Gotta Love Pirate Patches!

Latest review. Site reviews books available on Kindle.

Gotta Love Pirate Patches!

New Orleans Book Festival at the Auduban Zoo in New Orleans on March 19th. I will be there with Capt. John Swallow and Captain Wendy Billiot from Bayou Dularge who will be signing copies of her book Before The Saltwater Came. There will be a lot going on and it will coincide with NOLA Pyrate Week.

I've included a link:

<img src="http://nolapyrateweek.com/wp/images/heading/New+Orleans+Book+Festival.png" title="New Orleans Book Festival" alt="New Orleans Book Festival" style="border: 0 none ;"/>

The real pirates! Result of pirate poll.

The poll is closed. 16 votes were cast.
First of all, thanks to all who voted and those who visited the site.
There were no votes for Captain Crunch, Captain Hook, and Jack Sparrow. Congratulations, those fooled no one. Almost all voted for Blackbeard (15) and Jean Lafitte (15). Again, congratulations, you were correct. Most voted for Captain Kidd (10) and Henry Morgan (13) and were right to do so. Most didn't realize that Thomas Tew (4) and Red Beard (4) were real pirates.

Five of the pirates listed were fictional.
Captain Crunch (suprise! I see no 5 year olds voted)
Captain Hook (From Peter Pan fame)
Jack Sparrow (Pirates of the Caribbean, of course)
Davy Jones (Pirates of the Caribbean)
Billy Bones (Robert Louis Stevenson's novel Treasure Island)

Now to the real pirates!

Blackbeard was an English pirate also known as Edward Teach or Thatch. His ship was the Queen Anne's Revenge and he mainly operated in the Caribbean in the early 1700s. He was killed in 1718. His legend grew after his death.

Red Beard also known as Barbarossa. This one was tricky. He is very obscure, a Turkish pirate. He plagued the Barbary Coast in the early 1500's. Known for his red beard.

Captain Kidd, probably the most famous pirate along with Blackbeard. William Kidd was Scotish. Sailed during the late 1600's. He was tried for piracy and executed. He was hung in 1701. There is probably more information on him than any other pirate out there.

Calico Jack, his given name was John Rackham. He was an English pirate who based his operations in the Caribbean in the early 1700's. He sailed with 2 female pirates. His design of the pirate flag is the one many recognize, the skull with 2 crossed swords. He was hung for piracy in Jamaica in November of 1720. He was a very interesting pirate and there is more information available on him and his female companions in books and articles.

Thomas Tew was an English pirate. He was supposed to have been married with children. He supposedly was shot by a cannon and killed near the Red Sea in 1695.

Henry Morgan, a Welsh pirate, was an Admiral. This is not the Captain Morgan from the Rum commercials. I almost put him in the poll but did not want to confuse the voters. Henry Morgan was noterious and active in the mid to late 1600's. He is considered one of the most successful pirates. He actually retired from piracy and died from, probably, tuberculosis or maybe from liver failure due to his heavy drinking. He died in 1688.

Black Bart was also a Welsh pirate. His name was John Roberts. He supposedly preferred tea to rum, suprising for a pirate! He is considered the most successful pirate ever. He operated off the coast of Africa and the coast of America. He was killed in battle. His body was weighted and he was buried at sea. He died on 10 February 1722 and that date is known as The Blackest Day, the day the Golden Age of Piracy ended.

Jean Lafitte, of French origin, operated in the Gulf of Mexico during the early 1800's. Based his operations off the coast of Louisiana then moved to Galveston, Texas at the end of his career. Hero of the Battle of New Orleans. Previous posts on this site has much more information on him as well as his brother and crew.

I hope this sparked some interest.

You Gotta Read Videos: November 2010 Entry #14 Lafitte's Black Box

You Gotta Read Videos: November 2010 Entry #14 Lafitte's Black Box: "Title: Lafitte's Black Box Author: Jake Webber Trailer Creator: Jake Webber Blurb: When he can no longer control what is real and wh..."

