While Angels Slept

1139 A.D. – Sir Brac Penden and his wife, Cantia, were betrothed as children. They have always known one another and have never been one without the other. When Brac is killed unexpectedly in a skirmish, Cantia is beside herself with grief. Brac’s liege, Viscount Malden - heir apparent to the Earl of Essex - brings Brac’s corpse home for burial and is confronted with the beautiful, grief-stricken wife. Inappropriate though it might be, Tevin de Reims finds himself drawn to lovely Cantia and her young, now fatherless, son. What follows is a delicate tale of propriety and impropriety, of sorrow, grief, and finally joy as Cantia opens her heart to the man that inadvertently caused her husband’s death.  Complicating the issue are knights still loyal to the dead husband, who resent the earl for both his command and attention to Penden’s widow.  As Cantia resolves herself to the death of one husband and grows accustomed to the idea of another, Empress Matilda crosses the channel to reclaim her throne from King Stephen and plunges England into a bloody civil war. Now Cantia must face the possibility of losing the new man in her life, one she loves with all of her heart and soul. It is a battle for life and love as the newly-formed country of England struggles not to destroy itself from within, and it is a further struggle for Cantia and Tevin to find a place together in this dangerous and passionate new world.

The Seven Winds

1190 A.D. -  Teague d’ Mearc, Lord of Hyssington, answers the call to arms from Richard the Lion Heart to ride to the Holy Land and vanquish the Muslim infidels. His wife, Tresta, devises a plan to follow him. Across England, she catches up to her husband just as his ship departs from the Ports of London to Calais. Disguised as a boy, she hopes to follow him incognito but her plans are thwarted by her husband’s vassal, Sir Colt du Quay. Though Teague is not unsympathetic to his wife’s desires, he cannot allow her to accompany him on his quest.  Knowing how determined his wife is, he orders du Quay to stay behind and make sure that she does not follow. Tresta fights Colt desperately as her husband and his troops move further and further away, but Colt is resistant to her.  As tensions rise and fall, and an odd truce settles, it becomes clear that Tresta and Colt are two people with deep, dark secrets; Tresta has been told by a physic that she has only months to live and is therefore desperate to spend her last days with her husband. Colt, however, is not so forthcoming with his secret; though he has always shown blatant disregard for his liege’s wife, the truth is that he has been in love with her since he met her.  Colt finds himself disobeying his liege and instead of escorting the lady back to Hyssington, he helps her pursue her husband. They have many adventures along the Pilgrim Trail as Colt falls more deeply in love with a woman he can never have. When they finally catch up to Teague, the painful reunion is full of sorrow, anger, and rejection. Though Tresta loves her husband, she cannot help but have feelings for the knight who risked everything to help her. Death finally comes, but not in the manner expected.

Someone Like You

1228 A.D. – The d’Vants of St.Austell Castle and the Earls of Cornwall have been bitter enemies for many years. Related by a violent act – the present earl’s grandfather raped a d’Vant woman, resulting in the current d’Vant bloodlines – Dennis d’Vant becomes head of the family when his father is killed in a bloody clash with the earl’s men. Instead of the usual vengeance, Dennis offers a proposal of peace. A marriage is suggested and although the earl has no daughters, he gives his captain’s daughter as his own. The Lady Ryan Elizabeth Paignton finds herself a peace offering between two bitterly feuding families. Having grown up with the horror of the d’Vants, she is terrified to marry the massive heir, who has promised his men to ravage his new wife on their wedding night in retribution for his father’s murder. But Ryan soon discovers that Dennis is not like the rest of his family; he is kinder, gentler, and genuine in his desire to make peace. Torn between old prejudices and a desire for a peaceful future, Dennis is tormented man. Complicating the issue is Dennis’ sister, raised as a knight, a muscular woman with the manners and attitudes of a warrior.  As Dennis and Ryan attempt to move beyond old hatreds to explore their growing feelings for one another, the Earl of Cornwall secretly deals with a pirate known to roam the coasts of Cornwall. The earl and the pirate plot to sabotage Dennis and Ryan’s marriage so that the Earl can claim a violation of the peace accord and confiscate St Austell lands. With everyone and everything against them, Dennis and Ryan discover not only a strong love between them, but a mutual family secret that could either save or destroy them all.

Of Men and Angels

1217 A.D. -  Avrielle Huntley du Rennic married a man twice her age. Nat proved to be an excellent husband and father, but he was a warrior first. Killed in battle, he leaves Avrielle with two small children and a third on the way. Castle Canaan, Nat’s stronghold, used to be a place of comfort and happiness;  now, bitter because of Nat’s death, Avrielle’s warrior brother has turned Castle Canaan into a hostile place, closed in on itself to all, including their liege, the Earl of Penn. When Curtis D’Avignon, Earl of Penn, arrives at Castle Canaan, he is met with resistance and is forced to lay siege to his vassal’s holding. Lady Avrielle tries to broker peace, but under the stress, ends up delivering her child with the mighty Earl of Penn as the midwife. Suddenly, everything changes; though already married to a cold, resentful woman, Curtis finds himself drawn to Avrielle and her beautiful children. Always a man of war, he cannot help himself from wanting Avrielle and her little family, pretending they belong to him when they do not.  Castle Canaan and Avrielle’s rebellious brother become secondary to the remarkable new feelings he is experiencing. But when the newly crowned Henry III sends word to d’Avignon that he has found a suitable match for the du Rennic widow and her valuable lands, Curtis is forced to make a choice between his heart and his duty to the crown.