Rock Solid

Pivotal to the entire saga of Rock Solid is the lonely Robert Penney who shows his appreciation to a young man who reminded him so much of his own son, dead from disease. It is a Newfoundland tale.
It begins when the duke of Dorchester in England assigns James the task to deliver one of his young stallions to Newfoundland.
The duke never imagined he would lose his daughter, Alicia, when this happens. But it did - almost immediately - when James and Alicia meet and begin a passionate love affair. And then - Alicia secretly elopes with James and the young stallion that James feels obliged to deliver to Robert Penney. Nothing would stop them-so they think.
However their ship founders near the Newfoundland coastline. James and Alicia know they have but one chance. Tied to each other and the stallion-never to be parted, they find themselves drawn over the railing even as the Hindsight breaks apart. The faint cries for help diminish as passengers and crew alike disappear.
Alicia slowly give in to the ice-cold sea. A light blinks across the waves, then disappears. The young stallion senses renewed strength. Out of the darkness a Newfoundland couple, true Newfoundlanders they are, find the couple, and go to work to save Alicia - who is close to death.

NOTE: If a trip to Newfoundland is on your bucket list, read Rock Solid, and give yourself the time to retrace this story in real time when you get there.
Note: Writing this tale of three generations of Newfoundland families in the early 1800s took almost 8 years and was like producing a tale for a three-hour movie. Helfenstein now ponders a sequel.