Sunday 13 November 2011

A Smuggler by Trade


Reflecting upon the sacrifices made by men and women in the defence of our freedom, it seem to me that the more things change, the more they remain the same. The only thing we learn from history is that we don’t learn. If we did, why would we still have wars that cost thousands of lives and never seem to resolve anything?

The loss of life in the Napoleonic wars was especially horrific. Those that survived had a right to expect gainful employment when they returned to England. Of course, it didn’t happen. Perhaps that’s why those who came from coastal towns were tempted into smuggling. It was a way of life anyway, made almost respectable by tradition, something to be proud of. Men unloading illegal contraband for one night could earn the equivalent of one week’s wages from a legal job. Not hard to see why they were tempted. Their methods of hiding their cargo were pretty ingenious too. ‘Burying’ at sea and hauling it out again when the coast was clear often kept them one step ahead of the law. They constantly changed their landing sites and often the customs men were in on it anyway.


It was thoughts of these displaced men, almost being forced into a life of petty crime, that got me plotting Duty’s Destiny. I actually worked out the finer details whilst riding pillion on my husband’s Harley across Spain, but that’s another story. (Great place to plot, by the way. No one can talk to you, phones can’t distract you and you’re legitimately alone with your active imagination).

Felix, Viscount Western, is outraged when he learns that his father’s shipping line is being used to import ex-slaves from the Indies into England, where they’ll once again be forced into lives of servitude. Determined to put an end to the evil trade, he hot foot’s it to the coast, convinced that Saskia Eden isn’t the innocent widow she makes herself out to be and that she’s somehow orchestrating matters on behalf of her father.
Within half a day of meeting Saskia and her feisty twins, Felix already has doubts about her culpability. Drawn into a web of lies and deceit, passion simmers between them as Felix fights against time to get to the truth and protect the woman he’s fall in love with…

Go to my website at http://www.wendysoliman.com where you can read the entire first chapter of Duty’s Destiny.

Duty’s Destiny now available to download from Musa Publishinghttp://bit.ly/s7zdNw Price $4.99

Wendy

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