Book 1
Betty Bolté
Genre: Historical Romance
Publisher: ePublishing
Works!Date of Publication: October 4, 2014
Ebook: 978-1-61417-654-1
Paperback: 978-1-61417-655-8
ASIN: B00O7601NY
Number of pages: 247
Cover Artist: ePublishing Works!
Book Description:
Emily
Sullivan’s greatest fear is dying in childbirth, as did her twin sister and
their mother. Then she’s thrown in a loyalist prison for her privateering
father’s raids on the British, and her accuser--a former beau--promises to
recant if she will marry him.
Frank
Thomson always loved Emily despite her refusal to return his affections. A
patriot spy posing as a loyalist officer, when Frank learns of Emily’s plight,
he challenges her accuser to a duel.
Freed from
prison, Emily ponders returning the affections of her rescuer--the only man
she's ever loved and who married her twin to save the Sullivan family's
reputation. But Frank cannot afford to be discovered. For the sake of young
America, he must deliver his secrets.
Excerpt:
Emily
hurried down the sandy road beside her friend, noting the waning sunshine
draping shadows across the street. The slap of the waves at the distant
convergence of the Cooper and Ashley Rivers beat a syncopated rhythm against
the array of ship hulls, large and small, in the protected harbor. Many of the
masts bobbing against the darkening sky sported the hated British flag. The
losing army had resorted to sanctioned looting of the beautiful homes—those
still standing after two years of British occupation as well as fires and
bombardments—as booty for the officers and soldiers before they withdrew. She
hoped they would leave soon, but nobody knew exactly when the British ships
planned to depart. They'd already sent the bells to London along with other
pilfered items. In fact, the British officers sought retaliation for the threat
posed by the patriots, who had hidden their true allegiance, against the
loyalists living in the city. The officers encouraged harassment of the
American citizens, which translated into her father, a leading merchant in
town, fearing for her safety more than ever. Until the British actually
evacuated, uncertainty and fear blanketed the town.
Dragging in
a deep breath, unease settled over Emily's frayed nerves at the thought of
Frank's return. "I cannot believe Father insists I marry him after all
that man has done. Surely Americans have matured enough they wouldn't force a
woman to marry. It's 1782, after all. I'm not a child. Why doesn't he
understand?"
A seagull
glided past, its laughing call bringing a smile to her face. Her enjoyment
didn't last long, though. The occupation of the town created fear and disquiet
throughout the citizenry. Add in the horror of her sister Elizabeth's fiancé
Jedediah dying, leaving her pregnant and in need of a husband. Then Jedediah's
brother Frank, the man Emily had secretly cared for, married her sister to keep
the child from being a bastard. Emily survived the misery of watching Frank
marry Elizabeth only to suffer much more when Elizabeth died in childbirth with
Frank away at war. Emily had come to terms with the prospect of raising her
nephew, but being forced into marriage with Frank, too? How could life turn and
twist with such disregard for her future goals and plans?
Frank's
imminent arrival now distressed her as much as the three hundred British ships
crowding the harbor. The rumor about town suggested the ships stood poised to
carry away the defeated enemy troops along with any loyalists wanting to flee
the town. Many slaves would likely take the chance on freedom offered by the
British, despite the American protests. The constant motion of the water for
once failed to soothe her troubled thoughts.
"Have
you told your father how you feel?" Samantha matched Emily's stride easily
despite her slight limp and the basket she carried.
Sharing her
feelings with her father had once enjoyed an easy place in Emily's heart. Now
his demands for her to cloister within the theoretic safety of the town house,
joined with his desire that she marry to secure her future, made confiding in
him difficult. His concern stemmed from her advancing age with few appropriate
prospects for marriage due to America's fight for its independence from an
overbearing mother country, which seemed to be winding down. She longed for
those carefree days, years before, filled with friendly banter and heartfelt
discussions with her father.
Emily
wrinkled her nose. "I haven't spoken with him, not that I think he'll
care. He's more concerned with my supposed need for a protector while he's
away." What a pickle. Did he have to choose Frank to serve as both
bodyguard and suitor?
The thought
created ripples of fear along her spine. Marrying a man, any man, meant losing
her individuality, a fate she dreaded. The vows included obeying and honoring
him, which translated into having his children. She shivered, recalling her
twin sister on her deathbed mere days after delivering her son. Emily held her
hand as Elizabeth's life departed, her fingers falling limp within Emily's
clutching grasp. Just like their mother before her.
So many
young women across the country feared pregnancy and being brought to bed for
that very reason. Elizabeth, like many of those women, had written out her will
when she discovered she carried a child. At least the document detailed her
wishes for her son. And her surrogate husband, Frank Thomson. Elizabeth was to
wed Jedediah, the betrothal announced and celebrated, before Elizabeth revealed
she was with child. The banns had been read twice when his militia duty arose
and he'd left to fight. If Jedediah hadn't been killed, Frank would not have
felt obligated to do his duty as Jedediah's brother to wed Elizabeth and give
the unborn child a father and thus avoid bastardy.
Emily used
to think of him as her Frank, until he told her his decision to wed Elizabeth.
Her heart had hurt for months as she struggled to understand and accept the
reality that she could never have him. But once Elizabeth died in similar
circumstances as their mother, Emily's fear of dying as a result of childbirth
eclipsed any naive desire to marry.
No, better
to pursue her dreams of opening her ladies' accessories shop. She squared her
shoulders, ready to face the astonishment of the ladies in town as well as plan
a strategy for the battle when her father voiced his objections.
A More Perfect Union
Book 2
Betty Bolté
Genre:
Historical Romance
Publisher: ePublishing
Works!Date of Publication: October 5, 2014
Ebook: 978-1-61417-659-6
Paperback: 978-1-61417-660-2
ASIN: B00O7984P8
Number of pages: 231
Book
Description:
Without a
goodbye, Amy Abernathy's childhood sweetheart, Benjamin Hanson, leaves to fight
in the American War for Independence.
