From Amazon: How much are you willing to trust someone you love? Eve Calderone has been married to Boyd for forty-two years and is grateful for the many gifts in their lives: good health, loving children and grandchildren, dear friends, a beautiful home, and a flourishing family business. But their blissful marriage is shaken when they meet Peter Murray . . . because it doesn’t take long to discover he’s the son Boyd never knew he had. Boyd’s stubborn insistence to bond with his surprise son ignites a transformation in him Eve is entirely unprepared for. She can’t help but question how his unexpected behavior and impulsive decisions will affect her and alter her family’s identity. And after decades of a loving relationship, she wonders how much she really knows her husband. Ultimate Love is Book 6 in the Calderone Family Romance series. This poignant seasoned romance weaves past incidents with present-day events to journey through the depths of heartache and trust, responsibility and commitment, forgiveness and ultimate love.
My Review: The Calderone family – they are rather “epic” as Jamie would say. This book completes the series in a romantic and magnificent manner befitting the Calderone name. That name will stay with me for quite some time to come. Pain, heartache, misunderstandings, and fear mixed in with all the ginormous love the family has for each other, and reading how books one through five came about, makes fir a don’t miss romance. Five shiny gold stars.
Please welcome Thaddeus Arjuna to my blog. Good Morning everyone!
1. Please introduce yourself to those reading this blog post.
Hello. I am Thaddeus Arjuna. I am a Retired American Expat living in Bali Indonesia, writing under a penname. I am a lifelong Chef and celebrated Foodie a long way from home.
2. Has writing always been part of your life and when did you “know” that it was time to start writing your first book?
I actually started writing less than ten yrs ago. My first book was a biography about an insane mother. I started on the manuscript in my mid 50s when I was nearing the end of my cooking career. I shelved it for several years as the material was sensitive and had caused some family tension due to exposing a dark family secret that we had attempted to never talk about.
3. How difficult was it writing your first book?
Extremely. My book “Something is Wrong with Janet” chronicles a life with an institutionalized Manic Depressive as a young boy. It was very painful to write because I, like the rest of my siblings, spent our lives trying to suppress and forget the trauma of living with a troubled mother.
4. Have you ever wanted to give up and what stopped you?
About every five minutes. My original intention was just to write about my mother. But I realized after writing half of it, that I had actually lived an extraordinary life and had material for several books.
5. Who is the most supportive of you and your dream to be a writer?
Almost no one. Laughing. Because of the nature of the first book, which didn’t get published for several years due to procrastination and a desire to ‘not rock the boat’ in the family, and being a chef and not writing a cookbook, (yet) I found little support around my family and friends. I published a different book first and came back to it. I also have written almost exclusively Ebooks and Novellas. I have charted a tiny niche that has been difficult to promote.
6. Anything specific you want to tell your readers?
I write in several genres, and I write for art. I believe that not choosing one genre has made it more difficult to create a brand, but I felt my ‘sweet spot’ was the Novella. Under 50,000 words. I have only written one full-length novel. The other 7 books are all novellas and two of them are slightly larger than a short story.
7. What is the best advice given to you (book or otherwise), and by whom?
I was fortunate to have grown up around a few well-known authors. Walter Farley was a personal friend of the family and spent every election night with my father. I grew up on his books. John D MacDonald also wrote the forward for my mother’s self-published cookbook. I grew up reading the Travis McGee mystery series. My best advice? Write about your life. Even if you disguise it, you are going to be in it. There is no other way if you write honestly.
8. What is your target audience and what aspect of your writing do you feel targets that audience?
Anyone who has a Kindle device or app. Laughing. I have written two murder mysteries, (one that was a true story and I am in it) one Sci-fi trilogy based on Mars. ( a childhood fantasy escape for me) A book about Hindu Mysticism based on an early involvement in a Hindu sect as a teenager, the book https://www.amazon.com/Something-Wrong-Janet-brilliant-imperfect-ebook/dp/B0837G8VMT about my mother, and my life with her, and a book of poetry and odes.
