Praise for Jeannie Lin:
THE DRAGON AND THE PEARL âBeautifully written, deliciously sensual, and rich with Tang Dynasty historical and political detail, this exquisitely crafted, danger-filled, and intriguing story redeems the ruthless villain from Linâs Butterfly Swords (a remarkable feat in itself), pairs him with a smart, resourceful heroine, and lets them play cat and mouse for much of the book before joining forces for a well-deserved romantic ending. Exceptional.â âLibrary Journal
BUTTERFLY SWORDS âExciting debut ⦠especially vibrant writing â¦â âPublishers Weekly, starred review
âIf Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon merged with A Knightâs Tale youâd have the power and romance of Linâs dynamic debut. The action never stops, the love story is strong and the historical backdrop is fascinating.â âRT Book Reviews
âIn BUTTERFLY SWORDS Jeannie Lin
tells a classic tale of courage, adventure and impossible loveâand she sets it in a fascinating new world: Tang China, where a warrior princess must fight for her family and her country with only a barbarian swordsman to help her. Jeannie Lin is a fresh new voice in historical romance, and BUTTERFLY SWORDS rocks!â âMary Jo Putney, New York Times bestselling author of Never Less Than a Lady
âSwords, warrior princesses, and a barbarian to love!
BUTTERFLY SWORDS was a delight!â âJade Lee, USA TODAY bestselling author
She wouldnât cower before him.
The rulers of the empire devoured the weak. She waited until he came forward to pull the curtain aside with a sweep of his arm. The tiniest of concessions.
âTell me, Governor.â She ran a fingertip across her own cheek. âHow did you get that scar?â
His eyes narrowed. âA woman,â he said after a pause.
Her lips teased into a smile. âFascinating.â
His hand tightened on the curtain, the material clenched between his fingers. At once his pupils darkened, his breathing grew deep. The signs were there and she could read them like lines of poetry. How else was a woman to protect herself in the world of men? Li Tao, for all of his supposed cunning, was just another man.
âYou do not disappoint,â he said in a low voice.
He dropped into the familiar form of address. The spark in his eyes showed the first hint of any heat beneath the cold exterior.
For a dark moment she was caught in the call of his gaze. They were close, nearly touching. She had provoked him on purpose, but regretted it as an alarming awareness unfurled itself within her, prickling just beneath her skin. The regiment of soldiers surrounding them faded. There was only one man here she had any fear of.
âAnd here I had thought the game was over for me,â she murmured.
JEANNIE LIN grew up fascinated with stories of Western epic fantasy and Eastern martial arts adventures. When her best friend introduced her to romance novels in middle school the stage was set. Jeannie started writing her first romance while working as a high school science teacher in South Central Los Angeles. After four years of trying to break into publishing with an Asian-set historical, her 2009 Golden Heart>®-winning manuscript, BUTTERFLY SWORDS, was sold to Harlequin Mills & Boon.
As a technical consultant, backpacker, and vacation junkie, sheâs travelled all over the United States as well as Europe, South Korea, Japan, China and Vietnam. Sheâs now happily settled in St Louis, with her wonderfully supportive husband, and continues to journey to exotic locations in her stories.
You can visit Jeannie Lin online at: www.jeannielin.com
A previous novel from the author:
BUTTERFLY SWORDS
THE DRAGON AND THE PEARL
features characters you will have already met in BUTTERFLY SWORDS
Available in Mills & Boon HistoricalUndone!ebooks:
THE TAMING OF MEI LIN
THE LADYâS SCANDALOUS NIGHT
Did you know that these novels are also available as ebooks? Visit www.millsandboon.co.uk
In the process of writing, this story both evolved and changed, yet it always stayed true to its original heart and spirit and emerged an even stronger tale than the one I envisioned. I have to thank my talented and dedicated editor, Anna Boatman, for her guidance. Thank you to my agent, Gail Fortune, for always being a protective lioness. Also a special acknowledgement to three talented writers: Bria Quinlan, Inez Kelley and my sister Nam, for always being there with a keen eye or a sympathetic earâwhichever was needed at the time.
In BUTTERFLY SWORDS my hero and heroine spent the first part of the story wondering about the warlord Li Taoâa man they would eventually have to confront. In truth, I spent half of that book wondering about him myself. What kind of villain would he be? Would he be self-serving and power-hungry?
By the time Li Tao finally did stride onto the page he emerged as someone completely unexpected. I knew before BUTTERFLY SWORDS was finished that I would have to write another story featuring this cold-hearted and calculating warrior, if only to answer for myself how a man who has set himself up against an empire, and has done so without apology, could ever find redemption. More importantly, what woman would be his match in love and war?