Character Spotlight ~ Cara Hamilton and Rourke Turner

We're celebrating the upcoming release of Elizabeth Ludwig's newest novel, No Safe Harbor (Book 1 in the Edge of Freedom Series from Bethany House Publishers), and we thought it might be fun to let you meet the stars of this tale!

Brief physical description:

I have two protagonists—Rourke (Walsh) Turner and Cara Hamilton.

Cara is Irish, with long red hair and beautiful green eyes. She’s sweet, but don’t let that fool you. She has a fiery side!

Rourke is the kind of hero women swoon over. He’s tall and handsome, with raven black hair and deep blue eyes.

Actor/famous person who might resemble her/him:

I always pictured Kirsten Dunst as Cara, or perhaps Deborah Kerr. Either way, it would have to be a strong actress who played the part of Cara Hamilton, since she is very much a take-action kind of gal.

For Rourke and his piercing blue eyes...who else but Clive Owen! One glance from those baby blues, and poor Cara was head over heels...

Strengths and weaknesses:

Rourke is stalwart and brave, loyal to a fault, and he would do anything for his family. Unfortunately, it is those very qualities that drive him to seek revenge...even at the expense of the woman he loves.

Cara, on the other hand, is gentle and willing to forgive, yet when her faith is called into question, she realizes her greatest weakness may lie in the one area she’d always believed herself strong.

Quirk (if any):

Both of my characters are intrinsically opposed to lying, yet both find themselves resorting to subterfuge in order to protect the ones they love. In the end, it’s these half-truths and deceptions that nearly drive them apart and almost cost them their lives!

The inspiration for the character:

Family members on both my side and my husband’s emigrated from Europe in the early 1900’s. Some of my ancestors were from Spain. My husband’s ancestors were from Holland, Ireland, and Germany. These brave men and women who risked everything in search of a better life were the inspiration for this story. I hope I’ve done them proud!

Background to the story:

No Safe Harbor is set in New York City in 1897, right around the time that immigration to this country was hitting its height.

Lured by a handful of scribbled words across a faded letter, my focal character, Cara Hamilton, sets off from Ireland on a quest to find the brother she'd thought dead. Her search leads her to a houseful of curious strangers, and one man who claims to be a friend--Rourke Walsh. Despite her brother's warning, Cara trusts Rourke, revealing her purpose in coming to New York.

She's then thrust into a world of subterfuge, veiled threats, and attempted murder, including political revolutionaries from the homeland out for revenge. Her questions guide her ever nearer to locating her brother--but they also bring her closer to destruction as those who want to kill him track her footsteps.

With her faith in tatters, all hope flees. Will her brother finally surface? Can he save Cara from the truth about Rourke... a man she's grown to love?

Reviews:

4 Stars from Romantic Times - There is romance, mystery, intrigue, suspense and much more in Ludwig's first Edge of Freedom novel. The characters are strong, both in mind and spirit, which was a must for people straight off Ellis Island in the late 1800's. The author did her research well for this book. ~ RT Reviews

No Safe Harbor, coming October, 2012, from Bethany House Publishers.