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"A tale fraught with intrigue, hardship, murder, and a marriage in turmoil. The author paints a vivid picture of life on an oyster boat and a fishing village on Virginia's Potomac shore."
My friend, who lives in Colonial Beach, Virginia, told me about these events. Her boyfriend was a waterman during the 50s, his brother killed during this time, and he gave me vital details.
The 1785 Compact gave control of the Potomac to Maryland but Virginia had fishing rights to use the river. The beach town of Colonial Beach was once a thriving tourist destination for people in Washington D.C. But the Great Depression and WWII finished it off and the town fell into decay.
By the 1950s, watermen struggling to survive, illegally dredged with basket-like scrapers for the ever-popular oyster. The dredgers destroyed the beds, but the amount gathered paid off well. Maryland Marine Police patrolled the Potomac, searching the misty nights for dredging boats. They mounted machine guns on their boats and fired on the Virginians.
Men were murdered over oyster rights. My story uses fictional characters along with historic ones to convey the dangerous occupation. Plus a love triangle that could destroy a marriage. It's a wild ride through history.
Novel Blurb:
Luke
becomes tangled in the fight over the Potomac River rights in 1956 Virginia. He
and his wife clash over his illegal dredging of oyster beds. His life is under
threat from Maryland’s notorious Oyster Police.
Yelena, the once pretty, popular girl, struggles
to rise above her dull existence. She defies Luke and takes a job in a used
bookstore. A mysterious older man is interested in her, or is he simply after
her husband for his unlawful activities? She's tempted to plunge into intrigue and more.
Can Luke and Yelena rekindle their love or will both become victims of the
sinister acts on the river?
To find out more about me and my books, please visit my website: DianeScottLewis
Diane lives in Western Pennsylvania with her husband and one naughty dachshund.
Somehow missed this yesterday. I'm looking forward to reading
ReplyDeleteWhat a background for your story. Sounds like a winner!
ReplyDelete