9. Did the cover evolve the same way, or did you work with someone to make it come together for you?
The book, “Something is Wrong with Janet” cover was created by Carol Marrs Phipps. She has also done 4 of the 8 books. and several promotional banners for me.
10. What are you working on now? Can we get a peek, an excerpt?
I am currently writing a dark spy novel about an Iranian Assassin living in Paris. I have a friend in the NSA who is giving me tips.
It is called “A Heresy of Angels”, and I hope to have it done in the next 4 or 5 months. It is about two women, one who works in the NSA and the woman who she is tracking who is an Iranian Assassin. This is a poem in the book written in the first person from the viewpoint of the Iranian Assassin.
Tulip Ponders…
There are secrets beyond imagination. Secrets that were once innocent, and now are scars on my soul. Secrets of betrayal. Betrayal of my country, my faith, and even love. Because the truth is too ugly. When you love someone so much that you are willing to give up your soul, for revenge, what do you have to live for? Revenge for what was taken from you, or the longing for that innocence that made you pure? The love that gave you wings. Can that be greater than revenge? Is there nothing I will not do to find that revenge, and will this finally satisfy my hate? I can have that feeling of innocence back! I Can be made whole again, I know I can…
11. Any last words before we wrap things up?
I walked away from the Restaurant Business after 47 yrs as a chef. I spent a lifetime creating menus and writing wine lists. Culinary Creativity was my gift. When I retired I needed a creative outlet to keep myself occupied. Writing has been almost a divine gift to me. Relieving me of boredom, and helping me channel some of that leftover imaginative zeal still inside me.
1459. A gifted woman artist. A ruthless Scottish privateer. And an audacious plan that throws them together—with dangerous consequences.
No one on the Greek island of Rhodes suspects Anica is responsible for her Venetian father’s exquisite portraits, least of all her wealthy fiancé. But her father’s vision is failing, and with every passing day it’s more difficult to conceal the truth.
When their secret is discovered by a powerful knight of the Order of St. John, Anica must act quickly to salvage her father’s honor and her own future. Desperate, she enlists the help of a fierce Scottish privateer named Drummond. Together, they craft a daring plan to restore her father’s sight.
There’s only one problem—she never imagined falling in love with her accomplice.
Before their plan can unfold, a shocking scandal involving the knights puts Anica’s entire family at risk. Her only hope is to turn to Drummond once again, defying her parents, her betrothed, even the Grand Master of the Knights himself. But can she survive the consequences?
With this captivating tale of passion, courage, and loyalty, Amy Maroney brings a lost, dazzling world to vivid life.
Sea of Shadows is Book 2 in a series of stand-alone historical novels packed with adventure and romance.
Excerpt 7 (742 words)
Summer, 1459
Rhodes Town
The port-side rowers pulled in their oars while the starboard oarsmen put the last bit of their strength into maneuvering the craft alongside the quay. As ropes flew and sailors swarmed over the galley, Drummond touched the amulet hanging from his neck, murmuring a prayer of thanks to Santa Maria for seeing them safely back to Rhodes.
A slight man with a closely trimmed beard and a fur-edged cloak hurried forward from the crowd of knights, servants-at-arms, and bureaucrats who stood assembled along the quay watching the boat tie up. He was followed by two guards leading a mule and cart.
“Did you secure it, Captain?” the man asked in French, stopping short in front of Drummond.
“Yes,” he said.
“All of it?” The man widened his eyes meaningfully.
“Yes,” he repeated, louder. Did the fellow think he was daft?
At Drummond’s signal, two sailors lugged a compact wooden chest forward, staggering with the effort, and deposited it at the Frenchman’s feet.
“To think such a small thing weighs so much,” the man observed with a satisfied little smirk.
Drummond shrugged, making no response.
“Any plunder of note on the return journey?”
Drummond’s hackles rose. He had retrieved the captives and gold he’d set out for; he had safely returned with none dead. And yet the Order still wanted more.
“I chose to hurry back rather than waste time and put more lives at risk by chasing random vessels at sea.”
