Pirate Anthology: Jack Wells

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 Jack,

Why pirates?

I mean, why not? But, honestly, I grew up loving the old pirate tales, and watching films like The Goonies, where the child protagonists had to survive all sorts of pitfalls and traps in search of pirate treasure. I think young boys are especially drawn to swashbuckling adventures and that warped sense of brigand’s honor. There’s something appealing about the thought of leaving the rules and expectations far behind, living life on your own terms. And, aside from all that, as soon as I saw the cover of The Black Beacon Book of Pirates, I knew I wanted to be included.

Are there any pirate legends set where you live?

Sadly, no, as Utah is a landlocked state. There are plenty of tales regarding outlaws and rule-breakers, to be sure, but none of them involve the ocean.

If you were a pirate, what’s the first thing you’d do?

Try to find a deserted island to call my home base! I’ve always been an introvert, and the older I get, the further from the masses I want to be. Of course, it would it be pretty awesome to have a ship under my command… to be able to point the prow in whichever direction and be like "sail that way!". But, at the end of the day, a nice secluded place to call home, with no roads or bridges leading to it, would be heavenly. A place to bury the treasure, kick up my sea legs, and have a hearty swig of rum.

Have you ever found treasure?

Kinda. When I was young, my friend Greg and I were really into playing like we were in the military. We’d dress up in fatigues, grab our toy guns, put on face paint, and go wage war in the woods near his home. There were some older boys that used to hang out in those woods after school as well, and we steered well clear of them. One day, however, we found their stash of beer, dirty magazines, heavy metal cassettes, and a couple of switchblades. Greg and I were too young to have any interest in beer or boobs, but we sure were excited to find, and pilfer, those knives and tapes. Not that our parents let us keep either, of course, but it was a cool victory while it lasted.

What do you do when you’re not dreaming up tall tales?

I work full-time in government, doing my best to unravel all the red tape while keeping our military folks safe. I also have children, who are my world, so I spend a lot of time doing things with them. My house is an older home, built in the 60s, so there’s plenty of projects that keep me busy, and I have so many other hobbies besides writing. It’s actually kind of amazing that I get any writing done at all !

Where can we find you online?

I don’t have a website, though I probably should start working on that eventually. I’m on Facebook as Jack Wells, and Instagram as Jack_Wells_Author. I’m not on X or TikTok, and probably won’t ever be, as I barely have enough time or energy for socials as it is.