We’ll continue our exploration of the exotic this month with a group of novels set in the Far East, in lands full of beauty, rich in history and culture. Beginning farthest back in time and at the highest social level, we have two views of the only female Chinese emperor, Wu Tse-tien. Weina Dai Randel’s more favorable picture of the Iron Empress, THE MOON IN THE PALACE (EMPRESS OF BRIGHT MOON DUOLOGY BOOK 1) begins soon after young Mei is first brought to the palace, only one of many beautiful concubines scheming to attract the attention of the One Above All with their beauty, their gifts of jade and calligraphy, or their seductive talents. Mei’s curiosity and intelligence win her few friends among the competing concubines, but they do make an impression on the Emperor. As she is poised to become the favorite, a bitter rivalry erupts that will require all her skill and wit to survive. THE MOON IN THE PALACE by Weina Dai Randel The Empress of Bright Moon #1 There is no easy path for a woman aspiring to power A concubine at the palace learns quickly that there are many ways to capture the Emperor’s attention….

I’m currently celebrating the book birthday of SNOWBOUND WITH MR. WRONG, a story in my new series, Snowflake Valley, and my thirteenth published novel. The book birthday definitely makes this a lucky week for me, no matter what popular wisdom or folklore might have to say about the number thirteen. Luck—good and bad—has been on my mind for quite a while now, ever since I began writing the Snowflake Valley books. The series starts off with stories about the three oldest sisters of a large and close-knit family. These heroines have nicknamed themselves “the bad-luck Barnetts” because each of them has had a past love relationship go wrong. And can’t ninety-nine percent of us relate to that? In romance novels, the second-chance or reunion romance is a popular storyline and one of my favorite themes. In these reunion stories, the hero and heroine have had a past relationship that didn’t work out, but then circumstances or meddling matchmakers—or just plain bad luck!—bring the couple together again. When I started thinking about this series idea, I knew that in the first story, Lyssa would take another chance on love and, willingly or not, would begin falling for a second time…with the…