tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-80110618835706121612012-01-25T14:32:09.525-05:00Lt. Peter Thorton of the 18th century British navy must struggle to come out gay, fight the Spanish, survive storms at sea, duels, kidnapping, and other adventures in his quest for true love and honor on the Narrow Seas. Swashbuckling adventure on the high seas by M. Kei, acclaimed poet and tall ship sailor.M. Keihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02732533797439904583noreply@blogger.comBlogger1111100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011061883570612161.post-60660999673595803452012-01-25T14:28:00.002-05:002012-01-25T14:32:09.549-05:00

I am currently stumped in the middle of writing Man in the Crescent Moon, so I have set it aside for a while and worked on other things. In particular, fifteen years ago I wrote a novel that didn't quite gel. Pulling it out and re-reading it, I realized what was wrong and how to fix it, so I did. The novel is a gay Asian fantasy/science fiction story called Fire Dragon, and you can read it for

M. Keihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05737409897885399643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011061883570612161.post-21051378012707674502012-01-03T10:00:00.000-05:002012-01-03T10:00:13.203-05:00

Nan Hawthorne has joined Speak Its Name and her review of Pirates of the Narrow Seas 3 : Iron Men just appeared. "Like the first two novels, number three is full of exciting sea battles, with nautical detail that provides a backdrop without leaving you feeling like you missed something, cleverly imagined and written. Thorton is an unusual protagonist — he is not the preternaturally gorgeous and

M. Keihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02732533797439904583noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011061883570612161.post-91308936141664153942011-11-26T17:31:00.001-05:002011-11-26T17:33:40.036-05:00

"luminous in detail [...] For lovers of all things nautical in nature, this is exactly the right book to pick up."Read the complete review at: http://top2bottomreviews.wordpress.com/2011/11/23/the-sallee-rovers-pirates-of-the-narrow-seas-book-1/

M. Keihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05737409897885399643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011061883570612161.post-46077319134324023232011-11-21T09:35:00.000-05:002011-11-21T09:38:29.854-05:00

"I feel very lucky to have been asked to review several books by M. Kei. "In the first book I reviewed, “Pirates of the Narrow Seas: The Sallee Rovers”, I discovered what I have been missing. Kei is a terrific writer and a wonderful storyteller and he writes about something I know nothing about, naval historical fiction, so I must also classify him as a teacher. Now what is special about this

Keibookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04599132844056740840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011061883570612161.post-31119558261013109492011-11-03T09:30:00.002-04:002011-11-03T09:32:39.710-04:00

"It has been a long time since I read a good pirate story so I was anxious to read this tale of mayhem and adventure. It kept me on the edge of my seat and M. Kei gives us a wonderful new character in Lieutenant Peter Thorton, a closeted member of the British Navy who struggles with coming out while he manipulates battles and storms, duels and a kidnapping as well as his own search for both honor

M. Keihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05737409897885399643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011061883570612161.post-23171904190265108502011-10-15T08:16:00.003-04:002011-10-15T08:23:25.156-04:00

Over the summer I revamped covers, corrected typos (no matter how you proofread, you always find one of the devils after you go to print), and switched to a better printer that publishes the books on better quality paper with better binding. The resulting books are a definite upgrade from the former printer. The second editions are on an orangish background. There are a few first editions

Keibookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04599132844056740840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011061883570612161.post-31264813890024742952011-10-04T23:31:00.001-04:002011-10-04T23:32:15.424-04:00

http://www.reviewsbyjessewave.com/2011/10/01/bristlecone-pine-press-%E2%80%9Cfree%E2%80%9D-book-%E2%80%93-october-1/Jessewave reviews is offering a free book giveaway of Pirates of the Narrow Seas 3 : Iron Men. See the webpage above for details.Happy reading.~K~

Keibookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04599132844056740840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011061883570612161.post-76841465409804521982011-09-05T11:01:00.000-04:002011-09-05T11:01:14.087-04:00

"I literally devoured this seafaring adventure epic in one sitting and am in the middle of the second novel of the series." -- Vixenne Read the rest at: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/134196151 Vixenne on Goodreads has just posted a review of The Sallee Rovers. It's a wonderful review, not just because she likes the book, but because she gives enough information for the reader to know

M. Keihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02732533797439904583noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011061883570612161.post-32041332778297298292011-07-27T20:20:00.001-04:002011-07-27T20:23:08.674-04:00

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

M. Keihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02732533797439904583noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011061883570612161.post-9371343469485912742011-07-25T20:46:00.000-04:002011-07-25T20:46:45.519-04:00

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. Keihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02732533797439904583noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011061883570612161.post-54556236022336447462011-07-06T21:03:00.000-04:002011-07-06T21:03:34.814-04:00

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

M. Keihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02732533797439904583noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011061883570612161.post-44655779519530175252011-06-24T07:49:00.000-04:002011-06-24T07:49:19.468-04:00

A colleague of mine, Nan Hawthorne, asked a question on Facebook about "What doublecrosser from history makes you the maddest? Include both the villain and the person s/he turned on." (www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=question&id=10150225019040784&qa_ref=ns) My answer is personal, and too long to fit in the space provided by Facebook, so I thought I'd share the true story here. Some of my European

M. Keihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02732533797439904583noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011061883570612161.post-54895896800010242372011-06-22T18:48:00.000-04:002011-06-22T18:48:02.560-04:00

Open Letters a Monthly Arts and Literature review has posted a review of The Sallee Rovers. "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." Read the complete review at: http://

M. Keihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02732533797439904583noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011061883570612161.post-55712559607058258792011-05-25T16:56:00.003-04:002011-05-25T16:59:32.248-04:00

I don't mean to tease you, I really don't. PoNS 4 : Heart of Oak is coming sort of soon in paperback. I continue to be plagued by ill health, so progress is slow, but it is happening. I am currently working on the third (polishing) draft, after which it will need one more draft of fine tuning / proofreading, then book layout, proofs ordered, corrections, made, second proof ordered, and assuming

M. Keihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02732533797439904583noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011061883570612161.post-72023122904380263822011-05-03T14:11:00.001-04:002011-05-03T14:40:36.312-04:00

Recently I discovered a critic who decried me as a 'porn author', and cited Pirates of the Narrow Seas as an example of pornography I had written. This illustrates the point I was addressing in writing Pirates of the Narrow Seas in the first place: there are people out there who automatically assume that gay=porn. When writing PoNS I made the deliberate decision not to include explicit sex in

M. Keihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02732533797439904583noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011061883570612161.post-60844676267624429842011-04-03T10:29:00.000-04:002011-04-03T10:29:04.034-04:00

I'm pleased to report that the documentary, "The Ghost Ship Returns," about an intact 17th century wreck on the bottom of the Baltic Sea, will be aired on the National Geographic Channel on April 6 as part of their Expedition Week. I mention it because I am a member of the crew of the Kalmar Nyckel, the ship that was cast to stand in for the doomed ship. The Kalmar Nyckel has an extremely

M. Keihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02732533797439904583noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011061883570612161.post-3012437195240248402011-04-01T23:24:00.000-04:002011-04-01T23:24:20.571-04:00

http://www.amazon.com/Epics-Historical-M-Romance/lm/RZZ7I95XQBGI1 I just discovered that Pirates the Narrow Seas is #10 on the list of Epic Historical M/M Romances at Amazon.com. The list was created by X. Allen Smith in honor of "the great Epics of Historical Gay Romance novels, meaning those that are more than 200 pages and/or come in a series. Because I actually enjoy character development

M. Keihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02732533797439904583noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011061883570612161.post-66304675888604622092011-03-29T14:53:00.000-04:002011-03-29T14:53:02.727-04:00

Heart of Oak, the fourth book in the Pirates of the Narrow Seas series by M. Kei, will be coming out in paperback later this spring/early summer. It will be followed by an ebook from Bristlecone Pine Press, available through all the same outlets as the previous books in the series. Here are the blurbs: Short blurb: Heart of Oak, the fourth book in the Pirates of the Narrow Seas series by M.

M. Keihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02732533797439904583noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011061883570612161.post-35089999146937235852011-01-24T07:43:00.002-05:002011-01-24T07:43:56.816-05:00

Astrodene's Historic Naval Fiction has just posted a short review of Pirates of the Narrow Seas 3 : Iron Men. "I enjoy following the exploits of these characters in what is another good swashbuckling naval novel and I look forward to the next book in the series. Recommended reading."~Astrodene Read the complete review at: http://www.historicnavalfiction.com/index.php/general-hnf-info/

M. Keihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02732533797439904583noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011061883570612161.post-56029679250717939962010-12-23T18:55:00.000-05:002010-12-23T18:55:19.021-05:00

AssassinsCloak has posted a review of The Sallee Rovers: "The story is faced paced and action packed, with the characters and sailing well described and brought to life. For me it was a treat to read a novel set in this period that wasn't about the war between the British and French Empires and I look forward to seeing what direction the next two novels in the trilogy go." Full review at: http:

M. Keihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02732533797439904583noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011061883570612161.post-51348694871427293772010-12-11T22:31:00.000-05:002010-12-11T22:31:00.933-05:00

Tonight was the Christmas and Volunteer Appreciation Party at the Kalmar Nyckel. I received several awards, some serious and some silly. First, I was one of 28 people that received certificates for volunteering 400 or more hours in one year. We got a certificate and photo of the ship. Next, I received my crew jacket for logging 500 lifetime volunteer hours. I also received a Deck Chief

M. Keihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02732533797439904583noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011061883570612161.post-36408638469494886182010-12-09T19:31:00.003-05:002010-12-09T19:36:02.737-05:00

And the Rainbow Award goes to:http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/1189258.html1) Alan Chin - The Lonely War (Zumaya Publications)This is a very demanding but oh-so-rewarding book. While I don't know if I would read it again--at 303 pages which included some rough passages I'd rather not experience again--I can honestly say that this is a book that deserves to be read by fans of m/m who want a

Keibookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04599132844056740840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011061883570612161.post-53610548757115898582010-12-03T19:09:00.001-05:002010-12-09T19:40:49.777-05:00

Praise for Pirates of the Narrow SeasPoNS 1 : The Sallee Rovers won “best full cast” and “Judge’s pick” in the Sweet Revolution AwardsPoNS 1 : The Sallee Rovers won “honorable mention (fourth place)” in the Rainbow Awards“a dashing good tale full of adventure and mayhem, slaves and saviors, and the rigors and perils of life at sea”—Sage Whistler, author of Broken“A swashbuckling tale full of

Keibookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04599132844056740840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011061883570612161.post-75362017235252016702010-11-30T15:40:00.002-05:002010-11-30T15:42:45.739-05:00

I am very pleased that Astrodene's Historic Naval Fiction site has posted an excellent review of Pirates of the Narrow Seas 2 : Men of Honor. "After reading the first book in the series I had high expectations for this novel and I was not disappointed, it was another page turner. [...] Whilst the narrative will be familiar to lovers of naval fiction set in the late 1700's it is based on a

Keibookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04599132844056740840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011061883570612161.post-77352670772605555122010-11-11T16:48:00.000-05:002010-11-11T16:49:25.450-05:00

http://bookworld.editme.com/kujakupoetI've been at work most of the day sprucing up and improving my author pages at the GLBT Bookshelf. I have added thumbnails for all the ebok covers now, including the thumbnail of the cover for PoNS 3 : Iron Men. Although it is not yet out in ebook format, the cover is done, and the manuscript is at the coder, so I'm hoping it will be out in time for Christmas

Keibookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04599132844056740840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011061883570612161.post-81853725409673523812010-11-10T18:13:00.004-05:002010-11-10T18:17:47.661-05:00

