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The Commander’s Desire
“A very nice play on my favorite Beauty And The Beast theme, THE COMMANDER’S DESIRE pairs a beautiful warrior-princess with an ugly giant… It is a touching and wonderful tale.” – Stephie, Cupid’s Library Reviews
Princess Elwytha wants revenge on the monster who murdered her brother. In a false exchange for peace, she offers herself in marriage to the enemy Prince. The plan? Kill the Prince’s battle-scarred Commander—the man who ended King Thor’s life with one filthy sword thrust through the back.
To her horror, the Commander agrees to take Elwytha as his bride. Worse, the wedding date will be sooner than expected. Not all is lost, however. Now she has more opportunity to be alone with him–and exact justice.
But the deed is not so easy now. Fighting her innate sense of honor, she begins to see the ironclad integrity of the man behind the scars. And with this knowledge comes doubt. Did he slay her brother? What exactly is the new king’s plan? Whom can she trust?
Elwytha must decide well, for more than her life is at stake. Soon she must betray either allegiance to her kingdom–or the man who is quickly claiming her heart.
“The Commander’s Desire is a historical novel that reaches you deep down to your soul….Simply stated, I loved this book.” – Cindy K. Green, WRDF Reviews
Awarded “Top Pick”
and “Readers’ Favorite Hero”
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Historical Romance Excerpt
“Give me your blades,” the Commander growled down at her.
Fear pounded in Elwytha’s chest, and she licked her dry lips. “You found no blades when you pawed through my clothes. The maid found none on my person. Perhaps that is because I have none.”
“I don’t trust you.”
She smiled. As well you shouldn’t. However, she said, “How can we have a marriage with no trust?”
“Come with me.” He forced her toward the door. “You will not return to this room.”
“But my clothes!”
“You will have new clothes. Clothes with no holes for pockets. Clothes that provide no access to the blade at your thigh.”
“Nonsense.” Unthinking, she struggled and then, to her consternation, he picked her up and tossed her over his shoulder. She cried out in fear and horrified humiliation. “Put me down!” She pounded on his broad back. “Put me down, you monstrous serf!”
He strode silently through the halls. She squeezed her eyes shut, unwilling to see the others witnessing her humiliation. “Put me down. Put me down at once!” she gasped. She bit her lip, trying to stop the weak tears of a woman, not a warrior. She sniffed and finally stopped struggling, and hung down his back. His belt about his jerkin was within reach. If only she could loose it, she could cinch it around his massive neck!
“Where are you taking me?” she demanded, voice muffled. Perhaps if she pretended submission he would return her to her feet. And if she found a dagger, she’d gladly plunge it through his heart.
“To my chambers.”
“Nay!” she gasped out, and struggled in earnest then. “I have decided you are unacceptable to me. You have none of the finer qualities I require in a husband!”
Read Chapter One of The Commander’s Desire…
“Elwytha’s character was richly written. Her spunk, toughness, and her love for her people stood out…Anyone looking for a great historical romance would love to read The Commander’s Desire.” – Denisse, The Pen & Muse
Watch The Commander’s Desire Fan Book Video
Back in 2009, two wonderful fans of the book, Miranda Hetherington and Clancy Fraser in Australia made a fan video trailer of the book, by putting together music and movie clips.
The video can also be found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIW0upII0zM
Miranda and Clancy chose great actors to play the parts of Elwytha (Keira Knightly), the Commander (Clive Owen), the Prince (Dougrey Scott), and Richard (Rufus Sewell). They did a fantastic job, and I will feel forever grateful and blessed that they took the time to make this video trailer. It’s really something special to me.
Interesting Historical Bits
This sweet (rated PG-13) historical romance takes place in 715 A.D. in Galwyddel, which is modern day southern Scotland. The 6th to 8th centuries were a time when many small Briton kingdoms warred for preeminence in this area, although Northumbria, a giant power to the east, ruled them from afar. In this book, Elwytha’s kingdom and the Commander’s land have been at war for almost a century, and distrust of the enemy has been bred deep into her soul.
The Commander’s Desire Audio Book
The Commander’s Desire is now available in audio book format from Amazon, Audible and iTunes! Here’s a link to see the historical romance audio book on Amazon. Christy Lynn did a fantastic job with the narration, and performed different voices for each character.
BONUS! You can get this book for free (plus one more free book) with a new membership with Audible! (Details in the link above.)
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Start Reading The Commander’s Desire
CHAPTER ONE
Castle Cor na Gaeth, Galwyddel, 715 A.D.
October
“PEACE. Are you sure it will work, brother?” Elwytha pushed at the warrior circlet that banded her head. It felt constricting, and not for the first time, she wanted to tear it off.
Apprehension simmered in her as she watched her brother slouch on his carved wooden throne, stroking his thick black beard with his fingers. Four years her elder, he had ascended the family throne when their oldest brother, Thor, had died six months ago. Richard shared her dark hair and startling blue eyes—the color of a loch on a bright summer day, when the water reflected the sky.
Richard smiled, and she wasn’t sure if she liked it. He said, “They are eager for peace, since our forces have decimated theirs in the last five battles.”
Elwytha wondered if this was true. Their castles had been at bloody war for over a century. Why would either side wish for peace now? More puzzling, however, was why Richard would want it. Especially after their enemy’s latest despicable act, which had stolen her brother’s life. “If we are winning, why not kill them all?” she asked. “Why strive for peace?”
