Beyond Sunrise » (First)

Candice Proctor lives in New Orleans with her two daughters and two cats. Her great-grandparents were among the tens of thousands who immigrated to Louisiana from the German states before the Civil War.

Can life ever be a real adventure without falling in love?

Ever since she can remember, India McKnight has craved adventure, dreaming of lands past the horizon. Following her calling, she becomes a travel writer, a vocation that takes her far and wide. All the while, she vows never to risk her freedom by falling in love. But when she sails to the exotic and unknown regions of the South Pacific, a rugged man brave enough to be her guide just may be the one who can lay claim to her heart.

Having turned his back on the “civilized” world long ago, Jack Ryder has been living in seclusion, hiding from the pain and betrayal buried in his past. When the beautiful, hotheaded Scotswoman arrives at his hut looking for a guide, he agrees to take her to the island of Takaku—despite the challenge—just to prove that her stubborn theories about native life are wrong. But when their journey turns dangerous, their fates become forever entwined. Forced to rely on each other for their very survival, they soon discover that passion and even deeper peril await them . . . just beyond the sunrise.

Publishers Weekly

Balmy sea breezes and the exotic flora of the South Pacific islands set the stage for romance in Proctor's (Midnight Confessions, etc.) sensuous Victorian-era adventure, but priggish India McKnight and foul-mouthed Jack Ryder are unlikely candidates for Cupid's arrows. India, the unconventional daughter of a dour Scottish clergyman, is an accomplished travel writer who has vowed never to marry. Jack, an Australian seaman who's on the run from the British navy for allegedly sinking one of their ships, also has very little interest in marriage and even less in hot-tempered travel writers. After all, he only agreed to cart the starchy scholar to the island of Takaku to earn some extra cash. But when the two wind up running for their lives from native cannibals and a very determined group of British officers, their mutual disdain gradually and convincingly evolves into love. However, they must first overcome two seemingly insurmountable obstacles: Jack's tragic past and India's fear of losing control. Rich in evocative details, challenging conflicts and vibrant, multi-dimensional characters, this atmospheric intrigue is as sultry and seductive as its tropical setting. Like a brisk ocean breeze, this book will revive readers who are weary of the usual romance formulas. (May) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.