THE

      ROYAL

      HOUSE OF NIROLI

       SEMPRE APPASSIONATO, SEMPRE FIERO

       Always passionate, always proud

       The richest royal family in the world— united by blood and passion, torn apart by deceit and desire

      Complete your collection with all four books!

       The Royal House of Niroli: Scandalous Seductions

       The Royal House of Niroli: Billion Dollar Bargains

       The Royal House of Niroli: Innocent Mistresses

       The Royal House of Niroli: Secret Heirs

       WELCOME TO NIROLI!

      Nestled in the azure blue of the Mediterranean, the majestic island of Niroli has prospered for centuries. The Fierezza men have worn the crown with passion and pride since the Middle Ages. But now, as the King’s health declines, and his two sons have been tragically killed, the crown is in jeopardy.

      The clock is ticking—a new heir must be found before the King is forced to abdicate. By royal decree the internationally scattered members of the Fierezza family are summoned to claim their destiny. But any person who takes the throne must do so according to ‘The Rules of the Royal House of Niroli’. Soon secrets and rivalries emerge as the descendants of this ancient royal line vie for position and power. Only a true Fierezza can become ruler—a person dedicated to their country, their people … and their eternal love!

      THE

      ROYAL

      HOUSE OF NIROLI

      Innocent Mistresses

      SUSAN STEPHENS

      ROBYN DONALD

       www.millsandboon.co.uk

      Expecting His

      Royal Baby

      SUSAN STEPHENS

      MORE ABOUT

      SUSAN STEPHENS

      SUSAN STEPHENS was a professional singer before meeting her husband on the tiny Mediterranean island of Malta. In true Modern™ style they met on Monday, became engaged on Friday and were married three months after that. Almost thirty years and three children later, they are still in love. (Susan does not advise her children to return home one day with a similar story, as she may not take the news with the same fortitude as her own mother!)

      Susan had written several non-fiction books when fate took a hand. At a charity costume ball there was an after-dinner auction. One of the lots, ‘Spend a Day with an Author’, had been donated by Mills & Boon® author Penny Jordan. Susan’s husband bought this lot and Penny was to become not just a great friend but a wonderful mentor, who encouraged Susan to write romance.

      Susan loves her family, her pets, her friends and her writing. She enjoys entertaining, travel and going to the theatre. She reads, cooks and plays the piano to relax and can occasionally be found throwing herself off mountains on a pair of skis or galloping through the countryside. Visit Susan’s website: www.susanstephens.net—she loves to hear from her readers all around the world!

      SUSAN STEPHENS

      QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

       Did you enjoy the experience of writing about Niroli?

      Writing about a beautiful fictional island, which I imagine to be something like Sardinia or Sicily, was an inspiration and allowed me to use my great love of the Mediterranean to the full. And, of course, on a sun drenched fantasy island anything is possible …

       Would you like to visit Niroli?

      I can’t imagine anyone not wanting to visit Niroli with its glorious weather, clean white powder beaches and clear blue sea—not to mention the hunky men who hang out there. If you stay for long enough you might even meet a prince.

       Which of the ‘Rules of Niroli’ would you least like to abide by?

      The rule about the monarch dictating the education of all members of the royal house. What if the ruler’s aspirations weren’t all that high, or their imagination was stunted—should everyone suffer?.

       How did you find writing as part of continuity?

      It was a privilege to be writing in a team of such talented authors, not to mention the support we all received from an excellent editorial team.

       When you are writing, what is your typical day?

      You really don’t want to know! I get up at five to make a start before the phone starts ringing. After that it’s hanging on to a train of thought while I do, or think about, a dozen other things.

       Where do you get your inspiration for the characters that you write?

      The heroine is always me—younger and far more beautiful, naturally, but me. I add all the bits (make that large chunks) that I admire in my friends, together with quirks, hobbies and interests that make someone unique. It’s great for me to imagine I’m playing a new role with each book I write.

       What, in your opinion, makes a great Modern™ hero?

      A Modern™ hero might appear at first meeting to be hard and unredeemable, but on closer acquaintance we find he is a true hero in every sense of the word, The leader of the pack, he is strong in both character and principle and always true to himself. He is a caring and competent individual, capable of great love as well as deep passion.

       Tell us about the project you’re working on at the moment.

      The love story I’m writing at the moment is about two wounded souls who if they only realised it have much in common, but the horrendous incidents in their past are pushing them apart. Can a strong man be brought to his knees by love, and can a woman who has survived a monstrous ordeal see beyond her fight for the island she loves to a man who needs her every bit as much as the islanders do?

      For everyone involved in this exciting journey to

      Niroli, especially Jenny and the team

      at Harlequin Mills & Boon

      PROLOGUE

      AS HE WATCHED the tiny dot appear through the clouds the ambassador of Niroli’s throat dried. What if this precious heir to the throne should perish? And with Nico Fierezza’s addiction to extreme sports that seemed extremely likely; if not today, then some day soon. The ambassador’s nerves refused to steady even when the dot turned into six feet four of solid muscle and Nico hit the ground on target. Only Nico didn’t hit the ground, he landed like a cat.

      As someone took away his parachute Nico lifted off his helmet and stared straight at the ambassador. He had detected the distinguished visitor in the same instant he had located the cross hairs on his jumping target and was relieved to see that duty rather than disaster had brought him to the field.

      He maintained a distance between himself and the bickering and power play surrounding his grandfather, King Giorgio of Niroli. The Fierezza family had ruled Niroli since