He shook his head. “Sister, your heart is too true, too pure. Of course I do not want peace. I wish for vengeance, and I want to annihilate them all.”
She waited, feeling troubled. Vengeance. King Thor had been her favorite brother. Gentle for a warrior. He’d made her a swing in the castle grounds when she was five, had been her champion all of her life…and she missed him terribly. One horrific day six months ago, he’d been cut down in their woods by the enemy Prince’s Commander—stabbed in the back in cold blood. The very cowardice and foulness of that act…the evil of it blazed pain and fury through her heart yet again.
Elwytha burned for vengeance as her brother did, but something disturbed her about Richard’s plan. The sneakiness of it. The deceit. It didn’t matter if the Prince played those unscrupulous, unjust games. Did they have to sink to his level, too?
She said, “This is the only way?”
“Yes.” Richard gave her a direct stare. “Vengeance for our brother lies in your hands. Are you ready to make the bastard pay?”
“How will I know him?” she consented, fingering the blade strapped to her upper thigh, hidden beneath the flowing blue lines of her gown. A slit in the fabric gave her direct access to the weapon. It was one of many weapons she wielded with a skill matching her brother’s. War had been their play since babes.
He laughed. It was an unpleasant one, which revealed his straight white teeth. “You will recognize him because he’s as ugly as sin. He looks like the monster he is.”
Elwytha had killed in battle before, but never like this. Premeditated murder. And she’d do it in the palace of their bitter enemy, Prince Rex. In truth, he was their last remaining enemy. None of the other petty kings of Galwyddel dared to attack her home any longer, for each had tasted the bite of their blades and wished for no more. Only the huge kingdom of Northumbria, to the far east, remained a threat to Castle Cor na Gaeth. But for now they had peace with King Osred—as long as they paid the tribute he demanded.
So their last enemy—rooted in hatred and watered by the bloody war spawned by their mutual great-great-grandfathers a century earlier—remained the Prince, and his fiendish Commander.
She said, “You are sure he will accept this marriage contract?”
Her brother smiled. “The Prince will not be able to resist when he sees you. And he will grasp at the chance to keep his throne. Never fear, sister mine. All will commence as I have planned. I’ve written everything in this missive.” He tapped it on his leg and extended it to her. “Make no move to kill the Commander until you hear my battle horn, announcing my arrival to witness the nuptials in two weeks.”
“I will not truly have to marry the Prince, then?” Her flesh prickled at the very idea. The Prince had a repulsive reputation.
“Never, sister. I will rescue you as soon as you slay their Goliath.”
She bowed her head. “Yes, brother. I will leave at first light.”
“My guard will escort you to the palace with a white flag of protection. Godspeed.”
“Success,” Elwytha promised, swallowing another churn of apprehension. Tomorrow she would face the enemy Prince. Would she be able to maintain her charade of peace? She had enjoyed make-believe as a child. But acting a part for two weeks seemed nigh to impossible.
Read more of The Commander’s Desire. . .
Historical Romance Reviews
Five Cupids
“A very nice play on my favorite Beauty And The Beast theme, THE COMMANDER’S DESIRE pairs a beautiful warrior-princess with an ugly giant who is a gentle dear underneath all that muscle. It is a touching and wonderful tale.”
– Stephie, Cupid’s Library Reviews
Five Stars
“The Commander’s Desire is a historical novel that reaches you deep down to your soul….Simply stated, I loved this book. No matter what genre you read or what heat level you enjoy, you will be enthralled with The Commander’s Desire. You will feel their emotions, understand their sorrows and celebrate their victories. It definitely stays on my shelf.”
– Cindy K. Green, WRDF Reviews
“Top Pick”
“Ms. Green’s portrayal of the Commander was refreshing. He was kind and caring without being wimpy, and it takes a talented author to bring that out in a character without losing the effect of being a strong alpha warrior while keeping the reader’s interest at the same time. And not to leave out Elwytha–she’s a warrior princess. She gets out there and fights with the men…. THE COMMANDER’S DESIRE is definitely a keeper–you won’t want to stop reading until you get to the end. And even then, the story is still exciting.”
– Sheila Smith, Romance Reader at Heart
“Jennette Green’s THE COMMANDER’S DESIRE is a quick paced romance read…. Jennette Green is an author whose career medieval romance readers should watch with interest.”
– Merri, Medieval Book Reviews
“I really enjoyed reading this tale. Elwytha’s character was richly written. Her spunk, toughness, and her love for her people stood out. No matter what happened to her she cared about her people’s welfare. The dialogue and scenes flowed perfectly. Anyone looking for a great historical romance would love to read The Commander’s Desire.”
– Denisse, The Pen & Muse
“An exciting and interesting historical, this book kept my attention and is one that I enjoyed reading. The murder and mayhem are very well written and are excellent “page-turner” aspects of the book. …[T]he building love and care that Elwytha has for her commander is palpable. This is one of my favorite parts of the book. It was, however, Elwytha’s sense of self that made the book most interesting to me. The royal machinations and subplots are great, but it is Elwytha’s strength that makes her empathetic to readers….While I love good “trashy romances”, The Commander’s Desire, a more gentle romance, is one of my keepers.”
– Anya, Coffee Time Romance
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