“And the knights you transported?”
“They don’t have a scratch on them. The infidels treated their captives well, it seems.”
“As they should. We did the same for theirs. What message for the grand master?”
Drummond regarded the man steadily. “Lord de Milly asked me to personally deliver my report along with the captives. I’ll be up to the palace as soon as your guards load the chest into that cart. I’m sure the treasurer is expecting you.”
The man’s expression darkened. Without another word to Drummond, he signaled for the guards to come forward.
Watching the guards load the wooden box into the waiting mule cart, Drummond didn’t notice his silk-clad passenger appear at his elbow, a servant at his side.
“My gratitude for a safe journey, Captain Fordun,” the man said, inclining his head in thanks.
Drummond turned to face him. “Any time you need transport, sayyid, I’d gladly be of service. I’m often tasked with voyaging to Cyprus, and I’ve no doubt I’ll be called to journey to Alexandria again.”
The physician had traveled from Damascus, the city of his birth, to Alexandria, where he’d boarded Drummond’s vessel for the return journey to Rhodes. During snatches of conversation under the canvas shelter in calm weather, he’d told Drummond tales about the medical techniques of doctors in Damascus—stories that were almost too incredible to believe. He’d described observing and even participating in surgeries in which patients’ skulls were opened or their internal organs were repaired. The thought of a man undergoing such procedures and not only surviving but being cured seemed fantastical.
“I won’t forget the offer,” he replied. “And if you have an injury that needs attention, come to me.”
Drummond looked at him in surprise. “I’m just a privateer, sayyid.”
The doctor’s bearded face broke into a smile. “You have better manners than most of the high-ranking members of the Order, though. I can’t recall the last time a knight called me ‘sir’ in my own language. Here, I’m known as Signor Syriano or, more often, ‘the Syrian.’”
“I understand. Most people call me ‘the Scot,’” Drummond returned with a wry smile. “Thank you, but I hope I’ll never need to take you up on your offer.”
The Syrian’s expression grew contemplative. “You take great risks for the knights. You’re lucky to be alive, from what I hear.”
Drummond’s fingers flew to his amulet again. “Santa Maria has been generous.”
“May she ever be so.” The doctor fumbled in his purse and withdrew a length of black silk embroidered in white with the eight-pointed cross of the Knights Hospitaller. He slipped it around his neck. “You’ve your amulet to keep you safe; I’ve my mantle.”
“These streets aren’t always friendly to your kind,” Drummond acknowledged. “For my part, I sometimes wear robes in the Arab style when I’m in Alexandria and Damascus. Why court trouble if you can avoid it?”
“Trouble will find us no matter how well we prepare,” the doctor said softly. “Good day.”
Amy Maroney studied English Literature at Boston University and worked for many years as a writer and editor of nonfiction. She lives in Oregon, U.S.A. with her family. When she’s not diving down research rabbit holes, she enjoys hiking, dancing, traveling, and reading. Amy is the author of The Miramonde Series, an award-winning historical fiction trilogy about a Renaissance-era female artist and the modern-day scholar on her trail. Her new historical suspense/romance series, Sea and Stone Chronicles, is set in medieval Rhodes and Cyprus.
From Amazon: Sugar is facing the ten-year anniversary of the day she lost everything. Buried in grief, she’s worried this year the pain and darkness may take her too. The last thing she wants as that day approaches is an unexpected houseguest sent to protect her from a dangerous madman. Special Agent Donovan Walsh is looking for a change. His stint as a single father complete, he has too much time on his hands, and jumps at the chance to protect the new state witness in Minnesota. Little does he know that convincing a beautifully broken woman to trust him will be his hardest job yet. An attempt is made on Sugar’s life, and she must trust Van to lead her through a dangerous rumba of deceit, kidnapping, and murder. When the danger fades away and life returns to normal, there is one question Sugar has left to answer. Will Van be the one to heal her broken heart or shatter it beyond repair?
