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On her christening day, Princess Arden was Gifted with plantwise magic, a blessing to her father's farming kingdom of Westerland. Immediately, schemers began working to arrange a marriage between her and Maddix, prince of Stonemount, the neighboring kingdom and ally of Westerland.
Guided by agents of the despot, Durmad, Maddix grew up preparing to take over multiple kingdoms, by any means necessary. Arden was the first of several targeted brides, to marry, give him sons, and use those sons to take over their grandfathers' kingdoms.
Just in time, Arden resisted and escaped Maddix's schemes. To punish her, he stole the magic apple tree she created to defend Westerland, then he set out to destroy those she loved. With her daughter's life in the balance, Arden devised a desperate scheme to humiliate Maddix and save her child.
Her mentor warned her many times not to play by Maddix's rules, or she would risk losing everything. What would it take for Arden to learn that lesson -- and would she learn it in time?
About the author
On the road to publication, Michelle fell into fandom in college and has 40+ stories in various SF and fantasy universes. She has a bunch of useless degrees in theater, English, film/communication, and writing. Even worse, she has over 100 books and novellas with multiple small presses, in science fiction and fantasy, YA, suspense, women's fiction, and sub-genres of romance. Her official launch into publishing came with winning first place in the Writers of the Future contest in 1990. She was a finalist in the EPIC Awards competition multiple times, winning with Lorien in 2006 and The Meruk Episodes, I-V, in 2010, and was a finalist in the Realm Awards competition, in conjunction with the Realm Makers convention. Her training includes the Institute for Children's Literature; proofreading at an advertising agency; and working at a community newspaper. She is a tea snob and freelance edits for a living (MichelleLevigne@gmail.com for info/rates), but only enough to give her time to write. Her newest crime against the literary world is to be co-managing editor at Mt. Zion Ridge Press and launching the publishing co-op, Ye Olde Dragon Books. Be afraid ... be very afraid. And please check out her newest venture: Ye Olde Dragon's Library, the storytelling podcast. Each week, listeners are invited to join Michelle on her blog to ask questions and give feedback and suggestions. Interspersed between the chapters will be interviews with authors of fantastical fiction. Listen to the podcast on your favorite podcast app or listen on the website: www.YeOldeDragonBooks.com, and click on the Ye Olde Dragon's Library link. Then go to her blog to interact: www.MichelleLevigne.blogspot.com www.Mlevigne.comwww.MichelleLevigne.blogspot.comwww.YeOldeDragonBooks.comwww.MtZionRidgePress.com
