firm.

“I can’t go with you. Don’t you understand that? I’m to be married in six weeks!”

“If we traveled quickly, you could be back here by then.”

Lucie gave a despairing laugh. She was tired of trying to explain herself to him—and to herself. “And do you think Estefan would still want me then? He’s already jealous, and that was just because I was talking to you. What do you think he would do if I disappeared with you for a month and a half? A broken engagement would be the least of my problems!”

“Has he threatened you?” A dangerous edge entered his voice.

It would be too humiliating to admit that she was afraid of her own fiancé. “No, he’s just very angry. But don’t you see? If I leave with you, I would be cutting myself off from my family and friends, I would have no home to come back to, no one who cared about me. No one would want me. My life would be over.”

She tried to turn away, but Sevry caught her arm and she couldn’t pull free. “Lucie—”

“Don’t you understand what you’re asking of me? What I would have to give up? What I’d lose?”

“I know, Lucie. Believe me, I know what it’s like to lose everything.” She looked up at him, and caught her breath at the genuine sorrow and compassion on his face. “Fate, the gods, history, other people’s decisions can all leave our lives in ruins, and there’s nothing we can do about it,” he said. “I wish your family wouldn’t choose to deal so harshly with you. I wish their love and concern for you was more steadfast. If I could—” He stopped speaking and stepped closer to her. She was powerless to move away. His free hand brushed her cheek, as though he was trying to comfort her, then moved to the back of her head, tangling in her hair. He tilted her face up towards his, and his mouth pressed down on hers.

As part of Love & Magic Week, Chosen of Azara is on sale at a special low price through Feb. 16:
Amazon | Smashwords (coupon code ZU89J)

For our next couple interview for Love and Magic Week, I'm happy to welcome Archos and Dii, from The Light Beyond the Storm Chronicles by A.L. Butcher. And be sure to go check out A.L.'s big birthday and Valentine's giveaway at her site!

1. How did you meet?
Archos: Dii’s magic called to me across the Realms of Magic. She had touched and helped a magic Mirror, one of the old elven artefacts even though Mirror magic is rare. That old Mirror called to mine, I had to see who had activated it. As for actually meeting… I only wish it had been in better circumstances, Dii was imprisoned in an Order fort and was very badly hurt. She almost died.
Dii: He saved my life. I cannot remember first meeting as I was unconscious but I recall our first meeting after I awoke. Archos is a powerful man, and I was very daunted. I had been a slave and I assumed I would be his Kept – his bound concubine. He was very kind, he did not treat me like the others had.

2. What was the first thing you noticed about the other person?
Archos: By the gods she was beautiful and her magic was like nothing I had seen before. So wild yet so much Power.
Dii: Archos was very kind to me. He is very handsome too.

3. Did you know when you met that you would end up together?
Archos: I wanted her from the moment her magic called to mine. I risked my life and my freedom to find her. We are bound in blood and magic, there is no stronger bond.
Dii: As I explained I had lived as a slave before. If Archos had taken me as a Kept I would have stayed until he tired of me. Elves have no rights, and sorceresses are forbidden. I am so lucky Archos loves me for myself. He does not treat me like a slave. At least here in Tremellic we are equals. It took me a while to realise it.

4. What do you like best about the other person?
Archos: Despite everything which has been done to her Dii retains her kindness. She is also an unbelievable lover.
Dii: He treats me like an equal.

5. What is something you enjoy doing together? (Besides the obvious!)
Archos: We do a lot of research together. Magic is very fickle and there is always so much to learn and tame it. Dii is very clever but she looks at it in a different way. I can be over confident and she will ask questions.
Dii: Research, sex and sometimes we will go up to the hills and simply enjoy the open air. Sometimes we will do all three at once.
Archos: Laughs.

6. How has the other person changed you?
Archos: I have never loved anyone as deeply as I love Dii’Athella. She has brought me so much, and assuaged my loneliness.
Dii: I think I am more confident.

7. What are the biggest differences between you? How important are these differences?
Archos: Dii rarely loses her temper. She can calm me down like no one else can. I am known for my stormy temperament.  She is very much younger than I, so she has much to learn. Her life before I found her was very sheltered, but not to keep her safe. Elves are slaves and cannot move freely so her decision to leave the house of her Keeper must have been difficult, although knowing what he put her through I am not surprised she did, no one should endure it. Consequently she is like an enquiring child in many ways, with an appetite to learn you rarely find.
Dii: Archos is much clever than I am. He knows so much. Of course he is a human, well he looks human so he can move about far more freely. It means he can go to the city, or to our little….trading port without me. I cannot leave Tremellic alone. Although now things are more difficult, even a human can be arrested if there are suspicions he is a mage. Vague suspicious are enough and there are more than vague suspicions these days.

