A raging storm, a shipwreck, lighthouses, and a Spruce Hill mystery, take on a new challenge when an injured woman washes ashore. And who finds her? None other than the story hero. Let the romance begin. Wait! Not so fast. There are serious complications to overcome if this couple is to make it to the altar.
Henry Forrester, plays the father role in my first contribution to the Keepers of the Light series, ‘A Liberating Love’ where he is set free from lies of his own making. Now, liberated from the pain of past love, Henry is eager to be liberated in hope for his happily-ever-after.
Is there second chance love in the cards for him?
Abigail Fleishman is on a mission to find her sister whom she hasn’t seen since she was a young girl. When two worlds collide, love and hope is tested, but only the strong will survive.
The countdown begins—Nine more days before A Liberating Hope goes live on Amazon!
How about a bit of a teaser? The storm is already underway in the story.
Abigail awakened with a start when her body dropped to the floor and rolled with the feather-weight of a paper doll until she crashed against the far wall of the master suite aboard the Charter Queen. She groaned but did not have time to recover from the first assault when the next one hit, sending her careening to the other side. She ended her second catapult by grabbing hold of the bed’s leg, which was firmly nailed to the floor, and hanging on until her sleep-fog cleared, and she became fully aware of her dire predicament.
She raised her eyes to see out the window. It was dark, and she instantly spotted the source of the water on the plank floor beneath her. How foolish to fall asleep before closing the window, allowing the ocean water an easy passage into the lower deck of the ship. She struggled to her feet and held the frame of the bed as she worked her way to the window. Just before another wave sent her hurling across the floor, she managed to shut the opening and stop the flow. This time around, she bumped into the desk. Pain shot through her as she nursed her head and stared at the blood on her hand. Abigail crawled under the piece of furniture and snuggled inside the protective, three-foot space that one would normally use as a footrest when working on the table above.
The rocking continued and when she felt she could no longer bear the turbulence alone for another moment, she braced herself to go atop to see what was amiss. Abigail clung to the railing on the steps with both hands—it was the only way to the main deck and upwards to the lounge, kitchen area, and finally, the captain’s bridge. Water streamed in from under the door of the main deck, and she dared not appease her curiosity by opening it.
She turned again and continued upward. Abigail glanced to the right as she passed the lounge to discover no crewmen amongst the battered furniture. Moving forward, she climbed the last flight of steps that would put her on the bridge, hopefully among the head crewmen who would, no doubt, be struggling to maintain control of the vessel.
Her fingers, cold and white-knuckled, gripped the wooden railing as she rounded the final corner and emerged from the shelter of the stairwell. A wall of saltwater gushed to meet her, drenching her instantly. Abigail sucked in the chilly air assaulting her lungs. The clouds and sea collided into indivisible sheets of rain, and the worst of the storm appeared to be headed straight for her.
While bent over and gagging, she noted that the door to the bridge was firmly shut. Despite the gale that threatened to sweep her overboard, she released her hand from the lifeline rail and hurtled herself toward the door. Upon contact, she clung to the knob with all her strength and turned the handle. The heavy door flew from her grasp, slamming against the inside wall. Abigail put her full weight against it and pushed it closed against the elements.
Exhausted from the effort, Abigail leaned against the cold metal for support and scanned the room. Second Mate, Landry was at the helm. When he looked at her, she witnessed fear in his eyes. She nevertheless hurried to his side, relieved to see another face.
“Where’s the captain?” Abigail yelled over the roar of the battering sea against the ship.
He nodded to the corner. She gasped when she saw Captain James Gutthrow lying there awkwardly quiet, wedged between two columns. His legs had taken on a position not humanly possible. She turned to Landry again. “Is he…?”
“Never had time to check. He was like that when I arrived—obviously hurled from his position at the wheel. The storm is winning, Mrs. Fleishman and I can’t seem to do anything about it.”
“What about the others?”
“Scattered around the ship, trying their best to turn this rig around.” He grunted as the wheel spun out of control. Abigail heard something loud, like the crackle of splintered wood, then witnessed the look of horror on Landry’s face.
“Sorry, ma’am, but this vessel will be going down with all of us trapped inside. Best make peace with your Maker.”
“You can’t give up!” Abigail stared at a blurry light ahead. “It’s a lighthouse. There must be land nearby.”
“There is, and the currents are pulling us in that direction, but we won’t make it to land before sinking. Chauntis Bay is full of rocks, and it’s not kind to seafarers. She’s brought many a ship to the graveyard.”
“Surely, not this one!” Abigail’s voice raised to near panic, and in the next moment, she stifled a scream. Through the glass window off to the side, she gaped at the size of the enormous wave headed their way.
What do you all think? I'd love to hear from you in the comments or by email.
I loved writing this book. Not only the adventurous part of it, but the inner complications of new love between a man and a woman, and the faith and hope that can keep it afloat.
If you like historical faith-filled romance, streamed with adventure, complicated twists, and set in the small logging town of Spruce Hill, complete with two lighthouses guarding Chauntis Bay, then you will love this story. Be sure to pre-order or pick it up today depending when you read this blog. It goes live on February 9th, 2021. You won’t be sorry. Click on the PICTURE ABOVE or HERE TO BUY
Meanwhile, I’m back to work on my next book. Always some character playing havoc with my brain. Have a great day and enjoy this historical suspense love story that I’ve written just for folks like you.
Be Blessed,
Marlene from Heartwarming Romance.