Ellie: First Mate, (Paperback)

About the Author:

Lois Richman is now a full-time writer of mysteries surrounding the heart, family life, and other intimate relationships that lead to murder. Currently residing in her childhood hometown, she was raised around southern Florida, where swimming, boating, and exploring the Caribbean are still of high interest to her. She began journaling at the age of nine and has continued that process, not only to solve her own life's problems, but to gather antedotes and characters along the way she is anxious to turn into exciting, interesting, quick-read, and fun novels. In the past, she has sold articles and short stories of general interest to major publications; celebrity interviews, health, nutrition, and self-help were among those published. She was also an editor and writer of gossip columns about the famous in Hollywood. Returning to college to complete her formal education, she is a graduate of Cal.State, Northridge with a B.A. in English Literature. She also has a teaching certificate. She completed paralegal training while working at Universal Studios and M.C.A. Records in California. Recently, she received a Masters Degree in Reading from F.A.U., Boca Raton, Fla.. Next on her list of books to complete is the beginning of the PAULETTE MARSHALL SERIES, the first one entitled KEY WEST INTERLUDE which she began when she lived in Key West for a year. KEY WEST INTERLUDE will be followed by PALM BEACH INTERLUDE, and she is anxiously working on both as WANTED: FIRST MATE is released. Her hobbies are swimming, snorkeling, traveling, and gardening. She has toured and traveled extensively. This includes spending a summer semester in London studying Shakespeare, and a month in Greece doing research for a future novel. At the hobby level, she owns a collection of famous designers' dress sketches from well known films purchased during her Hollywood days. She is also an animal activist, living with three dogs and a lone black cat who take up most of her living room couches.

Book Synopsis:

Everywhere beautiful Ellie Johnson turns, the choices and circumstances surrounding her quest for a potential husband brings along with it, real trouble. Running away from home as a pre-teen, her only dream was to find someone who would love her, shelter and protect her. She dreamed of life as a happily married woman but her men haven't worked out

so far.

Her first husband ran away with their infant daughter and Ellie has been unable to locate him ever since. Her next candidate was an unhappily married man ready to leave his wife, but he decides to stay with the one he has and help raise their kids.

Finally, as the very rich Brent L. Livingston II lands on the island where Ellie is patiently waiting for a single, sober guy to show up, she bartends in the meantime. Brent's frustration is to find another First Mate and travel the world. His failures leads him to the island where he meets Ellie who is willing to go to sea with him. Ellie believes they will make a perfect couple as her hopes are still wrapped around her fantasy of a settled life in a giant mansion around a picket fence. She figures once they settle down together, his obsession with yachting and drinking will become a part-time hobby as she has his babies. Brent, however, has other ideas.