LOVE, BETRAYAL, AND THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION--THE TRAITOR'S LEGACY SERIES!

I've long been fascinated with The American Revolution, the focus of my Traitor's Legacy Series. Before touching on the series, a shout-out for the .99 kindle sale on book 3, Traitor's Curse from 8-26 through 9-8. The sale extends to other online booksellers. While written to stand alone, these novels work better together. I'm happy to announce the upcoming box set.

Mix mystery, adventure, romance, and The American Revolution with a touch of paranormal and the result is THE TRAITOR'S LEGACY SERIES!

Releasing as a box set in mid-September! Published by The Wild Rose Press.

This exciting series is available in pre-order at Amazon in kindle at: https://www.amazon.com/Traitors-Legacy-Beth-Trissel-ebook/dp/B01L5PSE1K 

Bringing history to vibrant life (with the occasional ghost).

One main source of inspiration behind the series are ancestors who fought on both sides of the American Revolution, including a British general. My research into the Southern face of the war was partly inspired by my great-great-great grandfather, Sam Houston, uncle of the famous Sam, who kept a journal of the Battle of Guilford Courthouse, North Carolina, 1781, used by historians.  I used colonial American ancestral names for the hero and heroine in Enemy of the King. And a sprinkling of other names throughout the series. 

 Book One: ENEMY OF THE KING

Enemy of the King, an award-winning historical romance novel with a paranormal element, is my version of The Patriot. A big fan of Daphne Du Maurier since my teens, I was influenced by her mystery/ghost story, Rebecca. 

Our Virginia home place, circa 1816, and other early homes left deep impressions on me. I’ve long harbored suspicions that those who’ve gone before us are not always entirely gone.  Most of all, I’m a Southern Virginia author, and it shows.

1780 South Carolina, spies and intrigue, a vindictive ghost, the battle of King’s Mountain, Patriots and Tories, pounding adventure, pulsing romance…ENEMY OF THE KING. 

“I thoroughly enjoyed reading Enemy of the King. Not only are the characters memorable and the setting beautifully described, but the action is riveting and the romance between Meri and Jeremiah is tender. I highly recommend Enemy of the King to anyone who loves a well crafted historical romance.” ~Poinsettia Long and Short Reviews

*Publisher’s Weekly BHB Reader’s Choice Best Books of 2009 
*2010 Best Romance Novel List at Buzzle!

“An amazing and vibrant look into the American Revolution…this sexy historical is a must read!” ~Coffee Time Romance And More

Mystery, intrigue, spies, a coded letter, and stirring romance fill the pages of Traitor’s Legacy.

Story Description of Traitor's Legacy (Sequel to Enemy of the King): 

1781. On opposite sides of the War of Independence, British Captain Jacob Vaughan and Claire Monroe find themselves thrust together by chance and expediency.

Captain Vaughan comes to a stately North Carolina manor to catch a spy. Instead, he finds himself in bedlam: the head of the household is an old man ravaged by madness, the one sane male of the family is the very man he is hunting, and the household is overseen by his beguiling sister Claire.

Torn between duty, love, and allegiances, yearning desperately for peace, will Captain Vaughan and Claire Monroe forge a peace of their own against the vagaries of war and the betrayal of false friends?

Historical Romance Novel TRAITOR'S CURSE (SEQUEL TO TRAITOR'S LEGACY in the Traitor's Legacy Series)

Ghostly, Gothic, historical romance novel, Traitor's Curse, the sequel to Traitor's Legacy, and the third novel in the series, came out in print and eBook autumn 2015 from The Wild Rose Press.

Set in historic Halifax, NC, on the heels of the American Revolution, Traitor's Curse builds on the central theme in Traitor's Legacy. Both novels center around the hidden treasure collected by a band of Patriots to bribe a Loyalist into revealing the whereabouts of the infamous traitor, Benedict Arnold, the man they badly wanted to hang. Although America's most wanted ultimately fled to England, the treasure remained in Halifax where the haunting mystery in Traitor's Curse unfolds.

