The greatest treasure that washed ashore wasn't the gold. Fleeting moonlight revealed the ghostly outline of a pirate flagship riding distant waves. Then all was dark again under scurrying clouds before a mermaid rose from the sea, shimmering under a moonbeam. The man who called himself Castaway stood spellbound as she promised treasure and a message to the master of the island. But the treasure she offered was lashed to small powder kegs that formed a makeshift raft. Could he trust a woman bearing pirate plunder?
NEW RELEASE SUMMER 2019!
In the Painter Place Saga, characters mention the legends surrounding the island they live on. As supplements to enhance the novel series, the Legends are available to read in short story form at all online booksellers. King's Ransom and The Wind Songs of the Marsh are two campfire tale legends, but there are other legends about a mermaid and treasure. The Castaway and the Mermaid is unlike the first two legends because it is not a campfire tale. The story comes just short of novellette length and is written like an addition to the saga, with the origin of the Mermaid Legend unfolding within. Fans of the Painter Place novels will find a character they've heard about often and another one they've glimpsed in Hugo, Painter Place Saga 2, through his letters, which were only revealed when the hurricane damages the mansion. They will enjoy a satisfying account of the first master of the island, Patrick Painter; meet Beauregard Painter, the big brother Patrick never saw again; and hear his unusual love story with Arabella Grey.
Readers familiar with the Painter Place Saga know the island was originally settled in the mid 1680's by a man who had to flee his home country to escape religious persecution and greedy leaders.
AN EXCERPT OF
THE CASTAWAY AND THE MERMAID
IS AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS NEWSLETTER!
Two famous classic novels about castaways are Robinson Crusoe and Swiss Family Robinson. In both stories, the survivors reject despair and choose to hope that there is a reason for their circumstances. Crusoe writes that the disaster that stranded him was a blessing in disguise, for he turned to the Bible and the Savior he found within those pages. He saw his situation as God's divine plan for him. Christians have hope in their Savior, and it sets them apart from those who find they can't rescue themselves. Who rescues you?
The Castaway and the Mermaid
Story Excerpt
Patrick Painter tossed restlessly in bed. He never slept well under a full moon.
With a sigh of resignation, he pulled on breeches and boots from a chair, then fished a neatly folded shirt from a dresser drawer and put it on. Raking a hand through his thick blonde hair to tidy it, he peered through the shadows to find his spyglass on a table.
The doors of his room were open to the veranda on the second floor, and the sea breeze teased his face as he stepped out to view the Atlantic Ocean across the dunes. All was shrouded in the darkness of heavy clouds, but the edges of his mind were nagged by something elusive. Alertly, he unfolded the length of the brass spyglass. A distant ship had been spotted near twilight, and he posted watches between the only three hired men who stayed overnight for an early start on the stables tomorrow.
When he saw nothing but felt the hair on his neck rise, he breathed a prayer. “Lord, show me. Do you have something for me to do? Is there danger? Then give me wisdom, discernment, and courage.”
Then, the clouds parted before a brilliant moon. For a fleeting few moments, it illuminated the beach, and Patrick almost dropped his spyglass.
He turned to run down the grand marble staircase, calling out to Chadwick Gregory and slamming his knuckles a few times on his bedroom door. He didn’t wait—there was no time.
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Pamela Poole Southern Sky Publishing