Darlene's Digest

“Avast, ye scurvy dog! Strike your colors or I’ll…I’ll… What will I do, Mr. Turnbull?” “Say, ‘I’ll scupper your ship and use your guts for garters, ye lily-livered—oh. Captain, sir!” Turnbull knuckled his forehead and said, “Um, I have to be off now, Mattie,” before scurrying below. Mattie looked up then and spotted the governess, her face lighting up. She ran over and Lydia Burke squatted down on the deck to open her arms to Mattie’s embrace. “Miss Burke! Miss Burke! I am so happy to see you again!” “I am happy to see you too, Mathilde. I missed you,” she said fiercely, hugging the child to her chest. Mattie drew back her head and looked at her. “I am not Mathilde anymore, Miss Burke. Now I’m Marauding Mattie, the terror of the West Indies!” “Are you indeed, miss?” --The Pirate's Secret Baby (High Seas #3) Today is my favorite holiday, #ITLAP Day, or International Talk Like A Pirate Day. Every September 19 we all get to channel our inner pirates as we contemplate abandoning our da...

St. Armand looked at Turnbull. “‘Bring him along,’ you said. ‘It’ll be good for him to get out and about.’” “I meant Woodruff, not the pa—not Roscoe.” She snickered. “Well, Woodruff, are you enjoying being out and about?” He took another sip of the ale, worried that if he tried to respond he’d break out into a huge grin. He was sitting in a disreputable tavern in the Caribbean, with two dangerous pirates, and a parrot on his shoulder. Being here today brought home to him how gray, structured, and boring his life was in Manchester. --What the Parrot Saw Today's the day, mateys, when you get to channel your inner pirate and celebrate #TalkLikeAPirateDay. The parrot accessories are optional. 

        The tavern in Nassau had no name or sign outside the door, but everyone knew it. Almost everyone. It was a shame the place wasn’t known to any decent brewers, Oliver thought, as he tried to drink some lackluster ale. “I told you to get the rum.” “I don’t have your tolerance for that beverage yet, Captain.” He shifted uncomfortably as she sipped from her own mug. “You keep doing that and he may relieve himself on you out of spite.” “I’m not used to wearing a live animal,” Oliver protested, as the parrot preened on his shoulder. St. Armand looked at Turnbull. “‘Bring him along’, you said, ‘It’ll be good for him to get out and about.’” “I meant Woodruff, not the pa—not Roscoe!” She snickered. “Well, Woodruff, are you enjoying being out and about?” He took another sip of the ale, worried that if he tried to respond he’d break out into a huge grin. He was sitting in a disreputable tavern in the Caribbean, with two dangerous pirates, and a parrot on hi...

“Avast, ye scurvy dog! Strike your colors or I’ll…I’ll… What will I do, Mr. Turnbull?” “Say, ‘I’ll scupper your ship and use your guts for garters, ye lily-livered—oh. Captain, sir!” Turnbull knuckled his forehead and said, “Um, I have to be off now, Mattie,” before scurrying below. Mattie looked up then and spotted the governess, her face lighting up. She ran over and Lydia Burke squatted down on the deck to open her arms to Mattie’s embrace. “Miss Burke! Miss Burke! I am so happy to see you again!” “I am happy to see you too, Mathilde. I missed you,” she said fiercely, hugging the child to her chest. Mattie drew back her head and looked at her. “I am not Mathilde anymore, Miss Burke. Now I’m Marauding Mattie, the terror of the West Indies!” “Are you indeed, miss?” She stood, still holding Mathilde. While her words were icy, if she were a dragon she’d be breathing flame to protect the child. Rather than make Robert angry, he found it promising she would champion her welfare. M...

I'll be at Satchel's Pizza (1800 NE 23rd Ave., Gainesville, FL) tonight from 6:30 to 8 p.m. for Author's Night, celebrating International Talk Like a Pirate Day with copies of The Pirate's Secret Baby and other piratical novels. Come for the pirates, stay for the pizza!

Image by ForestForTrees via Flickr September 19 is International Talk Like a Pirate Day. It's also Rosh Hashanna. This could make the tropes of the holy day much more interesting: "Repent, ye scurvy dog, or it's walkin' the plank for ye!"

Image via Wikipedia Ahoy, mateys! Yes, once again it's International Talk Like A Pirate Day. Do not neglect to embrace your inner swashbuckler, and here's a helpful instructional video to get you going.

Image via Wikipedia International Talk Like a Pirate Day is September 19. In honor of this special day and because it's international and because Darlene Marshall's pirate novels are international, here is a link to ITLAP Day for German speakers . Even though I'm the author of Rache & Rosen and Samt & Sabel, I credit my wonderful translator, Barbara Schnell, for any glorious piratical lingo that comes through in German.