Andra Vandersan is an expert code breaker, as fiercely independent and beautiful as she is brilliant. Working at the highest levels of deciphering, she’s always remained at a safe distance from the seamy underworld of Hong Kong’s criminal elite—but that’s about to change. When her next-door neighbor is brutally murdered in a way that suggests the work of the Chinese triads, two things become clear: Andra was the intended target of the hit, and the assassin is going to return.
Max True is a world-class linguist, a colleague of Andra’s who once helped her break a code that would destroy a terrorist cell. When he shows up at Andra’s door with a mysterious message, they realize they may have stumbled on a long-lost women’s language that holds the secret to incredible power—and one that the most vicious men in Hong Kong will stop at nothing to get their hands on.
As Andra and Max work to solve the puzzle of the language, they find themselves in a desperate race against time to escape the mysterious forces who all want the secret of the message—even as they surrender to the forces of an undeniable passion that brings them inexorably and irrevocably together.
A gripping love story packed with adventure! A gripping love story packed with adventure!
Legacy of Fear was sort of "The DaVinci Code"-ish in that one clue led to another and another, and yet each clue was its own piece of the puzzle. I liked how pieces of the puzzle were revealed slowly and in unique ways. It wasn't, "Oh, hey, look, a clue," but rather the clues were disclosed through the dialogue and narration from the points of view of the different characters.
Ryshia is VERY talented in describing things in different ways. She didn't just say, "The mountain peak disappeared into the clouds." Instead, she used any word except the obvious ones to describe the same point, and it made the story that much more entertaining to read.
The story takes place in China, and it is obvious that Ryshia did a great deal of research to make the details authentic. Again, with her excellent descriptions, I felt like I was seeing and smelling what the characters were.
The tension and interaction between Andra and Max was fantastic. I loved how their feelings for each other evolved, and I absolutely loved the ending!
This book was a true "romantic suspense" if I've ever read one, and truly a story unlike any I have read!
***I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review***
Legacy of Fear was sort of "The DaVinci Code"-ish in that one clue led to another and another, and yet each clue was its own piece of the puzzle. I liked how pieces of the puzzle were revealed slowly and in unique ways. It wasn't, "Oh, hey, look, a clue," but rather the clues were disclosed through the dialogue and narration from the points of view of the different characters.
Ryshia is VERY talented in describing things in different ways. She didn't just say, "The mountain peak disappeared into the clouds." Instead, she used any word except the obvious ones to describe the same point, and it made the story that much more entertaining to read.
The story takes place in China, and it is obvious that Ryshia did a great deal of research to make the details authentic. Again, with her excellent descriptions, I felt like I was seeing and smelling what the characters were.
The tension and interaction between Andra and Max was fantastic. I loved how their feelings for each other evolved, and I absolutely loved the ending!
This book was a true "romantic suspense" if I've ever read one, and truly a story unlike any I have read!
***I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review***
“Max,” she repeated. “You think too much.” She cupped his head, pulling him down to her, and this time the kiss was lush and long, and when it ended only silence breathed between them.
“You’re right.” She breathed. “We shouldn’t have done that.” His hand traced along her wrist and she shivered. “This is craziness, all of it.”
“Maybe,” he replied, standing up. “In the meantime, there are few we can trust. The police have no interest in supposition and we have no time to wait for whatever is about to come to us.”
“What are you saying, Max?”
He went to the window. She followed.
Her hand brushed against his.
Her gaze followed his into the distance, where outside a fringe of fog swirled around thestark decadence of Victoria Peak. “It’s unbelievable, really, a village of women.” She took a deep breath. “And the one man who says he has seen this village is threatened about reporting what he has seen.”
She sighed, turned around and picked up the satchel, pulling out the doll. She ran her fingers along the doll’s cloth body as he had done what seemed a million times before. The expression on her face changed from calm to surprise.
“Max! There’s something here.”
His fingers brushed lightly against hers as they ran along the age-thinned cloth. The spark from just that brief touch had him fighting not to take her in his arms and take her to places he had so far only imagined. He leaned closer and then felt something subtle yet foreign beneath the doll’s cloth body.
“You’re right.” She breathed. “We shouldn’t have done that.” His hand traced along her wrist and she shivered. “This is craziness, all of it.”
“Maybe,” he replied, standing up. “In the meantime, there are few we can trust. The police have no interest in supposition and we have no time to wait for whatever is about to come to us.”
“What are you saying, Max?”
He went to the window. She followed.
Her hand brushed against his.
Her gaze followed his into the distance, where outside a fringe of fog swirled around thestark decadence of Victoria Peak. “It’s unbelievable, really, a village of women.” She took a deep breath. “And the one man who says he has seen this village is threatened about reporting what he has seen.”
