Having been discovered as a stowaway as she tries to reach Barbados in 1760 to claim her father's estate, teenaged English orphan Patricia Kelley struggles to survive by learning to be a ship's doctor and by disguising herself as a man when necessary. Patricia becomes Patrick to survive during the Seven Years War. First published by Alfred A. Knopf in 2006, Star-Crossed was a 2007 New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age and inspired the Patricia MacPherson Nautical Adventures books.

Linda Collison's first novel, Star-Crossed, published by Alfred A. Knopf in 2006, was chosen by the New York Public Library to be among the Books for the Teen Age - 2007, and inspired the Patricia MacPherson Nautical Adventure Series. Born in Baltimore, Linda moved to Wyoming when she was twenty-four and had been on the move ever since.