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EBOOK TITLE:
Sea of Hope
eBook ISBN: 1-58749-044-7, Print ISBN: 1-58749-165-6
GENRE: Silver Linings Inspirational Romance
AUTHOR: Penelope Marzec
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DESCRIPTION: Doria Hanrahan returns to her hometown expecting to cash in on her father's fishing trawler. However, the boat has been willed to a stranger, Murray Santoro, who cared for Doria's father during his final illness. Since Doria quit her job in the city before coming home, she is desperate for cash and joins the crew of the Merrichase, her father's ship. Out on the ocean, far from land, she learns that Murray is not only a doctor, but is suspected in the community of murder and is awaiting trial. As the two work together, they begin to trust each other, and it is on that ship that Doria begins to understand her need for the faith she had abandoned. Still, it is not until Murray nearly loses all hope in God that he realizes life without Doria would be empty... |
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Reviews: "Author Penelope Marzec appropriately chooses a modern day fishing village for this gentle inspirational romance that allows these strong will characters to rediscover faith. Like the disciples in the bible, these characters struggle with painful circumstance to build love for God. The boat becomes the center of their struggles, representing peace for Murray and a means to an end for Doria. Yet together, it becomes the symbol of healing and peace." Reviewed by Cindy Penn for WordWeaving, Very Highly Recommended "SEA OF HOPE is a well-written journey into two peoples' hearts. When we first meet Doria Hanrahan, all she can think about is what she doesn't have in her life. Doria has lost her faith, and we witness her journey back and her maturation into a woman who genuinely cares for others. Murray Santoro is a man who is wrestling with a lot of issues in his life, one of which is his faith." Reviewed by Carol Durfee of Romance Reviews Today "Two wounded hearts clash in this uplifting novel of forgiveness and salvation...The characters' lack of being idealized, as most romantic couples are in fiction, makes the message all the more powerful. The back cast was filled with enjoyable, faith-filled souls that would make good supporting players if the author ever wanted to consider setting future novels in Port Harbor..." Reviewed by Amanda Kilgore of Romance Readers' Connection |
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Excerpt: The Merrichase slid down into another trough only to be met by a towering wave that made Doria's blood pool in her feet. It wasn't the thirty foot wave of her dream, but nevertheless it loomed like a nightmare over the valiant trawler.
Before the swell poured down, Doria looked behind her to see if Murray had managed to lock the gate. Her heart squeezed in panic when she saw him lying on his side with his body jammed between the gate and the corner of the stern ramp.
She pulled back on the throttle, allowing the boat to drift. She flew down the ladder and without bothering to throw on her oilskin, grabbed a rope before opening the door. The wind slapped her as she tried to stand up against the gale. Securing the watertight door to the work deck, she faced the length of the stern while the trawler tilted at a crazy angle in the powerful grasp of the wave. Terror numbed her for a moment.
"Murray!" she screamed. The tempest tore the name from her lips. Clutching the rope in her hand, a spurt of adrenaline surged through her and gave her courage. She whipped the sturdy line around her waist, tied the other end to the capstan, and sped across the deck to Murray. She reached him as the water slammed into them both. She clung to him as the sea tried to crush them beneath its weight and then suck them both out into its eternal depths. The rope around Doria's waist bit into her flesh.
The Merrichase bobbed up again and Doria gulped in a lung full of air. "Murray!" she cried. He stirred in her arms. Sobs racked her as she pulled with every ounce of strength she possessed, though her hands had turned to ice and her body shook violently."
The deck sloped sideways making Doria's head spin, but the dizzy angle made the gate swing inward, freeing Murray.
Hanging onto him with one hand, Doria found the end of the rope Murray must have been using and fastened the gate shut. Then she tightened her arms around him as the ocean tried to take them for its own. Still, Doria's tether proved worthy and saved them from the sea's hungry grasp.
As the water receded, Doria tried to move Murray but his sodden weight proved more than she had could manage.
"Please, get up," she pleaded. Drunkenly, he staggered onto all fours. Doria clung to him while the boat began to spin, caught in a mad dance with the wind and the undulating swells. She felt spasms shudder through his body. He retched, spewing up the brine he had swallowed and then collapsed once more.
"Come on!" she screamed. "Get up!" As another torrent washed over the deck, Doria held Murray's head out of the water.
| Author BIO: Penelope Marzec has always loved words. Influenced by her father's career in journalism and her mother's creativity with art, Penelope started writing her first novel at the age of nine. However, she never tried sending out any of her work for publication. Since she also enjoyed working with young children, she became an early childhood educator and taught many first graders how to read while continuing her own education in art until she earned a Master's degree. She met her hero, Rich, at a Christian singles' group. They married and had three daughters. Becoming active in their church, they led the marriage preparation team, worked in music ministry, and hosted a RENEW Bible study group. Those activities gave Penelope more confidence and she became serious enough about her writing to brave the publishing world. She joined the New Jersey Romance Writers and later, Faith, Hope, and Love, Inc., the inspirational chapter of the Romance Writers of America. Her short stories and articles have been published in Byline, Writers' Digest, Romantic Hearts magazine, the Asbury Park Press, New Jersey Monthly, and Today's Catholic Teacher. One story, "Cruise To A Deserted Island,' was published in Romance Recipes For The Soul. Sea Of Hope won First Place in the inspirational category of the "Laurie" contest sponsored by the Smoky Mountain Romance Writers. Currently, Penelope teaches in a nursery school when she isn't helping her college-age daughters move in and out of their dorm rooms. She and her husband will soon be celebrating their twenty-fifth anniversary. They live only twelve miles from the small seaside town where Penelope grew up. |
