Cursed by Love

In this Golden Heart-winning novel, Molly Webber, a superstitious third-grade teacher, takes her recently-inherited jade carving to an antiques appraisal show in Cincinnati. She learns the oddly-shaped carving is half of a piece of Chinese erotica known as the Sleeping Lotus. If paired with its companion piece, its worth half-a-million dollars. Unfortunately, the other half is owned by motorcycle enthusiast and pragmatic businessman, Gabe Shaw. Hes also present at the antiques appraisal show seeking information about his half of the Sleeping Lotus. Ancient Chinese legend says that when the two pieces are joined together, the Sleeping Lotus will bring the owners great wealth, success, and impressive sexual stamina. But with the object divided, the owners will be cursed with unrequited love, loneliness, misery and untimely death. A history of misfortune in both of their families is enough to confirm the validity of the curse for Molly, but Gabe dismisses the notion. He believes people make their own luck. Molly fears her parents recent marital problems have been caused by the Sleeping Lotus. She will go to any lengths to get the pieces back together and into her parents possession. Gabe manages a small technical company that employs a colorful group of family members who depend on him for their livelihood. While hed let some of them fend for themselves, he feels responsible for his paraplegic sister, her young daughter, and his grandfather. Gabe is desperate to sell the Sleeping Lotus to bail the company out of its dire financial difficulties. Gabe and Molly try working together to research the provenance of their carvings, but passion continually overwhelms the mismatched couple. Even Gabe has to wonder if the piece of erotica is responsible for the magic that ignites between them. While wrestling with unseen forces and evading the pursuit of unscrupulous collectors, they must reach a decision about the carvings ultimate fate and their own destiny.