My Review: Sugar is a complex character and quite strong when she needs to be. That’s not a bad thing, unless one pushes themselves a bit too far without help. Family is the key. Mettner proves that in this book. Family does NOT mean only blood relations. Family includes non blood people such as best friends, surrogate mothers, siblings can be foster kids not related but grow up just like siblings and family. Family is love. That is the key. God bless Family. At one point, I was a little jealous about the wonderful characters who were, and are, Family for each other. I’ve never had that in my life. Oh, and disability due to prosthetics or for any reason is not handicapped but she has a disability or she wears oxygen, etcetera as people are not what you see first. I love happily ever afters as well.
Clara Vincent is “the artful dodger” when it comes to marriage, especially when her father is bent on match-making. Will her attitude change when she meets two eligible suitors and is drawn into the lives of intensely competitive families? Clara falls unexpectedly in love, but when fortunes are reversed and relationships up-ended, she needs to decide whether to trust James Brantford, who is seeking retribution, or accept the love of the man everyone else believes is her ideal match.
As the Brantford wagers unfold and lay bare the history of past relationships, will Clara be able to learn the truth and finally follow her heart?
Excerpt #5
From Chapter 11 – A Surprising Discovery
‘Who is it, Mama?’ asked Catherine.
‘Mr Brantford and that Mr Hangtree fellow—come to see you again, Catherine, my darling daughter.’
‘The name is Langley, Mother,’ said John. ‘But where is Mr Ashton? Why is he not with them?’
‘I take no mind what he calls himself, so long as he is good enough to call here.’
‘Langley! Do you know his full name—is it Mr Robert Langley?’ asked Clara.
‘You may ask him in a moment,’ said Mrs Stancroft, startled. Surely, they could not be known to one another. Clara had already met Mr Brantford before anyone else (not, Mrs Stancroft fervently believed, that it did Clara much good, since the man was surely sweet on Catherine), and now it seemed she might claim an acquaintance with the other gentleman.
‘They will be at our doorstep any moment. Make haste!’ she urged.
Clara rapidly considered the possibilities. She was alternately excited and distressed, and tried to account for it. The idea of Mr Brantford coming here to pay a visit delighted her. If the other gentleman happened to be her acquaintance from home, unexpectedly visiting her, it would, in the absence of Mr Brantford’s company, also delight her. The wild notion that these two knew one another, and were coming to visit at the same time, threw her feelings into complete turmoil.
The men were coming into the room and, in the flurry of greetings, it was Catherine who first drew Mr Langley’s interest, and it was she who finally called his notice to her cousin. ‘Sir, we are all attention to see if you are of Somerset. Are you, by chance, at all acquainted with our cousin, Miss Vincent of Wellsmere?’
‘Miss Vincent, here!’ he cried, looking quickly around the room. A glow of pleasure spread over his features. ‘Good Lord, how delighted I am to see you!’ he stammered, hurrying to Clara’s side, taking up her hands. ‘I had not expected—I had no idea—it was you who have been ill, then! My word! Had I but known!—to think I did not know you were here! Good grief! I am shocked! And I am thankful to see you recovered—you are recovered?’ He looked at her searchingly. ‘Mr Brantford, I am indebted to you for sending your physician to care for Miss Vincent.’ He took both her hands in his, and said to Clara: ‘How could I answer to your father had you suffered, while I was so close at hand?’ He gripped Clara’s hands tightly.
It was difficult for the others in the room to determine who in the party was more taken aback. Clara blushed, distressed as much by Mr Langley’s actions as by Mr Brantford’s surprise. Mr Brantford was scowling deeply. Mrs Stancroft and the others look dumbfounded.
Mr Langley was unable to calm himself. He remained highly agitated, quite unlike his usual, confident self. His mind, by this point, was racing furiously along.
‘Was that her at the river, then?’ was his first awful thought.
He recollected his various remarks about the Lady at the River—Ashton’s insinuations, his own laughing comments, some unfortunate references to fur-bearing forest animals; perhaps the word vixen had been used. Ill-advised jokes about the child’s illegitimate parentage came floating back to him. He struggled to recall the direction of the wind and the distance between his position and hers. Had Clara heard it all? Perhaps recognised his voice? Had she seen his face? His colour deepened.
