Several friends and family joined me August 12th for my Adrift release party/meet up at the Michigan Maritime Museum for a short cruise aboard Friends Good Will. We had a great day for a sail. I was in heaven. Big stupid grin on my face.

Family and friends, post-sail. Friends Good Will and downtown South Haven, Michigan behind us.

As I said, we had a lovely day for sailing—perfect, actually, except for the swell. (We’d had some weather come through the day before.) Everyone handled it, though. Even me. Thank you, Blisslets.

My sister, my books, and me. And a cannon.

One of the hands holding me steady so my brother-in-law could get that perfect shot. Plenty of wisecracks flying at this point—I enjoy sailor humor, as you all know full well. (Actually, this man reminded me of my character, Mark Findley—”impudent man,” as Molly would say.)

Then that hand went and proposed marriage with a ten cent ring—apparently a running gag on Friends Good Will. I was highly offended. Clearly. Then he asked if my husband owned a shotgun. (Sadly, my husband wasn’t able to come. The day’s one low point.)

The Michigan Maritime Museum offers visitors plenty to see, including a collection of small craft and Coast Guard vessels:

Petite, 1953. The mainsail is gaff rigged—the sail is attached to a yard, which is raised by the halyard, creating the trapezoidal shape. This was a common fore-and-aft rig in the 18th century.

This is a daggerboard*, for those of you who read Adrift and are wondering what one is. A daggerboard is used with shallow keeled sailboats, allowing them to sail further into the wind. It goes up and down through this casing.

*99% sure it’s a daggerboard and not a centerboard.

Here’s something cool: Merryman, a 26 foot Revenue Marine (Coast Guard) lifeboat designed and built in the 1870s. Notice the short masts and sprit sails—the sails held up by a diagonal sprit, or yard: these masts could be stepped up or down quickly, depending on the needs of the rescue and the weather. When Mr. Findley bequeaths Grandfather Robb’s Penelope to Josiah, he mentions its sprit sail.

You had better believe I will be back. Also: I’ve begun petitioning my husband for sailing lessons:

A girl can dream, right?

Aboard Friends Good Will, August 12, 2023. Video by Nick Renken.

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Welcome to the world, Adrift! I love this book, y’all. It’s a good one:

“Everything about your life is my concern, Mr. Robb, including your betrothed.”

BOSTON, 1793—Now engaged, Molly Chase and new federal intelligencer Josiah Robb want nothing more than to settle into quiet married life—or as quiet as life can be when one is hunting down a ring of traitors among Boston’s elite. But the plan has one glaring flaw: Molly herself, and the madness that has plagued her since her father’s death. Until Molly proves herself an asset rather than a liability, Josiah’s investigation cannot move forward.

Intelligencer Eliza Hall thought she had left her troubles behind in Philadelphia long ago. When she is sent back to follow a suspect, she’s ready to acknowledge the truth and make her peace—except that the man she loves, who doesn’t know about her past, is assigned to come with her. Now she must outwit her fellow spy and closest friend, lest he hate her for what she had been, while they maneuver to prevent Revolutionary France from dragging the fledgling United States into a war it cannot afford.

Both women are in search of a safe harbor. Little do they expect the winds to blow them into the most tumultuous waters of all—back home.

Also, happy wedding day to Molly and Josiah! I leave the date unmarked in the novel, but their wedding date, Adrift’s launch date, and the feast of St. Dominic coincide. Isn’t that cool?

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Where to Purchase Your Copy:

For signed paperbacks, purchase directly from my author store. Note: I can ship anywhere, but I’m in the US and international postage rates are 😬.

For both paperbacks and .epub (e-book), purchase from my publisher, Chrism Press.

For Amazon, click here.

International customers: Adrift is available via Amazon or any independent bookstore who works with Ingram distribution.

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Virtual Launch Party

Please join me for the virtue launch party! I will discuss the story behind the book, read a short selection, and take questions. I would love to see you there!

August 8, 2023
Facebook Live: 8 p.m. Eastern (US)
Instagram Live: 9 p.m. Eastern (US)

Follow me on Facebook and Instagram (and all the places) here:

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Book Launch Celebration and Meet-Up

Join me for a short day trip on Lake Michigan aboard the Friends Good Will, in celebration of the release of Adrift.

