It is 1774.
Priscilla moves to Philadelphia to find unrest and society pressure. Feeling alone, she confides secrets to her diary.
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Susan Reiss
Susan Reiss trained as a concert pianist then worked as a television writer/producer for many years. Her work received a New York International Film Festival Silver Medal, the Cine Golden Eagle, three Telly Awards, and Emmy nominations.
Since moving to St. Michaels on the Chesapeake Bay to write, the natural beauty, history, and yes, maybe some quirky local characters, have inspired the six books in her dual-timeline historical fiction and murder mystery IN TIME series that also has a dash of romance.
In 2016, she was named Scribe of the Eastern Shore.
The first five dual-timeline books in the IN TIME series connect present-day characters with those living in the complicated and confusing period of the Civil War as it was lived on the Maryland Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake Bay. The stories were inspired by historical research, letters, diaries, and oral histories.
Then in 2024, one of her favorite librarians introduced her to the true stories of pirates who sailed the Chesapeake Bay attacking British ships in the mid-1700s and the Revolutionary War. And the book, Treasures in Time., was written as the first in a mini-series about the birth of the United States. Divided in Time is the second book in that mini-series.
Books in the IN Time series have ranked in Amazon's Top 100 Bestsellers in Historical Fiction. The series also won the Bookfest Gold Medal for Best Fiction Series.
Susan Reiss trained as a concert pianist then worked as a television writer/producer for many years. Her work received a New York International Film Festival Silver Medal, the Cine Golden Eagle, three Telly Awards, and Emmy nominations.
Since moving to St. Michaels on the Chesapeake Bay to write, the natural beauty, history, and yes, maybe some quirky local characters, have inspired the six books in her dual-timeline historical fiction and...
Books
View AllDeceit in Time: IN TIME Series
Deceit in Time introduces you to the award-winning IN TIME series that combines historical fiction and mystery with a touch of romance.
Winner of the Bookfest Gold Medal for Best Fiction Series.
Meet Emma when she was a college sophomore and her beloved Uncle Jack as they uncover two historical mysteries that have a connection: one from the Civil...
Letters in Time
When Emma Chase, a kindergarten teacher, moves into a charming cottage on the historic grounds of Waterwood Plantation, she stumbles upon an antique plantation desk — and a letter dated 1862, signed by someone named Daniel. Intrigued, Emma becomes tangled up in a poignant love story that weathered the chaos of the Civil War.
But Emma begins to...
Diaries in Time
The first book in this series, Letters in Time, ended with one question still hanging: Were Emma and Daniel reunited?
Now, the sequel, Diaries in Time, answers that question...and leads modern-day Emma to learn that choices people make create patterns as intricate as handmade lace.
Decisions can haunt a person like a ghost across time. Emma Chase...
Read morePriscilla's Diary Excerpts
Priscilla has thrilled at her entrance into society, cried when she left, and traveled to Waterwood. Now, her future beckons.
April 16, 1774
Dear Diary,
This has been a truly great day. The weather could not be better. The sky was a clear azure blue with just a few wispy white clouds to give the gentle breeze some playthings. The air was sweet with just a hint of the Bay’s salt water. Flowers growing wild in the field meet the eye with a symphony of color. The gardens are ripening...
April 12, 1774
Dear Diary,
I had the most wonderful time this evening. Abigail invited the family over for dinner. After hiding for weeks in the attic, I was allowed to go downstairs and join them. They were the people who were closest to me and could be trusted to keep the secret that I am living in the attic of Waterwood House.
The ball in Philadelphia with its fancy gowns, exotic foods, and dancing in the candlelit ballroom was a magical experience. But tonight was even...
April 9, 1774
Dear Diary,
Today, Abigail seemed agitated. She tried to hide it, said it was nothing, and tried to take an interest in some of the patterns for baby things I had brought with me from Philadelphia. As she looked through them, her comments were dull. “This is nice.” “Pretty.” “Too complicated.” Why would she say that? A complicated pattern only requires time and attention, two things I have in abundance.
I pressed her and she finally admitted that she was...