‘Had it been Clara who hollered during the race from the ridge and spooked the horses?’ was the next, equally unwelcome, idea. Whether he was more appalled at the idea of her yelling or of her cheering, perhaps for Brantford, he could not say.
Words of his own, spoken when he left Wellsmere— ‘I have important business in the north’—popped unbidden into his head. The gentlemen would all agree, a few weeks of sports and card-playing with the lads was important business, indeed, but would she see it in that light?
The conversation with the uncle, so amusing at the time, about a relative coming to Finstead to escape the attentions of some low-life in her hometown, came next. This woman, the one he intended to court on returning to Wells, was in fact the cousin Mr Stancroft spoke about during their game of billiards. The old man clearly said the aim was to avoid an unfortunate pairing at home and have her be married off here. How was he to untangle all of this? He stared at Clara, bewildered, and stunned into silence.
Brantford shifted his weight from one foot to the other and cast a dark look at Langley.
Following Mr Langley’s dissatisfying recollection came the sudden realisation that here before him was the woman who had caught Brantford’s interest. He understood the situation at last. The Lady at the River was no ordinary country maiden. It was Miss Vincent—attractive, charming, bright, well connected, and not in the least lacking in financial resources. Good grief, that uncle fellow was completely clueless.
Langley’s emotions were a mingled mess of high distress, surprise akin to shock, and sudden happiness. He felt triumph at the look on Brantford’s face.
Brantford was indeed taken aback. He disliked the familiarity and ease with which Langley greeted Clara Vincent, and he was not alone in this.
A surge of resentment pulsed through Mrs Stancroft’s veins. ‘How is it,’ she dragged her brother-in-law aside, ‘that Clara has managed to meet both men before my own daughters? And, pray, why are they smitten with her, while she cares nothing for them?’ Her knees were buckling. She needed to sit.
Clara felt all eyes on her. She wanted to stop the speculation to which Mr Langley’s familiar greeting and words gave rise, but knew it was beyond her ability in this moment to do so. Still, seeing Mr Brantford look towards her hands, held tightly within Mr Langley’s, she found a way to slide her hands free of his hold.
As the visit wore on, Mr Langley, thrilled to discover that Clara was here in this part of the country, and happy to be the centre of so much attention, slowly recovered from his feelings of confusion.
In her début novel, The Brantford Wagers, Nadine Kampen draws on her passion for stories that bring a smile and warm the hearts of the reader. The author immerses the reader in the fictional world of traditional historical romance, set in the memorable Regency England period, sharing the hopes, schemes, and antics of her characters.
Prior to her career as an author, Nadine served as a regional marketing manager with an international consulting firm and as a communications and marketing director on university campuses. Earlier in her career, she worked in public relations and journalism, and was co-author and project lead for five non-fiction books comprising The Canadian Breast Cancer Series, published in 1989.
A resident of Winnipeg in Manitoba, Canada, Nadine loves relaxing with family and friends, reading and walking, playing tunes on her 1905 Bell piano, and gardening.
With Will and Maggie’s wedding just a week away, the last thing they need to stumble upon is Johnnie Hetherington’s dead body tied to a tree, especially one that’s so close to their cottage. Recognizing it as a sure sign that Johnnie has betrayed the family once too often, Sergeant Richie Carnaby gathers Will and his family together for questioning, though it seems obvious only a fool would kill a man on his own land. Then who did murder the rogue, and why?
Feeling confident it wasn’t any of the Fosters, Richie allows Will and Maggie’s wedding to proceed, but the couple has barely exchanged vows when the Armstrongs attack in force. Geordie is determined to rescue his niece from the clutches of Will Foster, whether she wants to go or not. And if he happens to make her a widow in the process, so be it. Will senses the danger and implores Dylan to get Maggie away to safety, no matter where — or when — that may be.
