The Sheikh I Never Thought I'd Write, Annie West

This is a red letter day for me for a couple of reasons. First up it's officially release day for my DESERT KING'S CAPTIVE BRIDE. So, it's been in stores for a little while, but as of today it's available in ebook format too, so it's available just about everywhere. Reason enough to celebrate surely?

But there's more! CAPTIVE BRIDE is my tenth sheikh novel. I can hardly believe it. Somehow, in amongst all the other books I've been writing, I've managed to clock up half a score of sheikhs. That's enough to make any romance author smile. I have to say I've enjoyed every one of them. It's not that I set out, deliberately, to write lots of desert princes, just that every so often a story would come along that just had to be a sheikh story. Always there's an alpha hero and always he's a man with a very, very strong sense of honor. I think that's one of the ingredients that makes me keep coming back again and again to these stories - as well as being sexy, these heroes are strong in a good way, with a sense of duty and, yes, protectiveness.

Having said that, they do, sometimes behave in ways they later regret. Along the way there have been a few unexpected nights of passion that led to pregnancy. There's been a hero torn between duty and his love for the woman destined to marry his best friend. My desert princes aren't perfect but their hearts are in the right place.

Which brings me to Huseyn, the hero in THE DESERT KING'S CAPTIVE BRIDE. He's a warrior through and through. He's lived all his life in a man's tough world, with other soldiers. The closest he gets to having a soft side is his ability as a horse whisperer, taming wild horses. He's determined to save his country from war, no matter what it takes. And what he believes it will take is for him to become sheikh, by marrying the old sheikh's daughter,..whether she wants it or not.

“I was blackmailed into this marriage. I will not be blackmailed into bed.”  

Princess Ghizlan of Jeirut has returned home to find that warrior Sheikh Huseyn al Rasheed has seized her late father’s kingdom. With her sister held hostage, Ghizlan has no choice. Her barbarian captor is determined to tame her, rule her—and make her his own!

Forcing Ghizlan’s hand in marriage will not be enough to conquer her body and soul: Huseyn’s iron will is challenged at every step by her magnificent beauty and fierce pride. It won’t be long before they both fall prey to the firestorm between them…

Huseyn is a hero I didn't think I'd ever write - a man who forces a woman into marriage. And who falls in love when he least expects it. This is a fiery, emotional story about a man and a woman, both out of their comfort zones, both trying to do the right thing, and both fighting an elemental attraction unlike anything they've ever experienced. It's one of my favorites too.

Whether you're a fan of sheikh stories, or whether you just enjoy a fun, emotionally intense read, this could be one for you. You can read an excerpt on my website or buy CAPTIVE BRIDE at all the usual places including
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Harlequin
iBooks

This book is a sequel, a follow up to THE DESERT KING'S SECRET HEIR. Some of the characters in that first book appear in this one too, but, for those of you who didn't read SECRET HEIR, the good news is that each is a stand alone story. You don't have to read the first before you read the second.

Do you enjoy linked books or do you prefer stories that are completely stand alone?

I'd love to hear your thoughts, especially as I'm in the process of writing a series of loosely linked Hot Italian Nights enovellas.

The Sheikh and the One-Handed Writer

It's been an interesting start to the New Year.

Those of you follow me on Facebook or Twitter will know that I broke my arm in the middle of January. There was a horrible week in which I had a slab plaster from shoulder to palm. Thankfully it was replaced with this much lighter contraption but it's a bad place to break and the prognosis is 8-10 weeks.

Since then I've been waddling around like a one-winged duck, unable to drive, unable to do the most basic things. Try opening a jar of your favourite spread with one hand, buttering a slice of bread, cutting up your food and you will see what I mean. :)  I'm calling this the one armed diet. Pulling on a pair of pants with just one hand reminds me of something from a Laurel and Hardy movie. Which has been another problem. Not many of my clothes have sleeves wide enough to cover the brace. Thank goodness for the best beloved's T-shirts!

Working has been a struggle. I'm writing one of a quartet of books for Tule at the moment with three fabulous authors Anne McAllister, Sophie Weston and Jessica Hart. Getting the words down has been a battle. The choice has been using voice recognition software, or typing one-handed, neither of which is much fun - it's been really hard to ge a flow going. On the other hand, the four of us are having a day out in the Cotswolds next week to familiarize ourselves up close and personal with the setting for our Invitation to a Royal Wedding series.

However on the positive front The Sheikh's Convenient Princess, published by Harlequin Romance has been storming away during February, garnering a very pleasing number of five-star reviews on Amazon and at Goodreads. Even readers who wouldn't normally choose a sheikh have loved Ruby and Bram's story.

You can read an excerpt at my website, or here are the links to The Sheikh's Convenient Princess 

Harlequin

Ibooks  Barnes & Noble

Kobo
 Amazon US
Amazon UK

Hopefully I'll be back in one piece next month when I'll tell you all about the exciting Summer at the Villa Rosa.

Happy reading.

Gifts of Love - 'The Desert King's Secret Heir' by Annie West

Hi everyone! I'm thrilled to be sharing news of my current release THE DESERT KING'S SECRET HEIR, and to muse a little on one of the themes that found its way into the story - love tokens.