My series, Pirates of the Narrow Seas, will be sponsoring a special segment of Radio De Danann the week of November 21st: Songs of Sailing and the Sea. Learn more at: http://radiodedanann.blogspot.com. Radio De Danann is free Internet radio of the Pan-Celtic world, run by Nan Hawthorne. ~K~

Keibookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04599132844056740840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011061883570612161.post-46350192117843188882010-10-24T00:50:00.000-04:002010-10-24T00:50:17.133-04:00

"Fortunately, as well as all the action on deck, there’s a really good personal story going on alongside the description. It was this part of the book which had me hooked. The character of Peter was well rounded and I liked his slight aloofness which hid an honourable man who just wanted to get on with being the best officer he could [...] I felt all his frustration at his superior when Peter is

M. Keihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02732533797439904583noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011061883570612161.post-85956376157644084742010-10-15T11:56:00.003-04:002010-10-15T11:57:09.641-04:00

I'm pleased to report that the long-awaited book two of the Pirates of the Narrow Seas series, Men of Honor, is now available in a variety of ebook formats. You can buy it from Kindle, iBookstore, AllRomance, 1Romance, Rainbow Ebooks, and many other ebooksellers. PoNS 2 : Men of Honor was reviewed by Nan Hawthorne at All She Read at http://allsheread.blogspot.com/2010/10/

M. Keihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02732533797439904583noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011061883570612161.post-37053474140244666392010-10-14T21:51:00.006-04:002010-10-14T22:26:55.642-04:00

Tonight I was Googling for Pirates of the Narrow Seas looking for new reviews, new booksellers, etc. What I found instead was a pirate site. I'm not going to share the ID with you because I'm not going to help people steal from me. Suffice it to say, this pirate site has served over 33,000 -- that's thirty-three thousand -- unauthorized copies of Pirates of the Narrow Seas. Had each of those 33K

Keibookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04599132844056740840noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011061883570612161.post-81118057563972194572010-10-14T20:58:00.000-04:002010-10-14T20:58:45.718-04:00

I've had some queries about how to purchase Pirates of the Narrow Seas. First of all, let me thank the fans and readers who have emailed and/or posted on their blogs. I appreciate your support, and I'm glad you're enjoying the books! I had fun writing them and I hope everyone has fun reading them. Pirates of the Narrow Seas is available in paperback and ebooks. You can buy the paperbacks at

M. Keihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02732533797439904583noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011061883570612161.post-58086510386562937512010-10-05T20:03:00.001-04:002010-10-05T20:03:52.559-04:00

http://allsheread.blogspot.com/2010/10/men-of-honor-by-m-kei.htmlI am delighted to report that Nan Hawthorne has posted a review of Men of Honor, the second book in the Pirates of the Narrow Seas series at her blog: "There is no question this is an exciting adventure. If a Spanish galleon is not firing on them, runaway carts are about to crush them, or someone has called someone else out for a

Keibookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04599132844056740840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011061883570612161.post-33361023643673082962010-10-02T17:29:00.003-04:002010-10-02T17:32:03.057-04:00

A friend pointed me to a 'choose your own adventure' game online, entitled Choice of Broadsides, located at: http://www.choiceofgames.com/broadsides/It's a fun way to spend an hour, being witty and well-written. What I especially like is being allowed to choose your gender and orientation. Naturally I chose to play a gay officer :) I enjoyed my passionate romance with a French officer, although I

M. Keihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05737409897885399643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011061883570612161.post-62156803176507181822010-09-17T13:28:00.004-04:002010-09-17T14:53:44.181-04:00

NarrowSeas.blogspot.com has received the 'One Lovely Blog' Award. This is a community-generated award in which operators of historical fiction and related blogs bestow the award on those they think deserving. It is then incumbent upon the recipient to pass it along and recognize other blogs in the field.It's gratifying to receive such rewards because the Internet can be a cold and lonely place.

Keibookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04599132844056740840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011061883570612161.post-44970351976175118682010-09-06T23:28:00.003-04:002010-09-06T23:33:38.618-04:00

Readers of this blog will remember Timmynocky the Sailor Cat. I regret to report he is in the pet hospital tonight. He had a urinary blockage that made him a very unhappy kitty. This is common in neutered male cats. He is improving and we will pick him up tomorrow morning. We leave Martha's Vineyard after collecting the cat, but there is a good chance we will be embayed by strong winds roaring

M. Keihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05737409897885399643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011061883570612161.post-72006835848141341072010-09-02T13:40:00.003-04:002010-09-02T14:04:36.486-04:00

As many of you know, I crew on the tall ship Kalmar Nyckel, a reproduction of a Dutch pinnace that was originally built in 1625. As such, she predates the steering wheel and the jib sail. We have been in Provincetown, Massachusetts, where we rode out a four day noreaster with only minor damage (I repaired the Delaware state flag). We were due into Martha's Vinyard, but the Vinyard is no safe

M. Keihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05737409897885399643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011061883570612161.post-42665285405210850522010-08-20T12:56:00.004-04:002010-08-26T08:25:20.021-04:00

Men of Honor is the second book in the series Pirates of the Narrow Seas. It's my favorite; I had a blast writing it. The title says what the book is about: honor. Today we don't talk much about honor, and we don't have much respect for those old-fashioned folks who believe in honor. Slogans like 'death before dishonor' seem like macho hyperbole. Yet honor was the social currency that enabled the

M. Keihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05737409897885399643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011061883570612161.post-2797285794495848072010-08-17T10:29:00.003-04:002010-08-17T10:38:35.701-04:00

After weeks of struggling and being sent in circles by Amazon associates who haven't any intention of actually doing their job, which is, you know, making certain their site works right and people can find the books they want to buy, I am resorting to only expedient a frustrated author has: blogging about it.Pirates of the Narrow Seas is fiction. If you're a reader of this blog, that fact, if no

Keibookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04599132844056740840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011061883570612161.post-27472522374746655962010-08-15T22:59:00.001-04:002010-08-15T23:00:17.006-04:00

