CEDAR FALLS -- It's unusual that a female novelist invades the realm of pitched naval battles on the high seas or writes conversantly about floggings, press gangs and the generally wretched life aboard early 19th century British warships. This rarified atmosphere is usually reserved for the likes of Patrick O'Brian ("Master and Commander") and C.S. Forester (the "Horatio Hornblower" series).

And now, Nancy Price.

The best-selling author of "Sleeping With the Enemy" and retired creative writing professor at the University of Northern Iowa has released her eighth novel, "Two Hundred Men, One Woman." Inspired by O'Brian's naval epics, Price immerses the reader in the life of a commander's wife aboard a British naval frigate during the Napoleonic Wars. The historical novel relates the love story between a penniless young woman and a Royal Navy captain.

Price spent five years researching and writing the novel, including multiple trips to Hartlepool, England, to visit HMS Trincomalee, a restored 19th century fighting frigate. Her manuscript was vetted by a professor of naval history at King's College, London, for accuracy and authenticity.

"I love O'Brian's books, and I love this time period," said Price, who divides her time between Cedar Falls and Florida. "England and France were at war, and the saying goes, 'If you find a foot of water, you'll find the British navy.' I learned about life aboard a frigate -- from how a woman climbed aboard a ship in her long skirts to cat o'nine tails, sails, mutiny, how prize money was awarded from captured French ships and how a frigate operated in battle. Captains had to be ruthless and demanded total obedience to keep their ships and crews safe."

Astute readers will recognize Sophia Wentworth and Fortunatus Croft from Jane Austen's "Persuasion." Price has borrowed the characters, creating earlier lives for one of Austen's few happily married couples.

"I imagined what these characters would have been like based on Austen's descriptions of them later in life, how they met and fell in love, what it would have been like to be married to a Royal Navy captain," Price said.

In Price's novel, Sophia's father is bankrupt and they leave town one step ahead of the bailiffs. Without a dowry, Sophia will have to find work as a nanny or domestic. Her father dies and she becomes a scrub woman in a rough inn. A navy captain once professed love for her, and when he finds her again, they hastily wed and Sophia finds herself aboard the HMS Persuasion.

Price also created about 100 pen-and-ink illustrations for the novel, published by Malmarie Press.

"I don't know why I tackled a project like this in my 70s, except that I love historical fiction. I'm proud of this book, and I love creating a world of my own making, that I can enter at will," Price said.

Her novels have been published in a dozen languages. Price's first novel, "A Natural Death," was published in 1973. "Sleeping With the Enemy" was released in 1987. In 1991, the book was made into a movie starring Julia Roberts. Other Price novels include "An Accomplished Woman," "Night Woman," "Bonfire's Daughter," "No One Knows" and "Two Liars and a Bride."