FLETCHER, Donna

PERSONAL: Born in NJ; married; children: three sons. Hobbies and other interests: Travel, photography.

ADDRESSES: Home—New Jersey. Agent—c/o Author Mail, Penguin Putnam, 375 Hudson St., New York, NY 10014. E-mail—donna@donnafletcher.com.

CAREER: Novelist.

WRITINGS:

romance novels

San Francisco Surrender, Kensington (New York, NY), 1990.

Untamed Fire, Kensington (New York, NY), 1991.

Tame My Wild Touch, Kensington (New York, NY), 1992.

Rebellious Bride, Diamond Books (New York, NY), 1993.

The Buccaneer, Jove Books (New York, NY), 1995.

Whispers on the Wind, Jove Books (New York, NY), 1997.

Wedding Spell, Jove Books (New York, NY), 1999.

Magical Moments, Jove Books (New York, NY), 1999.

Magical Memories, Jove Books (New York, NY), 2000.

The Irish Devil, Jove Books (New York, NY), 2000.

Irish Hope, Jove Books (New York, NY), 2001.

Isle of Lies, Jove Books (New York, NY), 2002.

Love Me Forever, Jove Books (New York, NY), 2003.

Remember the Magic, Jove Books (New York, NY), 2003.

SIDELIGHTS: Donna Fletcher has written romance novels with a variety of settings, including the American West in frontier times and Ireland in the Middle Ages, and has focused on subjects from witchcraft to Scottish clan warfare. Several of her early works are set in the Old West, including San Francisco Surrender, dealing with love among underworld types on the city's waterfront; Untamed Fire, about the tempestuous love affair between a powerful California rancher and a young gypsy woman; Tame My Wild Touch, in which a Bostonian journeys west in search of her long-lost mother and becomes involved with a gunfighter; and Rebellious Bride, concerning the marriage of a tough, independent woman and an elegant, cultured man in the Dakota Territory.

Wedding Spell, Magical Moments, and Magical Memories form Fletcher's trilogy of modern-day paranormal romances. In the first, Alisande, a witch who needs love to replenish her powers, casts a spell that requires logical-minded mortal businessman Sebastian to overcome his disbelief. The second centers on Alisande's friend Dagon, a male witch who, despite reservations, finds love with Sarina, a witch who appears to have lost her magical capabilities and has been working as a servant—albeit a very accident-prone one—at his castle in Scotland. The third, also set in Scotland, focuses on Sarina's sister, Tempest, the Ancient One, who is the most powerful witch of all. She is drawn to an American drifter, Michael, only to realize he is the reincarnation of Marcus, an evil warlock whom she had banished many years ago but to whom she has given the opportunity to learn to use his powers benevolently. While memories of his earlier identity surface in Michael's strange dreams, he and Tempest make tentative moves toward each other. The novel is "a heartwarming story of a man's, or should I say witch's, discovery of the difference between power and love," commented Romance Reader reviewer B. Kathy Leitle.

The Irish Devil and Irish Hope are also interrelated novels. The former, set in twelfth-century Ireland, has as its protagonist Lady Faith, a noblewoman considered unmarriageable because she is a rape victim and therefore not a virgin. She claims she fought off her attacker before he was able to rape her, but no one in her village, including her parents, believes her; in fact, everyone thinks it would have been preferable if the attacker had killed her, rape being considered a fate worse than death. Living in a small cottage on her parents' estate, Faith works as a healer and in this capacity meets Lord Eric of Shanekill, a warrior whose fierceness has earned him the title "Irish Devil." He is attracted to Faith and knows nothing of her assault; they marry, and while she eventually comes to return his feelings, she is worried all the while that he will discover her secret and send her away. Romance Reader contributor Judith Flavell found the characters "a bit one-dimensional," painted in shades of black and white, but dubbed Faith "a likeable heroine" involved in "a solid romantic story line." In the sequel, Irish Hope, Eric's young niece Hope runs away, disguised as a boy, to find adventure and avoid an arranged marriage. Eric sends a trusted aide, Colin, to search for Hope; Colin finds her without realizing it, as he does not see through her disguise. She begins to fall in love with him, but is worried about how he will react when he learns of her deception.

Isle of Lies is set in Scotland during the clan wars of the sixteenth century. One of the clan leaders, Ian Cameron, tricks Moira Maclean, the convent-raised daughter of his leading rival, into marrying him; he tells her that her father has commanded from his deathbed that they wed in order to bring peace between the clans. Soon, however, Moira finds out that her father, still alive and well, gave no such order, and she and Ian go their separate ways. A few months later, though, he returns to her, and she learns that a war indeed was averted because of their marriage, but now she is in danger of being killed by someone who wants to reignite the fighting. Ian sets himself up as her protector, and they find their attraction to each other has endured. A Publishers Weekly reviewer thought Fletcher gives Ian and Moira some overly modern attitudes and dialogue, but allowed that "with its feisty heroine, sensitive hero and numerous sex scenes, this book should satisfy Fletcher's fans." BookBrowser critic Harriet Klausner called Isle of Lies a "well-written tale," adding, "The lead couple is a delightful duo and the secondary characters provide strength to the plot."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

periodicals

Booklist, February 15, 2003, John Charles, review of Love Me Forever, p. 1056.

Publishers Weekly, February 18, 2002, review of Isle of Lies, p. 81.

online

All about Romance,http://www.likesbooks.com/ (August 6, 2002), Blythe Barnhill, review of Isle of Lies.

BookBrowser,http://www.bookbrowser.com/ (August 6, 2002), Harriet Klausner, review of Isle of Lies.

Donna Fletcher Web site,http://www.donnafletcher.com (August 6, 2002).

Romance Reader,http://www.theromancereader.com/ (August 6, 2002), B. Kathy Leitle, review of Magical Memories; Judith Flavell, review of The Irish Devil; Lesley Dunlap, review of Irish Hope.*