#3 in Arab, 3/6/17 "The wages of your peculiar indulgences is blazing inferno Hyati", he remarked. "All of this just to spend the eternity with you Azizum!" she retorted cheekily. He is the epitome of masculinity and intelligence packed into a caramel coloured, six feet three inches high muscular hunk. He is an excellent tactician, a clever politician and an opportunist at times. His word is the law in whole of Arabia and those who oppose him never get to see another sunrise. He is a matchless swordsman, unparalleled in every battle and the best Faras, horse rider, in whole Arab. Afterall, He is Khalifa Shiraz bin Usman Al Hakam. The heartless ruler of the land of sand dunes who is rumoured to have done unspeakable acts of violence and cruelty, but are all these mere rumours or maybe there is some ounces of truth in them. She was the very witch that knew what made people tick. She could make the King of the world her slave or could make a mere slave her King. She has the powers to stray the most righteous of the men from the Lord's way. She could make any man a sinner by lust and any woman a sinner by envy. She had the power to make a man doubt his masculinity and a woman her sexuality. In short, she was the ultimate predator; a temptress in the priestess clothing! Afterall, she is Princess Anahi Da Leon, the only daughter of Prince Andres and Princess Maria of Hispania. She is quick witted with eidetic memory, a perfect royal princess but a determined warrior at heart. Although she was born in the Royal Family of Hispania, Persian had been her home since she was thirteen years of age. Accompany Princess Anahi Anastasia Da Leon of Hispania in her journey to avenge the death of her cousin Princess Valeria Da Leonas she ultimately becomes Sahira, the Ameera of Arab, all the while Khalifa Shiraz Al Hakam tries his hardest to douse the fire of vengeance in her soul by trying to worm his way into the icy heart of his fiery Ameera.

**A Blue Beard retelling** Based on Charles Perrault's fairytale, this YA Historical Fantasy short story set in Victorian England mixes romance, magic and mystery. After agreeing to an arranged marriage to escape her greedy relatives, 18-year-old heiress Amelia moves into her husband's manor determined to start a new life. But the gothic mansion's forbidding surroundings, the servants' strange demeanour and her husband's mysterious past soon awaken her suspicions. If Amelia truly wants to become the lady of the house, she'll have to discover what secrets lie beyond closed doors and unravel the mystery of the old house's forbidden room. But sometimes secrets are kept for a good reason... HIGHEST RANKING IN HISTORICAL FICTION # 44 Copyright © 2017. All works posted here are the property of EM Castellan. Please do not use without permission. Any duplication or reproduction of all or part of the work without explicit permission by the author is illegal. Cover artist: @seventhstar

#WATTYS2017 Winner - HIGHEST RANKING # 5 - DOWNTON ABBEY meets Libba Bray's THE DIVINERS in this YA Historical Fantasy set in 1922 England. Unlike all the Debutantes she knows, eighteen-year-old Vita couldn't care less about her coming out ball. Trapped in her gloomy country estate, all she wants is to spend the summer dancing to jazzy numbers in East End clubs with her best friend Izzy. Freshly returned from a year abroad, Izzy is ready for the thrill of the London Season, with its endless whirl of balls, shopping sprees and horse races. Most importantly, she's counting on Vita to help her find the rich and handsome husband every high society girl deserves. But when Vita is kidnapped and found barely alive in an East London alleyway, the carefree summer the girls had planned turns into something much stranger than they could ever have imagined. With flappers turning up dead all over the city, and Vita terrified of hybrid monsters she swears she can see lurking in Mayfair's marbled houses, Izzy can't help noticing that darkness is seeping into their lives. As Vita starts to believe she's turning into a monster herself, Izzy suspects her friend's sanity is slipping away. Both girls have to find out what's happening before they lose their friendship and status, and their crowd of Bright Young Things becomes a thing of the past. *** A Wattpad Featured Story from 16/02/17 to 25/07/17 HIGHEST RANKING: # 5 on the Wattpad Historical Hot List *** THE BRIGHT AND THE LOST Pinterest Board: http://uk.pinterest.com/emcastellan/the-bright-and-the-lost/ *** Cover designer: Amalia Chitulescu *** Copyright © 2016. All works posted here are the property of EM Castellan. Please do not use without permission. Any duplication or reproduction of all or part of the work without explicit permission by the author is illegal.

