Han grabbed hold of an ankle and she fell back onto the bed in a tangle of blue silk and gauze.

      Li Feng blinked up at him, dark eyes glittering. ‘Always you!’

      She was dressed like a courtesan, in one of those robes that appeared to be made out of paper-thin cloth and air. The silk had fallen from her shoulders, revealing smooth bare skin from her throat to the topmost swell of her breasts. Han prepared to defend himself as she reached for him.

      Instead of gouging his eyes out, her hands slipped past his to bury themselves into his hair. Li Feng dragged his head down, her gaze on him the entire time. Before he knew what was happening his mouth was pressed against soft, inviting lips.

      She tasted of cinnamon and the faint tang of cloves. Though he was positioned over her, his weight pinning her legs, he was the one who felt trapped. This was a ploy, he told himself, while his body greedily strained against her.

      Han lifted his head forcibly. ‘At any moment you’re going to slit my throat.’

      There was a glint in her eyes that was both predatory and playful. ‘Perhaps.’

       AUTHOR NOTE

      I’ve always found it sexy when a hero and heroine cannot only match wits, but also match swords.

      A common theme in Chinese adventure stories is the idea of the vigilante hero—a hero guided by honour and chivalry. But how much fun would it be to have the heroine in that role? And the hero, of course, would be the thief-catcher intent on capturing her.

      Often people ask me where I get my ideas. For this book the origin was a famous poem by the poet Du Fu of the Tang Dynasty, titled Observing the Sword Dance Performed by a Disciple of Madam Gongsun. The poem starts with a description of a mesmerising sword dance, then moves into a nostalgic look at how much has changed in fifty years like ‘the turn of a page’. The sword dance ultimately becomes a symbol of the end of a golden age.

      A final historical note: Wudang Mountain, which is mentioned in the book, is an actual location. In the Tang Dynasty the mountain was already established as a centre of Taoism. A Taoist master, Lu Dong Bin, known as the Sword Immortal, was also a famous figure of the Tang Dynasty. With these elements in mind, I took the liberty of associating my heroine’s sword-training as well as her Taoist upbringing with Wudang.

      I hope you enjoy the adventures of my sword dancer and thief-catcher as they chase their way across the cities and rivers of Tang Dynasty China. There’s no better place to fight and fall in love, in my humble opinion.

      For more information about the stories, or to contact me, visit me online at: www.jeannielin.com. I love receiving mail from readers!

      About the Author

      JEANNIE LIN grew up fascinated with stories of Western epic fantasy and Eastern martial arts adventures. When her best friend introduced her to romance novels in middle school the stage was set. Jeannie started writing her first romance while working as a high school science teacher in South Central Los Angeles. After four years of trying to break into publishing with an Asian-set historical, her 2009 Golden Heart^®–winning manuscript, BUTTERFLY SWORDS, was sold to Harlequin Mills & Boon.

      As a technical consultant, backpacker and vacation junkie, she’s travelled all over the United States as well as Europe, South Korea, Japan, China and Vietnam. She’s now happily settled in St Louis, with her wonderfully supportive husband, and continues to journey to exotic locations in her stories.

      You can visit Jeannie Lin online at: www.jeannielin.com