The Black Beacon Book of Pirates is sure to shiver your timbers when it's published on Friday the 21st of June. The Kindle version is already available for pre-order at just $1.99 instead of $3.99 and you can add the anthology to your Goodreads "want to read" list today. In the meantime, to get you in the mood for a spot of swashbuckling, we’re interviewing the contributing authors.
Hi S.B.,
Why pirates?
Why pirates? Because they’re basically the coolest thing ever. Seriously, though… I’ve always loved pirate stories, pirate legends, and especially pirate history. When I was a kid, I bought a dirt-cheap paperback of Treasure Island from a grubby lady selling books out of a camper van in a Wal-Mart parking lot… no joke. That copy was so beat up and filthy it could kill by second-hand smoke. I read it every year, until it fell apart. I still have the pieces in my library. Something about the romance of that story has never quite been topped, in my humble opinion. Having the opportunity to write my own pirate story, well… Just the process felt like a guilty pleasure, let alone seeing it in a whole book of pirate tales.
Are there any pirate legends set where you live?
I live an hour away from the Oregon coast, so, the West Coast of America. The Goonies was filmed and set just a few hours north of where I live. Lost Spanish galleons, mysterious wax cuneiform tablets that wash ashore every so often, Sir Francis Drake, searchers for the fabled Northwest Passage… Oregon has a handful of spooky coastal legends.
If you were a pirate, what’s the first thing you’d do?
I wouldn’t even know where to start. I’m tempted to say I’d crush my enemies, see them driven before me, and hear the lamentation of their women… But, considering most historical pirates tended to enter the state of piracy under less-than-ideal circumstances, my first concern would be getting a serviceable ship. Having attained that, and, I’m assuming, a workable crew that wouldn’t kill me the moment my back was turned, I’d evaluate what sort of shipping I could reasonably pester. Of course, you can’t be a good pirate if you don’t have a place to store your prizes and loot, or a way of fencing it into actual wealth—a hideout or friendly port or two would need to be found. I remember reading a theory somewhere that the old Caribbean pirates were really just shrewd businessmen, who operated outside the accepted legal structure. So, set up shop, then drive my enemies before me.
Have you ever found treasure?
Not really, unless you count my wife! Thankfully she wasn’t buried when I found her, or our relationship would have been much shorter lived. I worked with a guy once who found an old doubloon while fishing out at Lincoln City. It was just sitting there, in the waves. He took it to a numismatologist, and the guy quickly authenticated it, then told him it was worthless! Apparently, period counterfeits were extremely common, so common they’re often found by beachcombers and are worth next to nothing.
What do you do when you’re not dreaming up tall tales?
Too much. I play acoustic bluegrass guitar; in the past I’ve performed at a semi-pro level. My wife and I play hardcore boardgames. Brass Birmingham, Castles of Burgundy, Scythe, and Wingspan are some of our current favorites… We also love Jamaica (keeping up the pirate theme, there). I collect books, and tend an ever-cluttered personal library (where I write). And, of course, we have five children, so I try to spend as much time with them as I can!
Where can we find you online?
I’m on X née Twitter at @SBWatsonMystery—that’s where I’m most active. I’m also on Facebook, and my website is SBWatson.com. Please, don’t hesitate to reach out and say hi!
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