Samhain Publishing Ltd Weblog

Award-Winning Mirage Now In Print

Wow, that’s such a great feeling to get to write “award-winning” in front of a book I’ve written. That award-winning statement is for the 2009 EPPIE Mirage won for Best Historical/Western Erotic Romance. And Mirage has received quite a bit of critical acclaim. I’m very proud to have been one of the first ePublished authors to receive a Top Pick from RT BOOKreviews. A Top Pick is pretty darn close to a contest win. It means that out of all the books the reviewer read for the month, this particular book was in their opinion, the best of the best.

Mirage, which is now in print, holds a special place in my heart because it was a RWA Golden Heart finalist and it landed me my wonderful agent, Deidre Knight. I also fell in love with Altair my hero. I’ve been a huge fan of The Mummy movies with Brendan Frasier and Oded Fehr. In fact, Altair’s looks are fashioned after Oded as he appeared in The Mummy. Now THAT is one sexy man, so you can imagine how much fun I had thinking of Oded as Altair.

Check out this blurb for what the book’s about.

An ancient prophecy and a sheikh’s passion. One woman will ignite the flame that fulfills them both.

A man without a country…
Half Bedouin, half English, the Viscount Blakeney has always been Sheikh Altair Mazir in his heart. A victim of prejudice from both cultures, he’s learned to trust no one. But a feisty American archeologist and the heat she ignites in him is about to change all that. And more.

An independent woman hunting for a Pharaoh’s treasure…
Alexandra Talbot is used to men questioning her intelligence simply because of her sex. But the mysterious Viscount isn’t like other men. He never questions her ability to find the lost city of Ramesses II, only her resistance to the sinful pleasure of his touch.

An ancient prophecy…
Bound by a Pharaoh’s prophecy, desire flares between them beneath the desert stars. But murder and betrayal turn their quest into a deadly game, pushing their fragile trust to the breaking point. Their survival hinges on rebuilding that trust.

As you can see from the blurb, Mirage is an action-packed romance, but don’t be fooled by that. It’s sizzling hot too. eCataromance says, “No one sets fire to a page like Monica Burns,” and it gets pretty darn fiery in the desert.

Mirage also highlights my fascination with Egypt. I’m terrified of snakes, so I doubt I’ll ever get to see the great Pyramids or actually go on a real archeological dig, but Mirage was the next best thing to being there. As long as I can remember Egypt has held me mesmerized, and I wanted to write a book that would be just as enthralling for readers. I hope I’ve succeeded, as you can see from a couple of these reviews, I managed to please some people. I hope you’ll check Mirage out and try it on for a good read. Read an excerpt here

Critical Acclaim

2009 EPPIE Best Historical/Western Erotic Romance
2009 Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Award Nominee

Top Pick — 4.5 Stars “A strong storyline, engaging characters and seductive love scenes make this a must-read.”
— Romantic Times BOOKreviews

“With sexual tension as scorching as the desert the novel is set in, MIRAGE is the kind of historical romantic adventure I cut my teeth on and have been missing for years. Ms. Burns has written a cinematic, compelling, and highly recommended treat!”
— Sylvia Day, nationally bestselling author

Recommended Read
The love scenes are emotion-filled and wonderfully erotic and Altair’s responses are enough to make your toes curl…her descriptions of the sight, sound and smell of Egypt transports the reader there, masterfully conveying the beauty of the culture and its people. I adored Mirage from beginning to end.
― Two Lips Reviews

“Mirage kept me up half the night as I raced to the finish of this action-adventure romance… If you’re a fan…[of] authors like Betina Krahn, you’ll enjoy Mirage.”
― Romance Reader At Heart