X Marks the Spot: An Anthology of Treasure and Theft

by Lisa Mangum (Editor), John D. Payne (Contributor), C.H. Hung

Set sail on the high seas with this collection of 21 unforgettable short stories featuring dashing rogues, daring rebels, and wily pirates searching for treasures of all kinds, including a forgotten journal, a heavenly sword, a young girl’s lucky sock, and even the Fountain of Youth.

Some pirates are familiar—complete with parrots, peg legs, and eye patches—but most are unique: a twelve-year-old computer hacker, a heroic rabbit on an unusual quest, a clump of cancer cells, and an alien setting sail among the stars.

X Marks the Spot: An Anthology of Treasure and Theft is about those men and women who live on the fringes of society, who are beholden to no man, no law, and who always have one eye on the horizon. So grab your map and set your headings. There are adventures to be had, mateys, and treasures to be found.

This anthology is the fifth volume produced by the alumni of the Superstars Writing Seminars, and all royalties benefit the Don Hodge Memorial Scholarship Fund.

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction, Anthologies

364 pages, Hardcover

Published January 17, 2020

About the author

Lisa Mangum has loved and worked with books ever since elementary school, when she volunteered at the school library during recess. Her first paying job was shelving books at the Sandy Library. She worked for five years at Waldenbooks while she attended the University of Utah, graduating with honors with a degree in English. An avid reader of all genres, she has worked in the publishing department for Deseret Book since 1997.
Besides books, Lisa loves movies, sunsets, spending time with her family, trips to Disneyland, and vanilla ice cream topped with fresh raspberries. She lives in Taylorsville, Utah, with her husband, Tracy. She is the author of the Hourglass Door trilogy and After Hello.

Reviews

[Reese Hogan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this anthology! There was a really good variety of pirate stories, ranging from old-fashioned to cyber to nonhuman and even one from the point of view of cancer! They were all very well-written, and most of them ended on a positive note, which made for a fun and adventurous experience. My favorites were The Wreckers by Ken Hoover, Pirated RPG by Jace Killan, A Good Pirate’s Final Storm by Tanya Hales, and Silver Future by Mary Pletsch.

[Josh Morrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun collection of pirate-based short stories. The term "pirate" is loosely defined in these stories. Many are about the swashbuckling pirates of old, but others are about software pirates, or digital-piracy programs, or modern explorations of old tropes. Some stories are meh, but many are very good, and a few are simply awesome. Well worth the read.

[Charles McGarry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a fun anthology. Some stories are better than others, as is to be expected with short stories, but all in all I really enjoyed it. “4.5 stars” Find my review here! https://youtu.be/_aVjZZXfFw0

[Queen Talk Talk · Rating 5 out of 5]

A variety of writing styles.

Well edited with no typos! Some stories I enjoyed more than others. I will be looking those authors up later.

[Ligia Wit · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great collection of short stories about pirates and treasures in so different flavors. I specially love the cat story by Tracy Leonard Nakatani, my favorite!

[Catnap · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5