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Fate & Fortune
Includes previously published books Vixen in Velvet and Whitefire.
Dear Reader,
I've been lucky enough to share my stories with you for over forty years, and those first books occupy a special place in my heart. Vixen in Velvet and Whitefire are two of my earliest stories, and I am so happy to have this chance to introduce them to new readers.
VIXEN IN VELVET
Beautiful, well-bred Victoria Rawlings sees only one way to avoid an arranged marriage--switching places with a tavern maid. Her daring scheme leads her to Marcus Chancelor, who, like Tori, is not what he seems. The handsome American secretly poses as a highwayman to support a besieged colony. Once their identities are unmasked, will Tori seize a chance at happiness, far beyond the safety she's known?
WHITEFIRE
Katerina Vaschenko seeks vengeance against the marauders who destroyed her village and stole her priceless horses for the mad czar. But she never dreamed that her sworn enemy the Mongol prince would be the one to aid her quest. Or that together, they would forge a destiny as magnificent as the land that is their glorious heritage. . . .
Dear Reader,
I've been lucky enough to share my stories with you for over forty years, and those first books occupy a special place in my heart. Vixen in Velvet and Whitefire are two of my earliest stories, and I am so happy to have this chance to introduce them to new readers.
VIXEN IN VELVET
Beautiful, well-bred Victoria Rawlings sees only one way to avoid an arranged marriage--switching places with a tavern maid. Her daring scheme leads her to Marcus Chancelor, who, like Tori, is not what he seems. The handsome American secretly poses as a highwayman to support a besieged colony. Once their identities are unmasked, will Tori seize a chance at happiness, far beyond the safety she's known?
WHITEFIRE
Katerina Vaschenko seeks vengeance against the marauders who destroyed her village and stole her priceless horses for the mad czar. But she never dreamed that her sworn enemy the Mongol prince would be the one to aid her quest. Or that together, they would forge a destiny as magnificent as the land that is their glorious heritage. . . .
608 pages, Mass Market Paperback
Published May 29, 2018
652 people are currently reading
1802 people want to read
About the author
Fern Michaels
428 books6,563 followersFern Michaels isn’t a person. I’m not sure she’s an entity either since an entity is something with separate existence. Fern Michaels® is what I DO. Me, Mary Ruth Kuczkir. Growing up in Hastings, Pennsylvania, I was called Ruth. I became Mary when I entered the business world where first names were the order of the day. To this day, family and friends call me Dink, a name my father gave me when I was born because according to him I was ‘a dinky little thing’ weighing in at four and a half pounds. However, I answer to Fern since people are more comfortable with a name they can pronounce.
As they say, the past is prologue. I grew up, got a job, got married, had five kids. When my youngest went off to Kindergarten, my husband told me to get off my ass and get a job. Those were his exact words. I didn’t know how to do anything except be a wife and mother. I was also a voracious reader having cut my teeth on The Bobbsey Twins, Nancy Drew, The Hardy Boys, Cherry Ames and the like. The library was a magical place for me. It still is to this day. Rather than face the outside world with no skills, I decided to write a book. For some reason that didn’t intimidate me. As my husband said at the time, stupid is as stupid does. Guess what, I don’t have that husband any more. Guess what else! I wrote 99 books, most of them New York Times Best Sellers.
Moving right along here . . . Several years ago I left Ballantine Books, parted company with my agent, sold my house in New Jersey that I had lived in all my married life and in 1993 moved to South Carolina. I figured if I was going to go through trauma let it be all at one time. It was a breeze. The kids were all on their own at that point. The dump was a 300 year old plantation house that is listed in the National Registry that I remodeled. Today it is beyond belief as are the gardens and the equally old Angel Oaks that drip Spanish moss. Unfortunately, I could not get my ghost to relocate. This ghost has been documented by previous owners. Mary Margaret as we call her, is “a friendly”. She is also mischievous. It took me two weeks to figure out that she didn’t like my coffee cups. They would slide off the table or counter or else they’d break in the dishwasher. I bought red checkered ones. All are intact as of this writing. She moves pillows from one room to the other and she stops all the clocks in the house at 9:10 in the a.m. at least once a week. When the Azaleas are in bloom, and only then, I find blooms on my night stand. I have this glorious front porch and during the warm months I see my swing moving early in the morning when the air is still and again late in the day. She doesn’t spook the dogs. I always know when she’s around because the five of them line up and look like they’re at a tennis match. As of this writing we’re co-habiting nicely.