8. What do the two of you have in common?
Archos: Magic of course, research, lore. Getting freedom for the elves and mages is very important to us.
Dii: I would agree, although I am not sure we are ready to fight for elven freedom just yet.  The Witch-Hunters will have other ideas. There are many plans to make.

9. What does your family think of your partner, and what do you think of your partner's family?
Archos: my family are here. Everyone adores Dii.
Dii: I have no family but those around me.

10. What role does magic play in your relationship?
Archos: Magic is who we are. Our very being is magical, especially mine. Magic tends to demand much, but it also brings a lot of passion. There is nothing to match sex spiced with magic.
Dii: giggles knowingly.

11. What are your plans for the future?
Archos: That remains to be seen. There is much to do, much to learn and many risks to run.
Dii: I would like to live to see the elves free but who knows. As Archos says there are many risks. 
Perhaps we will travel again.

12. "The whole is greater than the sum of the parts" How is this true for the two of you?
Archos: Magic combined is stronger than magic separated. Dii is skilled in light magic and she is a wonderful healer. My skills are more combat magic, elemental magic.  Working with another who understands what can and cannot be done, and what must be done first is important. Having the woman I love beside me means there is nothing I will not face.
Dii: Archos has many skills I do not, but he sees things in a different way. He is charming but he does not see matters from a woman’s way. Sometimes a woman needs to deal with other women. Many of the women, especially the elven women, have endured terrible treatment at the hands of slavers and they would not confide in a man, especially a human man. My friend Ozena talks to them a lot, but there are some matters which can only be discussed with someone who has themselves experienced it.

Welcome to Love and Magic Week here on Welcome To My Worlds! I'm celebrating Valentine's Day and my 1-year publishing anniversary with some fun events. First off, two of my fantasy-romance novels, Urdaisunia and Chosen of Azara are on sale for $0.99 (US) at Amazon and Smashwords until Feb. 16:

Urdaisunia:
Amazon | Smashwords (coupon code QF65D)

Chosen of Azara:
Amazon | Smashwords (coupon code ZU89J)
(Both books are also on sale at Amazon international sites; prices vary.)

There's also some couple character interviews coming up, some romance and magic-themed sneak peeks (including from my forthcoming novel Sarya's Song and the Daughter of the Wildings series, possibly a guest blog or two, a playlist of love songs for the couples in my novels, and don't miss the giveaway to win a signed paperback copy of Urdaisunia, Chosen of Azara, or The Lost Book of Anggird!

Love & Magic posts:
Love & Magic Week Preview, and Sneak Peek: Urdaisunia
Couple Interview: Rashali and Eruz
Guest Couple Interview: Archos and Dii
Sneak Peek: Chosen of Azara
Chosen of Azara Sneak Peek #2
Couple Interview: Sevry and Lucie
Guest Couple Interview: Olek and Ozena
Sneak Peek: The Lost Book of Anggird
Sneak Peek: The Lost Book of Anggird #2
Couple Interview: Roric and Perarre
Love & Magic Playlist
Guest Couple: Marden and Th'alia
Sneak Peek: Sarya's Song
Sneak Peek: Daughter of the Wildings

Welcome to Love and Magic Week here on Welcome To My Worlds! I'm celebrating Valentine's Day and my 1-year publishing anniversary with some fun events. There are some couple character interviews coming up, some romance and magic-themed sneak peeks (including from my forthcoming novel Sarya's Song and the Daughter of the Wildings series, possibly a guest blog or two, and a playlist of love songs for the couples in my novels.

Here's the first couple interview for Love and Magic Week: Rashali and Eruz from Urdaisunia:

1. How did you meet?
Rashali: I was preoccupied, walking back to my village after getting water from the river, and I started across the road without seeing him, and he rode his horse right into me.
Eruz: Actually, it was you who walked into Teshkarizaz. I tried to pull around you, but couldn't.

2. What was the first thing you noticed about the other person?
R: All I noticed was that he was a Sazar warrior and nobleman. That was all I needed to know about him, that he was the enemy.
E: Her eyes, full of fear and sorrow but also full of pride.

3. Did you know when you met that you would end up together?
Both: No.
R: The thought of an Urdai and a Sazar together was.. It was unimaginable.
E: Impossible.

4. What do you like best about the other person?
E: Rashali speaks honestly to me, and sees me as a person rather than as just a provider of wealth and prestige, as my former wives did.
R: He's a good, brave, honorable man who is committed to doing what's right no matter how hard it is or the consequences to himself.

5. What is something you enjoy doing together? (Besides the obvious!)
E: We like to discuss the best ways to serve our land and both the Urdai and the Sazar people.
R: We also enjoy walking together in the Jewel of Zir, the great garden behind the palace. It's a very special place to us.

