Storm-swept
by Marina Tempest
Released: Oct 03, 2025
Genre: Historical Romance
Why this book and why now?
I’ve always wanted to write a story about a Scottish lighthouse. I also love hearing about women in history who wrote and published under male pseudonyms, and I thought it’d be fun and interesting to pair these ideas with a lesbian pirate captain washing up on shore in the middle of a storm after her crew mutinied on her!
Do your character names have special significance or meaning?
Margot means “pearl” – something beautiful created through adversity, which felt perfect for a captain who’s been hardened by betrayal but still fights for others. Eliza’s pseudonym, Hartwell, was intended as the well (source) and the heart – showing how her innovations come from emotional truth.
What’s one fun fact about your book that most people wouldn’t know?
The lighthouse mechanisms Eliza creates are actually based on real Victorian-era innovations. I went on a wee bit of a rabbit hole researching Fresnel lenses, fog signal systems, and remote operation mechanisms. (Yes, I’m a nerd! and proud of it!) I wanted her genius to be rooted in authentic science of the time.
What’s your main character(s)’s favorite book and why?
Margot’s favorite is probably a worn copy of “The Narrative of Frederick Douglass”—she carries it with her, reads passages to her crew, uses it to remind herself why the work matters when things get hard.
Eliza’s would be Mary Somerville’s “On the Connexion of the Physical Sciences” (published 1834). It’s one of the first major scientific works by a woman, and Somerville faced the same barriers Eliza does. She’d have that book practically memorized, probably water-damaged from reading it by lamplight a thousand times.
One of your main characters is planning a romantic night. Tell us about it.
Margot would absolutely overthink this. She’d try to recreate a fancy dinner she once had at a port tavern—but on the ship, which means she’s bribing the cook, rearranging the captain’s cabin, maybe stealing some of the good wine they were supposed to sell. She’d light about fifty candles (fire hazard be damned), and probably have a whole speech planned. But then Eliza would walk in, see Margot’s nervous face in all that candlelight, and just laugh—and Margot would realize Eliza doesn’t need fancy. They’d end up on the deck under the stars instead.
If your book had a signature dessert, what would it be?
Scottish shortbread with sea salt. Simple, unpretentious, but absolutely perfect when done right. The butter, the way it melts on your tongue—that’s very Eliza. And the sea salt is all Margot. Plus it’s something they could actually make on a ship with limited supplies.
If your book had an official mascot, what (or who) would it be?
A seagull with an attitude. Specifically, one of those gulls that steals your food and looks utterly unrepentant about it. They’re survivors, they’re scrappy, they thrive in harsh coastal environments, and they absolutely do not care what you think about them. Perfect representatives for both my main characters.
Do you outline your books in detail, or do you prefer to discover the story as you write?
I have to outline. I don’t always stick to the outline, but I need to know where I’m going with the story, the shape and themes I want supporting it, and in order to do that, I need to have a solid idea of my characters and the direction we’re going. I liken it to the GPS giving me directions in town. I know my final destination, and I know the major crossroads I need to pass through to get there, but there are so many different ways to get there.
What are you currently reading?
Rachel Lacey’s Learning Curves. Chef’s kiss. If you haven’t picked it up, go grab it now! I’ll wait for you!. 🙂