Gerry B calls The Sallee Rovers "A swashbuckling tale full of colour, adventure and romance – a good read!" http://gerrycan.wordpress.com/2010/08/15/pirates-of-the-narrow-seas-1-sallee-rovers-by-m-kei/

M. Keihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05737409897885399643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011061883570612161.post-10351097258239477302010-08-14T19:42:00.003-04:002010-08-14T19:44:12.242-04:00

Desmian Trog has posted an enthusiastic review of The Sallee Rover, book one in the Pirates of the Narrow Seas series."I never thought that a book in a completely different section of preference to my normal ones would ever muscle ahead of most of my favorite texts and plant itself so firmly and so highly in my list of favorite books. [...] From the depths of the descriptions to the pacing of

Keibookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04599132844056740840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011061883570612161.post-20104523814614373542010-08-08T08:42:00.004-04:002010-08-08T09:54:42.737-04:00

Although this blog is dedicated to my series, Pirates of the Narrow Seas, gay fiction set in the Age of Sail, as mentioned, I have been crewing aboard historic wooden sailing vessels for some years now. I served my apprenticeship aboard a skipjack, and since I am a poet, I kept a log of several trips aboard that vessel in the form of short poetry. I published it as Slow Motion : The Log of a

M. Keihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05737409897885399643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011061883570612161.post-59003071101656354372010-08-03T20:54:00.001-04:002010-08-03T20:56:17.320-04:00

Cindy Vallar, a professional book reviewer and webmistress of the Pirates and Privateers website, has posted a review of Pirates of the Narrow Seas 1 : The Sallee Rovers."As the story unfolds, it enigmatically lures the reader into the story, transporting him/her back in time to the period and places where Peter lives and visits."Full review at: http://www.cindyvallar.com/adultpiratebks.html#

Keibookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04599132844056740840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011061883570612161.post-80716982797049977732010-08-02T10:45:00.001-04:002010-08-02T10:46:50.556-04:00

I just realized I forgot to post a link to Andy Eisenberg's review of The Sallee Rovers: "My rating: 5 of 5 starsI loaded the The Sallee Rovers on my iPad for my flight back from the West coast and, whether seat-belted in or not, I was glued to my seat by the riveting story. It was wonderfully entertaining and interesting."http://andyeisenberg.blogspot.com/2010/06/sallee-rovers.html?zx=

M. Keihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05737409897885399643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011061883570612161.post-54608396909062610292010-08-01T13:34:00.001-04:002010-08-01T13:35:49.651-04:00

http://www.historicnavalfiction.net/m-kei-f45/I'm pleased to report that I've now got my own forum on Astrodene's Historic Fiction site This excellent repository of Historic Naval Fiction hosts book reviews, catalogs, forums, and all sorts of interesting and miscellaneous information for the reader of nautical fiction. ~K~

M. Keihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05737409897885399643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011061883570612161.post-50516344560894348982010-07-30T22:23:00.014-04:002011-08-06T10:54:33.741-04:00

I have been fortunate to receive a number of positive reviews of The Sallee Rovers, the first book in the Pirates of the Narrow Seas series, and several reviews of book two, Men of Honor. It is interesting to see the different points of view of the different reviewers, what they comment on and how they interpret different aspects of the novel. For the curious, or the terminally bored seeking an

M. Keihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05737409897885399643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011061883570612161.post-26361991104137606732010-07-30T19:06:00.003-04:002010-07-30T19:08:57.710-04:00

Astrodene's Historic Naval Fiction site has posted Rick Spilman's review of The Sallee Rovers. Astrodene has been very kind to Pirates of the Narrow Seas, listing the series in his catalog with pictures and buying links, plus he has now posted three reviews to the site: his own, Nan Hawthorne's, and now Rick Spilman's. All are positive reviews, and it certainly helps the books' reputations to be

Keibookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04599132844056740840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011061883570612161.post-58349394706320219052010-07-24T22:14:00.003-04:002010-07-24T22:18:47.892-04:00

Rick Spilman, author of the Old Salt's Blog, published a review of Pirates of the Narrow Seas 1 : The Sallee Rovers, at Open.Salon.com:"Pirates of the Narrow Sea, Book 1 – Sallee Rovers by M. Kei is well written nautical adventure fiction with a twist or two, or perhaps three [..] The action at sea is set aboard a British frigate, a captured Spanish slave galley and a Spanish galiot, which is

Keibookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04599132844056740840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011061883570612161.post-52003008647677834452010-07-24T15:28:00.002-04:002010-07-24T15:29:31.812-04:00

Pirates of the Narrow Seas 2 : Men of Honor Purchase Pirates of the Narrow Seas 2 : Men of Honor with 15% off with coupon code BEACHREAD305 Disclaimer: Use coupon code BEACHREAD305 at checkout and receive 15% off Pirates of the Narrow Seas 2 : Men of Honor. Maximum savings with this promotion is $10. You can only use the code once per account, and you can't use this coupon in combination with

M. Keihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02732533797439904583noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011061883570612161.post-15685851006990291282010-07-02T18:41:00.002-04:002010-07-02T18:44:37.355-04:00

The following is my promotional letter sent to bookstores in hopes that they will be interested in hosting a reading, book signing, or talk by yours truly. If you're a bookstore manager, special event coordinator, or otherwise interested in having me appear (East Coast venues only, unless you're willing to provide train fare), please contact me at: Keibooks (at) gmail (dot) com. The pitch: I'm

Keibookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04599132844056740840noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011061883570612161.post-59920777032551881662010-06-23T08:37:00.004-04:002010-07-01T22:46:28.629-04:00

Up until now, no reviewer dedicated to the large and popular field of nautical fiction has reviewed Pirates of the Narrow Seas. I have been in suspense wondering how the book would rate with an audience that is large and knowledgeable in the field. I am therefore very gratified that Astrodene, owner of the large and handsome 'Historic Naval Fiction' website has given The Sallee Rovers a positive

Keibookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04599132844056740840noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011061883570612161.post-73042557920770570952010-06-22T17:46:00.003-04:002010-06-22T18:02:48.795-04:00

http://www.allromanceebooks.com/category155.htmlThe Sallee Rovers, book one in the Pirates of the Narrow Seas, is rated in the top five 'best selling' and 'top rated' books in the 'Pirates' category at All Romance. What's especially nice is that it's a general list, not just a 'gay pirates' list. It features both heterosexual and gay titles.In addition the paperback, Men of Honor, book two in the

M. Keihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05737409897885399643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011061883570612161.post-66172483283703588552010-06-21T20:21:00.002-04:002010-06-21T20:24:18.701-04:00

Bristlecone Pine Press, the publisher of the ebook version of Pirates of the Narrow Seas trilogy, has posted all three ebook covers to their Facebook page: http://en-gb.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=399933576917&commentsThe cover designs by Alex Beecroft look very good indeed. I signed off on the galleyproof for Book Two before I went to sea two weeks ago, so I expect to see it any day now on the

Keibookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04599132844056740840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011061883570612161.post-47994810309299271452010-06-11T00:12:00.001-04:002010-06-11T00:23:59.536-04:00

Nan Hawthorne has posted a thoughtful and insightful review of The Sallee Rovers at her blog, All She Read, http://allsheread.blogspot.com/2010/06/sallee-rovers-by-m-kei-pirates-of.html. "Imagine a novel about life on a tall ship during the age of corsairs, privateers, and pirates, written by someone who who has sailed as part of the crew on such a ship [...] The author, M. Kei, [...] has faced

M. Keihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05737409897885399643noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011061883570612161.post-36452921516028910782010-05-22T06:03:00.000-04:002010-05-22T06:04:21.019-04:00

The Sallee RoversBy: M. Kei | Other books by M. KeiPublished By: Bristlecone Pine PressISBN # 978-1-60722-017-6Word Count: 115514Heat Index Available in: Adobe Acrobat, Microsoft Reader, EpubRead MoreClick here for the print versionAbout the bookLieutenant Peter Thorton of the 18th century British navy must struggle to come out gay while surviving storms at sea, ship-to-ship battles, duels,

Keibookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04599132844056740840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011061883570612161.post-24308393006915809262010-05-19T19:11:00.001-04:002010-05-19T19:14:18.199-04:00

Just a quick note--I'm briefly ashore and have a ton of things to do before going back to sea, so this won't be a full-fledged press release. Men of Honor, the second book in the series, Pirates of the Narrow Seas, has been reviewed."M. Kei [...] has produced a book which can stand comparison with C. S. Forester's Hornblower series."and"The ample amounts of action keep the book moving fast and

M. Keihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05737409897885399643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011061883570612161.post-30398771233994179002010-05-13T12:55:00.000-04:002010-05-13T12:55:18.287-04:00

Long term readers of this site are probably aware of the trials and tribulations I have undergone in the attempt to publish Pirates of the Narrow Seas, but newcomers may be confused. To answer the recent question: This is the canonical site that will stay up-to-date and supercedes all other information. Being a micropress, I have to do all my own publicity, and that means making use of all

M. Keihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02732533797439904583noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011061883570612161.post-10464558172215419612010-05-13T11:49:00.001-04:002010-05-13T11:49:53.068-04:00

Pirates of the Narrow Seas - Gay Nautical Fiction from Keibooks and Bristlecone Pine Press - for Immediate Release -- please share with all appropriate forums13 May 2010 Perryville, Maryland, USA Pirates of the Narrows Seas, the trilogy of gay nautical novels by M. Kei, continues to garner positive reviews and enthusiastic fans. The latest review, by Ames, of The Thrifty Reader, was posted on May

Keibookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04599132844056740840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011061883570612161.post-86491809696041253702010-04-04T11:59:00.000-04:002010-04-04T12:00:31.103-04:00

If you have been planning to buy a copy of my new novel Pirates of the Narrow Seas (NarrowSeas.blogspot.com), April is the month to do it! Lulu.com, home to Keibooks, is offering a special coupon for a discount of 10% off the cover price of one purchase. Visit http://stores.Lulu.com/Keibooks and at check out, enter the code 'SHOWERS'. You may use it once during the month of April for a single

M. Keihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05737409897885399643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011061883570612161.post-33651576765946274452010-03-25T10:59:00.000-04:002010-03-25T10:59:24.475-04:00

Pirates of the Narrow Seas 1 : The Sallee Rovers is doing well on the 'Best Gay  Multicultural Lovers' list and Goodreads, and is now #1. Thank you, fans! Somebody has set up a second list for Best Gay Pirate/Sailor Novels at Goodreads as well, and PoNS 1 is on that list too: http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/3841.Best_Gay_Pirate_Sailor_book Plus there's a Best Gay Nautical Novels List: http:/

M. Keihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02732533797439904583noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011061883570612161.post-16989947762895375482010-03-21T18:34:00.002-04:002010-03-21T18:36:36.545-04:00

Goodreads.com is offering a list of 'Best Gay Multicultural Lovers', and I'm pleased to report that Pirates of the Narrow Seas rates #12 out of 99 on their list. I don't understand their rating system since it doesn't seem to be based on votes, but I'm pleased all the same.You can check out the list yourself at: http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/4768.Best_Gay_Multicultural_Lovers~K~

Keibookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04599132844056740840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011061883570612161.post-34741368280403322322010-03-05T20:32:00.000-05:002010-03-05T20:32:17.715-05:00

Captain Peter Thorton, Sallee rover, and his lover, Shakil bin Nakih set out on a quest to rescue the mad duke, Henrique, Duke of Coimbra, the man who wants to be king of Portugal. Shakil disguises himself to slip into the Spanish stronghold of Sebta, and with a Spanish fleet hot on their heels, Thorton, Shakil, and Henrique flee for their lives—only to run smack into the arms of the British navy

M. Keihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02732533797439904583noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011061883570612161.post-32053282996998019362010-02-23T23:59:00.001-05:002010-02-24T00:02:16.694-05:00

I have signed a contract with Bristlecone Pine Press to produce e-books of all three Pirates of the Narrow Seas. As a consequence of that agreement, I will be pulling PoNS 2 : Men of Honor and PoNS 3 : Iron Men. Pirates of the Narrow Seas, renamed Pirates of the Narrow Seas 1 : The Sallee Rovers will remain free online. If you're reading the books free online, you will need to hurry up and

M. Keihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05737409897885399643noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011061883570612161.post-49012684822336874802010-02-15T10:22:00.003-05:002010-02-15T10:31:44.604-05:00

"I highly recommend that you rush out and get this book."~Alex BeecroftToday Speak Its Name, the website devoted to gay historical fiction, posted a review of Pirates of the Narrow Seas by M. Kei. The reviewer, Alex Beecroft, is well known for her own Age of Sail gay romances and is the author of False Colours, one of the best loved novels in the genre. She gives Pirates of the Narrow Seas 4.5

Keibookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04599132844056740840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011061883570612161.post-86163300062967747852010-02-11T22:30:00.002-05:002010-02-11T22:32:25.743-05:00

I am currently attending sail training at a tall ship, a replica of a 17th century Dutch pinnace. I did snow watch this week for most of Friday-Thursday. A crewmate loaned me a camera to take the pictures in the link below. Sadly, the camera battery died, so half of the pictures didn't save. http://picasaweb.google.com/Kujakupoet/KalmarNyckelSnowmageddon#

M. Keihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05737409897885399643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011061883570612161.post-7648359367706565592010-02-04T18:25:00.000-05:002010-02-04T18:25:22.687-05:00

http://online-novels.blogspot.com/2008/10/adventure-novels-26.html A big thank you to the folks at Online Novels for including links to all three Pirates of the Narrow Seas novels on this site! Online Novels contains links to over one thousand novels online by published and unpublished authors, categorized by type and searchable. If you're looking for free novel reading online, this is a great

M. Keihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02732533797439904583noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011061883570612161.post-84059658350440007762010-02-04T17:29:00.000-05:002010-02-04T17:29:29.441-05:00

Warning: Link Not Safe For Work http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/941530.html Elisa Rolle is a reviewer of m/m romances who reviewed Pirates of the Narrow Seas at her blog. Not surprisingly, she focussed her attention on the romantic aspects of the novel. That's fine, since her intended audience is readers of gay romances. A reviewer's duty is to meet the needs of her audience, describing a

M. Keihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02732533797439904583noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011061883570612161.post-38741126307775444712010-01-19T12:38:00.004-05:002010-01-19T16:32:24.209-05:00

Sage Whistler, author of numerous m/m works of fiction, was kind enough to review Pirates of the Narrow Seas. This is his review: Pirates of the Narrow Seas was a dashing good tale full of adventure and mayhem, slaves and saviors, and the rigors and perils of life at sea. Pirates of the Narrow Seas follows the life of Peter Thorton and his journey as a poor lieutenant with little social influence

M. Keihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02732533797439904583noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011061883570612161.post-27487469577724820342010-01-07T21:22:00.012-05:002010-01-07T23:15:33.979-05:00

http://www.amazon.com/gp/richpub/listmania/fullview/R2DRBGWMK8XMM4/ref=cm_lm_pthnk_view?ie=UTF8&lm_bb=Pirates of the Narrow Seas isn't in print yet, but soon, very soon, it will be. I know of a few other nautical novels featuring gay characters, so I made up a list at Amazon.com using their Listmania feature. Please note, I have not read all the novels on the list. The contents are variable. Some

M. Keihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02732533797439904583noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011061883570612161.post-3085776974978805572010-01-04T16:31:00.002-05:002010-01-04T16:33:17.672-05:00

I am looking for reviewers for Pirates of the Narrow Seas. If you have a journal, website, or blog and would like to review it, please let me know. I'll send you a PDF now and a hard copy when the book is in print.Naturally, you can write whatever you please, but if you say something good, I'll excerpt it (with proper attribution, of course) to promote the book. Email me at Keibooks (at) gmail (

M. Keihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02732533797439904583noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011061883570612161.post-62576644266012330962009-12-25T01:25:00.003-05:002010-01-04T16:31:16.358-05:00

Several of my friends have wished for an actual book to hold in their hands as they are reading, and I can't blame them. I don't like reading online, either. So I have decided to go ahead and print it up through print-on-demand (POD) publishing. I've been able to purchase rights for a cover image and I've been laying out the book. Tentative price will be $16-17 for a royal version (slightly

M. Keihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02732533797439904583noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011061883570612161.post-20159210269188458782009-09-19T15:00:00.006-04:002009-11-07T07:03:40.725-05:00

http://sweet-revolution.webs.com/winners.htmThe Sweet Revolution Award is for same sex romances published on Fictionpress.com, the archive for the original draft of Pirates of the Narrow Seas. PoNS 1 was nominated and won in the category of 'best full cast' and was a special judge's pick as well.Thank you, readers.Please visit the website above for further information.~K~

M. Keihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02732533797439904583noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011061883570612161.post-25600001538853731462009-07-19T21:53:00.004-04:002009-11-07T07:11:38.191-05:00

Thank you for reading this far! I hope you enjoyed your nautical adventure and the characters you met along the way. If you did, fear not, book two is on the way. I had so much fun writing the first one that I had to carry the story forward.Pirates of the Narrow Seas 2 : Men of HonorWhat happens when Lt. Peter Thorton is caught up in the war between Spain and the Sallee Republic, but Admiral

M. Keihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02732533797439904583noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011061883570612161.post-83627951331632363622009-07-19T21:52:00.003-04:002010-01-24T19:37:10.781-05:00

