Lisa J. Yarde Books - guest on October 2025

 

Order of the Dragon: Book Two (Dragons of Wallachia 2)

Book 2 of 2: Dragons of Wallachia
Some oaths are written in blood. Some legacies are born in darkness.

The Order of the Dragon – Book Two unfolds as a knight of the Order of the Dragon, Vlad Dracul, a 15th-century Wallachian prince sworn to defend Christendom navigates a treacherous world of political intrigue, family betrayal, and the ever-present Ottoman threat. Torn between loyalty to his people and devotion to his children, Vlad's ambition to reclaim his birthright leads him down a bloody path, forcing him to make impossible choices and embrace his ruthless nature. But power often requires sacrifice. When the Turks demand his young sons as hostages, Vlad faces an agonizing choice that will echo through history.

As the crusader armies clash with Ottoman forces along the Danube, Vlad discovers that survival requires more than political cunning—it demands embracing the very darkness he once fought against. Vlad must choose between his honor and his throne, between saving his children and securing his dynasty. Every decision carves another scar upon his soul, and each victory demands a piece of his humanity. His choices will not only decide Wallachia's fate but forge the legend of the most feared name in history—and set his namesake son on a path to immortal infamy.

Discover the stunning conclusion of Vlad Dracul in Order of the Dragon – Book Two, the second in a series of novels and novellas about the real Dracula family, the House of Basarab.



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Sultana: A Novel of Moorish Spain

Book 1 of 6: Sultan
Book #1 of the Sultana series In thirteenth-century Moorish Spain, the realm of Granada is in crisis. The union of Fatima, granddaughter of the Sultan of Granada, with the Sultan’s nephew Faraj has fractured the nation. A bitter civil war escalates and endangers both Fatima and Faraj’s lives. All her life, Fatima has sheltered in lavish palaces where danger has never intruded, until now. A precocious child and the unwitting pawn of her family, she learns how her marriage may determine her future and the fate of Granada. Her husband Faraj has his own qualms about their union. At a young age, he witnessed the deaths of his parents, and discovered how affluence and power gives little protection against indomitable enemies. Throughout the rugged frontiers of southern Spain, the burgeoning Christian kingdoms in the north and the desert states of North Africa, Fatima and Faraj survive ruthless murderers and intrigues. They unite against common enemies bent on destroying the last Moorish dynasty. Snippet: Aisha smiled again, but it seemed sad. “Hush now, child, listen well. Understanding shall come. Even when you must do what others command, never forget the power of your own reasoning. One day, your husband may rule your body, he may even come to rule your heart, but your mind is and always must be your own, where none but you may rule. Promise me that you shall never forget these words.” Fatima swayed slightly. Her throat hurt, but she whispered, “I promise.” She returned Aisha’s intent stare, for the first time, unafraid. Aisha’s eyes glistened like gems in the lamplight. “This is the only measure of advice I can give you, Fatima. You must learn the ways of men, as I have. Do not trust in men alone. Love, be dutiful and respectful, but trust yourself and your instincts first. They shall always guide you rightly.”

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The Burning Candle: A Medieval Novel Kindle Edition

Love is for women who have choices. She has none. In eleventh-century France on the eve of the First Crusade, Isabel de Vermandois becomes the wife of a man old enough to be her father. He is Robert de Beaumont, Comte de Meulan. A hero of the Norman victory at Hastings and loyal counselor to successive English kings, Robert is not all Isabel had expected. Cruel and kind by contrast, he draws her into the decadent court of King Henry I. As Robert's secrets are unraveled, Isabel finds her heart divided. Her duties as a wife and mother compel her, but an undeniable attraction to the young William de Warenne, Earl of Surrey, tempts her. In a kingdom where love holds no sway over marital relations, Isabel must choose where her loyalties and her heart lie. Based on the life of a remarkable medieval woman forgotten by time, The Burning Candle is a story of duty and honor, love and betrayal. Snippet: Earl William rode the length of the column, giving orders to pick up the pace. The hounds followed the master, yipping and snapping whenever a horse strayed too close. The gentleness of the alaunt beside her gladdened Isabel’s heart, as the last of the breed exited Vatteville. At the sloped edge of the crescent-shaped bank, the earl waited for his servants with the pack animals and the last of his knights to clear the gatehouse. With the first rays of sunlight at his back, the mist created a golden halo around his head. Isabel stepped forward. Across the distance, his gaze lingered upon her. A smile smoothed his craggy visage. He raised a hand in farewell. She suppressed the eager urge to return the gesture and patted the whining hound instead. The earl’s smile never faded. As the rearguard joined him, he wheeled his horse forward and joined his men. He never looked back. Her eyes strained for the sight of him, until he became a faint dot on the landscape, suddenly vanishing into the haze.

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On Falcon's Wings

Love united them. Destiny drove them apart. When Avicia, a Norman noblewoman, makes a careless but costly mistake with a prized falcon, the brutal punishment nearly claims her life. Her Saxon lover, Edric of Newington, witnesses her ordeal but cannot share her fate. Another destiny awaits him in England, and the prospect of a loveless marriage. Swept away in the arms of another, Avicia enters the treacherous court of Duke William of Normandy. Through the years, Edric and Avicia reunite in a timeless, forbidden love, but a bitter rivalry for the English throne divides them. In a world forever altered in the aftermath of Hastings, hope rises and the chance to love again. Snippet: Edric knew the moment Avicia entered the room. Sensation crept up his spine. He watched as she walked from the recesses of the king’s hall, with one of the Frenchmen at her side, toward a man and woman. He recognized the black-haired man who had cradled her after she fainted. He could not understand why she might be in England, instead of Flanders. Her appearance remained the same after three years. The shortened sleeves of her pale blue and yellow garment showed a white cloth underneath. Yellow linen wound about her waist. His eyes lingered on her belly, slightly thickened. His gaze darted to the man beside her, whose hand cradled, even caressed her elbow. She and the woman beside her engaged in an animated conversation. Then she rose on her tiptoes and whispered to the black-haired man. He confirmed their intimacy when he patted her belly. She belonged to him and carried his child.



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Sultana: The Complete Collection: (Series Bundle: Books 1-6)

The omnibus edition contains the completed novels in the Sultana series,
SULTANA (Book #1),
SULTANA'S LEGACY (Book # 2),
SULTANA: TWO SISTERS (Book #3),
SULTANA: THE BRIDE PRICE (Book #4),
SULTANA: THE POMEGRANATE TREE (Book #5),
SULTANA: THE WHITE MOUNTAINS (Book #6).

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