Saturday, August 12th at 3:15 p.m.
Michigan Maritime Museum, South Haven, MI

Everyone will need to purchase their own ticket ahead of time. Go to rhondaortiz.com/blog/celebrate-adrift for complete info, links to purchase tickets, and an RSVP form.

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This is the single most low-key book release party ever—a meet up. To celebrate the release of Adrift, I’m going for a short sail aboard the Friends Good Will, a replica 1810 top sail merchant sloop and flagship of the Michigan Maritime Museum. And if you want join me, then I would love to have your company!

Saturday, August 12, 2023
Departure time: 3:15 p.m.

Michigan Maritime Museum
South Haven, MI

Purchase Day Sail tickets here: michiganmaritimemuseum.org/explore/our-fleet/friends-good-will/

My plan is to visit the museum first, then sail, then go out for dinner. (Somewhere. Not sure where yet. I’ll pick something mid-range, since we’ll be paying for our own meals.) If you can’t get a reservation for 3:15, then try for a 1:15 departure. We can still meet up later.

If you’re planning to join me:

Step One: Reserve your ticket. Cost is $40 per adult.

Step Two: Fill out the form below so that I know to expect you. I’ll figure out dinner reservations once I have a head count.

Looking forward to seeing you!

p.s. If you’re prone to motion sickness like I am, might I suggest Blisslets? Friends of mine own the company; their stylish and affordably priced acupuncture bracelets have been featured on Good Morning America, CNBC, Forbes, Cruising World, etc. Definitely worth checking out! blisslets.com

Adrift has a cover! Ready to see it?

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Ta-da!

Isn’t she lovely…

A little about the cover. The pencil and watercolor piece is by illustrator Xoe White, daughter of David and Roseanna White, owners of Chrism Press and its parent company, WhiteFire Publishing. Back when we were throwing around concepts for In Pieces, I made one request: that the cover artwork be something other than photography. Photography is great in of itself, but I’m not fond of the way 18th century historical costume translates to that medium. Plus, Molly Chase is artistic and an artsier, somewhat atypical cover suits her. After some twists and turns and dead ends, we eventually commissioned Xoe to do the series’s artwork. Many advantages to keeping things literally in the family!

While passing In Pieces drafts back and forth with Xoe, I was struck by the unerased pencil marks beneath an unfinished watercolor of Molly. Beautiful, but roughed-in. Incomplete. Finer details still unarticulated. I thought the “art in progress” idea worked thematically for Molly, so I told Xoe to leave the pencil. Thus we proceeded with In Pieces, and thus we’ve continued with Adrift.

Where to Pre-Order Adrift

For signed paperbacks, purchase directly from my store. Note: I can ship anywhere, but I’m in the US and international postage rates are 😬.

For paperbacks and .epub (e-book), pre-order from my publisher, Chrism Press.

For Amazon Kindle pre-order, click here. You can also upload the .epub file from Chrism, if you know how to do it.

International customers who want paperback copies: Wait until release day and order it from your local bookstore or Amazon. The book will be distributed worldwide through Ingram distribution.

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“It’s my house.” Josiah circled the table and kissed Mrs. Robb on the cheek, then jogged off. A moment later, they were treated to a rousing performance of “The Sailor and His Truelove” from the upstairs passage. 

As a young sailor and his truelove one morning in May,
Where walking together in the field blithe and gay;
Says the sailor to his truelove, my dear life for your sake,
I’ll away unto the Indies whatever does betide,
And when I do return, my love, I’ll make you my bride.

— Adrift, Ch. 2

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At the front of the room was the sitting area, comprised of two leather armchairs and a table holding an oil lamp and a large paper booklet—a musical score. Between the armchairs stood a bookshelf, and several miniatures and a pencil sketch hung nearby. Crammed into the corner was a pianoforte, or maybe a harpsichord? The lid was closed, and more musical scores were piled on top. Some of the music was new; other sheets were moldering. One such ancient selection sat on the instrument’s rack. Josiah stepped forward and read the title. Die Kunst der Fugue. J.S. Bach. Never heard of him.

— Adrift, Ch. 10

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Adrift, the second book in the Molly Chase series, features a musician among its many characters. I created a YouTube playlist of all the songs and pieces mentioned in the book. Give it a listen!