Born into a world of wealth and pleasure, Annette Vallon enjoys the privileges of aristocracy, but a burning curiosity and headstrong independence set her apart from other women of her class. Spoiled by the novels of Rousseau, she refuses to be married unless it is for passion. Her stubborn devotion to her romantic principles bears the sweetest fruit when William Wordsworth, a young English poet, enters her life. She will be his mistress, his muse, his obsession. But theirs is a love that will test Annette in unexpected ways, bringing great joy and gravest peril in a dark time of chaos, upheaval, and death. Set amid the terror and excitement of the French Revolution, Annette Vallon is an enthralling and evocative tale that captures the courageous spirit of a remarkable woman who, for too long, has been relegated to the shadows of history. “James Tipton has taken a little known story about a famous English poet in his formative years, and has created a fine novel...will be enjoyed on many levels―as a romance, as a well-researched historical novel, and not least as an exciting adventure story.” - Janet Aylmer, author of Darcy’s Story “The romance of the novel is secondary to Tipton’s portrait of Annette as a spirited heroine in a time of desperation and danger.... A pleasing literary fancy set against the terrors of the French Revolution.” - Kirkus Reviews “Annette―and those who help her along the way―are believable in their struggles through the best and the worst of times.” - Publishers Weekly “A romance novel, an adventure novel and a concise history of the French Revolution all in one.” - Chicago Tribune Born into a world of wealth and pleasure, Annette Vallon enjoys the privileges of aristocracy, but a burning curiosity and headstrong independence set her apart from other women of her class. Spoiled by the novels of Rousseau, she refuses to be married unless it is for passion. Her stubborn devotion to her romantic principles bears the sweetest fruit when William Wordsworth, a young English poet, enters her life. She will be his mistress, his muse, his obsession. But theirs is a love that will test Annette in unexpected ways, bringing great joy and gravest peril in a dark time of chaos, upheaval, and death. Set amid the terror and excitement of the French Revolution, Annette Vallon is an enthralling and evocative tale that captures the courageous spirit of a remarkable woman who, for too long, has been relegated to the shadows of history. James Tipton holds a Ph.D. in English literature and teaches in the San Francisco Bay Area, where he lives with his family.