Today’s the day! My first new book in 15 months (though I’ve had some rewritten older ones come out) and … shit, I hate praising my own stuff.
Well, that’s not exactly true – I think I’m brilliant, even if I’m not to everyone’s taste. As Jo Beverley used to say, we can’t expect everyone to like our work, we just need to find the people who do. (Damn, I miss Jo!). I want people to read my books and love my books – of course I do. I just feel a bit squicky about asking them to buy them.
So, okay, pretend this has nothing to do with commerce. I love this book. It took so damned long for Emma and Brandon to get back to each other. First, they met when he was a dying soldier and she was an anonymous volunteer at the military hospital. Then she came out of nowhere to save his life when he tried to kill himself.
He’d been such a wreck that he needed time to get his shit together. He went up to a small, shuttered estate he owned in the Highlands of Scotland with a crusty old retainer (are there any other kinds?) to whip his butt into shape with the 19th century form of military basic training (daily swims in icy rivers, tromping over high mountain peaks etc). He’s clean and sober and strong, has been for three years, and now he has to rejoin his family and make amends.
Meanwhile, Emma has thrown herself into her studies, realizing her gift for the medical sciences. She’s become a surgeon, working in the shadows because she’s a woman, but with the Rohans’ help she’s been able to practice despite the disapproval of society. She’s put Brandon out of her mind, knowing she can never have him, and then he walks into her life three years later and he doesn’t remember a thing.
Oh, it’s good! I slaved on this sucker too – my shoulder went wonky and it took almost a year to get surgery, another few months to recover enough to type. I dictated some of it, wrote longhand, but with all the stopping and starting when my shoulder was too bad to work I ended up going in wrong directions. I threw out 40,000 words (almost half the book) and rewrote and moved stuff around until, finally, it was where it felt right, and then I soared on through to the end. Brandon was a revelation. For all he can be a cynical, surly bastard he turned out to be an amazing lover and a surprisingly decent human being while still being hot as hell.
And Emma, in all her angry confusion and denial, stays strong and determined and can’t keep from loving him, no matter how dangerous loving is.
Ooooh, it’s just wonderful. Picture me: 
So, okay, here’s your task, and I will be crassly commercial.
1. Buy the book
2. Tell other people to buy the book
3. Tell everyone how wonderful it is
4. Write reviews on Amazon and Goodreads
5. Buy a copy of the book for your mother (she can handle it – I’m probably older than she is and I wrote the smoldering thing)
6. Turn your dolls into Brandon and Emma characters (okay, that’s just me). Pack the male doll’s pants.
7. Buy a paper copy so you can stroke it and kiss it
8. Buy a copy for your town library
9. Buy 150 paper copies and roll around naked in them
10. Spend a thousand dollars and frame the cover because it’s so freaking gorgeous
11. Buy a copy for your dog.
That’s your mission if you choose to accept it. Otherwise I’ll blow up your computer.
Nah. It’s a lovely book and I think you’ll love it, and now I get to turn my attention to something new. I need to write stories like I need oxygen to breathe, and I’ve spent way too much time on getting this ready for publication. Time for a new, epic love story.
Ciao.
Don’t know how you do it. It’s as if there was never a gap inbetween the books. There’s the same atmosphere and writing style. You didn’t disappoint. Thank you Anne. Xx
I’m so excited that Heartless is finally available, but I can only find it in ebook form. When will it be published in written form?
ASAP, I promise!
Congratulations! How do we buy a paper copy? You know what a Luddite I am. I only saw Kindle on Amazon, and I really really prefer paper. Anyway, I know it’s going to be a huge success!
There was a small glitch in getting the print version ready. Should be ready any time now.
Happy Book Birthday! I am so excited for this book :)!!!!!
I want to buy the book but it’s not out in paperback on Amazon yet.
Any chance that the book will be published in other ebook formats?
They should be already – it’s going up for Nook, Kobo, iTunes, D2D and I think one more. If they’re not up yet it must just be that it takes a little longer for them to approve. Same with the paper version. It’s being reviewed and should be up any time now.
Thank you
Which book are they first introduced?
Brandon first appears as a callow 17 year old in Breathless. Emma first appears in Shameless and that’s when she meets Brandon, who’s returned from the war.
Any plans for Heartless as a audiobook? I know, I have become very lazy in my “old age”. You have been my favorite author for the last 40 years and I always look forward to anything new you have coming out!!
Hi, i just read the book, is beautiful, but , I have a question , I don’t now way, I have a weakness for Charles, I think is more about him to tell, sorry for my enghlish, I am from Romania! I LOVE YOURS BOOKS, in particular the Rohans’series! Thaks for them!! In my language, MULTUMESC MULT!
Redeeming Charles would be a real challenge. At some point maybe I’ll write a novella and somehow turn him into a bad boy. Like maybe his stuffy wife runs off with someone and his daughters are like the ugly stepsisters and he’ll just go “fuck it”and become totally dissolute. Could be a lot of fun. I like redeeming impossible men.
I sat down and read it cover to cover in 24 hours. I absolutely love your historicals, particularly the Rohan series. Thank you!
I’ve never liked historicals. But damn it if yours are not amongst my favourite books. Not romance novels, but all books.
Of course, my favourite will always be Catspaw.
Thank you, I bought it the moment I saw it was out, first day. Loved it.
I am soooooo behind in my response, but aside from Emma’s anger, which confused me, I LOOOOOOOVED this! And it was well worth the wait! And since you changed Charles from a caring, loving yet priggish brother, to an arsehole, I don’t think I want you to write his story anymore!
I do wish we’d gotten to catch up with Miranda and her Scorpion and the parents, but I’ve always been a demanding wench!
Loved HEARTLESS. It’s one of the best in the series.
Is there an audible book planned?
Will heartless be coming out in audiobook.
I’d love to nab this but I’d like to read the series in order and for some reason Ruthless is unavailable for kindle. I look forward to diving in once I can get the whole series.
I’ve just purchased Heartless on audible (already have it on kindle), I was so excited that I could listen to the story. I think I have all of your books from audible. I was wondering, hoping & praying if the rest of “The Wicked House of Rohan” series could be recorded for audible.
I live in the UK & from the Amazon site here, you can only buy (as far as I know) audio CD (I don’t want this format) for some of the Rohan books, but on USA Amazon site most of the Rohan series can be purchased on audible. Is there a UK website I can already buy the Rohan series audio books (not CD’s) from? If not, Anne could you please (pretty please with a cherry on the top) put this much loved series on audible in the UK?
Hope you have a lovely day
Thank you
Marion
Hi!
Re-reading all House of Rohan books and I can’t find kindle edition of Shameless?
Love this series!
Mira just gave me the rights back and I’m getting them ready to republish. Soon, I promise. Thanks for asking.
I’ve just discovered the House of Rohan-series and love them all! Looking forward to reading this new one and have just now discovered there’s a prequel. But I can’t get it as an ebook via Apple Books! Oh horror! Could anything be done about that?