W.D. Currie's Blog: The Burn Rose Pirates
July 8, 2014
Pirate Captain Flora Burn's Diary
As we work through the personal diary of Flora Burn while nearing completion of Flora Burn's Diary, we find fascinating details about her life. One of my daughters has started a series of Tweets she calls The Thirty Days of Flora Burn Trivia. She insists that I participate so here we go:
#1 - Who was the famous author Flora Burn met as a child when visiting Dublin? - Jonathan Swift (Gulliver's Travels).
#2 - How old was Flora when her uncle removed her from England? - 6 years.
#3 - What did her uncle do for a living? - He pirated
#4 - What was the first American city Flora ever visited? - Boston, Massachusetts
#5 - What was the name of Flora's mother, and where was she from? - Flora’s mother’s name was Marguerite Babineaux. She was born outside Poitier in the province of Poitou-Charentes, France.
#6 Who was the patroness (patron saint) of The Burn Rose pirates? - Saint Barbara
#7 Where did Flora go to boarding school as a child? - New Orleans, Louisiana
#8 - Flora's Uncle, Guy Babineaux, has a large arsenal of weapons. Which is his favorite? - Trick Question: All of them
#9 Flora Burn eventually commandeered the Phantom, making it the first of three ships in The Burn Rose Fleet. Who named the vessel? - Flora's mother, Marguerite Babineaux.
#10 How old was Flora Burn when she was accused of killing a soldier in New Orleans, Louisiana? - 14 years old.
#11 When Guy Babineaux was fifteen years old, he dueled a pirate to a draw. Who was it? - Olivier Levasseur
#12 - When Guy Babineaux traveled to New Orleans with Flora, he was in disguise. What was his disguise? - He was disguised as a priest.
#13 - What was the name of the pirate ship Flora Burn inherited from her uncle? - The Phantom
#14 - What was the first firearm Flora Burn ever used? - A Turvey Firearm's Queen Anne pistol.
#15 - Who was the first pirate to train his boarding parties to fight in army grenadier formations? - Thomas Cocklyn
#16 - What was the occupation of Flora’s paternal grandfather?
#1 - Who was the famous author Flora Burn met as a child when visiting Dublin? - Jonathan Swift (Gulliver's Travels).
#2 - How old was Flora when her uncle removed her from England? - 6 years.
#3 - What did her uncle do for a living? - He pirated
#4 - What was the first American city Flora ever visited? - Boston, Massachusetts
#5 - What was the name of Flora's mother, and where was she from? - Flora’s mother’s name was Marguerite Babineaux. She was born outside Poitier in the province of Poitou-Charentes, France.
#6 Who was the patroness (patron saint) of The Burn Rose pirates? - Saint Barbara
#7 Where did Flora go to boarding school as a child? - New Orleans, Louisiana
#8 - Flora's Uncle, Guy Babineaux, has a large arsenal of weapons. Which is his favorite? - Trick Question: All of them
#9 Flora Burn eventually commandeered the Phantom, making it the first of three ships in The Burn Rose Fleet. Who named the vessel? - Flora's mother, Marguerite Babineaux.
#10 How old was Flora Burn when she was accused of killing a soldier in New Orleans, Louisiana? - 14 years old.
#11 When Guy Babineaux was fifteen years old, he dueled a pirate to a draw. Who was it? - Olivier Levasseur
#12 - When Guy Babineaux traveled to New Orleans with Flora, he was in disguise. What was his disguise? - He was disguised as a priest.
#13 - What was the name of the pirate ship Flora Burn inherited from her uncle? - The Phantom
#14 - What was the first firearm Flora Burn ever used? - A Turvey Firearm's Queen Anne pistol.
#15 - Who was the first pirate to train his boarding parties to fight in army grenadier formations? - Thomas Cocklyn
#16 - What was the occupation of Flora’s paternal grandfather?
February 11, 2014
Book Discussion with a New SMS Text Message Tool
Want to participate in a book discussion with a twist? This discussion uses Celly, a free app for iPhones, Droids, SMS text-enabled phones, computers, and other mobile devices.
To join via SMS, just text: @BurnRosePirates to 23559.
If you download the Celly app on your iPhone or Droid, look for @BurnRosePirates and join.
On a computer, open your browser and go to http://cel.ly, join, and then look for BurnRosePirates.
If you have a Celly account, just go to http://cel.ly/c/BurnRosePirates!
As a member, your messages are received by everyone in the cell.
Each time someone joins the cell, I will reveal one important item about the life of Captain Flora Burn as disclosed in her diaries and ship's logs. The events are detailed in the historic fiction novel "The Burn Rose Pirates: Flora Burn's Diaries," scheduled for release in late summer 2014.
