Beyond the Blue Cypress — Ann Clay

Like the bald cypress, Drace Breaux anchors her family on the soft muddy soils of Grand Isle, determined to never abandon the homeland she loves more than anything. But when a stranger comes to town, stealing her heart and soul, she is torn between two affections. Demarcus Grimillion's insertion into her life thrusts her on a rocky journey packed with love, calamity, and a yearning that only one man can fulfill. Demarcus Grimillion nearly lost his tread the warm summer night he stumbles on the young woman wandering the secluded beach. He blindly steps into her world, not overly concerned with the deep traditions and colloquialisms of bayou living. He vows to walk through hell to love and protect her. Only he doesn't count on the jaws of swamp gris-gris to be so powerful; enough to kill them all. Drace and Demarcus's story starts on the coastal island in the 1950's, a time when the rural south challenged the will of even the strongest of families. But through the spirit of time they finally meet the chance to keep their sacred promise.