Amy chooses
to pick up the pieces of her heart and leave Charles Town to help her sister
who is with child.
Benjamin
knows he hurt Amy, but he plans to make it up to her after his mission is
completed. Then he learns that Amy has been captured by renegade soldiers. Now
Benjamin faces his own choice: free the sassy yet obstinate woman he's never
stopped loving or protect Charles Town from vengeful British occupation.
Excerpt:
"Benjamin,
what brings you out here so early this morning?" Walter slathered yellow
butter on yet another slice of bread.
Amy kept her
eyes on her plate, but her movements slowed, indicating she listened intently.
"Colonel
Scarsdale made an important announcement last week, one that increases the
chance of violent retaliation and looting by the British troops as they prepare
to evacuate the city." Benjamin kept his eyes on Walter but watched Amy's
actions at the side of his vision.
"Is the
war finally over then?" Walter laid down his knife, eyes intent on
Benjamin.
"It
appears to be, all but the acts of signing the peace treaty and evacuating His
Majesty's troops."
"When
might that happen?" Emily fisted her napkin and gazed at him with hopeful
eyes.
"As
soon as conditions allow them to leave the harbor. But between now and then
they will scavenge for any items of value they can lay their hands upon."
He willed Amy to look at him, and finally she rewarded him by lifting her eyes
to meet his. The force of her gaze sent a shock racing through him, stirring a
reaction below his belt. Shifting to be more comfortable, he held her stare for
a moment.
"But
how does that impact us out here?" Amy regarded him, one hand poised above
her plate, a bite of ham waiting. "Surely the Britons will not harm us so
far from town. They'll be busy preparing to evacuate."
"Clearly
you do not fathom the reality of the matter." When Amy merely stared at
him, realization dawned as to the extent of the situation before him. He nearly
let out a loud breath in annoyance. He checked the reflex. He needed to address
the fact that Amy wasn't the only one in danger. Ideas popped into his head and
he dismissed several before nodding. A simple solution. "I have come to
take the girls back to town where I can keep them safe."
A startled
silence followed his pronouncement.
"We are
safe here." Samantha strode into the room and made straight for the
sideboard.
Benjamin
rose to greet her, and she waved him back into his seat. As he resettled
himself, he noted Walter had not moved from where he sat crunching on a slice
of apple.
"Yes,
more so than we'd be in town at any rate." Emily looked from one person to
another. "So many soldiers still roam the streets, after all."
"Besides,
we cannot move Evelyn." Amy held knife and fork poised to slice through
the ham. "I won't leave her here alone. She needs help until the baby
arrives, and for a span after."
"She
has me." Walter laid his hands flat on the table at either side of his
plate. "I can take care of her."
Why did
Walter brace himself as he spoke about his wife? Benjamin recognized the
defensive nature, an insecurity, exemplified in Walter's behavior.
Amy darted a
glance at Walter, then returned her gaze to Benjamin. "That's my
fear."
Her mouth
formed a stubborn pout as her eyes reflected her concern. What had occurred
here to provoke such a statement? Amy glanced at Walter with unease plain in
her expression, her distrust of the man evident. Despite himself, Benjamin
tensed at the idea of Amy living under the same roof as Walter.
"I know
how to defend myself, so I'll stay." Samantha placed her napkin in her
lap. "More to the point, Evelyn will deliver any day now, and she'll need
me."
Walter
looked like he wanted to say something but held his thoughts in check. His brow
lowered as he dipped his bread into his coffee. Walter did not act as refined
in character as his appearance first suggested. More pieces to the puzzle fell
into place, but still some holes remained before Benjamin formed an opinion of
him.
"You'll
need help with running this place." Emily laid her napkin on the table,
her eyes steady on Samantha. "I'm accomplished at that, so I will stay to
assist."
Seeing where
this was leading, Benjamin made an effort to change the conversation's course.
"In the event, Miss Amy stays with me." He spoke with less conviction
than earlier as his resolve wilted under the arguments put forth by the women
surrounding him. "I can't stay away from town long, not only because
Captain Sullivan expects me to ensure the museum collection is not touched, but
also because Amy's father requested I bring my fiancée back posthaste."
A feminine
gasp drew his eyes to Amy's startled expression. Damnation. Too late, he
realized his error as, in rhythm with three blinks, her stubborn expression
shifted to surprise, then anger.
"Pardon
me?" Her eyebrows arched over wide eyes. "You are engaged? To whom,
pray tell?"
The set of
her jaw dared him to say what he must in order to tell the truth of the matter.
An attack of cotton mouth forced him to try to swallow as he searched for the
proper response. How crass could he be, blurting out his bald intent? His
carefully prepared speech blown apart by his own foolish words. Again, words
had tripped him up and left him floundering. Yet, his mother would be proud of
him for sticking to the facts, even if they created an awkward moment. He
heaved a sigh. Nothing for it but the bare truth. "I spoke with your
parents a few days ago, and they agreed..."
"Stop."
Amy, face red, held up a hand as though warding off a blow. "Pray, don't
tell me my parents actually negotiated with you for my hand?"
Betty Bolté
writes both historical and contemporary stories featuring strong, loving women
and brave, compassionate men. No matter whether the stories are set in the past
or the present, she loves to include a touch of the paranormal. In addition to
her romantic fiction, she’s the author of several nonfiction books and earned a
Master’s in English in 2008. She is a member of Romance Writers of America, the
Historical Novel Society, the Women’s Fiction Writers Association, and the
Authors Guild. Get to know her at www.bettybolte.com.
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