Author Spot Light
Douglas Boren
When I first started to write my books, I didn’t know that I was going to write a series of interconnecting stories. I knew that I would write Historical Fiction, but it wasn’t until the stories of the first two books “came alive” and somehow transformed themselves into something much larger than themselves. I call my books the “Alexander Family Chronicles,” because each book focuses on a particular generation of that family, exploring the adventures they have and the experiences that define them.
Pirates Revenge starts the saga. This is a difficult novel to “pigeon hole”. Technically it is historic fiction, but it is so much more than that. There is romance, sex, humor, action, thrills, disgusting terror, gore, adventure, education, and the giving of a moral, or lesson. I like to think that in my book, you will see the painstaking historical research of James Michener, the adventurous ride of Clive Cussler, and the shocking take your breath away impact of Stephen King.
I was once asked who my favorite character in the book was. I would have to say that my favorite character is Rafe. In many ways, the main character is really me. He is the personification of what I would feel, think, and do. I readily identify with his anxieties, frustrations, anger, sadness, and ultimately, love.
Having said that, I have to point out that the Black Widow is in some ways, a female version of Rafe (or myself) although a bit darker. I really enjoyed writing about her. She was probably the most “fun” to write about.
But aside from the favorites, I truly believe that it is the camaraderie and bonds of loyalty and love that bind all the characters together in the story. It just wouldn’t be the same without the irascible Angus, or the stoic Baka’mu, or the paternal Sam, and of course, the tragic and beloved Maggie. Captains Green, Sands, Coffey, Bailey, and all the others are based on my real life friends and tend to show their real personalities.
This was a difficult book for me to write. Not because of writers block, or word choice, or grammar, or any of the other usual things you might think. It was difficult because I know the real nature of pirates. How could I pen a story about such brigands in a factual realistic way, and yet make you, the reader, feel compassion for them, identify with them and root for them? Pirates were the terrorists of their time. They were not the lovable ruffians that today’s culture makes them out to be.
This was a hard balance to achieve.
I would like to take this opportunity to invite everyone to immerse themselves in the wondrous world I have created with my characters. I invite you to subscribe to my free E-zine called the Alexander Chronicle. The E-zine is divided into several separate parts, assuring that there is something for everybody. First will be information about the books themselves. News, reviews, excerpts, basically anything that pertains to each book on a regular basis.
Next is what excites me the most. I will be offering vignettes of scenes from my books that have never been seen before. These will be newly written, and revealed for the first time on those pages. Think of them as “extra scenes” from a movie.
Next, there will be a picture gallery illustrating people or places from the books. You will be pleasantly surprised at what you will see.
Along these lines, there will be You Tube links to videos…that’s right, videos pertaining to the books and the stories therein.
Then comes the fun part. I call the section “perks, prizes, and puzzles”. This is where the “giveaways” come in.
Contests will be held, challenges thrown out. Sometimes there will be significant prizes won. Sometimes the prizes are based on random drawing from the subscribership. The prizes may be copies of any of my books, or gift cards to Barnes and Noble, or, to be honest, anything I can come up with that would be cool. But one thing is for certain…there will be prizes or giveaways associated with each and every issue.
There will also be an “Author of the month” feature, where I introduce to you an author that has caught my attention, and would like to share their works with you.
And finally, I have guest columnists each month who shares their views on a particular topic of their expertise. These are authors, publishers, editors, professors…all who are movers and shakers in the written word.
To subscribe to this fun and fascinating E-zine, click here:
Also, please visit my website at www.dougboren.com and don’t forget to sign the guestbook.
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Synopsis:
The tropical paradise known as the Caribbean was anything but peaceful when settled by the nations of Europe. Perhaps the most destructive and brutal terror was inflicted not by navies or armies, but by the ships plying the waters manned by pirates. Rafe Alexander fled England at an early age to join the pirate crew of the Cutlass, and soon learned of the brutal harm his mother endured at the hands of Ramirez, his own father he had never known. Joining the fleet of the Black Widow, queen of the largest pirate fleet to ever sail, he vowed to exact his revenge. But the Black Widow was also driven by the need for vengeance against Ramirez, and she and Rafe plotted their revenge even as their fiery passion consumed them. Together, they would become the most feared and powerful force the Caribbean would ever see. Is revenge truly enough to sustain an empty heart? Can love replace it and soothe the burning of the soul? As events would move Rafe towards the explosive confrontation, he would find out...and his world would be turned upside down.
The tropical paradise known as the Caribbean was anything but peaceful when settled by the nations of Europe. Perhaps the most destructive and brutal terror was inflicted not by navies or armies, but by the ships plying the waters manned by pirates. Rafe Alexander fled England at an early age to join the pirate crew of the Cutlass, and soon learned of the brutal harm his mother endured at the hands of Ramirez, his own father he had never known. Joining the fleet of the Black Widow, queen of the largest pirate fleet to ever sail, he vowed to exact his revenge. But the Black Widow was also driven by the need for vengeance against Ramirez, and she and Rafe plotted their revenge even as their fiery passion consumed them. Together, they would become the most feared and powerful force the Caribbean would ever see. Is revenge truly enough to sustain an empty heart? Can love replace it and soothe the burning of the soul? As events would move Rafe towards the explosive confrontation, he would find out...and his world would be turned upside down.
My (Y. Correa's) Review of "A Pirates Revenge"
A young man—Josh Alexander—endeavors
to discover more about his lineage and encounters a story the likes
of which he could have never imagined.
WOW! What a rush! I can't even begin to
express how much I loved this story. I was totally and completely
enthralled. It was THE BEST Pirate story I have EVER read!
It inspired me. It engulfed me in
emotions. I cried, I laughed. It overpowered me at times. I mean by
the end of the story I was exhausted, in a GOOD way.
Ramirez, was a criminal beyond
reproach. The kind that makes your teeth grit with contempt.
Rafe his bastard son, was a good man
turned bad.
Maggie, a girl taken from what could
have been a good life and abused in terrible ways, yet did the best
with what she had.
Sam, a man with a heart of gold but a
life that didn't match his heart.
Then there was Angus, Baka'mu,
Tiwanne... And the list goes on!
And the Black Widow, of boy! No words,
I tell you—I have no words to describe the impact she had on me!
People with lives interrupted, abused
and looking for vengeance in the most powerful of ways. Plundering
and proving themselves viable or some sort of worthiness, no matter
what the cost.
This was the '6 Degrees of Separation'
in a world engulfed by Pirates, reprisal and despair.
I think what really grasped me in this
story is that I am of Puerto Rican descent, and what these pirates
lived through, the places they encountered, the people they saw where
my ancestry. So I felt a certain connection to this story in a very
powerful way. It was like seeing, through the eyes of the author, the
lives of the people from which I derived.
It was AMAZING! Seriously, I devoured
an almost 500 page book in a span of 3 days. THAT'S how much I loved
it!
Five stars all the way!
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