Bleeding Heart (The Medici Protectorate Book 1)
In the heart of Pittsburgh awaits a secret half a millennium in the making.
After her father’s brutal murder, Franki discovers she and her three sisters are the only surviving, secret legacy of the Medici. The same people who brutally murdered her father now target her and her family for assassination. Unprepared to battle an unknown enemy, she finds her safety depends on the Medici Protectorate, the warriors who guarded her bloodline for centuries, but who failed to protect her father.
Gianni, Franki’s protector, blows his first meeting with her, but knows he must garner the trust of not only Franki, but also her sisters. Without that, he fails too, and that is unacceptable—not only to him but also to the Medici Protectorate. His troubles grow larger, for as he assumes his new role, he also undergoes inexplicable, explosive physical changes… transformations he can’t control. One of those is his uncontainable desire for Franki.
Their worlds collide in passion and violence, and Franki struggles to trust Gianni. When her life is on the line, Gianni will have to conquer both her fears and his own personal demons to rescue her in time.
The Story Behind This Book
This story holds a special place in my heart because the initial seeds of it are rooted in my ancestry. No, I’m not a descendant of the Medici. However, my grandfather always told us the story of his father’s birth—he was the illegitimate son of a duke. That got me thinking about the famous royal lines of Italy, and what would happen if an heir appeared. A discussion with my children—who were learning weapons in their TKD black belt classes at the time—soon had me incorporating a supernatural warrior element into the mix. Now, every time I think about the roots of this saga, I think of both my grandfather and my children. I love that those two generations came together to help me make this work, particularly given my kids never had the pleasure of meeting my grandfather.