Serena Walsh is the beautiful and unwilling plaything of the fanatical Mormon, Elder Greer. Dragging her across the desolate prairie as he seeks a place for settlement, he does not count on her spirit and resilience. Serena manages to escape the Mormon wagon train and the clutches of Elder Greer, but she must find a way to survive in the harsh lands of the American frontier. Now the handsome and cynical Ward Dunbar, who freely admits he will take her as his mistress and prisoner, is caring for her. Serena is frightened of the man, and of his beautiful partner, Pearlie, who despises her as a man-stealer. But she has no resources and no choice but to remain with him. Then, aristocratic millionaire Nathan Benedict approaches her, offering to pay any price for her love. What neither of the men suspects, is that the insane Elder Greer is still pursuing her and will do anything to recapture her.
Love and Adventure Collection:
The Storm and the Splendor (Love and Adventure Collection #1)
Love's Wild Desire (Love and Adventure Collection #2)
Surrender in Moonlight (Love and Adventure Collection #3)
Notorious Angel (Love and Adventure Collection, #4)
Golden Fancy (Love and Adventure Collection #5)
Patricia Ann Ponder was born on March 9, 1942 in a one hundred-twenty year old house constructed by her grandparents near Goldonna, Louisiana, where her family resided during seventh generation. She grep up in her parent's farm in Northern Louisiana.
At 15, Patricia married with Mr. Maxwell and they formed a happy family. At 21, she needed to be something more than a housewife and she began writing, she sold her first book at 27. She start writing gothic novels with her real name, Patricia Maxwell; she wrote one book in collaboration as Elizabeth Trehearne and she singed a murder mystery and a romantic suspense story as her maiden name, Patricia Ponder. When the gothic genre began to decay, she began to publish only romance genre, contemporany romances as Maxine Patrick and historical romances as Jennifer Blake, the only pseudonym that she uses now.
This legend of the romance genre is called the "Steel Magnolia of women's fiction" and gained New York Times Best Seller status since 1977, with "Love's wild desire". An international best seller as well, she has been published in 18 languages with worldwide sales approaching 30 million. She was honored with the position as Writer-in-Residence for the University of Northeastern Louisiana, and is a charter, and honorary, member of Romance Writers of America.
Since 1998, Patricia and her husband have resided in a lakeside Caribbean-styled retreat in North Louisiana where they often entertain friends and family.