The Pirate's Children
Author: Michael Lloyd
Genre: YA Adventure / Romance
Publisher: Austin Macauley
Pages: 333
Language: English
Format: Paperback and ebook
Book Description:
Eleanor Westerley is seventeen and lives with her aunt in seventeenth century England. Upon her aunt’s death she learns some startling information from the will. She decides to embark on a dangerous journey to the pirate-infested Caribbean in the ship which she has discovered belonged to her father, presumed dead. Leaving her estate in the capable hands of her trusted retainers, she takes her younger brothers and sister, who are all that remain of her family. Headstrong and impetuous, Eleanor engages Jack Crawford, the young captain she finds in a debtors’ prison, to command her ship. Together with the children, whose courage is tested to the limit, they face many life-threatening situations at a time when England is at war with Spain and France and on the high seas it is every man for himself.
This is an exciting adventure story written by a master maritime storyteller blending fact and fiction of the age of piracy for children and the young at heart of all ages.
Publisher: Austin Macauley
Pages: 333
Language: English
Format: Paperback and ebook
Book Description:
Eleanor Westerley is seventeen and lives with her aunt in seventeenth century England. Upon her aunt’s death she learns some startling information from the will. She decides to embark on a dangerous journey to the pirate-infested Caribbean in the ship which she has discovered belonged to her father, presumed dead. Leaving her estate in the capable hands of her trusted retainers, she takes her younger brothers and sister, who are all that remain of her family. Headstrong and impetuous, Eleanor engages Jack Crawford, the young captain she finds in a debtors’ prison, to command her ship. Together with the children, whose courage is tested to the limit, they face many life-threatening situations at a time when England is at war with Spain and France and on the high seas it is every man for himself.
This is an exciting adventure story written by a master maritime storyteller blending fact and fiction of the age of piracy for children and the young at heart of all ages.
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GUEST POST
On Writing
During this time I began to write, all technical and professional articles for various periodicals. Eventually, time tapped me on the shoulder and said enough fun, now go and earn a living, so I became the marine consultant and in-house author for the famous Marine and Legal publishing house Witherbys, where I wrote several text books, some of which, to my surprise, became standard works.
I then decided that the world had enough text books and began writing a novel, about the sea and those on it of course, as it was the only thing I knew anything about. To my surprise, my publishers took the book and started a separate house to publish it, being the first novel that they had published in their long history.
Four more novels followed, all based loosely on my experiences at sea and people that I knew. I would claim moderate success for these as they were only marketed through the marine booksellers and to the marine market where they are well known.
Two of my books were shortlisted for the Mountbatten award for marine literature.
While I enjoyed writing these, I felt that that audience was too limited, and not the general public that I wanted to open the door of the real seagoing to and show that adventure still existed. Most of all I wanted to write for children and younger people. I looked at the standard successful books for this group and saw that there was very little written about the sea and most were written by authors with little knowledge of heir subject, and often condescending in their tone.
Next, I wanted to write a book with unique story. There are many pirate books, but non about the pirates family.I blended historical fact with the realities of the times and sea life in the 17th century. Where children as young as 8 went to sea, working and fighting alongside the adults. On the other hand, I didn’t want to write too much about fighting in a children’s book, although a pirate book has to have some and children expect it, rather have an adventure story that could be seen as possible. I then made a young woman the central figure around which all the others revolved. To this was added humour,, adventure and romance . The result is this book.
I don’t know if you have read many sea books but there is a thought that it is all about ships and the sea. Actually, while the sea and ships are featured, over half the book is on the land. I wanted children and people of different backgrounds and colour coming together, Finally, I wanted to make a woman the central figure as, traveling the world, I realised how women are the fabric holding our varied families and societies in general together.
I then decided that the world had enough text books and began writing a novel, about the sea and those on it of course, as it was the only thing I knew anything about. To my surprise, my publishers took the book and started a separate house to publish it, being the first novel that they had published in their long history.
Four more novels followed, all based loosely on my experiences at sea and people that I knew. I would claim moderate success for these as they were only marketed through the marine booksellers and to the marine market where they are well known.
Two of my books were shortlisted for the Mountbatten award for marine literature.
While I enjoyed writing these, I felt that that audience was too limited, and not the general public that I wanted to open the door of the real seagoing to and show that adventure still existed. Most of all I wanted to write for children and younger people. I looked at the standard successful books for this group and saw that there was very little written about the sea and most were written by authors with little knowledge of heir subject, and often condescending in their tone.
Next, I wanted to write a book with unique story. There are many pirate books, but non about the pirates family.I blended historical fact with the realities of the times and sea life in the 17th century. Where children as young as 8 went to sea, working and fighting alongside the adults. On the other hand, I didn’t want to write too much about fighting in a children’s book, although a pirate book has to have some and children expect it, rather have an adventure story that could be seen as possible. I then made a young woman the central figure around which all the others revolved. To this was added humour,, adventure and romance . The result is this book.
I don’t know if you have read many sea books but there is a thought that it is all about ships and the sea. Actually, while the sea and ships are featured, over half the book is on the land. I wanted children and people of different backgrounds and colour coming together, Finally, I wanted to make a woman the central figure as, traveling the world, I realised how women are the fabric holding our varied families and societies in general together.
About the Author
I went to the Manchester Grammar School where I did not excel except, in History and English, which still remain my favourite subjects. I wrote my first short story at the age of 11 and it became a best seller at the school, being a rather lurid story of the Latin Masters wife. I was severely punished for this!
From when I could remember, I wanted to go to sea, mainly because my father was a Cruiser Captain in the last world war and we even had tenuous family connections going back to Captain Henry Morgan, the famous pirate who showed that crime pays. Anyway in the end my father relented and I joined the naval training ship HMS Conway at the age of 14 and went to sea at 16 beginning a 50 year career at sea. I became a Captain at the age of 31 and sailed the world to almost every country and in every sea. if you do want to know more about me you can google me as Captain Michael Lloyd.
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***GIVEAWAY***
Win one print copy of The Pirate's Children.
Ends June 9th, 2017 (Midnight GMT).
The book description sounds intriguing. Thanks for sharing. Love the cover and guest post too.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like a great story. I have never thought about pirates children before or even if they had children. It sounds intriguing
ReplyDeleteI can see my daughter enjoying this too.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a good read. Count me in.
ReplyDeleteSounds amazing.
ReplyDelete