W.D. Currie
The Burn Rose: Pirates to Privateers
To join via SMS, just text: @BurnRosePirates to 23559.
If you download the Celly app on your iPhone or Droid, look for @BurnRosePirates and join.
On a computer, open your browser and go to http://cel.ly, join, and then look for BurnRosePirates.
If you have a Celly account, just go to http://cel.ly/c/BurnRosePirates!
As a member, your messages are received by everyone in the cell.
Each time someone joins the cell, I will reveal one important item about the life of Captain Flora Burn as disclosed in her diaries and ship's logs. The events are detailed in the historic fiction novel "The Burn Rose Pirates: Flora Burn's Diaries," scheduled for release in late summer 2014.
W.D. Currie
The Burn Rose: Pirates to Privateers
December 27, 2013
2013 Christmas Giveaway!
Thanks to the 955 readers who entered the 2013 Burn Rose Pirates Giveaway! The winners' copies have all been signed, we have received the winners' addresses from Goodreads, and we'll mail the copies out tomorrow. The winners are from...
Illinois, Virginia, Kansas, Michigan, New York, and Ontario. My sincere thanks to all of those who took the time to enter!
W.D. Currie
Illinois, Virginia, Kansas, Michigan, New York, and Ontario. My sincere thanks to all of those who took the time to enter!
W.D. Currie
November 7, 2013
Christmas 2013 Giveaway - US/GB/AU/CA!
This season, please sign up for the Christmas 2013 Burn Rose Pirate book giveaway. The 166,000 word historic fiction/fantasy will make a great holiday gift for a loved one. Six copies of Pirates to Privateers, featuring female pirate captain Flora Burn, will be given away on Dec. 25th!
https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/sh...
"Highly recommended" by the Tennessee Libraries Journal, this is a must read in anticipation of the 2014 release of Flora Burn's Diary. In the "Diary," details of Flora Burns's entire life are revealed, including her connections with France, the Church of Saint Louis in New Orleans, and the pirate who saved her from her father's neglect following the death of her mother.
https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/sh...
I have posted invitations to sign up for the Christmas 2013 Burn Rose Pirates Giveaway in every major historic fiction group in Goodreads. Don't be left out! Please use the giveaway link to sign up for the giveaway today!
https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/sh...
W.D. Currie
https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/sh...
"Highly recommended" by the Tennessee Libraries Journal, this is a must read in anticipation of the 2014 release of Flora Burn's Diary. In the "Diary," details of Flora Burns's entire life are revealed, including her connections with France, the Church of Saint Louis in New Orleans, and the pirate who saved her from her father's neglect following the death of her mother.
https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/sh...
I have posted invitations to sign up for the Christmas 2013 Burn Rose Pirates Giveaway in every major historic fiction group in Goodreads. Don't be left out! Please use the giveaway link to sign up for the giveaway today!
https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/sh...
W.D. Currie
October 27, 2013
By George... Female Pirate Flora Burn pulled by UK Store!
It was bad timing for the Burn Rose Pirates; a historic fiction novel depicting British king, George III, as a greedy and uncaring tyrant released one month before a new royal baby was named George. Why give a baby the name of the king rejected by America during the Revolution? As one British reader told me, "The Revolution is behind us!"
Evidently not, however. Shortly after the birth of the new George, the Burn Rose Pirates, portraying the old George as a villain, disappeared from the offerings of WHSmith in the UK. At the same time, more bookstores in other countries added the Burn Rose Pirates.
Die-hard monarchists in commonwealth countries have declined. A 2009 article in McLean's shows the reason; Canadian per capita contributions to the royals are higher than British - http://www2.macleans.ca/2009/07/14/qu... ). But recent polls show that the royals are increasing in popularity in Britain, largely due to Will, Kate, and baby George. Here in America it was George's grandmother, Princess Diana, that made entertainment coverage of the royals wildly popular.
So was it a surprise when WHSmith quit selling the Burn Rose Pirates? Nope, the book depicts George III as a greedy tyrant and other British forces as villains of the Revolution. I was more surprised by the fact that WHSmith sold it in the first place.
For British readers who would still like to get the Burn Rose Pirates, please consider Amazon, B&N, Apple, Kobo, Sony, Google, Diesel, or any other fine bookstores.
The Burn Rose: Pirates to Privateers
Evidently not, however. Shortly after the birth of the new George, the Burn Rose Pirates, portraying the old George as a villain, disappeared from the offerings of WHSmith in the UK. At the same time, more bookstores in other countries added the Burn Rose Pirates.