Though Maggie protests, Will assures her he will follow as soon as he is able. Yet how can that be possible when Dylan whisks her back to the twentieth century? Sharing her fears about Will, and unable to forget his own love, Annie, Dylan attempts to return to the past one last time despite his growing concerns over the disintegrating amulet stone. But will he make it in time to rescue Will, or will the villainous Ian Rutherford, who has already killed in cold blood once, win the ultimate battle and see Will and Maggie separated forever?
Trigger Warnings:
Sex and violence
Excerpt 4
Once more, there was a knock and this time Dennis stepped into the room. “Are ye coming, brother? Auld Geordie’s moving fast. Then again, if I was coming after such a fine lass . . . I’m sorry, mistress, to steal yer husband away on this yer wedding night, but . . .”
“I’ll be there presently,” Will said, and Dennis nodded, leaving the room. “I’ve nae desire to argue with ye, Wife,” Will said as he stood. He held Maggie in front of him and finished hooking the clasp on her cloak. “Now have ye a kiss for yer husband afore he goes off to battle?”
Maggie just stared at him, her eyes filled with tears, until she could contain herself no longer. “Oh, Will, I’m so scared of losing you.”
“Ye’ll no’ lose me, Wife. ’Twill take more than a few Armstrongs to cut me down.”
Maggie took a deep breath to summon her courage. “Oh, you think not, rogue? Well, I know of one who plans to do so all by herself.”
“Do ye, mistress? Then I must prepare a strong defense.” Will grinned broadly as his lips parted to embrace Maggie’s in one long, erotic caress. Then with an obvious reluctance, he pulled away, and the first sign of fear she had ever seen in his eyes crossed their dusky gray surface. “Take yer dagger, Maggie, and if anyone dares touch ye . . . make sure they never see another sunrise, aye.”
Maggie swallowed hard and, with a shaking hand, relieved him of the weapon. She couldn’t imagine killing anyone, and yet she wouldn’t be abused again, nor would she be separated from her husband. Will took her hand and led her to the top floor, where the other women and children had gathered. He checked that she still held her dagger, then looked at her longingly, as if he were never going to see her again.
“I love ye, Maggie Armstrong,” he whispered, and he kissed her lips one last time before hurrying down the stairs.
Maggie’s heart filled with emotion, and she gasped for air. It was as if her very life’s breath had been taken away. Slipping down on the floor, she huddled up against the wall, still clutching the dagger he’d given her. Should Will die, she’d use it on the man who took him. Though she wanted to be by his side, her place was there above, in a way guarding their last bastion of defense. If the Armstrongs broke through, it was where they would all end up, and Maggie knew she would defend it to her dying breath.
Arrows shot back and forth through the early morning sky, the silver-gray tinge of daylight brightening with each passing moment. Maggie shivered in the cool crisp air of the tower, though it was not the chilling dampness of the stone walls that caused her trembling, but the sound of cold hard steel clashing in the yard below. The Armstrongs had somehow breached the barmekin gate and were even now fighting their way toward the tower. She inched her way over to one of the narrow arrow slots and peeked over the ledge to look down at the melee below.
Will and Dylan were fighting back-to-back. Many of the Hetheringtons had been there for the wedding, so she couldn’t tell if more had arrived, but she did spot Tom and Richie Carnaby over by the cottage, getting the best of two scraggly looking scoundrels. Another man came riding through the gate, followed by his kinsman, a Selby, she thought. The fact that he aimed his bill at her cousin Jamie’s heart confirmed her suspicion.
She held her breath as her cousin managed to move aside at the last moment, yanking the Selby man from his horse. Part of her was relieved, for Jamie had always been a decent sort, and yet the fact that he lived only meant another sword aimed at Will’s heart. A sudden wave of nausea overcame her, and it was all she could do to hold it down. At least help was arriving, she told herself as she chanced another peek.
