Monica Burns 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.

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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. Click on image above to video book trailer! Reviews for Mirage 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 "Elegant prose, believable dialogue, and a suspenseful plot that will hold you spellbound make Mirage a jewel of the first order. If you are a fan of tortured, heroic male leads, independent heroines and exotic places...don't miss this one by the talented Ms. Burns." Emma Wildes, 2007 Eppie winner #1 bestselling author at Fictionwise "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 Read an excerpt from Mirage Visit Monica Burns' web site About Monica Burns An award-winning author of erotic romance, Monica Burns penned her first short romance story at the age of nine when she selected the pseudonym she uses today. Even then she knew that Burns was a great last name for an erotic romance writer who writes burning hot stories. A workaholic wife and mother, Monica is a 2005 Golden Heart Finalist, 2009 and 2006 EPPIE finalist, a recipient of JERR’s Silver Star award. Her book Mirage was a 2008 RT Bookreviews Reviewers Choice Award nominee, and it also received a 2009 EPPIE for Best Historical Erotic Romance. Also by Monica Burns... In Trade Paperback Title: Dangerous ISBN: 978-1-60504-121-6 Publisher: Samhain Publishing Length: Single Title Sensuality: Erotic Awards: 2009 EPPIE Finalist Title: A Bluestocking Christmas in the Holly, Ivy and Me Anthology ISBN: 1-58608-886-6 Publisher: New Concepts Publishing Length: Novella Sensuality: Erotic Awards: JERR Silver Star Award Title: Forbidden Pleasures – featuring award-winning Love’s Revenge and Love’s Portrait ISBN: 1-58608-734-7 Released: February 2006 Publisher: New Concepts Publishing Sensuality: Erotic Awards: 2006 EPPIE finalists A note from Monica Burns... Coming this January is Monica’s Berkley Sensation historical, Kismet. Sabrina Jeffries says Kismet is a "…sizzling hot historical and its compelling characters will leave you panting for more!" For a short excerpt, visit the Kismet page at: http://www.monicaburns.com/BookshelfKismet.htm An Interview with Monica Burns By Holly Hewson for The Romance Studio HH: Monica, thank you for talking with us at TRS. Please tell us about your featured book, Mirage. MB: Mirage is a very sexy romance with lots of action and adventure set in late 1800s Egypt, when everyone was enthralled with Egyptology. Everyone was racing to discover the antiquities of a culture that survived more than two thousand years. HH: A treasure hunter and a man without a country. Where did you get the idea for these amazing characters? MB: The Mummy with Brendan Frasier was a huge inspiration for me. I fell in love with Oded Fehr’s character in the movie and I immediately wondered what it be like if he was half English, half Bedouin. I also love Egyptology and I thought it would be fabulous to put a woman up against the establishment trying to find a lost city not only to fulfill the dying wish of her father, but primarily for herself. HH: What was the greatest challenge you faced in writing their story? MB: Going against the tide. Writing books set in exotic locales are difficult to sell to NY publishers because the market isn’t as popular for those types of books. I knew going into the book that it might not sell to NY for that reason, but it was a book I had to write. I’m fortunate Samhain loved the book enough to contract it. HH: What sort of research went into this project? MB: Tons of research went into this book. I emailed professionals in the archeology industry with requests for information, read books and scoured the Inet for as much information as I could. I wanted to ensure that readers got a strong sense of the setting so they could experience it the way Alex and Altair did. HH: All of that hard work paid off. Your story has received rave reviews, awards. What does this mean to you? MB: Well, it’s definitely gratifying to see my peers recognize the work or have reviewers rave about the book. Ultimately, it raises the bar. It means that the next book I put out must equal the quality of Mirage. But I’d be a liar if I didn’t feel really good about the reviews and awards this book has received. I’m incredibly lucky. HH: What can you tell about your exciting forthcoming release in July? MB: Kismet is a book unlike any other that I’ve written. This book was a cathartic experience that made me look deep inside myself and it’s the second incarnation of the original book. The initial draft of Kismet, which was abysmal, was the catalyst that resulted in my sharing my experience with date rape on The Knight Agency blog in September of 2007. It was a couple of months later that I realized I couldn’t let Shaheen and Allegra go. I couldn’t let the darkness win, and I needed to tell the beginning of their story so they could have the happy ending I’d given them in the first draft. The rewrite was magic. When my agent started reading it, she emailed and said, I’ve taken off the agent hat, and I’m reading strictly for pleasure. A TRULY high compliment. When we submitted it to my Berkley editor we got a swift , YES, we want this book. My Berkley editor seems to be a very quiet and low-key person. So when she says LOVED in all caps, I know she really loved the book. This book made me push the envelope, and yet I think I succeeded in handling a critical life/death scene in a way that will have readers sympathizing or empathizing with the heroine as well as the hero. It was NOT an easy scene to write. Just last week, I received my cover for Kismet and it’s beautiful. It’s rich, lush and just beautiful. I hope the story meets the expectations I’m sure readers will have when they pick up the book. I’m also fortunate that Sabrina Jeffries, NYT bestselling author read Kismet and enjoyed it enough to provide the following quote for the book. "This sizzling hot historical and its compelling characters will leave you panting for more! Monica Burns writes with sensitivity and panache. Don't miss this one!" It’s a wonderful quote, and I’m thrilled and flattered that Sabrina enjoyed the book enough to share such a lovely quote. I can’t wait for the book’s release so I can see what everyone has to say. Of course, it could wind up being a big non-event! LOL HH: Did you real select your pen name when you were nine? And tell us about that first novel. <g> MB: Yes, I really picked my name when I was nine. The first romance I wrote was about a sea captain who kidnapped the daughter of a nobleman in retaliation for something the father had done to the sea captain. It was about 20 pages long in longhand in one of those ruled spiral bound notebooks. It was so bad, I can’t tell you how bad. One of my stories I even shared with a beloved English teacher. I know it was really bad because she didn’t encourage me to keep writing. LOL HH: What are you working on at the moment? MB: Well, I’m swamped, but it’s all good. I’m expecting copy edits any day now for my Jan release Kismet, which is another book in a similar vein to Mirage. However, Kismet is darker and more intense, and I hope readers are going to fall in love with Shaheen and Allegra the main characters of the book. I’m also a quarter of the way into the second book of my new paranormal series for Penguin/Berkley. It’s about a group of telekinetic heroes who face off against telepathic villains. Both groups are descended from the time of Ancient Rome and they believe sword fighting illustrates their skill and strength as opposed to guns that anyone can use. So I get to do a lot of really cool sword fighting scenes similar to The Highlander or Xena. Book 1 is set for release May 2010, and Book 2 will follow in October 2010, and I’m really looking forward to how everyone reacts to these books. HH: What goals have you set for yourself at this point in your career? MB: Goals? Finish Book 2 of the paranormal series, write the next historical and then write Book 3 of the paranormal series. I still work the day job, so I’m working hard to remain motivated and on target while managing promo, and dealing with normal family activities. HH: What are doing this summer? MB: Actually this summer is the busiest one I can recall in a number of years. I’ll be attending RWA National in Washington DC where I’ll be signing at the Literacy signing on Wed Jul 15 from 5:30-7:30pm. We’ll be dropping off my oldest at her Freshman year in college, and then at the end of September, I’ll be going to WVa to Lora Leigh’s Saints and Sinners RAW conference. On top of those two events, I’ll be writing like mad and doing a lot of promo for Mirage and my upcoming historical, Kismet. To say I’ll be busy is actually an understatement. LOL HH: Thank you! Top