As soon as Murad Rais went in to the Dey and the door shut, Tangle crowed like a rooster and slung his arm around Thorton's shoulder. "We did it! He's on board! We will drive the Spaniards from our shores and the country will prosper!" He kept his arm companionably around Thorton's shoulder as they exited the chamber and retrieved their swords. Thorton laughed and blushed. "Don't hang on me,

M. Keihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02732533797439904583noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011061883570612161.post-29842054974677149382009-07-19T20:22:00.005-04:002010-01-24T19:36:21.497-05:00

If the reception of the French had been warm, that of Zokhara was delirious. Women waved their veils and threw flowers and several local bands turned out to play Turkish music. The clanging of the cymbals was a strange and exotic to Thorton's ears, but he recognized the martial spirit. Lords and laborers came down to the quay to see with their own eyes the return of the great corsair. Even some

M. Keihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02732533797439904583noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011061883570612161.post-18199713103200806542009-07-19T18:58:00.003-04:002010-01-24T19:35:37.176-05:00

The Santa Teresa de Ávila and her consorts sailed north then east. Kasim Rais had consented to travel in convoy with them, but he ran far ahead and snapped up a slog-bottomed snow to send into Fezakh—he would not have sent her into Tanguel even if she could have made the sandbar at high tide. Tangle hoped he'd get himself killed but not lose the xebec. It was a complicated thing to wish for and

M. Keihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02732533797439904583noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011061883570612161.post-34754284265961977712009-07-19T06:13:00.006-04:002010-01-24T19:34:54.879-05:00

Zahid Amir, son of the Bey of Tanguel, had a powerful vision, but almost nothing to build it on. He had Tangle, his reputation, and three galleys. There was little that they could accomplish on their own, so they must run the Spanish blockade of the Strait of Gibraltar to Zokhara and solicit the aid of the much larger and better funded force there. But there was one matter on which Tangle put

M. Keihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02732533797439904583noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011061883570612161.post-1874895427799024122009-07-19T05:52:00.005-04:002010-01-24T19:34:19.246-05:00

Five hundred guests attended the banquet. Sheep, chickens, goats, and a camel were slaughtered and roasted. There was insufficient room in the governor's dining hall, so it was held in the courtyards and rooms around the courtyard. Female guests were kept separate from the male guests. The whole palace was very grand but in a state of decay. It had been built in the heyday of the corsairs when

M. Keihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02732533797439904583noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011061883570612161.post-13151711592844092262009-07-18T21:32:00.005-04:002010-01-24T19:33:41.617-05:00

Thorton suddenly paused his pacing. Beneath his feet the sound of female pleasure drifted up through the planks. Captain Tangle was making love to his wife in the bed where only this morning Peter Thorton had lain. Did she know it? Did she guess? Would some member of the crew tell her, just to spite him? What would she do when she knew? They were agonizing questions. They made his face white and

M. Keihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02732533797439904583noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011061883570612161.post-68088394884319313072009-07-18T20:58:00.004-04:002010-01-24T19:33:02.365-05:00

On board the Sea Leopard things were not going as well as Thorton imagined. Oh, Captain and Mistress Tangle were certainly pleased to see each other. Happy, delighted, thrilled, ecstatic, radiant—no words were sufficient to describe the joy of their reunion. In spite of anything that might be inferred about his character from his actions, Tangle truly loved his wife and she loved him. But there

M. Keihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02732533797439904583noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011061883570612161.post-1556985304596037812009-07-18T20:23:00.005-04:002010-01-24T19:32:25.201-05:00

The wind rose and blew a half-gale from out of the northwest. The Terry shipped water and had to be pumped, but compared to the Bart, she was as buoyant as a cork in a washtub. The wind blew itself out in the wee hours. When dawn lightened the sky the coast of Africa was a large smudge on the horizon. At noon Thorton shot the sun. Tangle did not even wait for him to plot a course; once he knew

M. Keihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02732533797439904583noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011061883570612161.post-66523633822431226412009-07-18T19:56:00.004-04:002010-01-24T19:31:23.345-05:00

They paralleled the coast of Iberia at a distance of a hundred miles. Sometimes they saw fishboats, then finally crossed the latitude of Lisbon and saw sails heading for that great port. Here they picked up a fat little brig returning from the West Indies. She was loaded with cane sugar, rum, and molasses. It was a sticky sweet cargo, but she'd fetch a good price in the market. "Take a crew

M. Keihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02732533797439904583noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011061883570612161.post-72710213708509142122009-07-18T18:25:00.006-04:002010-01-24T19:18:22.979-05:00

Perry stood on the damp sand in his silk stockings and frock coat with his tricorn hat firmly on his head. His hair was queued and tied with a black velvet ribbon. The white lace of his cravat spilled over the top of his waistcoat and a plain black solitaire went around his neck. Lace showed beneath his coat cuffs. His white facings were crisp and the gold lace and brass buttons gleamed in the

M. Keihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02732533797439904583noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011061883570612161.post-1583123013793000152009-07-18T16:55:00.003-04:002010-01-24T19:17:33.876-05:00

The Santa Teresa de Ávila was on the latitude of Eel Buff. All they had to do was sail due west and hope they wouldn't meet any Spanish patrols. The wind grew faint and fitful. They ran out the oars and swept; when the wind improved they sailed. But it did not stay, so they swept again. So it went. Sweeping and sailing, sailing and sweeping. They crawled along the line of latitude making very

M. Keihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02732533797439904583noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011061883570612161.post-57144075241547316992009-07-18T09:25:00.002-04:002010-01-24T19:16:56.533-05:00

Tangle sat alone in the dimness of his shattered cabin. His steward had cleaned up the broken glass and put things to rights. The carpenter had boarded up the shattered window. Tangle still had side window to let in late afternoon light. Sailing west, the stern was in shadow and the cabin was dim. He sat in his loose white damask clothes with his wounded leg propped up on the opposite chair. His

M. Keihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02732533797439904583noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011061883570612161.post-7544992168856324262009-07-18T09:09:00.004-04:002010-01-24T19:16:21.409-05:00

