Book excerpt: Jane is the secretary of a famous American actress. She travels to an estate in France owned by a world-renowned singer ahead of her employer and encounters a mysterious man. In the days that follow, she falls head over heels in love with him, and to her shock, soon discovers that the mystery man is, in fact, the famous singer called Etienne. Surely she does not have a future with this brilliant and influential figure – or does she? Set in picturesque France, the memorable love tale written by Mary Whistler, a pseudonym of Ida Pollock, dates back to the 20th century. A must-read for fans of literary romance and surprising twists of fate. Mary Whistler is a pseudonym of Ida Pollock (1908 – 2013), a highly successful British writer of over 125 romance novels translated into numerous languages and published across the world. Ida Pollock has sold millions of copies over her 90-year career. Pollock began writing when she was 10 years old. Ida has travelled widely, living in several different countries. She continues to be popular amongst both her devoted fan base and new readers alike. Pollock has been referred to as the "world's oldest novelist" who was still active at 105 and continued writing until her death. On the occasion of her 105th birthday, Pollock was appointed honorary vice-president of the Romantic Novelists' Association, having been one of its founding members. Ida Pollock wrote in a wide variety of pseudonyms: Joan M. Allen, Susan Barrie, Pamela Kent, Averil Ives, Anita Charles, Barbara Rowan, Jane Beaufort, Rose Burghley, Mary Whistler and Marguerite Bell.