Greetings. I'm an award winning historical/light paranormal romance author with the Wild Rose Press. Married to my high school sweetheart, I live on a farm in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia with children and multiple animals. The beauty of the valley and surrounding mountains are my inspiration, as are my roots which go well back into Virginia's history.
Somewhere My Love - from The Wild Rose Press
Release Date: Sept, 2008
Newly arrived at Foxleigh, the gracious old Wentworth home in Virginia, British born Julia Morrow is excited at the prospect of a summer working as a guide in the stately house and herb garden. She quickly discovers the historic plantation holds far more. She becomes obsessed with the portrait of handsome Cole Wentworth, killed in a quarrel over the lovely English lady, Julia Maury, two hundred years ago. Then she meets his double, William, the only remaining Wentworth heir. Somehow, Julia must persuade Will that their fates are entwined with those of Cole Wentworth and Julia Maury, and that the man who killed his ancestor has returned to enact the deadly cycle again, or she will lose him twice. The blade is about to fall.
Praise for Somewhere My Love:
As I read Somewhere My Love, I recalled the feelings I experienced the first time I read Daphne DuMaurier's Rebecca long ago. Using deliciously eerie elements similar to that gothic romance, Beth Trissel has captured the haunting dangers, thrilling suspense and innocent passions that evoke the same tingly anticipation and heartfelt romance I so enjoyed then, and still do now.
~ Joysann, Publishers Weekly
Release Date: May 2009
1780, South Carolina: While Loyalist Meriwether Steele recovers from illness in the stately home of her beloved guardian, Jeremiah Jordan, she senses the haunting presence of his late wife. When she learns that Jeremiah is a Patriot spy and shoots Captain Vaughan, the British officer sent to arrest him, she is caught up on a wild ride into Carolina back country, pursued both by the impassioned captain and the vindictive ghost. Will she remain loyal to her king and Tory twin brother or risk a traitor's death fighting for Jeremiah? If Captain Vaughan snatches her away, he won't give her a choice.
Praise for Enemy of the King:
Enemy of the King by Beth Trissel
Rating: 5 Books
Reviewed by Poinsettia, Long and Short Reviews
'Meri's twin brother is a Tory. The love of her life is a Patriot. Meri's loyalties lay somewhere in the middle.
Meriwether Steele has been in love with Jeremiah Jordan since she was a girl. With her father dead and her twin brother off fighting for the British, Jeremiah becomes Meri's guardian while she recovers from an illness. After she recovers, Meri relishes the time spent with Jeremiah, but fears for his safety when she discovers he is a Patriot spy. Even more troubling, Meri learns that Jeremiah's dead wife, Rachel, has a hold over him that Meri might not be able to break.
Finally, Jeremiah confesses his love for Meri, but her joy is short lived. British troops arrive at Jeremiah's doorstep with the intention of arresting him as a spy. Determined to keep Jeremiah out of British hands, Meri shoots and wounds Captain Vaughn, the officer sent to arrest Jeremiah. Branded a traitor to the crown, she is forced to flee into Carolina back country with Jeremiah and his band of Patriots. Unfortunately, Meri has captured the attention of Captain Vaughn. Once he recovers from his wound he's determined to see Jeremiah hanged, and keep Meri for himself.
Meriwether is certainly a remarkable heroine. At first, the age difference between her and Jeremiah is very apparent. He is fourteen years older then her and her childlike stubbornness clearly illustrates this. However, as the story progresses, Meri develops into quite an extraordinary woman. Traveling through Carolina back country with Jeremiah teaches her more about love, life, and loss then she ever could have imagined as she fights to protect those she cares for.
Jeremiah is the classic haunted hero. His marriage to Rachel seemed ideal on the outside, but in reality was far from perfect. Even though Rachel is long gone, Jeremiah is still atoning for a wrong he committed against her years ago. As much as he wants to love Meri, the memory of his wife keeps him from moving on and committing to Meri completely.
Not only were the hero and heroine of the story compelling, but Captain Vaughn was one of the most intriguing villains I've read in a long time, which sets Enemy of the King a notch above some other books that I've read. At first Vaughn appears to be nothing more then the tyrant trying to tear Jeremiah and Meri apart. However, as I read the story, I discovered that Vaughn isn't quite as evil as he first appeared. He too has a sense of honor and duty. He also genuinely cares for Meri and has the opportunity to prove the true depth of his character by the end.
In addition to creating memorable characters, Ms. Trissel makes wonderful use of descriptive language. "Dreadful screeching, like the cries of an enraged cat, tore through the muggy night and into Meriwether's chamber.The sweetness of jasmine wafted from the trellised vine as she peered down through moss-draped branches." Description like this can be found throughout Enemy of the King and really pulled me into the story so that I felt as if I were actually there.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Enemy of the King. Not only are the characters memorable and the setting beautifully described, but the action is riveting and the romance between Meri and Jeremiah is tender. I highly recommend Enemy of the King to anyone who loves a well crafted historical romance.'
Release Date: May 2009
At the height of the French and Indian War, a young English widow ventures into the colonial frontier in search of a fresh start. She never expects to find it in the arms of the half-Shawnee, half-French warrior who makes her his prisoner in the raging battle to possess a continent--or to be aided by a mysterious white wolf and a holy man.
Praise for Through the Fire:
Through The Fire by Beth Trissel
Rating: 4.5 Books
Review by Poinsettia, Long and Short Reviews
Rebecca was seeking a new life on the colonial frontier. She never expected to be taken captive by Shawnee warriors, or to fall in love with one of them.
