Darlene's Digest

INDEPENDENCE DAY       Charley didn’t know anything about guns, but the sailors and Mr. Silas Stuart, the mate, seemed impressed with the speed of the “Cannies” at their stations. Naturally, they placed bets on whether the next shot would hit the barrel floating off the starboard bow.       “They’re fast, but accuracy counts,” Stuart said. “Now, if you want to see real accuracy, watch the Americans. ‘Cousin Jonathan’ is so skinflint about outfitting ships I suspect the cost of each ball that doesn’t hit its mark is deducted from the sailors’ pay!”       “Those Yankees will never be able to stand against our big Navy guns,” the cook said with a grin. -- Sea Change The cook aboard the Lady Jane was wrong.   The United States Navy was able to stand against the Royal Navy's guns in war, not once, but twice within 40 years.  Each time, the young nation proved itself a force to be reckoned w...

I've been invited back to Conner Calling , on Friday, July 8 from 1-2 p.m. EDT.  We'll be talking about ebooks and ereaders, Sea Change , the business of writing, and whatever else Hank wants to discuss or the listeners phone-in/email-in and ask. Remember, you can listen online from anywhere in the world via your computer.  Just click on the link at the website.

Book Signing in Fernandina! Mark your calendars!  I'll be signing books in Fernandina Beach, that Florida hotbed of pirate activity (seriously--read The Bride and the Buccaneer if you don't believe me) on Sunday, August 7 from 1-5 p.m. at Books Plus, 107 Centre St., Fernandina Beach.  More on this as it develops.

They turned their attention to dessert, and as they rose from the table Justin asked Julia to join him in his study. He did not seat himself behind his desk, but instead perched on the edge, and watched her for a moment, a different silence from that used on [ redacted for spoiler(g) ]. Nonetheless, Julia's hands were clasped in her lap as she looked up at her father. "Julia." He hesitated, and she braced herself for a long overdue lecture on her hoydenish ways. "Julia. I am so thankful you are safe. If I live to be one hundred, I will never be able to express to you how much it meant to me to find you alive and unharmed in that cabin." This was so far from what Julia expected that before she realized what was happening, tears were flowing down her cheeks. Her father pulled her into his sheltering embrace as she clutched his lapels and sobbed into his jacket. "Oh, Papa, I was so afraid," she sniffled after soaking his shirtfront. "I was...

        Goodreads Book Giveaway                                                                     Sea Change                                       by Darlene Marshall                                                         Giveaway ends July 16, 2011. ...

The print edition of Sea Change is now available!

“You underestimate the will of the American people, Doctor,” he poked his finger in the air for emphasis. “When you push us, we push back. Hard. John Bull cannot bully America into surrendering now any more than you could 40 years ago. Have you already forgotten the lesson of Fort McHenry?” He rummaged in his desk and pulled out a tattered newspaper, much folded and creased. “My mother sent this to me with the letters, a newspaper from home. A Mr. Key wrote a poem about the battle, Doctor, titled ‘The Defence of Fort McHenry’. Look here–‘the land of the free and the home of the brave’. That’s America, Charley!" ---SEA CHANGE Today is Flag Day, the day we honor our nation's star spangled banner.  If you've got a flag, fly it proudly!

SEA CHANGE is now available in Kindle Editions, print to follow! 

SEA CHANGE now on sale!  Amber Quill Press is offering special discounts this month on their already low ebook pricing.  The Kindle and print editions are coming soon.

It's true what they say about bike riding.  You never forget how to fall off.  Fortunately, I also remembered how to ride a cruiser since it had been over 20 years since I was on a bicycle. We were in Fernandina Beach/Amelia Island, Florida for a wedding this week. While my husband was golfing I borrowed a hotel bicycle and pedaled into historic downtown Fernandina.  I'd been there before, driving up to do research for The Bride and the Buccaneer , but it's always fun to visit again.  The ride was 4 miles there and back, and I'm pleased today that it all came back to me when I got on the bike though it took me a moment to remember to brake with the pedal rather than the non-existent handbrakes. For those of you who have not yet read The Bride and the Buccaneer , Fernandina was a hotbed of piratical and smuggling activity, two themes near and dear to my heart.  They celebrate their pirate tradition with school nicknames, pirate themed eateries and shops, and ...