While the historical aspects of that era are authentically depicted in the story, intriguing paranormal elements are also interwoven; among them, a ghost. Other possibilities for his presence in the home are suggested, so choose as you will. It's kind of a mind game, but significant clues are given for the discerning reader. Bear in mind that the author believes in ghosts and cursed treasure.~

"The supernatural interventions mixed with foreshadowing are well done and believable, whether or not the reader doubts the ghostly possibilities and curses, they work well in the story … and do keep the reader turning the pages. The rapidly developing love story carries with it some inner turmoil in matters of belief and trust, but the gripping external conflicts are laced with danger and evil intent. The story draws the readers into the midst of the fray. And keeps them there.

I readily recommend this novel, “Traitor’s Curse” to anyone who wants to settle into a captivating read created by Beth Trissel, as she weaves her knowledge of the South, herbs and history into this enjoyable love story." ~Marion Spicer

"A wonderfully spun novel that will keep a reader engaged till the end." ~Stephanie Lodes for InD'tale
Won Creme de la Cover monthly contest
Nominated for Reader's Choice at The Romance Review

***Traitor's Curse is .99 in Kindle from August 26 through September 8. The sale extends to other major online booksellers.

What Your Story May Inspire

For the past several days I’ve been hard at work on the edits my Wild Rose Press editor sent for historical romance novel, Traitor’s Legacy. While written to stand alone, this novel is the sequel to Enemy of the King.  Both are set at various times during the American Revolution. The hero of Traitor’s Legacy, British dragoon Captain Jacob Vaughan, was the ‘bad boy’ in Enemy of the King, but a humbler alpha male by the end of the story. His multifaceted character fascinated me, as did his illustrious lineage, so it was a no-brainer when choosing the next hero. But how this novel came to be is a story in itself, as is the unfolding buzz surrounding it.

Early summer 2012, I received an email from an ardent enthusiast of Enemy of the King, entreating me to write a sequel and set it in Historic Halifax, NC. My fan, now friend, Ann See, invited me and my husband, Dennis, to visit the historic area. She was particularly eager to have Person’s Ordinary, the oldest original stage coach stop on the east coast, featured in the story. Interestingly enough, I had begun the sequel a few years earlier and then shifted it to the back burner because the setting I’d chosen, a plantation along the James River, was too remote to incorporate the events I needed to unfold during this adventurous romance. I also wanted to include the intriguing element of espionage which played a key role in the revolution. As it turned out, all this and more awaited me in Historic Halifax as I came to learn the history of this oft overlooked ‘mini-Williamsburg’. Speaking of which, Ann was also responsible for my meeting with the head historian of Williamsburg, a godsend for what I can only describe as profound research.

Despite my renewed zeal, I got waylaid by suffering the worst writer’s block of my life when I failed to listen closely enough to the characters. Once I did, the flood gates opened and I finished the tale this fall. My editor loves the story and Ann is delighted. The good folk of Historic Halifax are rallying to organize an all-out book signing for Oct. 11^th that will include tours of the old town and Person’s Ordinary, reenactors, period music, and sumptuous refreshments. Historical groups, book clubs, libraries…and enthusiastic individuals  are involved in the preparations. The Bureau of Tourism for Halifax County is on board and various media sources have been alerted, including PBS. Flyers are going out, posters going up, and a billboard contemplated. Adds for the signing are being placed in magazines and newspapers. There’s talk of inviting the state governor, senator, and congressman to the event. What will ultimately come of it all remains to be seen, but I’m wowed by how excited people are to reconnect with their colonial roots. Traitor’s Legacy has become a rallying point for this rich and vital era.

So I say, onward and upward. You never know what your story may inspire.

Traitor's Legacy will be published in August. Exact date TBD.

***Submitted by Beth Trissel. For more on me, visit http://bethtrissel.wordpress.com/