Interview on the website...Authors Unleashed

Here's the interview.

http://authorsunleashed.blogspot.com/2010/11/interview-with-jake-webber.html

Copy and paste

Pirate Alley

Pirate Alley is a small block located in the French Quarter between Chartres Street and to Royal Street. The street of the same name, Pirate Alley, runs between the two. Jackson Square is at the entrance at Chartres Street and the alley is sandwiched between St. Louis Cathedral and the Cabildo. It is one of the most visited spots in New Orleans. Many people like to get their photograph at the famous lamppost that marks the entrance. It was originally called Orleans Alley or Orleans Alley South. The name was officially changed to what it had been commonly called by locals to Pirate Alley in 1964.

Pirate Alley has been the meeting place of politicians, smugglers, pirates, theives, poets, writers, businessmen, lovers, etc. It has been painted, photographed, and drawn many times over. Jean Lafitte was jailed here...and escaped. Others were jailed here as well as this was the location of a Spanish prison. The street is narrow, as was common during the time and cobblestoned. There is an air of mystery and intrigue to the place due to its history and the usual feel of what the French Quarter has captured, collected, and made its own through the ages.

The Faulkner House is located here. William Faulkner wrote his first novel there. The house has been restored and is now the location of the Faulkner Society. The first floor is the location of Faulkner House Books.

This is a great area to visit and explore.

The picture was borrowed from the website: atneworleans.com

Spotlight interview with Jake Webber

Here's a link to an interview I did on the website, The Indie Spotlight.

http://www.theindiespotlight.com/?p=3013

Pierre Lafitte

Here's a little bit of information about Pierre Lafitte. He is a minor character in my book and is the older brother of Jean Lafitte. He was also known as a pirate and is also mentioned several times as an integral player in the Battle of New Orleans. In my book, he runs Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop which was his business in New Orleans. He used this business to handle the sale of pirated goods. Pierre spent the majority of his time in New Orleans while Jean spent most of his time at the pirate colony at Barataria. This arrangement worked well for the brothers.

It is believed that Pierre was born in France in 1770, the son of a sailor and trader father. Pierre worked with his father learning the business of trade. At some point he moved to Saint-Dominigue and fled from there after the Haitian Revolution arriving in New Orleans. Not long after, he and Lafitte set up shop. Pierre remained in New Orleans after Jean left for Galveston. Pierre was married and had many children. He died in 1821 and still has descendents in New Orleans.

Stuart Aken Interview with Jake Webber, Author

Interview with Jake Webber, Author

Kindle Author: Interview: Jake Webber

Kindle Author: Interview: Jake Webber: "Jake Webber, author of Lafitte's Black Box, discusses his book, his writing process, and Kindle. DAVID WISEHART: What can you tell us about..."

Spalding's Racket: Lafitte's Black Box by Jake Webber - YA Adventure

Spalding's Racket: Lafitte's Black Box by Jake Webber - YA Adventure: "When he can no longer control what is real and what is imagined, Deveraux Parker realizes that his dream has become reality. Discovering a..."

Jackson Square, a little background history

Jackson Square is the location of a couple of scenes from my book. Also known as Place d'Armes, it is located in the French Quarter in New Orleans. Early New Orleans was centered around this area in the pattern of typical european cities and town squares. After the Battle of New Orleans, it was renamed Jackson Square after the hero of New Orleans, Andrew Jackson. The statue of Jackson was erected in 1856. It was placed at the parks center. St.Louis Cathedral stands behind the square while two other large buildings flank either side. The Cabildo sits on the left and the Presbytere sits on the right which is now a museum.

The park is now a gathering place of painters, artists, street artists and the like. At the forefront of the park is where one would go to catch a carriage ride through the French Quarter. This area has been the inspiration of many writers and painters as well as being in the scenes of many movies.

Learn more about this interesting place in history in my book and make plans to visit New Orleans and explore Jackson Square and the French Quarter.

Lafitte's Black Box now available on Kindle!

My book is now available on Amazon's Kindle. Please check it out at
http://www.amazon.com/Lafittes-Black-Box-Boit-ebook/dp/B003TLMXTI/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=digital-text&qid=1277320492&sr=8-2-catcorr
Please write a review or give feedback on my blog.

The Devil's Punchbowl and Natchez

The Devil' Punchbowl is a place that was written about in my book. It is located just north of Natchez past Natchez Cemetery. It was created by nature and is a deep semi-circular hole that cut's deeply inward into the bluff. It was hollowed out by the Mississippi River over time. It's been used as a hideout by pirates in the past or other outlaws that wanted to elude those chasing them. It has it's place in Natchez folklore as a mysterious place. When I was growing up, I heard all kind of tales about the bowl. I was told a goat like creature roamed about in the bowl, half human and half goat. I heard about rituals performed at night and people disappearing, never to be seen again. When you matched that with the turning angel and the other legends and folklore of the Natchez area, your young imagination could really run wild.

