The Mark of the King
January 17th, 2017. Filed under: Tuesday's Tempting Reads.The Mark of the King
By Jocelyn Green
Sweeping historical fiction set at the edge of the continent
After being imprisoned and branded for the death of her client, twenty-five-year-old midwife Julianne Chevalier trades her life sentence for exile to the fledgling 1720s French colony of Louisiana, where she hopes to be reunited with her brother, serving there as a soldier. To make the journey, though, women must be married, and Julianne is forced to wed a fellow convict.
When they arrive in New Orleans, there is no news of Benjamin, Julianne’s brother, and searching for answers proves dangerous. What is behind the mystery, and does military officer Marc-Paul Girard know more than he is letting on?
With her dreams of a new life shattered, Julianne must find her way in this dangerous, rugged land, despite never being able to escape the king’s mark on her shoulder that brands her a criminal beyond redemption.
ISLAND BREEZES
Julianne’s client died and the wrong person received the mark of the king. I’m sure you can figure out that a French prison in 1719 isn’t a very pleasant place.
A desperate Julianne manages to trade prison for exile to Louisiana. A condition of this exile – she had to marry another convict and hopefully, give birth to lots of babies to help populate the settlement.
The one thing holding it all together was Julianne’s hope to find her brother. Even with the help of Marc-Paul Girard it appears to be a long shot.
In the meantime she has to try to overcome the stigma of the mark. Few people are willing to give her a chance. Will she be able to overcome her past as she attempts to survive in this land of mud and savages?
***I received this book free of charge from Litfuse.***
Jocelyn Green inspires faith and courage as the award-winning author of ten books to date, including Wedded to War, a Christy Award finalist in 2013; Widow of Gettysburg; Yankee in Atlanta; and The 5 Love Languages Military Edition, which she coauthored with bestselling author Dr. Gary Chapman. A former military wife herself, her passion for military families informs all of her writing as well as her numerous speaking opportunities. Jocelyn graduated from Taylor University with a BA in English and now lives with her husband and two children in Iowa.