Ring of Truth (36 page)

For more about Ciji Ware and her books:

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by Ciji Ware

250 years later... a contemporary, stand-alone sequel to Ciji Ware's award-winning historical novel
Island of the Swans
.

Can memories of a tragic, eighteenth century love triangle be passed down through a descendant's DNA?

A compelling, almost mystical attraction draws American designer Fiona Fraser into the force field of visiting Scotsman, Alexander Maxwell, through an eerie happenstance one steamy summer's day in New York City. When Fiona's mercurial boss dispatches her to Edinburgh to create a Scottish Home Furnishings Collection, the chemistry deepens as she and Alex discover their ancestral bonds to the star-crossed lovers Thomas Fraser—the “Lost Lieutenant”—and Jane Maxwell, the flamboyant 4th Duchess of Gordon who died in 1812.

From the cobbled streets of Edinburgh's Royal Mile to the tartan and cashmere mills of the Scottish border country, the modern lovers grapple with the imminent threat of financial ruin to their respective firms, along with ancient wounds echoing down through time—and a heartbreaking mystery, hidden for more than two centuries, that will dictate their own destinies...

That Autumn in Edinburgh
is available wherever eBooks are sold.

by Diana Dempsey

“A Perfect 10!... Debut author Diana Dempsey soars with
Falling Star
, a powerful, moving, riveting tale of greed and betrayal, love and self-discovery...”
Romance Reviews Today

Natalie Daniels' husband just dumped her. Her boss is scheming to replace her. And she's falling in love with her sexy Australian TV news agent—who's about to propose to somebody else. What's a woman to do? Dig deep and show what she's made of—which just might land her both the job and the man of her dreams.

This full-length novel was originally published by Penguin's New American Library, and was nominated for a RITA award for “Best First Book” by the Romance Writers Association.

Falling Star
is available wherever eBooks are sold.

by Kate Moore

Library Journal
Best Genre Fiction 1997 (New Edition for Kindle): An incognito prince and an intelligent, independent heroine find unexpected love in this story. Willful duke's daughter Lady Ophelia Brinsby, resists her parents' plans to marry her to a dull man of rank. She'd rather spend time with her bright and witty best friends who have no rank at all. When her father's strict orders to her new groom Alexander stand in her way, she must find a way to outwit the one man clever and charming enough to stir her heart. As their clash of wills reveals their kindred spirits, they soon overstep the boundaries of servant and mistress. But their new trust and understanding is tested when Alex is unmasked and his engagement to another is announced. Suddenly he is in the fight of his life—to win back the woman he loves.

A Prince Among Men
is available wherever eBooks are sold.

Author's Note from Ciji Ware

My first thank-you goes to the two other authors in this trilogy, Diana Dempsey and Kate Moore, for the honor of being part of this literary effort. It's been an inspiring and exhilarating experience, to say nothing of being just plain fun!

Thanks, too, to talented San Francisco chef, Clare Molla, for sharing her world with me at local food events and over a few terrific lunches. The wonderful Harry Chapman has my gratitude for lending me his name as the CEO in this work. I also owe a huge debt to the “Ciji Betas” Diane Barr, Cynthia Mason, Linda Hammond, Donna Christie Kolkey, and my sister, Joy Ware—who gave this “draft writer” their early feedback on Version 1, and to my husband, Tony Cook, my loving partner in life's adventures.

Every writer needs a safety net of friendship and support, and in addition to my family and friends just mentioned, the Women's Dog Walking Group and members of the Sausalito Women's Club make life in the maritime village where I live a joy.

And finally, my deepest appreciation to the Bradley family, owners of Amphora Nueva Berkeley Olive Oil Works, as well as McEvoy Ranch manager Dick Neilsen and his wife Linda who have hosted me numerous times among the spectacular olive groves and lavender fields of Petaluma, California. This one's for
you...

Author's Note from Diana Dempsey

In 1993, my sister Debbie adopted a year-old baby girl from Kazakhstan. Three years later, she adopted a four-month-old girl from Moscow. Those delightful infants have grown into my lovely nieces Alyssa and Jacinda, and because of them I have long wanted to write an adoption story.

No two adoptions are the same, but at their core all share loss, heartbreak, joy, fulfillment, and love. For every orphan who is placed with a family, there are hundreds, thousands of children whose dreams come to naught. International adoptions have plummeted by fifty percent in the last decade, largely due to more restrictive policies by foreign governments. My heart aches as the number of orphaned children overseas only continues to rise.

I traveled with my sister to pick up tiny Alyssa, and our journey to Moscow and Akmola (now known as Astana) is one I will never forget. I hope Veronica's tale will shed some light on the anguished yet wondrous path birth parents, adoptive parents, and adopted children tread.

I would like to thank my wonderful husband Jed for his help with my novella. He always has to slog through the roughest drafts. Thank you, too, to my dear friend and marvelous writer Bill Fuller for his insights. I am also grateful to my fellow author in this anthology, Kate Moore, who proved she is not only a splendid storyteller, but a perceptive reader, too. And many thanks to the very talented Ciji Ware, who invited me to participate in this project and also made a key introduction when it came time to research the world of opera. Thank you, Ciji! As it happens, my best source prefers to remain anonymous; but she knows who she is, and I thank her.