Andrea Matthews is the pseudonym for Inez Foster, a historian and librarian who loves to read and write and search around for her roots, genealogical speaking. She has a BA in History and an MLS in Library Science, and enjoys the research almost as much as she does writing the story. In fact, many of her ideas come to her while doing casual research or digging into her family history. She is the author of the Thunder on the Moor series set on the 16th century Anglo-Scottish Border, and the Cross of Ciaran series, where a fifteen hundred year old Celt finds himself in the twentieth century. Andrea is a member of the Romance Writers of America, Long Island Romance Writers, and the Historical Novel Society.
Tommy Turtle is ashy land turtle who likes to hide inside his shell. Tommy represents children who are shy around other children and adults, and he is nervous to play or speak. Most children are shy from time to time and it’s important for children to understand shyness and how to act around others who are or aren’t shy. Children need to know that shyness is normal, and they need positive encouragement from peers, family, and teachers/adults in their lives. This concept teaching can start in preschool. Children need to develop and practice social skills which will increase their quality of life in school through drama class, music, gym class, show and tell time, play time and more, rather than staying on the sidelines and simply watching others and having less friends and social isolation. If confidence is learned, self-esteem increases, and children succeed.Less confidence promotes increased shyness. It is essential to praise children for their successes and not shame them at all when they fail. All social and emotional learning helps children to express feelings and be tuned in to the needs of others. This teaching contributes to the development of all children. Social acceptance and inclusion are important in social learning from an early age. The opportunity to interact with your child/children in a positive environment, such as the park in this story, illustrates the importance of a positive environment in aiding children with learning social skills with other children and adults. Tommy Turtle helps parents and teachers reinforce positive behaviors in an imaginative setting of a park and mud puddles as they learn about land turtles and shyness. Learning and sharing are essential for social development in all children.
I wrote the first Voyage (Sea Witch) back in 2005 after thoroughly enjoying the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie. Like most avid readers, however, I wanted more than just the movie, I wanted to read something that was as entertaining and as exciting. A nautical adventure with a charming rogue of a pirate captain, written for adults (with adult content) but with a dash of supernatural fantasy as well – elements of which had made that first movie such fun to watch. I found many nautical-based novels, but they were all ‘serious stuff’ – Patrick O’Brian, Alexander Kent, C. S. Forrester … all good reads but without the fantasy fun, and barely a female character in sight. I simply could not find the book I wanted to read. So, I wrote my own.
The first Voyage led to more books in the series, and also generated several emails from fans who wanted to know how Jesamiah had become a pirate in the first place.
When the Mermaid Sings answers that question.
* * *
(Excerpt 5)
Virginia summer 1708
Slumped on the edge of Halyard Calpin’s bed, Jesamiah sat, miserable, his face swollen, his body aching and sore, his head bowed. He looked up as the bed’s owner entered, bringing a swirl of mist from the river and a lingering whiff of acrid smoke.
He tried to think what to say, and blurted, defiant, “I would do it again! I would!”
Calpin removed his hat, tossed it onto a side cabinet, walked to another and poured two large glasses of rum. He handed one to Jesamiah. “Get that down you.”
Jesamiah looked at the dark liquid. He had only tasted watered wine, not liquor, and certainly not this strong stuff. He sniffed it, and the sweet caramel scent slammed into his brain.
“It tastes as good as it smells,” Calpin chuckled, sipping at his own.
Jesamiah frowned, then knocked the whole drink back in one gulp, fire burning his throat and bringing different tears to his eyes.
“Careful.” Calpin grinned. “It’s a strong brew.”
“Now you tell me,” Jesamiah gasped. All the same, he held out the glass for a refill. This one he sipped more slowly as his friend made himself comfortable in the only chair.
“So, what are you going to do?” Calpin asked.
Jesamiah merely shrugged.
“You will have to do something,” Calpin persisted. “You cannot stay here.”
“Why not?” Jesamiah looked up sharply, a glint of hope in his eyes. “I could stay hidden here in your house, keep out of the way.”
Gesturing around the cluttered room, Calpin shook his head. “I built this cottage myself. It has this one room, that one bed you are sitting on and this one chair I am occupying. I needed nothing larger – when you are used to a life aboard a ship you only require small quarters.”
