Lovers and Beloveds

A prince who is the key...
And the deliberately forgotten history of a royal family's women, captured in a magic book that may lead the key to open the lock...

Heir to the Tremontine Kingdom Temmin Antremont has been shielded since birth from his father's politically and sexually charged court. Now eighteen, he must leave home for the Capital--where he walks straight into a power struggle between the King and the twin gods of love and sex.

The gods call Temmin to serve for two years, a call Temmin's father wants him to ignore. If the Heir joins the Lovers' Temple, some believe it fulfills a prophecy promising great fortune to the people; others, including the King, fear it heralds the downfall of the nobility.

With the help of the King's immortal advisor Teacher, Temmin must decide whether to obey his father and begin training for his future as ruler, or follow his heart into the Temple. But how far will his father go to stop him--and what is Teacher's real agenda?

Lovers and Beloveds is the first book in the acclaimed fantasy series An Intimate History of the Greater Kingdom, which continues with Son in Sorrow.

Also available in paperback, suggested retail price USD $16.95 ISBN: 978-0981307176 About the author: MeiLin Miranda writes fantasy and science fiction set in Victorian worlds. Her love of all things 19th century (except for the pesky parts like cholera, child labor, slavery and no rights for women) has consumed her since childhood, when she fell in a stack of Louisa May Alcott and never got up. MeiLin wrote nonfiction for thirty years, in radio, television, print and the web. She always wanted to write fiction, but figured she had time. She discovered she didn't when a series of unfortunate events resulted in a cardiac arrest complete with electric paddles ("clear!") and a near-death experience. She has since decided she came back from the dead to write books. MeiLin lives in a 130-year-old house in Portland, Oregon with a husband, two teens, two black cats, a floppy dog and far, far too much yarn.

"Everything I adore in high fantasy--lush worldbuilding, political intrigue, and compelling characters--combined with something I rarely find in high fantasy--intelligent, well-written, relevant sex. MeiLin Miranda's a damn fine writer and definitely one I'll be keeping my eye on in the future!" -- M.K. Hobson, author of The Native Star

"If George R. R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire series captures the gritty realism of medieval history,Lovers and Beloveds reveals the intimate and personal dynamics of power in aristocracies. It weaves together a rich multi-layered story that explores how sex and power shape history and individual destiny--sharing a perspective that's beyond the 'men, swords, and thrones' (capital H) history that's often seen in fantasy." -- book blogger Frida Fantastic

"[C]aptivating - almost like an anthropological study of sex, identity, gender, relationships, power, fetish, etc. Unlike your normal smut novel or porn piece, the sex is heart-breakingly realistic, full of warts and rough edges. ... Overall Rating: 4.5 stars. Thought-provoking, well-written, emotionally powerful." -- Maria T. Violante, Write, Read, Review blog