Li-shan

In the war-torn, 13th century Mongolia of Ghenghis Khan, a young, beautiful and rebellious daughter of a Mongolian chieftain and Chinese princess encounters harrowing misfortune; and through it all, obstinately struggles against a male-dominated world to hold true to her dreams.

In the war-torn, 13th century Mongolia of Genghis Khan, Li-shan, a young, beautiful and rebellious daughter of a Mongolian chieftain and Chinese princess, struggles against a life dictated by custom and the powerful men who control her fate. After her clan is destroyed, Li-shan meets Khentai, a handsome, yet poor, orphaned herdboy. Forming a strong bond, they share their deepest dreams, and vow to realize them together. Used as a pawn among the warring clans, Li-shan is promised to the evil Shelugan, the son of the chieftain who killed Li-shan’s father. Deeply in love with Khentai, Li-shan’s vows to die first, but knows the fate of her adopted clan rests in the decision she must make. Will Li-shan and Khentai find a way to be together and realize their dreams, or will everything the two lovers have longed for be swept away by the harsh winds of the Mongolian steppe?

About Margaret C. Davidson Thirty years ago, my mother and I thought it might be fun to write a book together. We both loved to read – at the time, I particularly liked historical novels, while my mother enjoyed romances – thus, a historical romance seemed like the logical choice. Little did we know, that on that fateful day, our naïve enthusiasm would set us on a nearly three-decade journey that would eventually land us with an eBook (there were no such things when we first began our tale). Although we hadn’t imagined her in electronic form, there were other forms we considered, such as a mini-series. I easily could see Li-shan on the little screen, even a big screen, but mini-series were quite popular at the time. My mother, however, could be pretty stubborn, and never strayed from her vision of Li-shan as a novel. Eventually I gave up my Hollywood dreams. In July, of 2005, after a 3-year battle with emphysema, my mother passed away. We hadn’t worked on Li-shan for about 2 years due to her illness, and I promised her, shortly before she took her last breath, that I would finish it at some point (figuring it would be a nice retirement project many years from then). And because neither of us were really fond of our “real” names, we had decided to publish our book under the pseudonym - Margaret C. Davidson. However, a year after she died, I suddenly felt the urge to complete it. Four years and 12 drafts later, I completed Li-shan’s story, not only for the two of us, but for Li-shan, as well. For by then, she was like the child I never had. I’m sure I can speak for my mom when I say we’re proud parents, that regardless of the missteps her parents took over these many years, or what others may feel about her, we think our kid turned out okay.