"I do not talk to dirty boys."

The girl was defiant, her dress dusty, her scarf askew; tendrils of burnished copper hair escaping onto her face. She would not stand by as her brother defended her honor. She would defend herself.

So begins the story of Batsheva Hagiz, the spirited daughter of a Jewish merchant dynasty in 12th Century Málaga. Her life is set by tradition, with schooling in languages, merchandise, and trade. But it's her love of swordplay and the ability to throw a dagger with deadly aim that will serve her best.

On the caravan journey across the desert to her wedding, Batsheva is abducted by men who are certain their sheik will prize her body. In the early days of captivity, chained to his tent, she makes the decision to do more than merely survive. She will live.

Her resolve will push the boundaries of convention, taking Batsheva from the sands of the Maghreb to the Holy Land where a crusade rages, on to the court of Plantagenet England. Batsheva is Everywoman; she refuses to give in to her fate. Instead, she confronts the world on her terms.

In her third novel, S. J. Schwaidelson weaves another cinematic story, immersing readers into exotic lands and cultures with surprisingly contemporary conflicts and human passions.