On Adam Fletcher's first day as an apprentice (in The Smuggler's Gambit), he is placed under the instruction of Boaz Brooks, senior cooper and second-in-charge at the shipping company. Adam learns that Boaz was also forced into an apprenticeship when he was younger. As they share their personal histories, one of the topics that arises is the 1747 Spanish invasion of Beaufort. In book 2, Captured … [Read more...] about The Spanish Invasion of Beaufort: How slaves turned settlers became pawns in Spain’s hand
Pirates
The Real Blackbeard: Get ready to have everything you thought you knew turned on its head
In The Smuggler's Gambit, one of the characters turns out to have a history with the pirate Blackbeard. As he recounts the experiences of his youth, he tells a different story than what legends and myths have had many of us believe over the years. I credit my good friend, Kevin Duffus, author of The Last Days of Black Beard the Pirate and North Carolina Historian of the Year (2015), with his … [Read more...] about The Real Blackbeard: Get ready to have everything you thought you knew turned on its head
Smuggling in Colonial America: What drove good men to do it?
Before I ever started working on The Smuggler's Gambit, I had done a lot of studying about not only smuggling in the colonial era, but what prompted otherwise law-abiding men to do it. It happened in all sorts of ways and by men you might otherwise not expect. In May 1764, the month following the passage of the Sugar Act, Samuel Adams said this: “For if our Trade may be taxed why not our … [Read more...] about Smuggling in Colonial America: What drove good men to do it?
Five things you DIDN’T know about Blackbeard
In The Smuggler's Gambit, one of the characters is revealed to have a past connection to one of the most famous pirates who ever lived, Blackbeard. Growing up in eastern North Carolina, I heard all kinds of Blackbeard stories growing up. He had a close connection to the families in our coastal region, so it seemed only natural that I'd incorporate some of the lesser-known history about him into my … [Read more...] about Five things you DIDN’T know about Blackbeard
The Last Days of Black Beard the Pirate author Kevin Duffus endorses The Smuggler’s Gambit
Kevin Duffus, author of The Last Days of Black Beard the Pirate and 2015 NC Historian of the Year has this to say about The Smuggler's Gambit. "The Smuggler’s Gambit will transport you in time to a formative period in our nation’s history, when young Colonial Americans like Adam Fletcher bravely faced life-changing choices, moral perplexities, and danger at every turn. Perfectly paced with … [Read more...] about The Last Days of Black Beard the Pirate author Kevin Duffus endorses The Smuggler’s Gambit
Capt. Horatio Sinbad gives his hearty endorsement to The Smuggler’s Gambit
A well-known figure on the pirate re-enactments circuit, as well as a ship-builder, author, and certified 'Pirate-Privateer', Captain Horatio Sinbad knows a thing or two about adventure on the high seas, as well as in coastal towns like Beaufort, North Carolina, the home port of his ship, MEKA II. Now, he lends his hearty endorsement to The Smuggler's Gambit, the first novel in the Adam … [Read more...] about Capt. Horatio Sinbad gives his hearty endorsement to The Smuggler’s Gambit