Pirate treasure, kidnapping, and survival on the high seas create the backdrop for the 16th-century historical adventure, Sea Rose. An angry countess, Anna Dumont, feels threatened by the prospect of a new countess of Berkshire. She despises her son's bride, Lydia, and plans to get rid of her. Full of hatred, Anna drugs Lydia's wine and arranges to have the unconscious girl sent to the colonies, never to return. The countess devises a perfect plan to deceive her son, Desmond, into thinking that Lydia left on her own accord. A tormented Desmond suffers and vows to find his wife no matter how long it takes. Lydia awakens on the ship Sea Rose, accompanied by a sea chest she has never seen before. She learns that other English citizens have also been kidnapped to become indentured servants once arriving in the colonies. The mysterious chest remains a constant link between each upcoming book of the series that chronicles the challenges faced by those transplanted to the colonies. This tale tells of the hardships encountered on the voyage and the difficulties citizens faced while surviving in a harsh new environment. Belle Cruze was born and raised in Logan County, West Virginia. She moved to the foothills of the Great Smokey Mountains in Tennessee, and eventually relocated to the Midwest in Jefferson City, Missouri, where she has enjoyed the last fifteen years in the Show Me State. "I am always up for a metal detecting adventure, although I am quite the amateur. The whole idea of lost or secret treasures fascinates me, whether in fiction or real life." She is a retired entrepreneur.