Die-hard monarchists in commonwealth countries have declined. A 2009 article in McLean's shows the reason; Canadian per capita contributions to the royals are higher than British - http://www2.macleans.ca/2009/07/14/qu... ). But recent polls show that the royals are increasing in popularity in Britain, largely due to Will, Kate, and baby George. Here in America it was George's grandmother, Princess Diana, that made entertainment coverage of the royals wildly popular.
So was it a surprise when WHSmith quit selling the Burn Rose Pirates? Nope, the book depicts George III as a greedy tyrant and other British forces as villains of the Revolution. I was more surprised by the fact that WHSmith sold it in the first place.
For British readers who would still like to get the Burn Rose Pirates, please consider Amazon, B&N, Apple, Kobo, Sony, Google, Diesel, or any other fine bookstores.
The Burn Rose: Pirates to Privateers
August 20, 2013
Prehistoric Romance Near Kingsport, TN - 10,000 B.C.
Romance is developing in Book 2 of the Burn Rose Saga, but writing about romance is tough. It’s difficult to write about other people’s romances. It’s impossible to completely exclude our own experiences. It's also tough to judge what is romance. Two scenarios follow; does either represent true romance?
First Scenario: Two people meet and fall in love today. Chances are that they will not be together when the first of them dies; it’s just not likely. But let’s suppose that they are together at that unfortunate time, and that the survivor is completely devastated... totally heart-broken at losing their life partner. They didn’t need to remain together in order to survive, and they certainly didn’t need to maintain any societal norm. But they stayed together nonetheless. Was that romance?
Second Scenario (10,000 B.C.): Two people meet roughly twelve thousand years ago and decide to live together beneath a tall rock overhang in a narrow, steep-sided river valley. The man was attracted to the woman enough that he didn’t run away. Let’s imagine that she was physically strong, and that she was very knowledgeable about edible plants. The woman was attracted enough to the man that she didn’t run away either. Perhaps he was very clever, and he was an excellent flint knapper.
The couple in scenario two remain together day after day, season after season, year after year. The days are significant because each day is a test in survival. The seasons are significant because they live within each season; they do not watch the seasons from behind double-pane glass. The years are significant because they recur, and they mark the time they survive together. As they age, they gradually become wholly dependent upon one another to continue. One gathers wood, the other starts the fire. One skins the prey, the other cooks it. One suffers insomnia, the other is an early riser; they keep watch over one another. When they hunt, they are together. When an intruder wants their home-site, the two together pose a greater threat than either would alone. They are fused as a couple in a manner we could not possibly fathom.
When half of the couple from our second scenario die, their partner will not survive for long. A group of intruders killed one of them in an attempt to steal their home-site. Important factors have been lost from the partnership. Strength has been lost or cunning has been lost. The nights seem colder as the survivor sleeps alone. They live now in a place less protected from the elements, and from predators. The fires are no longer as warm, as the one who must nurture the fire has less time to gather wood. The game will become more difficult to capture with a single pair of arms and a single pair of legs. A stealthy thief sneaks into the loner’s camp and takes their weapons and their food cache in the night. They do not have the energy to make it through another year. They may not have time to prepare for the upcoming change in season. Without their partner, they fade a little each day until they are gone. Was that romance?
-WDC
First Scenario: Two people meet and fall in love today. Chances are that they will not be together when the first of them dies; it’s just not likely. But let’s suppose that they are together at that unfortunate time, and that the survivor is completely devastated... totally heart-broken at losing their life partner. They didn’t need to remain together in order to survive, and they certainly didn’t need to maintain any societal norm. But they stayed together nonetheless. Was that romance?
Second Scenario (10,000 B.C.): Two people meet roughly twelve thousand years ago and decide to live together beneath a tall rock overhang in a narrow, steep-sided river valley. The man was attracted to the woman enough that he didn’t run away. Let’s imagine that she was physically strong, and that she was very knowledgeable about edible plants. The woman was attracted enough to the man that she didn’t run away either. Perhaps he was very clever, and he was an excellent flint knapper.
The couple in scenario two remain together day after day, season after season, year after year. The days are significant because each day is a test in survival. The seasons are significant because they live within each season; they do not watch the seasons from behind double-pane glass. The years are significant because they recur, and they mark the time they survive together. As they age, they gradually become wholly dependent upon one another to continue. One gathers wood, the other starts the fire. One skins the prey, the other cooks it. One suffers insomnia, the other is an early riser; they keep watch over one another. When they hunt, they are together. When an intruder wants their home-site, the two together pose a greater threat than either would alone. They are fused as a couple in a manner we could not possibly fathom.