I was talking with one of my children recently about how special it is when someone prepares a meal for you, not because you paid for one but because they care for you. That led to a discussion about the many ways we show love, with gifts or favours, with actions as well as words. And that led me straight back to my desert king! Hey, I'm an author - of course I spend my time thinking about my characters.

This is a reunion story about a couple who were lovers for a brief time years before but were parted in difficult circumstances. When they meet again, under the scrutiny of the world's press, Idris is now a royal sheikh. He demands Arden marry him for the sake of the son she'd had and who Idris hadn't known about. They embark on a marriage of convenience, each believing the other couldn't possibly love them. 

I don't think I'm giving away secrets if I tell you they're both wrong! Along the way the reader sees the various ways they begin to reveal their love in actions if not words.

But one of the tokens of affection that becomes a real theme in the book is flowers. Arden is a florist. On her way to Idris's royal palace, passing through streets lined with silent people paying homage to their prince and his soon-to-be-bride, she sees one person with a gift for her. It's the first evidence of affection Arden receives in her new country. Here's a snippet. Idris is on horseback while Arden and their son Dawud are behind him in a limo:

‘Highness. The car. It’s stopped.’

Instantly alert, Idris whipped around, pulling his horse to a halt.

There was no sign of a problem yet his heartbeat quickened, his body tense, ready for action as he scanned the street for signs of an ambush. Security was a necessity these days, yet in his homeland Idris had always felt his bodyguard was more to satisfy tradition than because of any threat.

But if anyone were to threaten Dawud and Arden—

The rear door of the limousine opened and she emerged, the afternoon sun turning her hair to spun rose gold. The quiet crowd seemed to still completely. The silence grew complete so that the thud of his horse’s hooves as it pranced towards the car filled the void. That and the rough pulse of blood in his ears.

What was she doing? No stop had been scheduled. Was she ill? Was his son ill?

Idris vaulted from his horse, thrusting the reins into the hand of a nearby guard, then slammed to a halt.

That’s why the cavalcade had stopped?

Arden crossed to the side of the street where the onlookers crowded in the shade of an ancient shop awning. Near the front of the packed group one single person had ignored tradition. A girl, no more than six or seven by the look of her skinny frame. She sat in a wheelchair, gripping a straggly bouquet of flowers, her eyes huge as Arden approached.

In her slim-fitting, straw-coloured suit that gleamed subtly under the fierce sun, Arden probably looked like a creature from another world to the girl.

The sight of Arden, cool and sophisticated with her high heels and her hair up, unadorned yet lovely, had stolen his breath when he’d seen her. The air had punched from his lungs as desire surged, as fresh and strong as it had been years ago. Desire and admiration and something else, some emotion that was tangled up in the fact she’d borne his child. His responsibility to protect. His.

His visceral reaction had been possessiveness. The desire to claim her, and with far more than words, had sent him into retreat. He’d taken a separate vehicle to the airport and then on the plane had immersed himself in work. Keeping his distance meant keeping control.

Arden stopped before the girl and crouched down, saying something he couldn’t make out. He strode across, his steps decisive on the ancient cobbles.

The girl whispered something, shyly smiling, and held out the flowers which, he saw now, were no more than a collection of wildflowers such as grew in the rare fertile areas near the city. One of them, yellow as the sun, looked like a dandelion.

But Arden held them carefully, as if they were the most precious bouquet.

When Idris's people see Arden's response to the bouquet word soon gets out that she loves flowers. Soon the palace is bombarded with floral gifts, but not quite in the way you would expect (you'll have to read the book to discover why). And if you want to read it, here are a couple of links to buy it:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
iBooks
Kobo
Harlequin

I love receiving flowers and I've included here a photo of one of my favorites: tulips. There's something about them that always makes me feel good.

I'd love to hear what gifts you've given or received with love - the ones that stand out to you!

Don't forget, if you want to know more about any of my books, head to my website where you can sign up for my exclusive newsletter and read excerpts, news and behind the scenes details.

Food Travel! Annie West

I've recently returned from a short overseas trip. It was an absolute treat even if it was work-related. Because, of course, even when you're meeting editors and authors or researching locations for stories, you have to eat, right? And after all, travel is meant to broaden the mind (and the waistline if I'm not too careful) and you learn a lot about other cultures from their food, don't you? So of course you have to try some of the local specialities along the way, don't you? That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it. 

Actually this is one of the joys of travel for me - exploring new tastes in a place as well as sights and sounds and talking to the people. Flavour is often a shortcut for me to remembering a place I've been and so useful when I'm writing about a far away location. If I think about the food, I can place myself there instantly!

So here are just a few of my recent food adventures from my flying visit to London and Venice a couple of months ago. At the top of the page is the top tier (of three) from high tea at a very nice London hotel. The cake on the left is beetroot and orange (and surprisingly yummy). The citrus macaron was fantastic and yes, that is a coffee bean covered in gold leaf on top of the coffee slice! Who'd have thought afternoon tea could be so decadent? Next time I want to have a hero seduce a heroine in full public view I'll have him take her to high tea!