6. How has the other person changed you?
R: Because of Eruz, I have learned to see the Sazars not as faceless enemies but as real people who in truth want the same things anyone else does, a place to call home, safety, a way to provide for their families.
E: Rashali gave me the courage to act on the things I believed, instead of just thinking about them.

7. What are the biggest differences between you? How important are these differences?
R: He is Sazar, I am Urdai; that is the greatest difference. To an Urdai, the idea of being with a Sazar is... disgusting. And the Sazars feel the same way about the Urdai. As though the Urdai are somehow less than human. Also, he was born a prince, heir to the Sazar throne; I was born a peasant, and became a rebel against the Sazars. At first, these differences seemed insurmountable to me, but we eventually overcame them in the face of greater challenges to us and to our land.
E: The differences never mattered very much to me. For me, the barriers between us were more a matter of what was expected of me as heir to the throne. I was expected to choose my wives from a certain class of women - Sazar women, of course - and to adhere to certain ideals about the superiority of the Sazar people.

8. What do the two of you have in common?
R: I lost a young daughter to plague. Eruz has a daughter, about the same age that mine was, so he understands my love for my daughter and my grief. And I understand his love for his daughter.
E: We both also love our land, Urdaisunia. Rashali's people have lived here for thousands of years, while my people only came here seventy years ago. But it's home to both of us, and we both want it to thrive again and become the great land that it once was.

8a (new question!). What are the greatest challenges you have faced in your relationship?
E: Besides the fact that our people are mortal enemies?
R: I hated Sazars. I found it impossible to believe that a Sazar could be a good person, never mind that I could be happy falling in love with one. I'm glad that Eruz changed my mind about that.
E: I had to make choices between doing what my father the King expected of me and doing the right thing for Rashali and her people, between my role as Heir and being with Rashali. Those were difficult choices, but, regardless of how difficult it was, I know I made the right decisions in the end.

9. What does your family think of your partner, and what do you think of your partner's family?
R: Although Eruz is a Sazar, my sister (the only surviving member of my family, along with her two surviving children and her new husband) is very happy for me, that I've found love again after losing my husband Tigun. As for Eruz's family, I've no use for them. They've been cruel and hateful to him. Except for his daughter, of course. She's adorable, and I love her like my own.
E: My father and brothers were horrified at the idea of me being with an Urdai woman. To them, such a thing is as bad as treason. I don't know Rashali's sister and her family very well, but they seem like good people and I'm glad they're willing to accept me.

10. What role does magic play in your relationship?
E: The first time Rashali truly softened towards me was when I did a small magic trick, making a flower bud come into full blown. Her reaction was unforgettable.
R: It was one of the most wonderful things I'd ever seen. The Sazars worship Kuz, the god of sorcerers, more than the Urdai do, and I'd never seen anything like it. I was amazed that this man who was an enemy could do something so beautiful.

11. What are your plans for the future?
R: To raise Eruz's children from his prior marriages, and have children of our own.
E: And to see Urdaisunia restored to a great land, a comfortable and prosperous home for all those who live there, Sazar and Urdai alike.

12. "The whole is greater than the sum of the parts" How is this true for the two of you?
E: We overcame more than seventy years of hatred and prejudice between our people and the vast gulf between peasant and prince in order to be together. We hope that our relationship is a symbol of what the land and people of Urdaisunia can achieve.
R: If an entire land can be saved through love, then we hope that is what we are able to do.

Urdaisunia is available at:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Apple | Kobo | OmniLit
Smashwords | CreateSpace | DriveThruFiction

Valentine's Day is coming up, and so is my one-year publishing anniversary! (Urdaisunia was published on Feb. 9, 2013) To celebrate, I'll be having a special week of love and magic here on the site, Feb. 9-16. Here's what I have planned so far:

• Couple character interviews
• Romance and magic-themed sneak peeks
• A playlist of love songs for the couples in my novels
• A special sale price on Urdaisunia and Chosen of Azara at selected outlets - watch for details, or sign up for my newsletter to get the scoop! (I only use the newsletter to announce new releases and special offers, so I promise I won't flood your inbox.)
  
• And my first-ever giveaway! Enter to win a signed paperback copy of one of my novels, Urdaisunia, Chosen of Azara, and The Lost Book of Anggird. Watch for it on the front page of the site!

And to kick things off, here's a romantic moment (with a little magic) from Urdaisunia: (this scene happens right after this part)

He pulled her into his arms again. “No matter what else happens,” he said against her hair, “if you’re safe, then that’s something that’s right with the world.”

