Thanks so much for having me as your guest today! I’m so excited to announce my new release, WITHIN A CAPTAIN’S TREASURE. My pirate sage continues with this second book in my Captains of the Scarlet Night series. Here’s a little taste:
The storm surged. Wind howled in her ears like a caged beast. The muscles in her arms and legs burned. But from somewhere a renewed sense of panic mixed with a rush of irrational, insane determination. Alice climbed the remaining distance and swung her leg over the yard.
Laying her body along the ridge of the pole, she crept inch by painstaking inch along its length clinging to any hold she could find. She shook so her teeth chattered. Each sway of the mast had her hanging on for dear life bracing for it to sway in the opposite direction. Tears, rain, and the icy spray of a furious ocean blinded her, but she dared not release her hold to wipe at her eyes. Exertion and fear had sapped her energy. The muscles in her limbs shook with the effort, but somehow she made it to the end.
Alice fought to free the tangled line. Each time the wind howled, the mast would swing, the rope would pull taut and refuse to move. She needed to time the release on the downside of each blow, but at that angle the sail would flap and the roll of the ship would threatened to toss her off.
Finally, the rope released its hold. Was that a cheer she heard from below? She wasn’t about to look as she was too busy mustering enough strength and courage to get the hell down. It took a moment riding the yardarm like an unbroken horse before she gathered her will and began to back up.
* * * *
Quinn handed over the helm to the most skilled helmsman on the crew, First Mate Simons. Man was small in height, but he had arms like forged steel. Quinn set course due north hoping he’d read the sky right and they could dodge the worst of it. He needed to do a last sweep of the ship to make sure all was secure.
A small crowd of men stood at the base of the main mast. What the hell were they doing? The sail needed to drop or the mast would snap in these rising winds. Through the driving rain, he could see a man had been sent up to release the line. He couldn’t make out who it was.
Moving closer, he saw Jessup in the crowd below. How many men did it take to bring in one sail? The others should be at their stations or secure below. At last, the line had been freed and sail secured. The ship still rolled and pitched, but the release of that sail would give them a better seat through the storm. Quinn strained to see who’d been sent up. The man had balls; he’d give him that. Not too many would risk a climb in these conditions. He watched as the seaman reached and began to descend the ladder.
Good Lord. Damn it all, that was no seaman; that was Alice!
Within A Captain’s Treasure
This pirate’s latest prize may be love. . .
With a single pistol shot and the swing of a cutlass, Alice Tupper saves her mistress’s life. But no lady’s maid in polite society has ever killed a duke–at least, not on purpose. So Alice sets sail for America and her new destiny–only to find herself battling pirates on the high seas. Aboard her rescue ship, The Scarlet Night, she is hailed a hero and earns her place among the crew. . .as well as the ire of Captain Gavin Quinn.
Gavin chose this pirate’s life, but he knows it’s no place for a woman, especially one as exasperating–and beautiful–as Alice. Despite his desire for her, Gavin is determined to do the right thing and deliver her to the new world. But Alice’s deepest wish is a life by Gavin’s side. Will his heart overrule his sense, and will he risk everything to pursue his greatest treasure of all?
Available at: Kensington Books
About Lisa Olech
Lisa is an artist/writer living in her dream house nestled among the lakes in New England. She loves getting lost in a steamy book, finding the perfect pair of sexy shoes, and hearing the laughter of her men. Being an estrogen island in a sea of testosterone makes her queen. She believes in ghosts, silver linings, the power of a man in a tuxedo, and happy endings.
Author’s photo courtesy of Jenny Sinclair Photography.
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