PoNS 4 : Heart of Oak now available in trade paperback

PoNS 4 : Heart of Oak available in trade paperback

27 July 2011 — Perryville, Maryland

Keibooks is pleased to announce that Heart of Oak, the long awaited fourth book in the Pirates of the Narrow Seas series by M. Kei, is now available in trade paperback. Heart of Oak continues the adventures of Lt. Peter Thorton of the British navy as his divided loyalties are tested in the crucibles of love and war. A pawn in the war for Portuguese independence, he is marked for revenge by the Spanish, and comes perilously close to losing both his life and ship when HMS Amphitrite is the target of a Spanish cutting out raid. 

The redoubtable Duke Henrique, forced to marry a puritanical princess for political reasons, must once again call upon the courage of his British friends to aid him in a time of crisis. Captain Tangle, the famous Sallee rover, assists them all, but catches a Tartar when he attempts to seize the Spanish royal yacht, bringing down the wrath of a Spanish battle fleet upon them all. Meanwhile, Cmdr. Alan Abby, retired ashore at Gibraltar, has the opportunity to show that although blind, he is a still an active and gallant officer.

Through it all, Thorton is still longing for love, but is a victim of bad advice and his own naïveté. He succumbs to the charms of the dashing hussar, Colonel Karolyi, and is sorely tempted to throw away everything and follow the devil-may-care light horseman. Captain Horner, determined to keep Thorton on the straight and narrow, intercedes, and both of the British officers must face the far superior saber skills of the colonel in separate duels. 

Book Four brings Thorton to the nadir of his career, his health broken, and kept a virtual prisoner in a cellar, he discovers which man has the ‘heart of oak’ he can truly trust. Written by a tall ship sailor and internationally acclaimed poet, M. Kei, Pirates of the Narrow Seas combines swashbuckling adventure, gay romance, and gritty realism. 

Praise for previous novels in the series:

“A true literary first: a gay seafaring novel that’s every bit as good with the ‘gay’ stuff as the ‘seafaring’ stuff [...] Pirates of the Narrow Seas has thrilling action sequences, complex, conflicted characters, and a healthy dose of contemporary realism.”—Steve Donoghue, Open Letter A Monthly Arts and Literature Review

“A swashbuckling tale full of colour, adventure and romance – a good read!”—Gerry Burnie, Gerry B’s Book Reviews

“an action-packed swashbuckler of the Captain Blood tradition”—Nan Hawthorne, That’s All She Read


“well rounded individual personalities which it is a joy to follow” and “Recommended Reading”—Astrodene’s Historic Naval Fiction

“Please, Mr. Kei, write us another.”—Candice E. Frook, Amazon.com

The Sallee Rovers, the first book in the series, won a Sweet Revolution Award in the category of “best full cast” and “Judge’s pick”, and also won a 4th/Honorable Mention from the Rainbow Awards in the category of “Best gay historical fiction.”

Available in trade paperback from:

Keibooks
P O Box 516
Perryville, Maryland, USA

Or CreateSpace: https://www.createspace.com/3652763, or your favorite online retailer.

E-book forthcoming from Bristlecone Pine Press.

Men of Honor reviewed by Gerry B's Book Review -- 5 stars

Men of Honor, book two in the series Pirates of the Narrow Seas, has been reviewed by Gerry B's Book Reviews and given a five star rating. "[P]ulse-raising" and "a core of steel draped in velvet" are just a few of the comments.

Read the complete review at:
http://gerrycan.wordpress.com/2011/07/24/men-of-honor-pirates-of-the-narrow-seas-2-by-m-kei/

M. Kei Interviewed at Astrodene's Historic Naval Fiction

M. Kei, author of Pirates of the Narrow Seas, was interviewed by Astrodene's Historic Naval Fiction, one of the largest and most comprehensive sites on the Internet that covers nautical fiction.

"My goal was write a swashbuckler of the sort I loved when I was young, but for an adult audience. Strict historicity is not required in a swashbuckler--adventure and romance and gorgeous period dress are the hallmarks. All the same, I wanted to be stricter about it than the rather fanciful treatments the genre has received of late."

Read the rest of the interview at: http://www.historicnavalfiction.com/index.php/general-hnf-info/astrodenes-blog/2295-an-interview-with-m-kei