Wild Splendor (31 page)

Then she cast a worried glance at Thunder Hawk. She could not fear the future in that her two children might end up competing for leadership, causing brothers to become enemies.

She shook her head to clear her mind of such thoughts. Tonight was so far from that future, and tonight everything seemed perfect, ah, so wonderfully perfect.

 

From
New York Times
and
USA Today
bestselling author Cassie Edwards comes a captivating tale
of forbidden—but irresistible—love . . .

 

Stephanie Helton has long heard tales of the white boy
the Navaho kidnapped and called Runner, impressed
by his speed. Now he is a man, destined to be his
adopted people's leader. Thanks to her father's status
with the Santa Fe Railroad, Stephanie has been hired
to photograph the enchanting Southwest—and will
soon meet Runner in the flesh. An inexplicable thrill
runs through her at the idea—but the reason becomes
clear the moment she and the powerful, darkly sensual
man lock eyes. The force between them can only lead
to stolen kisses and overwhelming desire . . .

 

But as the railroad betrays the Navaho nation,
Runner soon finds his soul in torment. Can he lead
his people yet join his destiny with this woman?
Stephanie knows only that her heart may break.
For how can she be both Runner's love, and his enemy . . .

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beautiful and fiery of spirit, Mariah Temple
is the daughter of a tyrannical father
whose contempt for Native Americans
has given them every reason to hate him.
Echohawk is the daring Chippewa brave sworn to
avenge the wrongs done to his father and his people.
But when Mariah and Echohawk meet, the forbidden
is unavoidable—bloodlines no longer matter,
differences are swept away, and the two
become inseparable . . . until a fiercely
guarded secret tears them apart.
A future together would seem impossible,
yet nothing can diminish the smoldering,
restless heat of their desire.

After my children were grown, I found myself restless, searching for ways to busy my idle hands and mind. I discovered my love of writing, and I was drawn to the mystique of Native American lore. The Navaho people of the Southwest have always fascinated me, and
Wild Splendor
was a special joy to write.

 

Having lived in St. Louis for thirty years, my husband and I moved to a small town when he retired from teaching. My dream house is peaceful and quiet, where an occasional curious red fox ventures onto the sun deck and peeks into my office, and where I can watch swallows building their nests and raising their babies right outside my kitchen window. It is a perfect place to create my stories.

 

I feel blessed to have found a “second life,” the first having been spent raising two happy and healthy sons. Writing my Native American romances is my small tribute to those beautiful first people of our land, who have suffered so much injustice.