Historical

Castle Ladyslipper
by Lee Grantier

Publisher:
Helm Publishing

ISBN: 978-0-9801780-0-2

Price of Book: $15.00

Release Date:
Late Jan. 2008

Hometown:
Selah, Washington

www.marileebrothers.com

First Book

Emma d’Arcy doesn’t need a man stomping around her castle, especially a surly knight like Garrick of Hawkwood who treats women like large, unruly children. With her father’s death and her stepmother, Helene, in seclusion at Cottesmore Abbey, Emma is needed at Fairfield to care for her half-brother, William, and her people.

King Henry II, at war with his queen, Eleanor of Aquitaine and their sons for the throne of England, orders Hawkwood to wed the widow, Helene. The king believes Helene bears watching because of her close relationship to the queen. Strapped for coin, Henry needs his English landholders, especially a desmesne as rich as Fairfield.

Garrick of Hawkwood has been plagued by a series of humiliating encounters with the fair sex and desperately needs a win. Marrying Helene looks like a sure thing.

Upon Garrick’s arrival, Emma spins a web of lies to protect Helene who’s not yet taken her final vows, leading Garrick to believe Fairfield is a hotbed of traitors. However, Garrick’s training as a knight hasn’t prepared him for the strong-willed women of Castle Ladyslipper or the ghost of great-great grandmother Rose who’s singled him out for haunting. Garrick and Emma, despite their differences, cannot deny the powerful attraction that permeates their every encounter.

When the king discovers Helene is unavailable, he orders Garrick and Emma to marry, despite their protests.

Garrick and Emma’s story resonates with a timeless theme: love can flourish, even when sown in the rocky soil of misunderstanding.