*** 2013 Silver Medal Winner - Global eBook Award - Historical Romance ** 2011 Best Book Nominee in Historical Romance - The Romance Reviews 2011 Nominated for the Global eBook Award in 2 categories: Best eBook Cover and Historical Literature - Fiction Editorial Review - A historical fiction that's easy to read and hard to put down. This novel takes place in 1772, during the brief lull in American history when, for the most part, rebellion is still whispered and loyalties, while questioned, are not, as of yet, tested. The story opens on the high seas with American pirates swarming over the decks of a ship, while others are bashing down the door of the captain's quarters. Once they gain entry, the pirate captain is confronted with not only the British captain lying on the floor with a knife in his back, but an abused cabin boy. After offering the boy the opportunity to join his pirate crew, he soon discovers that the cabin boy is, in reality, a young woman fleeing a royal decree. Weeks later, when the pirate ship finally sets anchor outside the colonial Charles Town harbor, the captain, although intrigued, lets the mysterious woman go. Intertwined with deceptions on the part of the American pirate and the English woman is a love story in which these two strong-willed individuals, with similar convictions yet different perspectives, overcome their differences on a coastal South Carolina rice plantation. Synopsis - Wishing to escape the dull responsibilities of his rice plantation home, Grant Hawthorne sails the seas procuring boycotted goods for the American colonies. While plundering an British merchant ship, he discovers the captain's ill-treated cabin boy, Vic, and offers the youth the opportunity to join his crew. Grant quickly learns, however, that Vic is actually Victoria, a young woman who, for unknown reasons, is fleeing England. They try keeping her gender a secret from the crew, until a sailor exposes her deception, causing tensions to explode to mutinous proportions. After several weeks at sea, the ship sets anchor outside the Charles Town harbor and Grant, though intrigued by Victoria's spirit and beauty, lets her go. While in port, he is confronted with the fact that a tragic accident has placed all the Hawthorne properties and assets in jeopardy. He suddenly realizes both Victoria and his home, are too precious to lose. With a firm determination, Grant initiates a search to locate the mysterious Victoria while he prepares to fight for what is rightfully his.
About the Author: Meet Lynne Marie - I grew up in South Carolina and have lived and worked in the coastal region with my husband for over 30 years. I started writing in the mid-1990s, but with no formal training in creative writing, and a family to raise, the learning curve took years. I soon discovered that I loved what I refer to as spike history - everything I could learn about a time span, usually 5 years or less, in a very localized setting. I have spent uncounted research hours scouring through many coastal libraries, as well as touring numerous plantations and historic sites collecting data. I went on low-level flights in a Piper Cherokee over the Waccamaw and Santee River Basins in order to view the layout of the rice fields, which are still visible from the air. Huzzah!!! Through all the years, I never gave up on my stories... I am not trying to change the world. My novels do not have a deep and profound meaning, but they do carry the message of not giving up, no matter what happens. I guess, in essence, I just want my stories to provide light entertainment and a short escape from the day-to-day existence that we all get caught up in. My husband and I have raised a family of three girls and all have obtained college degrees. With a mutual love of history, we still plan family trips with our daughters to Colonial Williamsburg and attend historic events dressed in period clothing. The only baby left at home is May, a black Lab mix, who has quickly become spoiled rotten. In my spare time, I enjoy working on large and small projects in a type of faux stained glass. (A gallery of the largest ones may be seen on my Facebook page.) I also love to cook, especially Southern comfort foods, and have recently started collecting orchids. Some bloom, some haven't yet, but they all like the muggy summer heat more than me! If you want to learn more about me, please visit my web page at LynneMarieAuthor.com