Gotta Love Pirate Patches!

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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.

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

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!

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

Bilgemunky review of Lafitte's Black Box

Here's a recent review of my book. The site is geared towards pirates and very entertaining. The review is not one of the most favorable I've had but it's honost and you have to take some criticism in this business. Please take the time to read the review and explore the site. I'll include the link:

http://www.bilgemunky.com/pirate-reviews/books/lafittes-black-box/

Jean Lafitte, book signing, and more

It's been awhile since I last posted. Looking at doing a book signing in Zachary, LA at The Bookcase. It will be on a Saturday, May the 8th in the afternoon. I'm working on the second book in the series. I'm currently researching the central historical character and the time frame/setting. As with the first book, I want the reader to come away with a taste of history that will enrich the mind as well as entertain. For those interested in reading more on Jean Lafitte, you can read the following:
The Journal of Jean Laffite: The Privateer-Patriot's Own Story by Jean Lafitte
The Pirate Lafitte and the Battle of New Orleans by Robert Tallant and John Chase
Both are available on Amazon.

Parent/Teen Book Club

Found this article online. Would be a great way to spend time with your teenager and stay connected. There are a lot of great books out there to share with your teen. Also a way to knock out summer reading!

Map of French Quarter

This is the map from the book. The map highlights the areas of interest from the book. To follow the adventures of Devereaux, Sam, and Emily. You could, if you want, take the St. Charles streetcar on Louisiana Avenue and get off on Canal. Then follow the map into the Quarter!

Recent book signing

I had a great book signing this past weekend at Barnes and Noble at Citiplace here in Baton Rouge. The staff were great and the turnout was really good. I spoke to a few people about putting the map in the book up on the website. Will try to do that today, if not today, really soon.

Preview out on the website Bilgemunky.com

Bilgemunky.com is a website dedicated to everything pirates. Check out the preview and you can check out the website while your at it.

Re-edited Book Trailer for Lafitte's Black Box

Here is the re-edited version of the Book trailer. Posted on youtube


Here is the youtube link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CA2ufrRt8rg

Book trailer for Lafitte's Black Box

Natchez Cemetery, Turning Angel

This is the Natchez Cemetery that sits across from the Dick Tracy house. In the story, this is where they hide the bikes. You can see the statue of the Turning Angel. You would also pass the cemetery on the way to the Devil's Punchbowl.

Some places that inspired Lafitte's Black Box

The first house is an example of a Victorian house in Natchez and would have been along the road that Devereaux and Taylor road their bikes to the cemetery.

The large white house is Weymouth Hall and sits across from Natchez Cemetery. It was not restored when I was younger. It was called the Dick Tracy house.