Most writers love what they do and I’m no exception. I love it when I get a germ of an idea and get it down on paper. I love breathing life into my characters. I love writing about women who persevere and prevail because that’s what I had to do to get to this point in time. It’s another way of saying it doesn’t matter where you’ve been, what matters is where you’re going and how you get there. The day I finally prevailed was the day I was inducted into the New Jersey Literary Hall of Fame. For me it was an awesome day and there are no words to describe it.
I’ve been telling stories and scribbling for 37 years. I hope I can continue for another 37 years. It wasn’t easy during some of those years. As I said, I had to persevere. My old Polish grandmother said something to me when I was little that I never forgot. She said when God is good to you, you have to give back. For a while I didn’t know how to do that. When I finally figured it out I set up The Fern Michaels® Foundation.
READ FERN MICHAELS' FULL BIOGRAPHY HERE: http://www.fernmichaels.com/biography/
As they say, the past is prologue. I grew up, got a job, got married, had five kids. When my youngest went off to Kindergarten, my husband told me to get off my ass and get a job. Those were his exact words. I didn’t know how to do anything except be a wife and mother. I was also a voracious reader having cut my teeth on The Bobbsey Twins, Nancy Drew, The Hardy Boys, Cherry Ames and the like. The library was a magical place for me. It still is to this day. Rather than face the outside world with no skills, I decided to write a book. For some reason that didn’t intimidate me. As my husband said at the time, stupid is as stupid does. Guess what, I don’t have that husband any more. Guess what else! I wrote 99 books, most of them New York Times Best Sellers.
Moving right along here . . . Several years ago I left Ballantine Books, parted company with my agent, sold my house in New Jersey that I had lived in all my married life and in 1993 moved to South Carolina. I figured if I was going to go through trauma let it be all at one time. It was a breeze. The kids were all on their own at that point. The dump was a 300 year old plantation house that is listed in the National Registry that I remodeled. Today it is beyond belief as are the gardens and the equally old Angel Oaks that drip Spanish moss. Unfortunately, I could not get my ghost to relocate. This ghost has been documented by previous owners. Mary Margaret as we call her, is “a friendly”. She is also mischievous. It took me two weeks to figure out that she didn’t like my coffee cups. They would slide off the table or counter or else they’d break in the dishwasher. I bought red checkered ones. All are intact as of this writing. She moves pillows from one room to the other and she stops all the clocks in the house at 9:10 in the a.m. at least once a week. When the Azaleas are in bloom, and only then, I find blooms on my night stand. I have this glorious front porch and during the warm months I see my swing moving early in the morning when the air is still and again late in the day. She doesn’t spook the dogs. I always know when she’s around because the five of them line up and look like they’re at a tennis match. As of this writing we’re co-habiting nicely.
Most writers love what they do and I’m no exception. I love it when I get a germ of an idea and get it down on paper. I love breathing life into my characters. I love writing about women who persevere and prevail because that’s what I had to do to get to this point in time. It’s another way of saying it doesn’t matter where you’ve been, what matters is where you’re going and how you get there. The day I finally prevailed was the day I was inducted into the New Jersey Literary Hall of Fame. For me it was an awesome day and there are no words to describe it.
I’ve been telling stories and scribbling for 37 years. I hope I can continue for another 37 years. It wasn’t easy during some of those years. As I said, I had to persevere. My old Polish grandmother said something to me when I was little that I never forgot. She said when God is good to you, you have to give back. For a while I didn’t know how to do that. When I finally figured it out I set up The Fern Michaels® Foundation.
