Illinois Authors

Iuniverse Inc 2002

In 1788, Count Stropov and his friend, Prince Boro, trail an elusive thief all over Europe. A chance encounter with an English damsel in distress leads them onto a detour: they wager on who will be the first to seduce the beauty. Instantly, Count Stropov decides he will claim the beautiful Leonora. Stropov's loyalty belongs to his Russian Empress. Leonora's obligations tie her to her English home. Both are duty-driven and passionate. Thrown together into perilous situations, Stropov and Leonora develop a mutual infatuation. He holds her in his sway because her father gambled unwisely. She holds his fate in her hands, ever since he first saw her. Secrets from the past cast their shadow. Present dangers lurk. Stropov and Leonora's stormy relationship turns into more than an interlude, but can they defeat the odds stacked so high against them? Both have courage. Both are honorable. Both lack trust. Yet, if tulips can miraculously bloom in the midst of winter, perhaps their love can survive even the perils that await them in the heart of icy Russia.

Writers Club Press, San Jose : ©2000.

Love can turn a coward into a hero and a wise man into a moron? Richard Darby groans at such prospects. He’d rather stay in control. Soldiering against Napoleon’s armies, he has cherished a vision of love, but can such a dream become reality? The Earl of Stanton has a dilemma: he must appease his second wife by marrying off his unruly daughter, Hetty. Oh, how? To Stanton, Richard is a godsend. He already entrusted the young man with a rather sordid secret. Now he entrusts Richard with his daughter’s fate as well… Hetty has vowed never to marry, but her Papa leaves her no choice. She accepts the prearranged betrothal…after all, at the end of a year she may cry off. Meanwhile, she’ll do her best to discourage her new fiancé, the man she dubs Lord Eaglebeak. Soon tension brews: Richard’s aunt lays a wager against Hetty, his elusive young ward refuses to become a pawn, mysteries from the past lurk, and Hetty’s most powerful spurned suitor has an agenda of his own… It takes a mighty thunderstorm to clear the air before Lord Eaglebeak learns his lesson, and his lady learns hers.

Infinity Pub, [Place of publication not identified] : 2008.

Anna Bradford, as owner of an international business, enjoys the fruit of her labors. Quite happy, she returns to a small town in Illinois where she eases her uncle into retirement: she buys his private investigations firm and sends uncle and aunt off to a cruise in Alaska. Anna expects some trouble pet-sitting a cat and a dog, but--as usual--real trouble arrives in the form of humans, well heeled and on wheels. When murder hits close to home, she must rely on her own sleuthing skills and on the help of good friends.

Writers Club Press, New York : ©2000.

Baron von Sydow, a Prussian Junker, entrusts his ward, Countess Theo, with the execution of his last will. “All’s well that ends well” is his motto. The terms of that will puzzle Theo. For six months, she must reside with a man, of whom she has never even heard, at the Baron’s manor. If she finds the stranger worthy, he will inherit the entire estate¡­ Intrigued by such an opportunity, Jeremy Dalton, an English merchant’s son, accepts the invitation to stay in Prussia. The lovely Countess soon interests him more than the potential inheritance; however, the situation becomes complicated: Theo’s princely suitor arrives…there’s a rebellion in the schoolhouse…a poacher poses danger…and a ghost seems to cause mischief at the manor. Worst of all, the delectable Countess is stationed far above him. Theo’s task is difficult. How can she fairly judge the Englishman when he engages her heart so easily? Her gurdian expected her to right a wrong. Why? Dalton and the Prince engage in rivalry, while Theo delves into the past. She confronts Dalton with all she learns, but for the final answers, he must look into his own heart. All’s well that ends well, thanks to none other than Theo’s ghost…