Author's Note from Kate Moore

This little story grew and took shape with inspiration from many sources. First, a big thank you to my fellow authors, Ciji Ware and Diana Dempsey, for inviting me to join them in the project. It's been great fun. My thanks, as always, go to a group of brainstorming authors—Carol Culver, Diana Dempsey, Barbara Freethy, Lynn Hanna, and Barbara McMahon. Further thanks go to Hank Biddle, Senior Vice President, Western Region, Ritz-Carlton Hotels, who provided invaluable information about hotel staffing and operations. And a final thank you to my son Kevin for showing me how a thirty-something person experiences San Francisco.

About Ciji Ware

In addition to the novella “The Ring of Kerry Hannigan,” Ciji Ware is the
New York Times
and
USA Today
bestselling author of eight novels and two nonfiction works. She is the daughter, niece, and descendant of writers (including William Ware, author of the historical romance
Zenobia
, 1836; Henry Ware, author of
On the Formation of the Christian Character
, 1831), so the writing profession is just part of the “family business.”

Among her many accolades, she has been honored with the Dorothy Parker Award of Excellence and a
Romantic Times
Award for Best Fictionalized Biography for
Island of the Swans,
and as a result of that book, was made a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland (FSA Scot), a tribute she treasures. In 2012, she was a finalist in the prestigious WILLA (Cather) Literary Award for
A Race to Splendor
.

Ware is also an Emmy-award winning television producer, former radio and TV on-air broadcaster for KABC in Los Angeles, as well as a print and online journalist. She received a BA in History from Harvard University and has the distinction of being the first woman graduate of Harvard College to serve as the President of the Harvard Alumni Association, Worldwide.

The author lives in the San Francisco Bay Area and can be contacted at
http://www.cijiware.com
.

About Diana Dempsey

Diana Dempsey traded in an Emmy Award-winning career in TV news to write fast, fun romantic fiction. She is the author of eight women's fiction and mystery novels. Her debut novel,
Falling Star
, was nominated for a RITA award for Best First Book by the members of Romance Writers of America. The Ms America mysteries introduce beauty queen and budding sleuth Happy Pennington.

In her dozen years in television news, the former Diana Koricke played every on-air role from network correspondent to local news anchor. She reported for NBC News from New York, Tokyo, and Burbank, and substitute anchored such broadcasts as
Sunrise
,
Today
, and
NBC Nightly News
. In addition, she was a morning anchor for KTTV 11 Fox News in Los Angeles. She started her broadcast career in the anchor chair for Financial News Network.

Born and raised in Buffalo, New York—Go, Bills!—Diana is a graduate of Harvard University and the winner of a Rotary International Foundation Scholarship. She enjoyed stints overseas in Belgium, the U.K., and Japan, and now resides in Los Angeles with her husband and a West Highland White Terrier, not necessarily in that order.

Diana loves to hear from readers. Visit
www.dianadempsey.com
to email her, and be sure to sign up for her mailing list while you're there to hear first about her new releases.

About Kate Moore

Kate Moore is a Readers' Crown winner and three-time RITA finalist who has been reading and writing romance fiction since she was ten. Her historical fiction takes readers to the dark side of Regency London and the triumphant side of love. Her contemporary fiction, on the lighter side, is set in the San Francisco area where Kate lives in a little town north of the Golden Gate with her surfer husband and her children's dogs. Kate can be contacted at
www.katemoore.com
.

Available from Ciji Ware

Historical Novels

Island of the Swans

Wicked Company

A Race to Splendor

“Time-Slip” Historical Novels

A Cottage by the Sea

Midnight on Julia Street

A Light on the Veranda

Contemporary Novels

That Summer in Cornwall

That Autumn in Edinburgh

That Winter in Venice –
coming 2015

That Spring in Paris
– coming 2016

Contemporary Novellas

Ring of Truth
: “The Ring of Kerry Hannigan”

Nonfiction

Rightsizing Your Life

Joint Custody After Divorce

Available from Diana Dempsey

Women's Fiction

Falling Star

To Catch the Moon

Too Close to the Sun

Chasing Venus

Mystery

Ms America and the Offing on Oahu

Ms America and the Villainy in Vegas

Ms America and the Mayhem in Miami

Ms America and the Whoopsie in Winona

Novellas

Ring of Truth
: “A Diva Wears the Ring”

Available from Kate Moore

Regency Romances

To Kiss a Thief

Sweet Bargain

The Mercenary Major

An Improper Widow

Regency Historicals

Winterburn's Rose

A Prince Among Men

To Tempt a Saint

To Save the Devil

To Seduce an Angel

Blackstone's Bride

Contemporary Novels

Sexy Lexy

Contemporary Novellas

“Once Upon a Ring” in
Ring of Truth
anthology