The Promise (De Warenne Dynasty Series) »

Brenda Joyce is the bestselling author of over thirty novels and four novellas. She wrote her first novella when she was sixteen years old, her first novel when she was twenty-five, and was published shortly thereafter.

She has won many awards, and her very first novel, Innocent Fire, won a Best Western Romance award. She has also won the highly coveted Best Historical Romance award for Splendor and a Lifetime Achievement Award from Romantic Times BOOKreviews. There are over twelve million copies of her novels in print and she is published in over a dozen foreign countries.

She is the author of the critically acclaimed Deadly series, which is set in turn-of-the-century New York and features amateur sleuth Francesca Cahill. Currently Brenda is focused on the de Warenne Dynasty series about one sprawling family set in historic England and Ireland, and the Masters of Time, a paranormal series set in the medieval Highlands about supernatural warriors saving mankind.

A native New Yorker, she now lives in southern Arizona with her husband, son, dogs, cat and numerous Arabian and half-Arabian reining horses. Brenda divides her time between her twin passions--writing powerful love stories and competing with her horses at regional and national levels. For more information about Brenda and her upcoming novels, please visit her Web sites: brendajoyce.com, thedewarennedynasty.com and mastersoftimebooks.com.

After a record-breaking sail from China, Alexi de Warenne's moment of triumph quickly vanishes. At his welcoming party, his bewitching childhood friend Elysse O'Neill begins flirting with a shipmate, clearly punishing Alexi for his time at sea. But when Alexi finds Elysse desperately struggling in the man's arms, tragedy ensues. Within days, Alexi weds her to save her honor—and leaves her to forge a new life.

Elysse de Warenne rules the ton with her wit and grace, but the whispers of "abandoned bride" follow her ruthlessly. Elysse will never reveal the truth: that she hasn't seen her husband in six years—and that they didn't even consummate their marriage! When Alexi unexpectedly returns to England, Elysse will do whatever it takes to win his heart and claim her place at his side….