They are the notorious swordsmen of New Orleans—infamous by day, dangerous at night, loyal only to each other and the women they love...At ease making life-and-death decisions between breaths, maitre d'armes Nicholas Pasquale proposes marriage to a beautiful and desperate woman who offers comfort to his young charge and tells him the boy needs a mother. It's a challenge he can't resist.Nor can Juliette Armant. Though pledged to the church since infancy, she's been called to save her family in the only way possible...by marriage. Once wed, she will claim an ancestral marriage chest—and protect its secret contents from her twin sister, who wants the treasure for herself.Juliette never dreamed such a practical arrangement would explode with desire when a rogue's kiss unleashes the sensual woman within. But someone is determined to stop the wedding and claim the chest, plunging Juliette into a fight to claim a legacy and a love worth any price.
Masters at Arms Series:
Book 1: CHALLENGE TO HONOR
Book 2: DAWN ENCOUNTER
Book 3: ROGUE'S SALUTE
Book 4: GUARDED HEART
Book 5: GALLANT MATCH
Book 6: TRIUMPH IN ARMS
Patricia Ann Ponder was born on March 9, 1942 in a one hundred-twenty year old house constructed by her grandparents near Goldonna, Louisiana, where her family resided during seventh generation. She grep up in her parent's farm in Northern Louisiana.
At 15, Patricia married with Mr. Maxwell and they formed a happy family. At 21, she needed to be something more than a housewife and she began writing, she sold her first book at 27. She start writing gothic novels with her real name, Patricia Maxwell; she wrote one book in collaboration as Elizabeth Trehearne and she singed a murder mystery and a romantic suspense story as her maiden name, Patricia Ponder. When the gothic genre began to decay, she began to publish only romance genre, contemporany romances as Maxine Patrick and historical romances as Jennifer Blake, the only pseudonym that she uses now.
This legend of the romance genre is called the "Steel Magnolia of women's fiction" and gained New York Times Best Seller status since 1977, with "Love's wild desire". An international best seller as well, she has been published in 18 languages with worldwide sales approaching 30 million. She was honored with the position as Writer-in-Residence for the University of Northeastern Louisiana, and is a charter, and honorary, member of Romance Writers of America.
Since 1998, Patricia and her husband have resided in a lakeside Caribbean-styled retreat in North Louisiana where they often entertain friends and family.