She sighed, turned around and picked up the satchel, pulling out the doll. She ran her fingers along the doll’s cloth body as he had done what seemed a million times before. The expression on her face changed from calm to surprise.
“Max! There’s something here.”
His fingers brushed lightly against hers as they ran along the age-thinned cloth. The spark from just that brief touch had him fighting not to take her in his arms and take her to places he had so far only imagined. He leaned closer and then felt something subtle yet foreign beneath the doll’s cloth body.
- The original title of Legacy of Fear was China Doll.
- I stumbled on the language of Nushu by accident on an Internet search while researching China. It is the only language written by and for women.
- I got so caught up in researching the language of Nushu I almost forgot to write the book.
- When I was in Hong Kong I would have loved to see the inside of some of those luxury high rises that run up Victoria Peak, I never did. Instead I had to make up my own luxury apartment for my characters to briefly visit.
- The triad that threatens my characters was inspired by a cab ride through Hong Kong where the driver was regaling us with stories of high stakes gambling and criminal activity. Of course a lot more research followed…
- My characters need names before I can begin. For a while I was a little stuck on what my heroine’s name would be. But when watching TV a past figure skater was mentioned with the first name, Andra. That was it – I was off the couch and heading downstairs to begin the story with a heroine called Andra and a hero called Max.
- I stumbled on the language of Nushu by accident on an Internet search while researching China. It is the only language written by and for women.
- I got so caught up in researching the language of Nushu I almost forgot to write the book.
- When I was in Hong Kong I would have loved to see the inside of some of those luxury high rises that run up Victoria Peak, I never did. Instead I had to make up my own luxury apartment for my characters to briefly visit.
- The triad that threatens my characters was inspired by a cab ride through Hong Kong where the driver was regaling us with stories of high stakes gambling and criminal activity. Of course a lot more research followed…
- My characters need names before I can begin. For a while I was a little stuck on what my heroine’s name would be. But when watching TV a past figure skater was mentioned with the first name, Andra. That was it – I was off the couch and heading downstairs to begin the story with a heroine called Andra and a hero called Max.
The Canadian prairies are where Ryshia Kennie makes her home with her husband and one opinionated and slightly geriatric, Irish Terrier. The winner of her city’s Writing Award in 2011 and a semi-finalist in the Kindle Book Awards, her novels have taken her characters from the depression era prairies in her first book “From the Dust” to the ancient stones of Angkor Wat and to lost languages in her latest book, “Legacy of Fear”. There’s never a lack of places to set a story as the too long prairie winters occasionally find her with travel journal in hand dreaming of adventure on foreign shores. While facing off a monitor lizard before breakfast or running through the Kasbah chased by an enraged Water Carrier aren’t normal travel experiences and might never find a place in one of her stories, they do make great travel stories. Sometimes it’s just the memories of other worlds close or far away: the words of a stranger, the furtive look one man gives another, that often become the catalyst for a suspenseful story with a deadly villain and an intrepid hero and heroine who must battle for their right to love or even their right to live, in a place that neither - or both, may call home.
When not dreaming of other stories, Ryshia can be found baking a new batch of dog cookies, reading pretty much anything - although romance is a favourite, and, depending on the season; biking, scouting garage sales, golfing and the occasional beach run before the algae rolls in, and winter is for long walks, and taking those long-thought-about trips. For more, visit her website at www.ryshiakennie.com.
Romance novelist Ryshia Kennie wins Regina Writing Award
The Saskatchewan Writers’ Guild has named Ryshia Kennie winner of the 2011 City of Regina Writing Award. Kennie has written two romance novels, From the Dust (2007) and Ring of Desire (2009), both published by Oregon’s Black Lyon Publishing. Runners up for the prize are poet Bruce Rice and playwright/short fiction writer B.D. Miller.
The $4,000 prize is sponsored by the City of Regina, judged by professional writers outside of Saskatchewan, and presented to Regina-based writers “based on literary merit,” with the aim of enabling the recipient to “work on a specific solo writing project for a three-month period.”
Although the award is open to writers working in any genre, this is the first time in its 31-year history that a romance writer has won. Previous winners include Dianne Warren, Dave Margoshes, and Kelley Jo Burke.
***Source: quillandquire.com***
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ReplyDeleteI really like the cover and loved the excerpt.
ReplyDeleteI'm excited to be here. Thanks for having me! MomJane - This cover is one of my favourites of all my books, it portrays the characters as I see them.
ReplyDeleteGreat excerpt, sounds like a compelling read.
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ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading the Fun Facts! It was something a little different.
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ReplyDeleteInteresting excerpt!
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ReplyDeleteI love the excerpt. Sounds like a great book
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