When half of the couple from our second scenario die, their partner will not survive for long. A group of intruders killed one of them in an attempt to steal their home-site. Important factors have been lost from the partnership. Strength has been lost or cunning has been lost. The nights seem colder as the survivor sleeps alone. They live now in a place less protected from the elements, and from predators. The fires are no longer as warm, as the one who must nurture the fire has less time to gather wood. The game will become more difficult to capture with a single pair of arms and a single pair of legs. A stealthy thief sneaks into the loner’s camp and takes their weapons and their food cache in the night. They do not have the energy to make it through another year. They may not have time to prepare for the upcoming change in season. Without their partner, they fade a little each day until they are gone. Was that romance?
-WDC
August 12, 2013
Chapter 42 (Ritual Use of Skulls in Ancient Peru)
I recently attended a scientific (paleontological) presentation on ancient Peruvian (Andean) civilizations at the Gray Fossil Museum in Tennessee. The reality of the ritual human sacrifice practiced by the cultures of the day was far more gruesome than could ever be depicted in a book.
The Burn Rose: Pirates to Privateers
In Chapter 41, the Burn Rose Pirates exhume the Oak Island Treasure, buried on behalf of Hernán Cortés. In Chapter 42, we learn about the body contained within the treasure chest. The ancient Egyptian wizard priest, Adjo, revives from 200 years of hibernation. He recalls his arrival in Peru from Egypt some 4,000 years before Cortés arrived in Mexico. The priest raised human sacrifice to a macabre routine! The details are graphic.
The sacrificial practices and the ritual use of skulls described in Chapter 42 approximate real history. Of the 69 chapters, this is the most horrific.
The Burn Rose: Pirates to Privateers
In Chapter 41, the Burn Rose Pirates exhume the Oak Island Treasure, buried on behalf of Hernán Cortés. In Chapter 42, we learn about the body contained within the treasure chest. The ancient Egyptian wizard priest, Adjo, revives from 200 years of hibernation. He recalls his arrival in Peru from Egypt some 4,000 years before Cortés arrived in Mexico. The priest raised human sacrifice to a macabre routine! The details are graphic.
The sacrificial practices and the ritual use of skulls described in Chapter 42 approximate real history. Of the 69 chapters, this is the most horrific.
August 4, 2013
Google Books Upload!
In hindsight, uploading The Burn Rose to Google Books was not as bad as it felt during the process.
If you're interested, start by setting up a Google Book Partner account at http://books.google.com/partner .
The benefit is that Google Books is a salespoint aggregator, so it will definitely get all your potential buyers to a place where they can get the file format they want... they also sell the book for you... and if you're putting info about your book "out there," Google will make sure people find it.
But Google helps people find info - and while they're excellent at that - they may not be quite as good at generating info. Instructions, for example... not so good... lacking in examples, contradictory explanations, circular definitions, links that intermittently stop working, lack of progress bars or indicators, a pre-populated Excel spreadsheet that was nearly empty, a completed spreadsheet that was rejected as being empty, an incomplete central navigation dashboard, and bits of instruction scattered... around...
Having said all that - I made it - and I think it's worthwhile; a little patience and it will work. I uploaded The Burn Rose content as a PDF and the front and back covers as JPG's. They ask you to use your ISBN's in the file names if possible... as in ISBN_content.pdf, or ISBN_frontcover.jpg. You have a lot of control over prices in various countries - I used an online currency converter and an international cost of living comparison website to place the price of my ebook close to the cost of a McDonald's combo in each country.
My goal for my first book was to sell 10 copies, and that has happened. Thank you! But please swing by and fan up on The Burn Rose Pirate page in Facebook.
-WDC
If you're interested, start by setting up a Google Book Partner account at http://books.google.com/partner .
The benefit is that Google Books is a salespoint aggregator, so it will definitely get all your potential buyers to a place where they can get the file format they want... they also sell the book for you... and if you're putting info about your book "out there," Google will make sure people find it.
But Google helps people find info - and while they're excellent at that - they may not be quite as good at generating info. Instructions, for example... not so good... lacking in examples, contradictory explanations, circular definitions, links that intermittently stop working, lack of progress bars or indicators, a pre-populated Excel spreadsheet that was nearly empty, a completed spreadsheet that was rejected as being empty, an incomplete central navigation dashboard, and bits of instruction scattered... around...
Having said all that - I made it - and I think it's worthwhile; a little patience and it will work. I uploaded The Burn Rose content as a PDF and the front and back covers as JPG's. They ask you to use your ISBN's in the file names if possible... as in ISBN_content.pdf, or ISBN_frontcover.jpg. You have a lot of control over prices in various countries - I used an online currency converter and an international cost of living comparison website to place the price of my ebook close to the cost of a McDonald's combo in each country.
