Margaret,
the heroine of Patriot’s Pride, first appeared as the indomitable younger
sister of Agnes in Patriot’s Heart. Margaret and her pet pig, Jonas, stole many
scenes in Patriot’s Heart. I knew I had to give Margaret her own book and
I am delighted I was able to do so.
One fact, which initially inspired me to write the book, was the
impressment of American sailors by the British even though the Revolutionary
War had come to an end. Eventually, the practice turned public opinion against
Britain, resulting in the War of 1812.
I
did quite a lot of research for the book and discovered many ways in which our
world has changed considerably since 1784, which is the year Margaret embarks
on a journey to England.
I
wrote a blog post on how recipes used to be called receipts. I wrote
another on the sad statistics of surgery in those long ago days. I love
research and am fascinated by the details of history.
Naturally, once I read about the sad state of surgery in those
days, it wasn’t difficult to imagine Derrick, a surgeon, who is haunted by
his brother’s death. When his prayers went unanswered, he turned his faith to
science. He believes studying with an esteemed surgeon in England will return
meaning to his life.
Then there’s Margaret, whose fiancé died at the hands of a
doctor who bled him to death. On board the Prosperity, she meets the arrogant
Doctor Fortune who considers her no less than a milkmaid. She considers him a
butcher. Though she must journey to England to hear the reading of the will of
her grandfather, the Earl of Broadcraft, she finds herself constantly
confronting Derrick on his methods of healing. Yet, there is something about
his soulful eyes that attracts her. When a British ship presses the
Prosperity’s sailors into service, Margaret and Derrick must work together if
they are to reach England. But can they ever learn to trust each other enough
to allow love into their hearts?
Below are the buy links!
Penelope Marzec grew up along the Jersey shore,
heard stories about Captain Kidd, and dug for his buried treasure. All she got
was a bad case of poison ivy. Deciding books were better than buried treasure,
she discovered romance novels and was soon hooked on happy endings. She became
an early childhood educator and found her own hero in an electrical engineer
who grew up in Brooklyn, played the accordion, and was immune to poison ivy.
Now retired, Penelope either writes her stories or paints
seascapes in oils.
Sometimes she sings while her husband plays the accordion.
You can find Penelope at her
website.
Like her at Facebook.
Follow her tweets @penelopemarzec
Find her on Instagram
@marzecpenelope