 Of course with food, it's not just the tasting, is it? I came across so many ornate displays that must have taken hours to perfect. The one above is in a room full of sweets in Harrods in London.

And then there was Venice. Fantastic food, especially the seafood. But here are some sweet treats that caught my eye. You probably can't tell from this photo but these were enormous! Too much, in fact for one person. A great excuse to share with a friend.

And the food doesn't even have to be ready prepared for eating. I love wandering around markets and seeing what the fresh produce is like, even if I'm staying somewhere without a kitchen. Naturally I gravitated to the markets in Venice to see what was on offer.

And just to prove that simple foods can be scrumptious, I ended my Italian stay with a tomato, basil and mozzarella pizza at Marco Polo Airport, expecting airport food to be less than appealing. Instead it was packed with flavour and had me eager to return.

How about you? Do you find yourself trying new foods when you're away from home? Or do you always order the same foods? What's the nicest new food you've tried lately?

Right now I'm celebrating the release of THE SHEIKH'S PRINCESS BRIDE, the second of my Desert Vows stories. Though the book starts in Paris, much of it is set in the Middle East and I spent a lot of time drooling over thoughts of delicious skewered meats, pilaf rice, gorgeous vegetable dishes, syrupy desserts and Turkish delight. Sigh. It's a wonder I didn't put on lots of weight as I wrote.

Here's a taste:

Wanted: royal bride and mother 
For Sheikh Tariq of Al-Sarath, one miserable marriage was enough. With a kingdom to rule, he has no time—or wish—to find a bride, but his children need a mother.  
Could Princess Samira of Jazeer be the answer? Samira has sampled passion, and it left a bad taste. With the knowledge she can't have the children she's always wanted, Samira steps into Tariq's ready-made family. Her only condition? No sex! 
Samira thought royal duties and her love for Tariq's children would fill the hole in her heart, but a craving is building that only the sheikh's touch can cure…

You can buy THE SHEIKH'S PRINCESS BRIDE wherever romances are sold. Here are links to it at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Harlequin and the Book Depository.

The Sultan's Harem Bride - Annie West

I didn't mean to but somehow it happened, I found myself writing another desert romance. And I had a BALL! The result, THE SULTAN'S HAREM BRIDE is in stores now. Here's a taste.

North American Cover

WANTED: Desert princess to join harem 

Sultan Asim of Jazeer has hundreds of women at his beck and call. So why does he want the only one who threatens to reveal his family's shameful secrets?

Journalist Jacqui Fletcher jumped at the chance to write a history of the harem—not to become a sultan's plaything! But it's hard to remember her assignment when the sultan's sensuous caresses spark a fire she's never experienced before…

Asim is looking for a pliable princess for a marriage of duty. Brave, beautiful Jacqui couldn't be more wrong for him. So why does holding her feel so right?

 

I write a variety of contemporary romances but there's a special feeling about writing about a desert prince. Maybe because it taps into old fantasies about an innocent woman, out of her depth, desired by a man used to having everything he wants, and who must learn to give as well as take if he's to win the woman he falls in love with. Maybe it's the fish out of water element when you have one character dealing with another culture and environment.

 

Could it be the exotic location? The desert, with oasis encampments or ancient fortresses or sprawling palaces? In THE SULTAN'S HAREM BRIDE, Asim lives in a gorgeous old palace with multiple courtyards and colonnades, with a whole wing that once housed a busy harem, yet he lives in a modern suite designed specifically for him. I loved that palace and so wanted to visit it. Plus there was a smaller palace, with old roses growing up the walls and ancient murals that I enjoyed creating for Asim and Jacqui. The North American cover (above) is inspired by a scene in that little summer palace. And, if we're talking palaces, what's not to love about a setting where other people do the cleaning and there are chefs to provide sumptuous meals at the click of a finger? Yet though Asim lives in utter luxury, I was pleased to discover he didn't take it for granted, and that he was a man I could relate to, a man with a strong love for and loyalty to his family. That's what makes him clash with Jacqui - the fact he sees her in the beginning as a threat to them.

 

I think that's the main reason I love writing desert romances - the heroes. My sultan is strong, determined and incredibly powerful, a real alpha. But he's honourable and intent on doing the right thing, even if he makes mistakes along the way. Above all, he's a one-woman man, who I know will make Jacqui's life as wonderful as he can.

 

I so enjoyed writing this book that I found myself writing a sequel called THE SHEIKH'S PRINCESS BRIDE - out in April.

 

The downside if writing books set in the desert? Well, I felt like I was there as I wrote, and the temptation to nibble on sweets like sweet nut pastries or soft, sugary Turkish Delight or even fruit flavoured water ices made me permanently hungry. Sigh.

 

What's your preferred sweet treat? Or don't you have one? Do you prefer savory?

 

You can find THE SULTAN'S HAREM BRIDE in all the place Harlequin books are sold. Here are a couple of links to help you:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Harlequin

iTunes

Kobo

Book Depository

UK cover