He was her enemy; he was the man who had sacrificed part of his soul to try to protect her people. And now he was endangering himself to bring her this warning. Rashali pushed back a rush of emotion that made her want to lose herself in his arms and forget everything else. “I’ll warn Kefel, or try to. In truth, he only hears what he wants to hear. Now let me warn you—That drunken Sazar by the bar is one of your uncle’s spies. I knew you, even with the salik. If he recognized you, and notices that we’ve both left the tavern…”

Eruz’s back stiffened. “Damn. He came in right after me—he must have followed me in. I have to get back to Zir before my father hears about this.” He pulled away from her just enough to close his hand around the dolphin pendant that lay against the bodice of her dress. He spoke softly, then breathed on the pendant, briefly fogging the silver. “If ever you need to contact me, for any reason, hold onto that and think of me, then send your message. Be careful not to let anyone else get hold of it, or find out what it is.”

She believed it would work; she had seen him use Sazar magic. “Can you contact me, too?”

“No. The token has to be prepared by the person it’s meant to contact. It’s not difficult to make one, but I don’t have time to teach you now.” Still holding the pendant, he bent his head down and kissed her deeply, hungrily, as though he was a starving man and she was his banquet. The world around them disappeared, and Rashali clung to him, the only solid, real thing she knew.

Too soon, he pulled away from her. “I have to leave now. The gods watch over you.”

“The gods watch over you, too.” There was more she wanted to say, but before she could put it into words, he disappeared into the dark tangle of alleys.

Urdaisunia, available at:
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Meet Latan, the "holy man" from The Warrior and the Holy Man, a pair of stories set in the same world as Chosen of Azara:

1. What is your full name? Is there anything significant about your name?
My name is Latan. I gave up my family name when I entered the order of Source Tiati.

2. How old are you?
I am thirty-two years old.

3. Tell us about your family. What do you like and not like about them?
I have a mother and father, and a number of older brothers and sisters. My father is a farmer, not poor, but after providing inheritances for my older brothers and dowries for my sisters, there wasn't going to be anything left for me. So when I was twelve my parents brought me to Source Tiati and had me sworn into service here. I know they did what they thought was best for me, but at times I've felt as if I was unwanted and cast off. I know that wasn't the case, my parents just wanted to make sure I was provided for, but sometimes I wonder what it would be like to have the kind of life my older brothers are able to have.

I know my parents are still living and doing well, and that my brothers and sisters have successful livings and good families, because from time to time they send donations to the monastery of Source Tiati, along with a short letter to me. But I haven't seen them in twenty years.

4. Who was your first kiss, and what did you think of it?
As I said, I was brought to Source Tiati and sworn into its service at the age of twelve, before I had much interest in kissing anyone, or the opportunity. Celibacy is a requirement of those sworn to Source Tiati, so I haven't had the opportunity to kiss anyone since then, either.

5. What is your occupation?
I am the Clerk of the order of Source Tiati. I keep the records and history of the order. The record-keeping includes such things as those who enter the Source's service, those who pass away, the order's supplies, receipts, and expenditures, the daily weather, and any events of note. I don't have the ability to use Source power, so I can't be a priest. But my temperament and talents seem to be well-suited to being a clerk.

6. What are your best and worst qualities?
I'm meticulous in my record-keeping. I also have something of a talent for languages. And I'm very loyal. As for my worst qualities, I tend to be a bit distracted sometimes, and I'm also rather timid.

7. What quality do you value most in a romantic partner?
The option of having a sweetheart or wife was taken away from me when my parents brought me to Source Tiati. Mostly I don't think about it; my life here is busy and I do appreciate the security of being a member of the order. But sometimes I do wonder what it would be like to have a nice wife, some fine children, and a home of my own like my brothers do.

If I had the opportunity to marry, I don't think I'd be too picky in my choice of wife, as long as she was willing to put up with me. I would work as hard for my family and be as loyal to them as I am in the service of Source Tiati.

8. What is your favorite thing to do?
In my spare time, I enjoy translating and studying historical documents. I'm not a scholar, by any means; there are much more intelligent and learned men here at Source Tiati than I. But I do have a bit of a knack for languages, and I find old documents fascinating - a glimpse into other times and other places, a small piece of the wide world beyond the bounds of Source Tiati which I have never had the chance to see and probably never will. I receive a very small stipend for my services as Clerk, and I save up most of it for when a trader or other traveler comes by who happens to have an old book or document for sale. In fact, there are a couple of traders who come through regularly who make a point of keeping an eye out for old documents that might interest me.

9. What is your greatest fear?
I've spent my entire youth and adult life in the service of Source Tiati. Because of this, some things have been denied to me, but I've done my best to serve faithfully and well, and it's now the only home, the only life, I know. So my greatest fear is that for some reason I would be cast out of the order and sent away.

10. What is your most treasured possession?
As a member of an order devoted to a Source, material possessions aren't very important to me. But I do enjoy the small collection of historical documents I've amassed over the years, and I treasure the time I'm able to spend studying them.

The Warrior and the Holy Man, available for Kindle from Amazon.