My goal for my first book was to sell 10 copies, and that has happened. Thank you! But please swing by and fan up on The Burn Rose Pirate page in Facebook.
-WDC
July 28, 2013
Inspiration... From... To...
Reading a good book is a really personal experience that taps into us on so many levels. Maybe even more than for a movie, we "don't get it" when someone else doesn't enjoy the book we love. Great reads inspire us all to do many things in our lives, other than to just write. The person who repairs your car might have been inspired by "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance." The person you vote for in the next election may have been inspired to run for office by "The Godfather." Books didn't inspire me to try my hand at writing.
The inspiration for me came from the workplace. As a scientist, people in the arts seemed far removed from our world. But when I moved to a service-oriented department, many opportunities arose to work with people in the fine arts. In my life, the arts quickly took on much greater value; they are not much different from the sciences, diversified and engaging. I found myself surrounded with opportunities to observe artists practicing their craft. If support for the arts has been historically weaker than for the sciences, then artists have been made stronger. They support and motivate and collaborate and often live their discipline around the clock.
When I tinkered with the idea of writing, neither the arts community nor the people I work with laughed; they offered support, ideas, contacts, encouragement, and shared their experiences and advice.
So we draw inspiration from everywhere, and inspiration helps drive us in the direction we want to move. I have been inspired and motivated to do a lot of things in my life. Right now writing feels good.
The Burn Rose Pirates on Facebook
-WDC
The inspiration for me came from the workplace. As a scientist, people in the arts seemed far removed from our world. But when I moved to a service-oriented department, many opportunities arose to work with people in the fine arts. In my life, the arts quickly took on much greater value; they are not much different from the sciences, diversified and engaging. I found myself surrounded with opportunities to observe artists practicing their craft. If support for the arts has been historically weaker than for the sciences, then artists have been made stronger. They support and motivate and collaborate and often live their discipline around the clock.
When I tinkered with the idea of writing, neither the arts community nor the people I work with laughed; they offered support, ideas, contacts, encouragement, and shared their experiences and advice.
So we draw inspiration from everywhere, and inspiration helps drive us in the direction we want to move. I have been inspired and motivated to do a lot of things in my life. Right now writing feels good.
The Burn Rose Pirates on Facebook
-WDC
July 27, 2013
Inspiration from Alexander Dumas
Two books by Alexandre Dumas strongly influenced the number and relationships between characters in The Burn Rose: Pirates to Privateers. The Count of Monte Cristo was a spider web. So many characters were caught in Dumas' web, but only Edmond Dantès understood the nuances of their entanglements.
When I first read The Count, every character was easy to visualize. The number of characters and their complex relationships lent great excitement to the story. You were never certain why Edmond befriended anyone; the axe of revenge either fell on or near nearly everyone. Hopefully, the Burn Rose captures some of the complexity that generates that kind of suspense. It definitely has a lot of characters.
The Three Musketeers is also complex, yet seems to be easily understood and enjoyed by everyone. Tell a friend that TTM is nearly 230,000 words long, and they won't believe you! But more importantly, TTM is about the relationships between men during times of adversity and duress. It may say more about the true nature of friendship between men than any other book.
The first mates on the three pirate ships of the Burn Rose are like the musketeers. Their connections are strong and they are seemingly indestructible when they are together. Whatever transpires among them, good or bad, has great influence on those around them. They have a little bit of pirate star quality; people want to be around them! Thanks for reading!
The Burn Rose in Facebook
-WDC
When I first read The Count, every character was easy to visualize. The number of characters and their complex relationships lent great excitement to the story. You were never certain why Edmond befriended anyone; the axe of revenge either fell on or near nearly everyone. Hopefully, the Burn Rose captures some of the complexity that generates that kind of suspense. It definitely has a lot of characters.
The Three Musketeers is also complex, yet seems to be easily understood and enjoyed by everyone. Tell a friend that TTM is nearly 230,000 words long, and they won't believe you! But more importantly, TTM is about the relationships between men during times of adversity and duress. It may say more about the true nature of friendship between men than any other book.
The first mates on the three pirate ships of the Burn Rose are like the musketeers. Their connections are strong and they are seemingly indestructible when they are together. Whatever transpires among them, good or bad, has great influence on those around them. They have a little bit of pirate star quality; people want to be around them! Thanks for reading!
The Burn Rose in Facebook
-WDC
The Burn Rose Pirates
Inspired by other Goodreads' book lovers, here's an inside glimpse of characters and scenes in Pirates to Privateers and the unfinished Diary of Flora Burn (prequel) and Wolfe Unleashed (sequel).
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