THE MISSING MONARCH - Rachelle McCalla - One Free Book

Welcome back, Rachelle. I love having you here. What are some of the spiritual themes you like to write about?

Great question!  In my suspense stories, my characters are often in deadly danger fighting for their lives.  Thus I often find myself writing about God’s protection, and trusting God, and finding faith even in life’s bleakest moments.

What other books of yours are coming out soon?

This December my first Love Inspired Historical hits the shelves.  It’s called A Royal Marriage, and it takes place in 801 AD in the fictional Mediterranean Kingdom of Lydia, which is the kingdom featured in the Reclaiming the Crown series.

Then in March, readers can look for the first suspense book of my new Protecting the Crown series, which centers around the men of the Lydian Royal Guard who readers have met in the Reclaiming the Crown Series.  The first book, Defending the Duchess, stars Linus Murati, who readers first met in Protecting the Princess.

If you could spend an evening with one contemporary person (not a family member of yours), who would it be and why?

It would be great fun to spend an evening with a real prince or princess, to learn a bit about what they’re like in person.

What historical person would you like to meet (besides Jesus) and why?

There are so many intriguing historical figures who I’d love to meet, including Dietrich Bonheoffer and Corrie Ten Boom.

I’d love to talk to Corrie Ten Boom. How can you encourage authors who have been receiving only rejections from publishers?

Keep sharpening your craft.  Read what the publishers publish.  Read the publisher’s guidelines, follow their blogs, find out the specific genres or types of books they’re looking for, and then write the story they can’t refuse. 

Tell us about the featured book.

The Missing Monarch is the fourth and final book in the Reclaiming the Crown series.  Readers have followed the four royal siblings, heirs to the Lydian crown, as they struggle to restore peace in the wake of an insurgent uprising.  In this last book, we finally meet Thaddeus, who’s been missing-presumed-dead for the past six years. 

Please give us the first page of the book.

"Regis?"

The Crown Prince Thaddeus of Lydia didn't hesitate to respond to his prearranged code name. "Yes?"

"Have you seen the news?"

"Always."

"Then you know—?"

"Yes." Thaddeus didn't need his friend Kirk, the sole person on earth who knew how to reach him, to elaborate any more over the phone. Yes, he knew that the tiny kingdom of Lydia had been nearly overtaken by insurgent forces ten days before. He also knew who was behind those forces—a man who went by the code name 8, short for Octavian, an egomaniac would-be despot, who'd stop at nothing to achieve the power he desired. What Thad didn't know, was how to stop him from taking over the tiny kingdom.

"You know that we need you?" A voice broke in, a female. One of his sisters? Princess Isabelle or Princess Anastasia, he couldn't be sure which one.

"You need me to stay right where I am." Thad hoped his sister could hear the authority in his voice. He was, after all, her big brother, besides being the crown prince of the Christian nation. He knew what he was talking about.

"No—" Isabelle's voice for sure. "We need you on the thr—"

"Don't say it." Thad interrupted her before she could drop any words that might give away his identity. They had no way of being certain their line was secure, though he knew Kirk would have taken every possible precaution. The risk was simply too great. If Octavian ever found where he was hiding, all the sacrifices he'd made would have been in vain.

"We need you here." That was Alexander's voice, so much more mature than when Thad had left home. But then, Prince Alexander had been through many trials on behalf of Lydia. "You're the only one who can end this."

"If I come home, things will only get worse, I promise you. You have to trust that I know what I'm talking about."

"If you would explain—"

"I can't. Not over the phone. You know that." Thad took a deep breath, wishing there were some way he could impress upon his younger siblings the gravity of the situation. They couldn't underestimate the foe they were up against. "Please don't try to contact me again. The risks are far too great."

"You need to come home." It was Kirk's voice again, insistent this time.

"No. I need to go. Goodbye." Thad gripped the phone, knowing he needed to end the call and cut the line that exposed him to potential detection. Still, he hesitated to sever the connection to his family. He missed them so much, the six long years since he'd seen them last weighing on his heart.

Anastasia's voice echoed distantly over the still-live line. "You were right, Kirk. He's determined not to return. I wish we could make him understand, but we can't risk trying to visit him, and he won't listen to any of us."

"There is one person he might listen to. I don't know if I can convince her—"

"Don't!" Thad nearly shouted, glad he hadn't hung up the phone after all. "Don't bring her into this. Never speak of her again."

"But—"

"No. There's nothing she can say to me that will change anything. She deserves her privacy. Do you understand?" Silence ticked by in tense seconds, and Thad feared the connection had been severed after all. "Promise me you won't try to contact her."

Reluctance filled Kirk's voice. "I promise."

"Thank you. I've got to go." Thad ended the call, feeling even more alone than he had mere moments before, the reminder of his long-lost wife prickling the long-dead parts of his heart like blood rushing back to a sleeping appendage, as though to rouse his buried feelings back to life.

He trusted his friend. Kirk would keep his promise not to reach out to Monica.

Thad stared at the phone in his hand, replaying the details of their conversation. They hadn't spoken Monica's name. And surely their line was secure. So why did Thad feel such a breathless sense of panic, as though somehow, by mentioning a woman he cared about, they'd exposed Monica to detection?

Because he knew his enemy. And every time he'd underestimated Octavian before, he'd been wrong. Dead wrong.

I can hardly wait to get my copy. I’ve read all of this series, including the pre-book on your website. I love all of them. How can readers find you on the Internet?

Like my author page on facebook, find me on goodreads, and for the latest information on upcoming stories, new releases, and exclusive insider information about existing titles, visit my website, www.rachellemccalla.com

Thank you, Rachelle, for spending this time with us today.


Readers, here are links to the book. By using one when you order, you help support this blog.
The Missing Monarch (Love Inspired Suspense) - paperback
The Missing Monarch (Love Inspired Suspense) - Kindle


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