Thorton woke to find himself on the very edge of his bunk and in danger of falling out through the gap in the guard rail as the ship rolled. Sleepily he thought the pillow must have gotten between himself and the wall and he gave it a hard shove to make room for himself.  Tangle grunted and said, "What?" a little crossly at being squashed in the stomach. Thorton jerked to full wakefulness and

M. Keihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02732533797439904583noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011061883570612161.post-7015537520491925062009-07-18T08:42:00.003-04:002010-01-24T19:15:33.669-05:00

Duties finally done, Thorton paid a call on the young lieutenant. He found Maynard sitting up in his own bed and dreadfully bored. "Will you help me go out on deck, Peter? I want to see the sun!" "Of course, Archie." He felt rather like an indulgent older brother where Maynard was concerned. He supported Maynard on one side while the boy used a crutch on the other. They hobbled out. "Oh,

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The sun rose and burned the fog away, developing into a very warm spring day. Thorton lay on his bunk dressed in nothing but his drawers and a thin sleeveless jersey. He stared at the planks over his head and brooded. Every misstep of his past was laid clear to him. He should have been stronger and wiser. He should have shut his mouth more frequently. He had been lacking in fortitude and grace.

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Thorton woke Tangle painfully early, before the false dawn, with a single lantern lit in the cabin. The captain groaned and held his aching head, but Thorton had no sympathy for him. He mercilessly jerked the covers off to expose him to the chilly air, then rolled him out of bed. Tangle fell on the floor with a thump. He moaned and crawled onto his hands and knees. Thorton grabbed the naked

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"Lieutenant Thorton?" Coming from the bright lamplight into the dark of the courtyard Forsythe couldn't see anything. He did see a pale blur that he thought might be Tangle's turban. Tangle jumped to his feet while Thorton turned away and grabbed his hat and crammed it on his head in hopes of hiding his face. Tangle walked swiftly forward to forestall Forsythe's advance. He deliberately slapped

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Thorton shaved, brushed his good coat, selected his best linen shirt and wool stockings (he didn't own any silk), polished his shoes, got his good hat out of the storage tin, wore his best trousers (that were not very good at all), and studied himself in the mirror. He made a presentable figure. Perry remained with the ship. Thorton was secretly relieved that he would not have to sit through

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The prize court was perfunctory. The Spanish consul's protests were duly noted and ignored. The galleys were condemned, and one was bought on the spot by the French navy for use as a dispatch runner. The other two were auctioned later. All together they brought fourteen thousand livres—a fraction of their value—but it pleased Tangle to have it. Ten percent of the proceeds went to the French

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When the watchtowers of Correaux spotted a squadron of four galleys approaching they sounded the alarm. Tales of Spanish raids on the French coast had been coming in for several weeks. Now the raiders were on their very doorstep. Two French frigates were not quite finished taking on their stores and did not have full complements, but they came out to meet the attack anyhow. Word ran swiftly

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When the guns fell silent Thorton dared stick his head out of his cabin. There were wounded men in the coach. "What happened?" "We won!" exulted a short man with blood running down his face into his white collar. Several other sailors were carefully lowering a stretcher down the companionway to the lower deck. Thorton spotted blond hair. "Oh no! Maynard! Archie, my lad! What happened?" He ran

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Tangle donned the coat and hat of his Spanish predecessor. The coat was too small and he could hardly move his arms, but it was blue and the scarlet reverses and cuffs could be easily seen. The other officers were ordered into Spanish uniforms as well. Thus it appeared that Spanish officers had their slaves at their benches. Her guns were hauled up and placed under her arrumbada. A tub with slow

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Tangle stared through the spyglass at the two lateen sails. He glanced up at the sky. The weather was clearing nicely and the breeze had backed around to the northwest. The morning was cool, but the sun was warm. The gentle breeze felt good.  He sighed. "I wish it would keep raining, or perhaps a lovely fog. A magic spell to render us invisible would come in handy as long as I'm yearning for

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Thorton stood his watch in the cold dark night. It was still damp but the wind had dropped and the log showed only three knots. He had discovered coffee and ordered a cup be brought to him to keep him warm and awake through his watch. The Salletines loved the stuff and kept a pot going at all hours. He watched the sky, the sea, the ship, the moon, and his thoughts. Presently he roused himself.

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Thorton was exhausted. He napped as the galley lay hove to in the rough seas. He had the sailor's ability to sleep through anything. Hizir stood watch overhead. A Sallee rover, a Swede, a renegade, and a converted Muslim, his loyalty was to the captain sleeping in the berth beneath his feet. He paced softly so that his footfalls on the planks over the captain's head would not disturb the

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If the cabins of the frigate were small, those of the galley were strait indeed. However, they were better furnished thanks to the personal effects the Spanish had left behind. Thorton's cabin had a mattress stuffed with horse hair three inches thick, with sheets, blankets and a coverlet, along with other niceties belonging to a gentleman of comfortable resources. He found the bed luxurious

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The wind was fitful and the sails luffed like thunder. They filled again, but the wind was not steady. The frigate loomed large and Thorton watched it continuing to creep closer. Again the galley's sails luffed. He consulted the binnacle in its case. He looked at the sails, then the helm.  "I think the wind is veering a little northeast. What do you think?" Thorton said to Hizir, the renegade

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"A sail, a sail!" the masthead lookout cried. Thorton ran for the ratlines only to discover that there weren't any. He wondered how the lookout had made the climb. The English lieutenant was sure he was not equal to the task of climbing a wet, vertical mast. He looked up and called, "What do you see?" "Sail north by east, sir!"  Thorton got his bearings. The frigate had disappeared to the

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The wind dropped and the rain moderated. Ashore it would qualify as a spring shower, but on the Bay of Biscay it was a rough ride. The swells were long and rolling but made turbulent by cross winds. To the north it was still storming with waves running away from the storm. To the south the sun broke through occasionally.  Tangle suggested, "We can turn south now, if we are careful about it. We

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