Do you know the Hunter Valley of New South Wales? Most people are aware of the terrific vineyards and perhaps the great bushwalking to be had on its fringes. It’s a major coal supplier to Australia and the rest of the world too. But if you drive right up towards the end of the valley, inland from the sea, you come to the part of the Valley renowned for its horse studs. The area around Scone and Murrurrundi in particular is well known for prime breeding studs. It’s picturesque country, with the hills narrowing around the valley and I always enjoy driving through there. Some of the horse studs are enormous and there is plenty of foreign investment in those estates, including from the Middle East.
 
Inspiration for THE DESERT KING’S PREGNANT BRIDE came from a trip past the neatly-fenced pastures and king-sized stables.  I started playing that lovely writer’s game of ‘what if’.
 
What if a hard working local girl, who knew far more about horses than men, fell for the visiting owner of the estate? What if he was more than a wealthy horse breeder, but a man with much bigger things on his mind, like suddenly inheriting a kingdom that needs all his skills and energy to drag it into the 21st century? What if, despite the wariness they’ve learned over the years, they’re drawn together so powerfully that their meeting has irreversible consequences? What if he believes he can never again give his heart to any woman but feels duty bound to care for the woman whose life is now inextricably bound to his?
 
Maggie and Khalid are strong characters, so real to me as I began this story that I sometimes felt I was being carried along for the ride. I have a particular fondness for Cinderella stories and in many ways this is one, with Maggie transported to a far away, exotic kingdom unlike any she’s ever known. But her transformation isn’t just about a chance to wear lovely clothes (though I did enjoy those). This story is about two people finding joy and the promise of a wonderful future together, becoming the best they can be, because they’ve found the other.  
 
If you want to see some of the pictures that inspired me as I wrote THE DESERT KING’S PREGNANT BRIDE, or read an excerpt from the book, visit my website at http://www.annie-west.com <http://annie-west.com/>  and check out the book page.
 
I hope you find time to pick up Maggie and Khalid’s story and that you enjoy it. Please feel free to contact me and tell me what you think. Reader feedback is important to me. You can reach me via my website or at PO Box 1041, Warners Bay, NSW 2282, Australia.
 
Happy reading!
Annie