There are hero’s in romance novels, and then there are the hero’s of the real world. With The Lighthouse Anthology, I wanted to pay homage to the unsung heroes, and heroines, of the organizations that came together in the early 1900’s to form what is now known as The United States Coast Guard. The Life-saving service, the Revenue Cutter Service, and later the Lighthouse Service.
The Coast Guard has been an important part of my life since I joined in 2001. I met my husband shortly after joining, and had many life experiences that I will always carry in my heart. After my first tour, I got out to take care of our children, but remain connected as a Coastie wife. There are so many remarkable rescues throughout history, that it is impossible for me not to want to share some semblance of those stories.
The stories that fascinate me the most are those of the heroines of the Lighthouse Service. They were often spouses or children of previous keepers. Immortalized in the everyday Coast Guard life, these women and their stories are well known to modern day rescuers and their dependants. They, and the hero’s of the Life Saving Service, lived by the motto: “The Blue Book says we’ve got to go out and it doesn’t say a damn thing about having to come back.”
Here are some favorite heroines:
Ida Lewis: Perhaps the most famous female Lighthouse Keeper of her time, she is credited with saving an official count of 18 lives, however unofficial reports claim closer to 38. She was the first woman to receive the gold Congressional Medal for Lifesaving.
Abbie Burges: A teenage heroine. When her father became stranded on the mainland during a sudden storm, Abbie not only rescued her mother and three sisters when their house was destroyed by a storm, but maintained the Lighthouse for four weeks until her father could safely return home. Thus began the successful career as Life Saver for the next 22 years.
And perhaps the most touching heroine of all time, Edith Munro: After her son, Douglas Munro (posthumous medal of honor winner), used himself as a human shield in order to rescue 500 Marines from the beaches of Guadalcanal during World War II, Edith Munro decided to join the Coast Guard to honor her son. She in turn led a very successful career and is now buried with honors next to her son.
Blurb
When violent ocean forces become too strong, the keepers are watching. They are strong, determined, and afraid of nothing. They will risk their lives to save others, and risk their chance at love to serve their country. Can love overcome the obstacles thrown in their path and shine the light in their hearts? They are the ladies of the Lighthouse Service and men of the Life Saving Service. Those who have vowed to watch and protect.
They are”¦the keepers.
Beacon of the Night
Alone in the world, Sylvia single handedly runs the Destruction Island Lighthouse. Courageously, she puts her life in danger to save shipwrecked sailors. When she rescues a man during a storm, she learns that this notoriously handsome Captain has a notorious secret.
I Heard the Bells
Ever since she was young, Abigail has been infatuated with her brother’s best friend Gavin Walker. She is the lighthouse keeper’s niece, and not at all inclined to join in the deadly ocean rescues. He is a local hero and second in command at the Lifesaving Station in Cape Disappointment. A place known to many as “The Graveyard of the Pacific’. Can Gavin help Abbie save her brother, and nurse her uncle back to health before Christmas?
The Ghost ships Cry
Wade Alston is keeper of the Little Island Life Saving Station. He is haunted by his past, and the spine-chilling cry of the ghost ship that lies just outside the shoreline. To top it off, a crewman from the wreck is missing, and the man’s wife and daughter, Laura, continue to plague his life with a request that is not only against the rules, but downright dangerous.
Laura asks him to attend her father’s Wake, and Wade becomes the victim of deception. During which, he finally gets the courage to tell her how he has felt for years. But will her desperation to find her father jeopardize any future they may have together?
Burning Light Within
Vanessa has taken on the task of Dry Tortuga Island’s lighthouse keeper in place of her late husband. As keeper, “Nessa” rescues those who find trouble in the warm Florida Key waters. The brave young woman is challenged by a man she saves from the water — a man from her past. Will he raise the longing she once felt, or will she be reminded of a past that once was but is no more?
Excerpt from “Ghost Ships Cry’ (Finalist in the International Digital Awards Contest)
Laura scooted closer to the edge of her seat so her mother could enter the carriage without mishap. She waited until the door closed before bringing up the subject that bothered her since its inception. “Are you sure it will work?”
“It has to,” Parthena said. She settled in and fluffed her large, full skirt. “We need him, and we know he’s there. So there is no other option, if you want to see him again.”
Laura pulled her lips into a thin line. The plan they hatched was dicey””at best. There were so many “ifs’, that it made her uncomfortable. The carriage jerked and she bounced in the seat. She snuggled deeper into the bench cushions to draw out as much warmth as possible. “I just don’t like it, Mama. He is such a nice man, and I’ve known him since school. Isn’t there any other way we can do it?”
“Well”¦have the couple of times you pleaded with him worked?”
“No.”
“Then there is your answer. There is no other way. It has to be like this, and it has to be now.”
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