When the beautiful Marina tragically loses her parents, she is left alone and in the hands of the one responsiblethe devious sorceress, Geovana. Greedy for power, Geovana arranges for the girl to marry her evil son, even though Marina is in love with someone else. As Christmas day approaches, the girl is faced with the terrible choice to either save her land and her people or follow her heart and believe in the magic of Christmas and true love. This enchanting holiday tale also includes an audio CD of original Christmas songs by the author as well as several classic carols.
Heather Graham is the New York Times and USA Todaybestselling author of more than 100 novels and novellas, including The Death Dealer and The Flynn Brothers Trilogy. She lives in Coral Gables, Florida. Cherif Fortin is a freelance photographer, illustrator, and writer. Lynn Sanders is an artist, photographer, and writer of romance fiction and children’s books. They both live in Chicago.
New York Times and USA Today best selling author, Heather Graham was born somewhere in Europe and kidnapped by gypsies when she was a small child. She went on to join the Romanian circus as a trapeze artist and lion tamer. When the circus came to South Florida, she stayed, discovering that she preferred to be a shark and gator trainer.
Not really.
Heather is the child of Scottish and Irish immigrants who met and married in Chicago, and moved to South Florida, where she has spent her life. (She has, at least, been to the Russian circus in Moscow, where she wished she was one of the incredibly talented and coordinated trapeze artists.) She majored in theater arts at the University of South Florida. After a stint of several years in dinner theater, back-up vocals, and bartending, she stayed home after the birth of her third child and began to write. Her first book was with Dell, and since then, she has written over one hundred and fifty novels and novellas including category, suspense, historical romance, vampire fiction, time travel, occult, horror, and Christmas family fare.
She is pleased to have been published in approximately twenty-five languages, and has had over seventy-five million books in print. She has been honored with awards from Walden Books, B. Dalton, Georgia Romance Writers, Affaire de Coeur, Romantic Times, the Lifetime Achievement Award from RWA and more. Heather has also become the proud recipient of the Silver Bullet from Thriller Writers. Heather has had books selected for the Doubleday Book Club and the Literary Guild, and has been quoted, interviewed, or featured in such publications as The Nation, Redbook, Mystery Book Club, People and USA Today and appeared on many newscasts including Today, Entertainment Tonight and local television.
Heather loves travel and anything that has to do with the water, and is a certified scuba diver. She also loves ballroom dancing. Each year she hosts the Vampire Ball and Dinner theater at the RT convention raising money for the Pediatric Aids Society and in 2006 she hosted the first Writers for New Orleans Workshop to benefit the stricken Gulf region. She is also the founder of "The Slush Pile Players", presenting something that's almost like entertainment for various conferences and benefits. Married since high school graduation and the mother of five, her greatest love in life remains her family, but she also believes her career has been an incredible gift, and she is grateful every day to be doing something that she loves so very much for a living.
Once upon the time in the medieval magical kingdom of Calasia, Marina is the only surviving member of her family, .the daughter of the House of D'Or, The Count of D'Artois, her step-father is giving Marina in marriage to the Count Carlo Baristo whom his fiancée loathes. Carlo's mother Countess Geovana arranged the marriage by ingratiating herself with D'Artois. While wandering outside the castle a concerned Marina meets a wounded falcon who speaks and insists she is the fairy Thomasina.
The fairy grants Marina three wishes. While one of them is an indulgence in which she asks for Carlo to make a fool of himself, the second is for her to spend a day with the love of her life. That man turns out to be Michelo, the son of Duke Fiorelli, engaged to marry her stepsister Daphne, whom he does not like. Marina and Michelo meet and fall in love. When his father hears from the falcon that Michelo should marry the woman nearest to where an olive branch falls; Geovana will prevent that from happening by conjuring up evil to insure the death of Marina.
People of all ages will enjoy Heather Graham's fine fairy tale enhanced with thirty colorful illustrations by Cherif Fortin & Lynn Sanders spread throughout the novel and a CD of original related Christmas songs. This is a spellbinding tale though like most fairy tales the cast is stereotyped between the forces of good and evil as malevolence can wear the disguise of attractiveness (think of the witch in Snow White) leaving intelligent people to go beyond the surface to the inner beauty.
Harriet Klausner
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Princess Marina is the only surviving member of the house of D'Or. Her parents died tragically and suddenly Marina is left alone and at the mercy of her step-father, the Count of D'Artois. The count arranges Marina's marriage to Carlo Baristo. Marina isn't in love with Carlo nor will she ever be because she can barely stand the sight of him. Marina is in love with another and despairs at never being able to be with him. Have no fear, however, because Marina's fairy god, uh falcon, is here to save the day!
Loved There Be Dragons! It has an almost unearthly quality to it as well as very similar to my favorite childhood fairy tale, Cinderella. Geovan was horrible and wretched, the count was icky and foul, and Marina was an innocent princess. Who could ask for more?
Heather Graham added her own style of storytelling and I loved every word! My favorite parts of the book? The pictures! Using her own children as models, Ms. Graham has had There Be Dragons wonderfully illustrated and I was completely enchanted by the outstanding illustrations, beguiling story, and the promise of a happy ever after!
Talia
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