Myrtle Beach, S.C. — Green Ferns Publishing House has announced Barb Bergwerf as the first author signed to the newly launched independent press. Her debut novel, Fatal Exposure, will be released June 2, 2026, as the first in a planned trilogy titled The Capitol to Lowcountry Series.
A romantic thriller, Fatal Exposure introduces readers to 21-year-old photojournalist Kate Miller, who lands her dream internship at The Washington Post expecting to chase headlines, not become one. When Kate photographs the assassination of an oil minister in Tehran, her images ignite an international firestorm and earn the paper a Pulitzer Prize. For her own safety, Kate must remain anonymous.
Back in Washington, Kate’s instincts draw her into another story marked by charm and danger. She becomes involved with Jim Rayford, a South Carolina congressman with secrets of his own. Their relationship takes her from Washington to the Lowcountry, where power and personal stakes collide. When a rising political figure ascends to the vice presidency and an assassination shakes the White House, Kate’s camera may hold the key to uncovering a conspiracy.
Blending Washington intrigue with a Southern setting, Fatal Exposure is positioned to appeal to readers of Mary Alice Monroe, Sandra Brown and Karen White.
“Bergwerf brings insider knowledge to a story where power, attraction and timing collide,” said Mary Alice Monroe, New York Times bestselling author of Where the Rivers Merge.
Bergwerf brings a background in visual storytelling to her fiction. Raised in the Midwest, she studied international affairs at George Washington University before working in government service and later building a career in photojournalism, including time with the Chicago Tribune. Now based in South Carolina’s Lowcountry, she works as a photographer with conservation and wildlife organizations.
“From the moment we read Fatal Exposure, we knew this was the kind of story Green Ferns was created to champion,” said Caleb Wygal, director of marketing for Green Ferns Publishing House. “Barb’s background gives the novel an authenticity and tension that feels both timely and timeless.”