Thirteen Chances
by Cindy Miles

Their love has been thwarted for centuries...

Christian is a fierce Welsh Crusader who's vowed to wait for his true love, Emma—even if it means waiting forever. Eight hundred years later, he's still walking the earth as a spirit, thanks to a mangled magic spell. Every seventy-two years, Emma reappears, drawn to her Intended. But each time Christian has to make her fall in love with him all over again, only to lose her over and over...

Now the Ballaster sisters hope to succeed where every other White Witch has failed. They are determined to bring Emma's and Christian's souls together for all eternity. But they have only one chance to get it right. Emma's and Christian's thirteenth chance. And if they fail, Christian's and Emma's love will be lost forever...

Other Books by Cindy Miles

A Christmas Spirit

A Highlander Christmas

MacGowan's Ghost

Highland Knight

Into Thin Air

Spirited Away

Cindy Miles' Bio

Several years ago, while browsing through books in the local library, I overheard two young middle school boys excitedly talking about a creepy, haunted house on Foy Cemetery Road. The longer I listened to the gruesome tale of murder and ghosts, the prouder I became.

Fifteen years earlier, I'd made that same, freaky story up to scare my younger cousins. The story had lived on and been passed down, only to find me in the most unexpected of places.

From that moment on, I knew creating stories was what I wanted to do—needed to do with my life. So I set my goals and got busy. Since that surreal day in the library, I've completed six novels and diligently pursued publication. I joined RWA, my wonderful home chapter, Georgia Romance Writers, and entered/placed/won several RWA-sponsored contests, including the Emily, the Marlene, and the prestigious Maggie Award.

Loads of queries, requests, submissions, and rejections later, I found someone who believed in me and my work. When Jenny Bent of Trident Media offered me representation, I felt as though I'd finally made it. With her encouragement, enthusiasm, and fabulous direction, we sold the book of my heart to New American Library.

I grew up on the salt marshes of the Vernon River in Savannah, Georgia. Crabbing in an aluminum boat, catching the tide coming in and going out, was the highlight of the summer. Crab boils and fresh fried shrimp lasted all season. Family get-togethers, Sunday dinner, cicadas and fireflies made up my childhood; they're memories and traditions I love to recall and begin anew with my own family—a great husband of eighteen years and two fabulous kids.

I love to travel and explore the places I write about. Of course, Savannah is an easy enough trip! There's a haunting feel to the old Colonial town, and it hangs thick like the balmy coastal air it's surrounded by. Stories of pirates, murder, mayhem, wrongly accused, hangings and duels (and ghosts!) abound. A survivor of two major wars and several devastating fires, Savannah is a place meant to inspire, welcome, and linger in minds forever.

Northern England and Scotland are the other places of my heart. Ruggedly beautiful, the proud history clings to the land and its people. Every season holds something different, something special. The air is crisp with the scent of clover and heather. And whether you're walking the rugged sea-side cliffs of Dunstanburgh ruins in Northern England, or the eerie catacombs of old towne Edinburgh, or the haunting, breath-taking crags of Glen Coe in the western Highlands, the past literally comes alive like a live, breathing thing. These magical places have given me inspiration for my stories and wonderful, long-lasting memories.