Rebecca Elliot has had a rough life to say the least. She fled England and married a man in the colonies in order to free herself from her abusive father, who was trying to force her to marry someone against her will. Unfortunately, her husband, a British soldier, was killed during the French and Indian War. Rebecca decides to take her younger sister, Kate, out to the colonial frontier where she hopes they can stay with some family. However, her escort of British soldiers is attacked by a band of Shawnee warriors, who are allied with the French.
Kate manages to escape, but Rebecca is taken captive by a warrior named Shoka. At first, Rebecca fears that she will be killed, but Shoka treats her with kindness. Although Shoka originally intends to sell Rebecca to a Frenchman, it soon becomes apparent that the chemistry between he and Rebecca is too strong to ignore. Before they know it, they've fallen in love, but the path before them will not be an easy one. The French and Indian War is raging all around them, and Rebecca's sister is still missing. To make matters worse, Shoka is being pursued by a Catawba warrior named Tonkawa who is bent on killing Shoka. If Tonkawa can't kill Shoka, he just might settle for taking Rebecca instead.
As a heroine, Rebecca is extremely tough. Her life in England was spent shielding her younger sister from their abusive father, and Rebecca has the scars on her back to prove it. While the abuse Rebecca suffered could have broken her, instead, Rebecca developed into a strong young woman who is protective not only of her sister, but also of the people she cares about. Although Rebecca's strength is certainly admirable, she can also be tremendously stubborn, which gets her into more then one scrape throughout the story that could have been avoided if she'd listened to those around her.
Shoka is a scarred hero. He doesn't trust his immediate attraction to Rebecca because his first wife had many affairs and eventually left him. This has left him distrustful of women, especially very beautiful women. Even though he tries to fight it, Shoka finds himself falling in love with her, much to the dismay of his brother and some of the other members of the tribe. Despite their disapproval, Shoka is determined to protect the woman he loves no matter what.
I had previously admired Ms. Trissel's use of descriptive language in one of her other works, and that is one of the reason's I chose to read Through the Fire. I was very pleased to discover that this story contained the same strong imagery. "Shafts of late-day sunlight streamed through breaks in the thickly clustered trees to touch the nodding heads of columbine and rosy mountain laurel. The woods were like a garden long ago abandoned." As I read this passage, I felt as though I were riding through the woods alongside Rebecca. "Wounded men writhed in the crushed grass, their piteous cries in her ears, while the dead lay where they'd fallen. Crimson stains pooled beneath them." This brief passage describes one of the many action-packed battle scenes that really pulled me into the story so that I could see and hear the fighting around me.'
Through the Fire is full of interesting characters, beautifully described scenery, and vivid action sequences. It is a must read for any fan of historical romance.
Release Date: May 2009
Autumn, 1784: A tragic secret from Karin McNeal's past haunts the young Scots-Irish woman who longs to know more of her mother's death and the mysterious father no one will name. The elusive voices she hears in the wind hint at the dramatic changes soon to unfold in her life among the Scot's settled in the mist-shrouded Alleghenies. Jack McCray, a wounded stranger who staggers through the door on the eve of her twentieth birthday and anniversary of her mother's death, holds the key to unlocking the past. Will she let this handsome frontiersman lead her to the truth and into his arms, or seek the shelter of her fiercely possessive grandfather? Is it only her imagination or does something, or someone, wait beyond the brooding ridges-for her?
Praise for Daughter of the Wind:
Daughter Of The Wind by Beth Trissel
Rating: 4.5 Books
Reviewed by Camellia, Long and Short Reviews
This fabulous historical fantasy story doesn't hesitate from word one. It sweeps the reader into an emotional whirlwind that disrupts life in the McNeal clan, a well-to-do family that is well established in the Allegheny Mountains in 1784. The haunting, sometime scary, happenings bring about breathtaking moments that make Daughter Of The Wind a true page-turner.
Karin, the much loved and protected granddaughter of the McNeal clan, knows she is different, not just because of her olive skin, black hair, and blue-grey eyes, but because she hears voices in the wind-voices that touch her soul. When Jack McCray appears, she feels a connection with him. "His eyes scorched her like a strong wind" and her emotions are a "cauldron of confusion". When they are near each other "an emotion as explosive as gunpowder and contagious as fever" pulsates. She feels he is the inviting summons she hears in the wind.
Jack McCray, Sarah McNeal's son taken away by Shawnees at age eight, returns a well-honed frontiersman. Bent on accomplishing a mission for his adoptive brother Shequenor, he runs afoul of the McNeal men. Jack, a magnetic character that knows himself for what he is, accepts what has been and reaches out to grasp what can be for the future. Beth Trissel creates a memorable character as flaws are acknowledged and greatness is shown to make him worthy of the naïve but gifted Karin with the mysterious parentage.
The secondary characters are well developed and some have strong influences on the hero and heroine's lives. John McNeal, Shequenor, and Neeley are especially notable. Their insight and faithfulness to their beliefs are remarkable and so ably shown with Ms. Trissel's alluring style of writing. She invites the reader into a world of fantasy and makes it so believable it is spellbinding.
After reading Daughter Of The Wind, I will probably find myself listening when the wind howls around the eaves or whispers through the live oak leaves to discover whether it is voices I hear.
Enemy of the King
The Wild Rose Press
ISBN 1-60154-493-6
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Through the Fire
The Wild Rose Press
ISBN 1-60154-471-5
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Daughter of the Wind
The Wild Rose Press
ISBN 1-60154-489-8
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Somewhere My Love
The Wild Rose Press
ISBN 1-60154-322-0
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