Recently widowed after thirty-five years of marriage, Maude MacGinness steps aboard the Windjammer Cruise ship determined to make this Wedding Anniversary trip her last farewell to her husband's memory. However, this time she travels alone. Her roommate would be a stranger instead of her life-time partner. Sharing her stateroom, a willowy Chinese gossipy teenager turns up with more luggage than royalty, its contents perpetually scattered about their shared quarters. In spite of this inconvenience, Maude is determined to make this trip, so struggles to be polite to this disruptive youngster. She concentrates on videographing the voyage for a proposed travel log that she plans to sell to the school system. Then, a red-headed passenger catches her eye. Everywhere she goes, he turns up. Watching him she realizes the man doesn't seem to be aware that he is being stalked. She struggles to ignore him. His fate is none of her concern, but she finds her heart being snared by this boisterous, often tipsy storyteller. She discovers this man of intrigue isn't who he claims to be. The name he is using is not listed on the ship's manifest, and she aims to find out why.
About the Author: JoEllen Conger is not one writer, but two-a pair of twins who have shared their special mind-linking abilities since children. What one doesn't think to add to a manuscript or story, the other does. They make quite a team. And as they matured and went their separate ways, writing was the one link that always kept them together. Each twin has her own area of expertise, but enjoying their collaboration efforts, they continue to write fiction in several genres and non-fiction articles and books in various topics. BIO (1): Joan Ellen Powell lives in Santa Cruz, California with her younger daughter, son-in-law, and two granddaughters. She also writes under her married name, Joan C. Powell. Being a long-term member of her community, Joan Ellen is actively involved in many local organizations. She has been a member of Romance Writers of America since 1989, and has served as an officer of her local chapter many times. Over the years she has been called upon to judge RWA writing contests, critique or advise other writers, mentor and review pre-published galleys and published works. She finds it a fulfilling way to make new friends. BIO (2) Joyce Ann Kennedy lives with her husband, and a yard full of wild birds, two small dogs, and a number of cats in the dessert heat of Bakersfield, California. She not only critiques manuscripts by mail, and served as a writing contest judge for RWA, she's accepted a more recent job as submissions editor for a local cyber-magazine, while continuing to co-write romance, fantasy, and adventure tales with her twin sister. Although the twins live miles apart, thanks to e-mail, they are in constant communications.