Rupert has been imprisoned by his wicked sister, and compelled to wed. His new wife, Madeline, has likewise been threatened into saying her vows. Forced into marriage, they find love, but can they find freedom before it is too late? The Prisoners of Wyvern Castle is a prequel to Embracing Prudence, due for publication in 2016.

When you are fighting for the freedom of your people, falling in love with your enemy is not a great idea. Or is it? Ayla has to defend her castle and her people all on her own, with nobody to help her but a dark warrior she hates with all her heart.

Watty's 2018 short list, #2 highest rank for Historical, 1st Place in the Profound Awards. Lord Grey has sailed the seas, fought pirates, and built a shipping fleet before turning thirty. Now he must marry and produce an heir. He believes his days of adventure are limited until he meets Gabriella Barrington. Her courageous nature and daring talent with a sword is astounding, however, it is her belief in equality that gives him pause. Her strength of character and ability to love convinces him she is the only woman for him. However, he fails to anticipate her fortitude to keep him safe and the lengths she goes to, including becoming a stowaway.

In 1874, Ivy Steele's deafness is more than a handicap. It's a disease. Surrounded by a family that doesn't understand her, she's learned to cope and find solace where she can. Then, the unexpected happens. Her aunt dies, and her uncle sends her away to rejoin her father's family in Montana. Left to fend for herself, after the companion hired to escort her abandons her, Ivy faces continual hardship and danger. Several men see an unaccompanied Ivy as a flower ripe for the picking, and things only get worse when masked men hold up their stagecoach. Barely scraping through, Ivy makes it to Montana with her nerves shaken and what little money she has in her boot. Expecting a peaceful if not affectionate welcome, Ivy finds herself in greater hardship than she's ever known. Surrounded by a stepfamily that hates her, and flung into a life where hearing is vital, Ivy finds solace in a handsome cowboy named Remy. But things with her new family are not what they seem. And Ivy is about to find out that the danger she faced on the journey west, has followed her to Montana... Bethany Swafford dazzles with her stunning young adult debut, introducing a strong heroine, the hardships of frontier life, shocking twists, and a slow-burning romance that will leave you wanting more. Third place winner of the 2018 Rosemary Award

If every young lady likes to be crossed in love now and then, the Vicar Pearce's daughters are three times blessed. Willful and spirited, Rachel refuses to think Lord Ellsworth's son, her dearest friend since childhood, is not in love with her. But the youngest sister, Amanda, is the one who's attracted the eye of Lord Dabney with her honey-gold hair and angelic demeanor. Meanwhile, Marian is stuck in the middle with no one to love--unless that charming rogue Simeon counts. The ways of the heart do not unfold in a straightforward manner for the delightful sisters in this Regency period romance.

Banished for five years, Lady Belinda Carrington returns to Willowfair, claiming to know things one would find impossible to believe. With her tainted reputation, can Belinda make Town Guard McKenzie Haverston help her in her pursuit of the truth? *** After her banishment five years ago, Belinda Carrington returns with secrets and tales too impossible to believe. But something in her lies makes McKenzie Haverston desperate for the truth... When Belinda shows up in McKenzie's home asking for protection in return for important information on a case he's working on, he rejects her. But when he learns where she had been banished after her great scandal five years ago, he finds himself striking a deal with the woman-he protects her, she gives him answers. The question now is: how true is her tale? She was once considered the fairest of them all, but one scandal later, she has become the most reviled. And she is also being hunted. If Belinda wants to stay alive, she has to start trusting McKenzie Haverston, a task she finds to be surprisingly easy to do. However, as the truth of the past begins to resurface, and the secrets of her scandal is revealed, Belinda is confronted by her own demons, causing her to doubt her own reality. Trigger warnings: abuse, violence, mental trauma, sexual assault, mental health illness