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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Pinch me. CatholicMom.com has chosen In Pieces as its Fall 2023 Book Club selection.

This is a huge honor. My editors and I will be discussing the book with the CatholicMom.com team over four sessions. I’m eager to see what everyone brings to the table. Also: I probably should reread my own book before discussing it. 😅

Click here for the schedule. I hope you can join us!

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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UPDATE: I finally hit upon a final floor plan:

ORIGINAL POST:

This week’s adventure in writing: playing eighteenth century architect. As I sat down to work on Molly Chase Book Three, I realized I never mapped out the floor plan for the Chases’ house.

The easiest solution would have been to research colonial homes and pick a floor plan, way back when I began this project (2017? 2018?). Alas. I was not so forward-thinking as that.

With two books under my belt, I needed to match the floor plan to what I’ve already written. And I need it to meet the needs of Book Three’s plot. And it needed to be rectangular-ish, like a true colonial. Plus, the house has no HVAC and no artificial light, of course, so rooms need fireplaces and passages need windows. Figuring this out for a large home—not McMansion sized, because colonial homes weren't that big, but certainly big enough—was not the easiest task, y’all.

Thankfully, while googling colonial homes, I saw some with wings built onto the original rectangular floor plan and had an “ah-ha!” moment. Maybe Mr. Chase built onto his house after he and Mrs. Chase married? I could see him doing that. And now I have a floor plan!*†

Ground Floor

Main Floor

Third Floor

*Historical accuracy and structural soundness not guaranteed. Build at your own risk.

†I still need a fireplace for the workroom. Not entirely sure where to put it...