The 70's and 80's were really a fun time to grow up in that area. Lot's of memories in that historic town. My friends and I did a lot of exploring, many of the areas are no longer there. Places have been torn down and new buildings now stand in their place. There are many books about the Natchez area to read.

The Mississippi Steamboat Era in Historic Photographs: Natchez to New Orleans, 1870-1920 by Joan W. Gandy and Thomas H. Gandy

Antebellum Natchez by D. Clayton James

The Devil's Punchbowl by Greg Iles

And don't forget about my book, Lafitte's Black Box!



The Devil's Punchbowl is privately owned and that information needs to be shared with the readers.

The Turning Angel

The Turning Angel is a monument placed not far from main road that runs by Natchez Cemetery. The monument is written about in my book and has been written about by Greg Iles and is the name of one of his books. The monument was placed there in 1908 by an employer in Natchez who put it there to look over the graves of his employees that had been killed in an explosion.

When I was younger, there had already been a phenomenon attached to the monument, that it turned. This was supposed to occur at night when a light was shined on it or as you passed in a car. It cannot be counted the numerous thousands of times scared teens have tried this out, on a dare or just trying to impress a young girl. You were especially brave if you, God forbid, got out and jumped the wall and went over to touch the Turning Angel.

The Turning Angel is one of many things or places you can explore in my book. After you read my book, book a trip to Natchez. It's a wonderful historic town that's fun for a weekend getaway.

Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop from the book, Lafitte's Black Box

In my book, Lafitte's Black Box, you'll get to know this famous New Orleans landmark a little better. Once a pirate gets his treasure, if it's not gold or pieces of eight, what does he do with it if he can't bury it. He's got to sell it, right? Much of what Jean Lafitte and his pirates captured from the Spanish ships were durable goods such as fine clothing, china, silverware, furniture, etc. Many of the things the fine citizens of New Orleans wanted and Jean Lafitte could give them a bargain.

Much of the negotiating and business was done by his brother Pierre at thier business front, Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop. Located in the French Quarter on the corner of Bourbon St. and St Philip St. Built sometimes before 1772, this building still stands and now entertains patrons of a different sort as this is now a popular bar.

Discover Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop in my book and if you are ever in New Orleans, stop by and tell them that you read about this place in my book!

Maspero's, a New Orlean's Landmark

The Original Pierre Maspero's, the restaurant in the French Quarter, was once used as a warehouse by Jean Lafitte to auction off his plundered treasure. Thought to be originally erected in 1788, this New Orleans landmark has been part of a rich history of the city. Not only did Jean Lafitte and his brother, Pierre, conduct some of their operation from this building, Andrew Jackson plotted the Battle of New Orleans from here, slaves awaited their fates here as this building was used as an auction house.

Located at Rue St. Louis and Rue Chartres, this busy intersection has seen many New Orlean locals, poets, musicians, politicians gather for lunch or business just as Andrew Jackson and Jean Lafitte did 200 years ago.

Discover Maspero's in my book, Lafitte's Black Box then go to New Orleans and discover it for yourself!

Buccaneer's

Buccaneer is a French derived word that is now synonomous with pirate. Buccaneers ravaged the Gulf coast and the Carribean during the late 17th century. They mostly attacked Spainish ships, plundering them of their treasure. Buccaneers were usually licensed by the English crown with a letter of marque giving them permission to attack the foreign ships as a way to do battle with Spain, England's main rival at the time.

Jean Lafitte considered himself, not a pirate, but a privateer (buccaneer). He controlled a fleet of men who looted Spanish and foreign ships, collecting the bounty which they would evenly divide up amongst themselves. From their pirate colony located near the mouth of the mighty Mississippi at Barataria Bay, they ruled the Gulf coast in the early 1800's.

Read more about Jean Lafitte and Buccaneers at your local library. Check out my book, Lafitte's Black Box.

Here's a quick link for a little info on Jean Lafitte (copy and paste)

http://www.freebase.com/view/en/jean_lafitte

Claim

XGE4RN6W9NNJ