The Princess and the Peace: The Valley of Viridian Women Warriors Series (The Valley of Viridian Series)

The Princess and the Peace was originally titled The Dark Dragons of Dozo, but many argued that this would fool readers into thinking the book was a fantasy. It is not. It is a romance, though my brother would argue that romances are fantasy.

It is part of a series of novels that are set geographically at the crossroads of different cultures and religions; and roughly at the time when the different cultures and religions were venturing out of their domains and mingling, often with destructive results. The stories that take place in Viridian are not about destruction, but about finding commonalities, and, ultimately, because they are romances, about how love conquers all.

The cultures in the Valley include kingdoms and patriarchy, queendoms and matriliny, gods, God, and the Goddess, Maya. It includes Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Goddess worshipers and atheists. It includes the white west, the Asian east, hints of Africa and the Middle East, and Hindustan. Woven through it all are women and men navigating their lives, like ships on stormy seas; seeking power, seeking happiness, and hoping that love does not ruin it all.

Syrene Saladin began writing as a way to keep sane. Really. She is the mother of three and a public school teacher. She loves being a mother and a teacher, but face it – those are the most stressful jobs on the planet. Writing was meditation – like the wand and the pensieve in Harry Potter – it took the thoughts from her head and detangled them onto paper, focusing her mind and unleashing the creative force. She wrote non-stop for the next fifteen years: in between classes (during meetings – maybe …), while waiting at practices, before doctor appointments … and, all the while, staying sane – though some may argue that point.

For the longest time, however, she did not think that the romance market was the most lucrative; nor did she think writing romances was serious business.

Until she realized, it was. Serious business, that is. The romance hero, though too good to be true; is too good not to dream about. And, the romance heroine – needed a makeover. Our heroes are preserved: they remain amazing; but, our heroines are badass. They take on patriarchy, overbearing fathers, brothers and lovers, cultural constructs, societal concepts of a woman’s place … much like our own selves … and they succeed.

Read about it, and them, in the Valley of Viridian books.