"Ruin and Redemption"

Lizzie Henderson struggles to stay sane after her beloved Michael is murdered by a gang of patrollers led by her dear friend, Josiah Walsh. Unable to forgive Josiah for halting Michael's escape in such a brutal manner, and tormented by the thought of what he has done, Lizzie pulls away from him and focuses on educating the children Michael left behind. When her father dies, leaving her lonelier than ever, Lizzie accepts the courtship of her childhood friend, Derrick LaPoint, the son of a rich planter. Derrick charmed Lizzie at her first debutant ball with his easy conversation, graceful dance moves and fine clothing, but will marriage to Derrick brink Lizzie the companionship she seeks, or will it only compounds her problems? This book is the sequel to "Reckless Lives: A Tale of the Old South", and features many of the same characters, including Josiah, the hardworking sharecropper, Lizzie, the only child of a plantation owner, and Derrick LaPoint, the man who can charm just about any woman into bed. There is also Scarlett, the resourceful and ambitious field hand whom Michael married. And Patsy, the houseslave Mr. Henderson regards as a trusted adviser and friend, and who serves as Lizzie's mother. New characters include two courtesans, a traumatized houseslave, and a fieldhand who becomes one part of the first official interracial marriage in Horry County, SC.Follow the characters lives as they intersect and dovetail into each other, and as the unexpected consequences of their choices unfold.