Tess has just lost her last living relative –her mother. Her bank account is dwindling, and she will need all of her resources and a stroke of luck to survive. It was a hot, humid day, her car had broken down, and she had been walking for five miles. Her mother’s dog, Buddy, followed along behind her. She wiped the sweat off her brow, keeping the vision of the cool, rippling water of Owl Creek in her mind. And the old family cabin—her refuge—-where she would begin her new life. 

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She curses when a black SUV speeds by, leaving a trail of dust that settles on her like a shroud.  Then it slowed, pulled over to the shoulder of the road, and stopped.  His dark eyes looked directly at her—the man who would change her life—Sawyer Rhodes, a Mennonite. Dressed all in black, his black hat set him apart from Englishers. There was a litheness about him, and his lean body told her he was a working man.  There was no doubt about it; he was incredibly good-looking. He had an air about him that told her he was a cut above other ranchers in the area. A love story begins.

 With Sawyer’s help, Tess sets out to restore an old bed-and-breakfast she had inherited. She called it Nettle Rose—a grand house surrounded by lush landscaping and expansive gardens; it was magnificent, tucked away at the end of a long tree-lined driveway. The house showed signs of neglect. The iron gate is locked with a big rusty padlock, and the weathered hanging sign is no longer readable. A trellis of roses climbs the walls of the stone posts. Memories of her childhood and ghosts of the past that lingered in the old house give Tess the strength she needs to survive.

Tess is surprised when Sawyer reveals he is the bastard son of Judge Daniel Stratford, the most prestigious man in Brier Hill County. Nettle Rose comes alive at Tess’s dinner party to meet Sawyer’s family. The old grandfather clock that hadn’t worked for decades — chimes—and the smell of lilacs wafts throughout the house—her Aunt Nettie’s favorite scent.

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 Tess wins over Judge and his wife, Marguerite, but Sawyer’s step-sister, Stephanie, is cold to her. Tess is shocked when she learns that Stephanie was accused of witchcraft.  She’s taken back when Stephanie tells her she made a deal with the devil. But even more shocking is Tess’s more than usual interest in Sawyer. And Sawyer does not discourage her affections.

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Tess’s thoughts were addled when Stephanie’s estranged husband, Richard Cooper, follows her into the pantry and propositions her to become his mistress. Richard, a powerful man with secret desires, never loses. She falls in love with both men.

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Tess cannot escape the thorns of the past. When she comes face to face with hatred and evil, there’s a reckoning.

SUSPENSE, ROMANCE, PARANORMAL

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