The novel I originally called
Honor's Conquest has been renamed
Storm Surge. The reference is to coastal flooding that accompanies hurricanes when they make landfall -- one of the major events in the story.
I have about 33,000 words. I need another 20,000 more and it'll be finished. I'm not going to publish this one under the Brasstown Books imprint. I'll go the submissions route. This is a romance -- no politico-cultural agendas, here -- so we'll see how it does.
Even though I'll submit to conventional publishers, I couldn't resist playing with a cover idea. Whoever suggested to me to make covers for my WIPs -- thanks so much! I enjoy doing it, and the covers make the book more real while it's being created.
So here it is. What do you think?
Here's a bit about the story:
All her life, Briana Farrior has been a SAP -- a Southern American Princess, small-town, small-time version. But since she was a college freshman, she has wanted to shed her frivolous self concept and do something with her life that matters.
Her first chance comes when she is hired by Guardian Consumer Protection Group, a watchdog organization in Mobile, Alabama, to help get the goods on ruthless corporations that victimize the little guy.
But her big chance comes when her boss and mentor, Sylvia Watson, helps her go undercover at Gulf States Insurance Services, an independent adjusting firm in nearby Pensacola, Florida.
The young company is headed up by its founder, Justin Adair, who Sylvia suspects of big-time insurance fraud.
Briana's mission -- become Adair's trusted administrative assistant and find the evidence.
But Sylvia didn't tell her young friend that Adair was so handsome and charming. And she didn't tell her how a crook could be a man of such high principles and virtue.
And now that Justin is falling in love with his new administrative assistant, how can Briana stop herself from loving him in return?
More to the point, why should she?
But as Justin and Briana work through the barriers -- her deception and his doubt --that threaten their love before it really starts, a vengeful adversary threatens their lives.
