Highlight: The Wild Roses by Robert J. Elisberg

THE WILD ROSES is the sweeping tale of three women who find themselves caught up in a swashbuckling adventure of high action, comedy and romance to save the king and country. Within months of each other, King Louis XIII, Cardinal Richelieu, and the powerful Queen Mother Marie de Medici all died, leaving France of 1648 in the hands of a Child King. The result is a power vacuum, from which aristocrats hope to plunge the nation into civil war, which could determine the balance of power in Europe forever.

A plot by the leader of the aristocrats has been set in motion, kidnapping the young king, to force the royal family to abdicate. Near-helpless, the Queen Regent and her Chief Minister Cardinal Jules Mazarin try to stave off the threat, but with little success. And so, as the life of France begins to break down, lawlessness in the streets breaks out. In the midst of this turmoil, three young women – unaware of one another – have each suddenly been forced from home to face their own steep hurdles alone that have changed their lives. And though they don’t know it, those separate lives will soon entwine with one another, and the destiny of France.

Robert J. Elisberg is a two-time recipient of the Lucille Ball Award for comedy screenwriting.  His novel, A Christmas Carol 2: The Return of Scrooge reached #2 on Amazon’s Hot List for Comedy/Parody.  His screen work includes an upcoming adventure for Callahan Filmworks, and co-writing three of the Skateboymovies based on the international series.  Elisberg is a long-time columnist for the Huffington Post and the Writers Guild of America, whose political writing is included in the anthology, Clued in on Politics (CQ Press). Among his other writing, he co-wrote a book on world travel; co-wrote the song, "Just One of the Girls," for the Showtime movie Wharf Rat; and wrote the book for the stage musical-comedy, Rapunzel.  He has contributed to for such publications as the Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Daily News, and Los Angeles magazine.