It is 1664 and Patience Terry is devastated to learn that Captain Jeremy Horton's ship has been shipwrecked off the coast of Barbados, with no survivors. She had hoped that Jeremy would someday give up the sea and settle down with her in Southold, Long Island.
Unaware his memorial service is being planned, Jeremy is rescued and aboard a British Naval Gunship with secret orders to attack New Amsterdam and claim it for the British Crown. When he makes his surprise return to Southold--and to an overjoyed Patience--it's not the happily-ever-after his beloved had hoped for.
With a finely tuned sense for authentic historical characters and settings, Rebecca DeMarino plunges readers into the 17th century--a world of high seas and tall ships, daring journeys and yearning hearts.
Interview with Rebecca DeMarino
What do you love to write and what inspired you to start? Historical romance! And I fell in love with it the year I traveled with my mom to Long Island to see the lighthouse named after our ancestor, Barnabas Horton. A Puritan and a widower with two little boys, he married Mary Langton, a young Anglican woman before they sailed on a ship called The Swallow to New England in the 17th century. We discovered so much information about my ninth great-grandfather at the historical society and library in Southold, but very little about my ninth great-grandmother, Mary. I wanted to give her, and all of the courageous women who came across the pond in those early days, a voice and tell her story in A Place in His Heart. One of the few fictitious characters in that book, Patience Terry, became my heroine in To Follow Her Heart, book three of The Southold Chronicles series from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.
When did you know you wanted to write? Did any or multiple books influence this desire? I took a creative writing class in high school and always knew I wanted to write a novel. I enjoy reading many genres, but I was reading quite a bit of suspense and thought that might be what I would write. But life took a turn when I went with my mother to Long Island to see the lighthouse named after our ancestor, Barnabas Horton. So much information about Barnabas, so little about his wife, Mary. I wanted to give her a voice! And about that time I discovered Jane Kirkpatrick’s A Gathering of Finches. I loved that book! So while I believe my writing has been influenced by my passion for reading most all of my life, Jane Kirkpatrick’s stories of real people, and in particular strong women, set in fiction have been the greatest inspiration to me.
Tell us the range of the kinds of books you enjoy reading. I love the classics, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, Anna Karenina, Wuthering Heights to name a few. I love a good suspense and historicals, especially with romance. I’ve read almost all of John Grisham, Nicholas Sparks, and Jane Kirkpatrick books. Other keepers on my bookshelf right now are: Julie Lessman, Lori Benton, Carrie Turansky, Margaret Brownley, Karen Barnett, and Camille Eide— and I could go on because there are much more on my shelves, but they wouldn’t all fit in this answer! But I love the novels being published today for the CBA, and I think Christian fiction is filling a need in a way it never has before.
What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of? Helping my dad finish his own novel, The Stagecoach Murders, after he suffered a stroke. I typed, he dictated the last four chapters. It was a slow process because his speech was affected. He knew exactly what he wanted to say, but it didn’t always come out that way. That gave us a few laughs along the way! His novel is a Louis L’Amour meets Zane Grey western romance—and it is a terrific book! Dad began that novel when he was 86, and finished it at age 87. He’s 93 and still living on his ranch in Oregon with his horse Cotton ~ he continues to amaze and inspire me!
Tell us 3 things your readers might not know about you. I was born in my parent’s Nash before Dad could even pull away from the curb. My sisters remember standing at the picture window in the house with the babysitter as my dad held me up. When we got to the hospital I roomed in with my mom because I couldn’t be in the nursery with all of those germ-free babies. Second tidbit: When I was twelve, I wrote to NASA and told them I would like to be an astronaut when I grew up. They sent back a huge envelope filled with pamphlets about the program, and pictures of Alan Shepard and John Glenn, and a very nice letter telling me thank you very much for your interest, but NASA has no plans for women astronauts. Guess no one told Sally Ride that! And thirdly: My three daughters were born in three different states: Alaska, Nebraska, and Florida. Life in the military, lol!
And please tell us about your new release from Revell Publishing. In 1664 Patience Terry is devastated to learn that Captain Jeremy Horton’s ship has been shipwrecked off the coast of Barbados. There were no survivors. She had hoped that Jeremy would someday give up the sea and settle down with her in Southold, Long Island.
Unaware his memorial service is being planned, Jeremy sails aboard a British warship with secret orders to attack New Amsterdam and claim it for the British Crown. When he makes his surprise return to Southold—and to an overjoyed Patience—it’s not quite the happily-ever-after his beloved had hoped for.
Patience is a fictitious character that first appeared in the A Place in His Heart book one in The Southold Chronicles. She was young and immature, and a thorn in Mary Horton’s side. But it was fun watching her grow and become a one of Mary’s best friends. And she had an eye for Jeremy by the end of that first book! Jeremy’s character is based on the real brother of Barnabas Horton, and was the captain of The Swallow, the little ship that brought the Hortons from England to the New World. To Follow Her Heart is Patience and Jeremy’s story.
Thank you for chatting with me! It’s been fun!
My Review: "To Follow Her Heart" by Rebecca Demarino is the third and final book in the (The Southold Chronicles). It is also my favorite of the three. I really wish there were more.
If you haven't read the other two novels in this series, you can still read "To Follow Her Heart" and enjoy the story. Yes, it has characters from the other two books, but this story is really Patience's and Jeremy's story.
This story is one that made me want to put the book down because I didn't want what was apparently happening to happen, this was a few times in the story. Yes, there were twists that I didn't see coming. Yes, I finished the book because I had to see if what I thought was gonna happen, happened or if a another twist came about.
This book is a love story that shows love is worth waiting for. It makes the tears fall also.
I was given a copy of "To Follow Her Heart" by Rebecca Demarino by the author for an honest review and have given it five stars!
Author Info:
When Rebecca DeMarino traveled in 1999 to Horton Point, Long Island, with her mother, Helen Jean Horton Worley to discover their heritage, passions collided: her love of faith, family, travel, history, and writing. Rebecca's debut novel, A PLACE IN HIS HEART (Revell, 2014), is a historical romance based on Mary and Barnabas Horton, Rebecca's ninth great-grandparents. Book two of THE SOUTHOLD CHRONICLES series, TO CAPTURE HER HEART, is available now. Book three in the series, TO FOLLOW HER HEART, releases in July and is available for pre-order. From PUBLISHER WEEKLY ~ "DeMarino's ... strong suit is recreating history and relating it to readers."
4 comments:
I really enjoyed this book. Though I would not have had the patience to wait that long.
me either
Thank you so much, Debbie, for having me here!! And Virginia - i so agree! I worried Patience might be a spinster!! :o)
Loved this book.
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