READ FERN MICHAELS' FULL BIOGRAPHY HERE: http://www.fernmichaels.com/biography/
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
December 7, 2023
This book was made up of two previously published books, by Fern Michaels in 2018. I liked them both, but enjoyed Fate& Fortune the best. It was a good adventure, and romance concerned a strong willed Tori, who finds herself engaged to a rich man old enough to be her grandfather, with her cousins help she escapes one disaster, to find herself entangled in another with a gang of highwaymen. Lots of adventure, romance, robbery, snowfalls that turn deadly. I liked most of the characters. It had a good ending. 4 stars.
February 12, 2022
This book was ok Tori is to be married to a loathsome old man with money to get her father out of debt. When she finds out that a r tavern wrench looks like her they trade places. Tori gets herself involved with the highway man, who is robbing people to really help his colony. They fall in love
September 18, 2020
Two very entertaining stories included in this book. I recommend it to those who enjoy a good romance or two.
August 4, 2025
Not the Fern Michaels she wants was
Years ago, I enjoyed Fern Michaels writing very much and bought this book with high hopes. I lasted 25 pages before I couldn’t stand it anymore: the dialogue was incredibly awkward, the writing lacked the grace of her older books, and the plotting was, well, plodding. Not to mention far-fetched. Either this was something she wrote when very young and wisely put aside or she has lost her touch entirely.
Years ago, I enjoyed Fern Michaels writing very much and bought this book with high hopes. I lasted 25 pages before I couldn’t stand it anymore: the dialogue was incredibly awkward, the writing lacked the grace of her older books, and the plotting was, well, plodding. Not to mention far-fetched. Either this was something she wrote when very young and wisely put aside or she has lost her touch entirely.
August 28, 2018
Fate & Fortune
I love stories by Fern Michaels. They have a great storyline, some happiness followed by a struggle, then happily ever after. These love stories were read by me in a night, could barely keep my eyes open at work the next day but it was worth it.
I love stories by Fern Michaels. They have a great storyline, some happiness followed by a struggle, then happily ever after. These love stories were read by me in a night, could barely keep my eyes open at work the next day but it was worth it.
May 13, 2019
Was a wonderful read with a lots of twist and turn. The book was about the English colony. How one Lord lost
s all his money and to survive he give his daughter to another Lord to be married and Daddy get a fortune
s all his money and to survive he give his daughter to another Lord to be married and Daddy get a fortune
January 28, 2023
Disgusting..not something to read for pleasure
It is bad enough that men did such awful things in history, to write about is unconscionable. I only maxi it to the fifth chapter, then speed read, skipping many pages to see if it go netter. It did not.
It is bad enough that men did such awful things in history, to write about is unconscionable. I only maxi it to the fifth chapter, then speed read, skipping many pages to see if it go netter. It did not.
May 20, 2018
I received this book for free through goodreads giveaways.
This is actually 2 books! Vixen in Velvet and Whitefire. Both were very good and I will definitely be reading more from this author.
This is actually 2 books! Vixen in Velvet and Whitefire. Both were very good and I will definitely be reading more from this author.
August 29, 2018
First part of the book was good. Last part too long and drawn out!
October 22, 2018
I love Fern Michael's books. She never disappoints, whether it's mystery, fiction or mystery
November 15, 2019
I read Vixen in Velvet, and it was the worst story ever. I have not read other Fern Michaels books, but this does not make me want to. Ugh...waste of time.
April 15, 2020
her books never fail to keep you reading and enjoyable good book
May 10, 2023
Good stories but a long book, 600 pages.
December 17, 2025
This book included two different books, Vixen in Velvet and Whitefire. I enjoyed both but I thought the first story was more interesting.
Want to read
April 27, 2018Who could NOT fall for these books once you've seen the cover?! Can't wait to get this book and read it.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews