‘Sailing into a Storm’ is here!

My books have arrived!

#Newrelease Jan. 8, 2025 of women’s fiction/historic romance novel “Sailing into a Storm” by Laura Freeman at https://goo.gl/B7lKMs

I was inspired to write this story to show the effect of primogeniture, which is still practiced in Great Britain. In order to keep the wealth in the hands of a few lords, only the eldest son inherits or entails the title, estate, and wealth of the estate. Any other children may receive an allowance and money not connected to the estate. It accomplishes the purpose of keeping wealth and power limited with one heir, but is unfair to the other children. The royal family is a prime example of how the heir receives the lion’s share while everyone else is lucky to receive a small portion.

Also, illegitimate children cannot inherit and causes the tension in my story.

Here are the characters:

Lady Margaret Katherine Culbertson is known as Lady Meg. She is the daughter of Lord John Culbertson, the Earl of Whittington and Lady Katherine Culbertson, the Countess of Whittington.

Lady Whittington died two years ago in 1772 when Lady Meg was enjoying her first season in London society. She was hit by a runaway wagon on Market Street where she planned to visit the family solicitor about some irregularities in the finances overseen by Lord Whittington’s steward and illegitimate son, Owen O’Leary.

Lord Whittington is known for drunkenness and his many affairs. Besides Owen, he has an illegitimate daughter, Lilibet Dugan, who is Lady Meg’s companion.

Lady Meg is 20 and does not want to marry the honorable Eliot Richmond, a man she has never met. But when she refuses to sign the betrothal agreement, her father uses his whip and convinces her to sign and travel to Riverside, Connecticut to be wed. Owen will go along to confirm the marriage. Lady Meg suspects her father will keep the trust her grandfather established instead of paying her dowry, which Eliot’s father has already waived.

Captain Banner Youngblood is the second son of the former Earl of Stonebrooke. His older brother Wilbur Youngblood has inherited the title, lands, and wealth. A victim of primogeniture, he accepted his status and joined the Royal Navy.

Banner’s mother, Gabriella, died five years ago and left him an inheritance to purchase his own ship, which he named Gabriella. He ships his own goods and the merchandise of Eliot’s father, Lord Dudlee, who is a wealthy merchant and inherited the title of Baron of Dudlee. He and his wife, Eugenie are happy to have connections to an earl through their son’s marriage to Lady Meg.

Blurb: Lady Meg bears scars on her back, reminders that she has no choice but to marry a stranger in the American colonies at her father’s command. He insists the marriage is for a family alliance, but she suspects a darker motive and resolves to escape her fate. Intrigue and betrayal surround Meg and her siblings, and her attraction to the handsome sea captain delivering her to her future husband complicates her plans. Will her determination to find the truth set them all free?

#aristocraticheroine #americanhistorical #forcedmarriage #kidnapped #inheritance #sassyheroine #danger #wrpbks #primogeniture