Los Cielos
Description, Excerpt, Author Bio, Order

EBOOK ISBN:
978-1-58749-654-7
GENRE: Historical fantasy
AUTHOR:
Michelle Levigne
Regular price is $4.99
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DESCRIPTION:

Lita is a thoroughly modern young woman at the turn of the 20th century, a Suffragist, living with her scholarly guardians. The uppercrust society of New York would be shocked to learn she is a princess without a throne, heir to a tiny, devastated kingdom in the Pyrenees, between Spain and France. Ancient curses and prophecies haunt her plans for her future, and duty commands when her betrothed, Prince Esteban, summons her to Los Cielos.

He has found the missing Key of prophecy, and the time has come to restore the ancient water source and return life to their kingdom. Lita has prepared for this all her life, and even though she would prefer not to marry a complete stranger, she has no choice but to obey.

Eduardo, Esteban’s younger brother, is tasked with watching over Lita, and is startled when she takes the next ship out of New York. He follows her, and as they establish a shipboard friendship and their lives are threatened by enemies of Los Cielos, they learn all is not as it appears. Esteban has lied to them, giving them conflicting orders, and is most likely enemy to them both. They decide their best chance of survival is to remove the curse, restore life to Los Cielos, and avoid Esteban altogether.

But the Black Monks, mysterious and magical guardians of Los Cielos and the royal family, have other plans for Lita and Eduardo.

REVIEWS:

"Michelle L. Levigne has penned an intriguing tale of suspense and romance laced liberally with magic and danger, and readers are kept guessing as to the outcome. There are many twists and turns and characters who present themselves as friends, but are actually foes. I would tell more about the other characters, but that would give away too much of (the) plot. The climax of LOS CIELOS is well worth (it)…I recommend it." Reviewed by Vi Janaway of Romance Reviews Today

“Princess Elizabelita Innocente Concepcion Margarita is the heiress to Los Cielos. A kingdom that was once a thriving and lush valley filled with vineyards is now a barren wasteland. Her destiny is to bring life back to Los Cielos, if she lives long enough to fulfill it… The plot ripens with all of the twists and turns in this story. Lita’s character is courageous and strong, not at all the shrinking violet like most of the women at the time. She is also witty and not above getting dirty to get the job done. Eduardo is a man trying to put the pieces of his life together. His faults and insecurities make him a much more believable character and a perfect match for Lita. They fight for a civilization that has been gone for generations, but will evil prevail once again? I encourage you to read this and find out for yourself.” Reviewed by Lototy of Coffee Time Romance, 4 CUPS

“A fairy tale with all the trimmings--a romance you won't want to miss…. It was written with the adult reader in mind as a romance. However, the clever blend of paranormal touches and mystery make it a delightful story full of interesting characters like the secret guards and Lita's guardians. You'll enjoy meeting them all and look for more as the story progresses… I'll be looking for other tales by this talented author.” Reviewed by Anne K. Edwards of MysteryFiction.net

“Shrouding itself in mystery, (readers) will find themselves immersed in the ease with which the romance between Lita and Eduardo, the youngest brother, plays itself out. Especially when the oldest Emmanuel comes back into her life, and she is still pursued for her birthright by Esteban…. (but) a happy ending for all.” Reviewed by Katy of A Romance Review

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Excerpt:

Eduardo waited for her. Lita thoroughly enjoyed the annoyed frown that crossed his face when she stepped into the gymnasium, emphasized by the sharp taps of his heels as he started across the polished wood floor to meet her. He obviously saw her as a mere boy, an intruder, and intended to keep her out. She bit her lip against laughing aloud and pulled the cap off her head, letting her ponytail fall free. Eduardo stopped short, his mouth dropped open and his eyes widened almost as large as his mouth. Lita pressed a hand over her mouth to muffle her laughter.

Then, to her delight, Eduardo grinned and executed a fancy bow to her. She didn't miss the way his gaze traveled over her, noting the lines of her legs in her baggy pants. As she followed him to the cabinet holding the fencing equipment, she decided she rather liked his appraisal, and that had never happened before.

"Esteban will be disappointed you can take care of yourself so well," Eduardo remarked, once they had chosen their weapons and picked through the padded jackets and face guards to find something that fit.

"Why?" She laughed, then felt that dropping sensation in her belly. There was always a dark side to every humorous remark, she had learned. She was heading into a totally new, unknown situation, after all. She could trust no one and nothing until they had proven themselves. Until she had proven herself capable. Until she had proven herself worthy. Until the people of Los Cielos had sworn loyalty to her.

Why did she have to marry Esteban? Why couldn't she pick from the remaining brothers? Lita would take Eduardo in a heartbeat. But it wasn't her heart that had to be satisfied. It was the needs of the valley, its people, and the heritage her father had entrusted to her.

"He will want to show off the efficiency of his soldiers, of course," Eduardo said with a grin, unaware of the turmoil of thoughts spinning through her head. "He has a decidedly twelfth-century view of how noble women should behave, how they should be treated. They do not include a woman who wears trousers and can fight off her attackers instead of swooning Ð a real lady never screams."

"Not even to summon help before she swoons?" Lita chose to take his words as he seemed to offer them Ð humorously.

"It's not delicate." He sighed and took a few lunging steps forward, sighting down the length of the foil. "I'm afraid my brother equates physical delicacy with mental delicacy, too."

"He won't be happy at all with me, will he?"

"No. Ah, but I pity him. You're going to turn his world upside down and inside out." Another lunge, then he saluted her with the blade. "Call on me for whatever help you need to make him totally miserable, Princess."

Lita laughed and saluted him back. By unspoken consent, they settled into the standard posture and routine for fencing practice.

To her delight, Eduardo was her match and didn't hold back anything as they proceeded through warm-ups, then slid into a true duel of skill. She licked her lips, tasting sweat, and muffled laughter that threatened to steal her breath. Eduardo presented the perfect test of her skill, and her stamina. Too bad he hadn't asked her to dance at the beginning of the evening last night. They could have danced all night without a glimmer of fatigue.

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Author BIO: Michelle has been a story addict since elementary school, to the point of missing a lot of playground time for the sake of reading a new book. In high school she went from addict to pusher, writing stories and taking creative writing classes. In college she got involved in fan fiction and now has over 40 fandom-related stories and poems in print, in multiple science fiction/fantasy universes. Her first professional sale was in conjunction with the Writers of the Future contest, and her first book was published in 2000.

Her first book with Awe-Struck was TRUE CADERI, a 2004 EPPIE finalist. This was followed with the Chorillan Cycle: AZULI EYES, SCOUTS’ PRIDE, BY FIRE & STARS, CHORILLAN and SILVER AZULI. All these books take place in the SF Commonwealth Universe.

LOS CIELOS breaks from SF and takes place on planet Earth, at the turn of the 20th Century, but retains a touch of the paranormal and fantastic.

Please visit her Web site to learn about current and coming projects: www.Mlevigne.com

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