I'm pleased to share that my historical romance, Emily's Vow, was honored as a Finalist in this year's IBA literary contest.

From the press release announcing the winners and finalists:

Emily's Vow, set in Charleston, South Carolina at the end of the American Revolution, is the story of a young woman who is determined to win her own independence from societal expectations, even if it means denying her heart.

Emily Sullivan’s greatest fear is dying in childbirth, as did her twin sister and their mother. Then she’s thrown in a loyalist prison for her privateering father’s raids on the British, and her accuser--a former beau--promises to recant if she will marry him.

Frank Thomson always loved Emily despite her refusal to return his affections. A patriot spy posing as a loyalist officer, when Frank learns of Emily’s plight, he challenges her accuser to a duel.

Freed from prison, Emily ponders returning the affections of her rescuer--the only man she's ever loved and who married her twin to save the Sullivan family's reputation. But Frank cannot afford to be discovered. For the sake of young America, he must deliver his secrets.