Biting his lip to stop it from trembling, Jesamiah studied the glass of rum a moment before drinking the liquid down. The fire in his throat was just as strong, but more pleasant this time. Dizzy, his vision blurring a little, he looked up. “I will not go begging to him. I will not apologise.”
Leaning forward to refill the glass, Calpin laughed. “I would hope not. Your father and I have waited a long while for this day.”
A prequel short read story to the Sea Witch Voyages of Captain Jesamiah Acorne
When the only choice is to run, where do you run to?
When the only sound is the song of the sea, do you listen?
Or do you drown in the embrace of a mermaid?
Throughout childhood, Jesamiah Mereno has suffered the bullying of his elder half-brother. Then, not quite fifteen years old, and on the day they bury their father, Jesamiah hits back. In consequence, he flees his Virginia home, changes his name to Jesamiah Acorne, and joins the crew of his father’s seafaring friend, Captain Malachias Taylor, aboard the privateer, Mermaid.
He makes enemies, sees the ghost of his father, wonders who is the Cornish girl he hears in his mind – and tries to avoid the beguiling lure of a sensuous mermaid…
An early coming-of-age tale of the young Jesamiah Acorne, set in the years before he becomes a pirate and Captain of the Sea Witch.
Praise:
“Ms Hollick has skillfully picked up the threads that she alludes to in the main books and knitted them together to create a Jesamiah that we really didn’t know.” Richard Tearle senior reviewer, Discovering Diamonds
“Captain Jesamiah Acorne is as charming a scoundrel as a fictional pirate should be. A resourceful competitor to Captain Jack Sparrow!” Antoine Vanner author
“Helen Hollick has given us the answer to that intriguing question that Jesamiah fans have been aching for – how did he start his sea-going career as a pirate?” Alison Morton, author
“I really enjoyed the insight offered into Jesamiah’s backstory, and found the depiction of our teenage hero very moving.” Anna Belfrage, author
“I loved this little addendum to the Jesamiah series. I always had a soft spot for the Lorelei stories and enjoyed that the author cleverly brought her over from the Rhine valley to fit into the story.” Amazon Reviewer
First published in 1994, Helen became a USA Today Bestseller with her historical novel, The Forever Queen (titled A Hollow Crown in the UK) with the sequel, Harold the King (US: I Am The Chosen King) being novels that explore the events that led to the Battle of Hastings in 1066. Her Pendragon’s Banner Trilogy is a fifth-century version of the Arthurian legend, and she writes a nautical adventure/fantasy series, The Sea Witch Voyages. She is now branching out into the quick read novella, ‘Cosy Mystery’ genre with her new venture, the Jan Christopher Murder Mysteries, set in the 1970s, with the first in the series, A Mirror Murder incorporating her, often hilarious, memories of working as a library assistant.
Her non-fiction books are Pirates: Truth and Talesand Life of A Smuggler. She lives in an eighteenth-century farmhouse in North Devon, runs Discovering Diamonds, a review blog for historical fiction, and occasionally gets time to write…
How do you deal with choices when you don’t know how?
Lena has always been a quiet and private person, who only talks to people she knows and doesn’t stray outside of her comfort zone. She refuses to admit to anyone but herself that she has a crush on Tyler, the roommate of a friend’s boyfriend.
When Tyler starts making excuses to spend time with her, she can’t help but like the attention, however awkward she may find social interaction. The problem is, Lena knows next to nothing about dating. Everything she knows has come from a romance book, and she is too socially inept to be able to act like the women in her books. Will she be able to summon the courage in order to go on the date she so desperately desires?
A quick read filled with friendship, love, and trashy romance books.
Ellie Yarde is primarily a reader and blogger. She writes short stories, which are published on her blog, Reading All Night, where she also shares her reviews.
Life on Molly is a travel and lifestyle blog. I am a normal girl with many passions. I am an explorer of new places, a learner of new languages, creator of my ambitions, blogger, and a good pal. This blog is my little corner of the world where I am able to share my adventures with you and inspire you to live a life full of purpose.
When Angels Fly 