To the winners of the Goodreads Giveaway: Thank you for your patience while I was at the beach doing research (that's my story, and I'm sticking to it). Your signed copies of Sea Change are now in the mail winging their way to you!
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My Renovation (Worldcon 2011) Schedule I've received my schedule, and they've got me on panels with some heavy hitters, including GoH Tim Powers. If I wasn't a highly professional author you'd be hearing my fangirl squeeing all over the place! Where there's an (M) next to my name, I'm moderating that panel. You can still buy memberships to Renovation, August 17 in Reno, Nevada. Kudos to the Renovation Program staff for putting together such a great line-up of talent across the programming spectrum. Thu 16:00 - 17:00, Arrrggh! Tall Tales versus History in Pirate Research Pirate fiction is a popular sub-genre. While grounded in history, research about pirates can be tricky. Records are erratic and often exaggerated. What are some of the more reliable resources? And what about when the truth about pirates is stranger than its fiction? Carrie Vaughn (M), Darlene Marshall, Tim Powers, John G. Hemry, A. C....
As I mentioned, I'm at the beach while my husband attends his annual state conference. Poor guy, he's tied up in sessions all day while I get to do my work while looking out over a stormy Atlantic. I took one of the resort bikes today for a ride south along A1A. It was invigorating to be back on a bike, and when the rain blew in suddenly it was refreshing as well as invigorating. If it clears up this afternoon I may go for a dip in the ocean. In the meantime, I'm aware the summer is winding down and I need to be hard at work on my next novel, so I'm hoping that this jaunt away from my normal distractions may stimulate some quality writing. It's worked in the past, and I'm going to put some real effort into it. So later, gators. Hope your summer is going equally well.
Congratulations to the three Goodreads Giveaway winners! Your copies of Sea Change will be winging their way to you as soon as I return from the beach later this week. I'm researching my next book, which may be called Lifestyles of the Pirates of Palm Beach or Marauders and Mojitos or That Costs How Much? Hold on While I Dig Up My Treasure Chest . Yep. Research. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
Today is Bastille Day, a lovely opportunity to salute the French by having a nice glass of wine, a bit of cheese and a baguette. In honor of the day I'm posting a snippet from my WIP, Castaway Dreams . If you've read Sea Change (and if you haven't, get yourself to your favorite bookseller and buy it!), then you know who Alexander Murray is. He's the hero of Castaway Dreams , and the villain is a pirate named Robert St. Armand. St. Armand has designs on the heroine as this conversation between St. Armand and the mate illustrates. So why this snippet on Bastille Day? St. Armand may--or may not--be a Frenchman: CASTAWAY DREAMS “‘Daffy Daphne’ was the topic of choice in many a club and drawing room, for you seldom see looks like that combined with money.” “A lot of money?” “Oh yes, enough to keep a man happy for many, many years. And what impressionable young woman is not in love with the idea of a bold buccaneer? A voyage across the ocean i...
I'm re-reading A General History of the Robberies and Murders of the Most Notorious Pirates by Captain Charles Johnson. I've read it many times, but wanted to come back to it now because it's a plot device in my WIP [working title] The Hot Pirate's Secret Baby. In the WIP, the pirate captain hero reads aloud to his daughter from Johnson's history as a bedtime story, doing some judicious editing on the fly. The governess heroine is less than pleased with his choice of literature, but little Mathilde (who's taken on the pirate name of "Marauding Mattie") loves hearing about Anne Bonny and Mary Read, Blackbeard and the rest. Johnson's book is the ur-book of pirate stories in the West, and much of our knowledge and images of pirates comes from him. The book is entertaining and lively. It doesn't hurt that "Captain Johnson" may in fact be Daniel Defoe, a man who knew how to write a rousing story! It still reads well after 300 year...
I thought Conner Calling was a huge success. If you couldn't hear the show today, Hank will archive it after a few days and you'll be able to hear it on the web. We talked about changes in the book industry, historical romance, and I read a couple scenes (slightly edited) from Sea Change. The hour flew by! I hope we can do it again soon.
Independence Day
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...
“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!
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 ...
David nodded to the sailors, who picked up the inboard end of the platform and tilted it. The canvas slipped out smoothly from beneath the flag to fall into the ocean’s depths with the smallest of splashes, a faint ripple showing where their shipmate went to his final resting place. “Dismissed!” Mr. Bryant told the men, who returned to their tasks, but Charley stood watching David, who was watching the men folding the flag. She asked him once if the privateers made a difference for America. [He said] "...we are not the Royal Navy with hundreds of years of ships at our beck and call. The United States is young, but we are strong because we put everything we have into the fight, especially at sea.” -- SEA CHANGE Today is Memorial Day in the United States, the day when we remember the men and women who gave their full measure to defend our nation. I was privileged to tour the USS Constitution yesterday, and felt especially glad that I could see this iconic fri...
