[Chateau of Love 03] • Chateau of Passion

This is an alternate cover edition, better reflecting the historical nature of the story.

**Monica Bentley makes history sexy.**

*France, 1358*

In the aftermath of the carnage at Poitiers, the French king Jean le Bon rots in the Tower of London. His son, the Dauphin, takes charge, working to hold the reins of power. He requires lands to tax and warriors to call to action. Most of all, he needs the most powerful nobles of the land at his shoulder.

Meanwhile, with no battles imminent, knights are finding other ways to get in trouble. Sir Tristen is relentlessly pursued by the ladies of the Palais de la Cite, luring him to their night chambers. Getting caught means fighting a duel in the morning, often with the Dauphin's allies. Yet, how can he resist?

Looming behind all this, deep in the forest, the witch Tempeste is imprisoned in her own dark tower, mooning over him. Once Tristen's captor, now she is the prisoner of his heart, scheming endlessly to win him back.

These separate strands become inextricably intertwined, creating a darkly passionate tale of life and love in medieval Francia.

**For mature readers only.**

AUTHOR INTERVIEW:

*What drives you as a writer of history?*

The history I love best is the story of people – their passions, their flaws, their mistakes, their redemption. That’s what makes me endlessly fascinated with we as a people, no matter what time nor place. We always seem to have the same dreams and nightmares, and I love to write about them.

*What draws you to medieval France?*

The pageantry, ambition, the endless intrigue between a small group of self-selected nobles and the royalty. The constant battle over real estate. Henry V got lucky in having Shakespeare become his press agent. To my reading of history, Henry V is more the recipient of good fortune than an excellent military general. One who chanced his way into spectacular victory at Agincourt. No, when it comes to warrior kings, Edward III looms large in my mind for his twin victories at Cressy and Poitiers. His great bete noir is the condotierre commander du Guesclin, one of the first practitioners of asymmetrical warfare. Take all that together and you have a wonderful stage on which to mount a story to which a reader will return to again and again over the years.

*Your heroines find their strength through their femininity. Why is that?*

I believe the root of a woman's power lies in her sexuality, whether noble queen, powerful witch, or lost girl. Doomed to exist and compete in a time when society’s norms – its laws, customs and traditions – were all designed to keep them in the background. Those women who come forward such as Emma of Normandy or Eleanor of Aquitaine or Elizabeth I do so by using their sexuality to render men weak in the knees. I celebrate that phenomenon with my storytelling.

*What sources of inspiration did you use to write the *Chateau of Love* series?*

In writing the *Chateau of Love *series, I leaned heavily on medieval chroniclers Venerable Bede, Chaucer and Froissart, philosophers Aquinas, Bonaventura, and Teresa d’Avila, as well as numerous other classical and medieval historical and military authorities. Fencers will immediately recognize my thrill of the fight.

Readers Say:

“...a captivating romance, full of courtly politics and intrigue with a dash of paranormal magic.”

“I was enthralled from the very first page ... very well written storyline and the characters were so well developed that I was totally hooked until the turn of the very last page!”

“I read a lot but I seldom leave reviews because most books just fade to the back of my mind. This series is not basic and has stuck with me and kept me coming back until the end. Don’t miss out on these books.”