And I should be in full-on sell-market-promote mode.
But I spent the second half of last week and all weekend feeling like crap and dealing with migraines/migraine hangovers and today I just want to enjoy feeling “normal” and maybe get a few things done around the house.
*sigh* The trials of a chronically ill indie author!
But it’s all a learning experience! With Lucky Seventh I did all the work and then released it pretty much unannounced as a leap of faith without doing any pre-release marketing, and not a great deal afterwards either, and that’s chugged along okay under its own steam. With Never Let Go, I set the release date to force myself to get the work done and having to sit down and work has wreaked havoc with my health. So next time, I’m going to do a combination of the two - I’m going to get all the work done without announcing the release date, and then, once I have everything ready at my own pace, I’m going to set up my pre-orders and announce the release date and get all the marketing and promotion done while I’m not doing the rest of it at the same time.
Hey all. My second novel, Mr. Darcy’s Ship is now available on Kindle and it is also free on Kindle Unlimited.
You can read the first chapter below. :)
One
It is a truth universally acknowledged that a man in search of a good fortune will take to the high seas. Furthermore, if the said man is eager to strike out on his own, and prove his family wrong, he will thus be even more determined to earn his fortune by his own merits, even at the risk of rebellion. And what pray tell could drive a man to abandon the family and comfort that he had known his entire life? Some will speculate that a broken heart was the culprit, but perhaps something even more grim was the cause. For a broken heart can be healed with time and new love. But broken trust can never truly be salvaged.
William Darcy started off as a simple sailor. He abandoned the elegant garments of his previous life for much more common garb: a simple white cotton shirt, roughly hewn breeches, and a black sailor’s cap. He boarded the first vessel that would take him—the Deliverance. It was a modest ship, but its captain was a wise and gracious man. He took young William under his wing and over the next several years showed him everything he knew about captaining a ship, managing a crew, sailing, and sword play.
William Darcy proved to be an adept student, and under the captain’s tutelage he rose quickly through the ranks of the crew and eventually became the first mate. For the first time in his life, William finally felt like he was home. He savored the hard work, he cherished the respect and loyalty of his crew, and he carefully hoarded away each coin he was paid vowing that one day he would have a fortune of his very own that rivaled that of his own misguided family.
Of course, it is inevitable that everything good must come to an end. For William Darcy, that day occurred on his twenty-first birthday: exactly three years after he had left home.
The wind was howling and billowing the sails of the Deliverance, and the approaching enemy ship was looming closer. The first mate shouted orders from his position at the helm. The captain assisted with preparing the cannons. William unlatched his spyglass from his belt loop and peered through the instrument. His eyes widened as he recognized the emblem on the billowing flag. Not now, please God, not now. William replaced the spyglass and returned to his command. He jerked the wheel sharply to the left, hoping to steer the Deliverance into range for the long nines. A moment later, cannon blasts confirmed that this maneuver had been a success.
The larger naval vessel seemed unfazed by the attack, and the Deliverance was now in a position to be fired upon as well. The first round of enemy cannon shots hit the port side of the ship, and the ship pitched forward. William clutched the wheel so tightly that his knuckles turned white.
“Bring her about!” shouted the captain, as the crew scrambled to balance the ship in any way they could. William turned the wheel and exhaled in relief when the ship recovered its normal position. The stability, however, did not last long as another round of cannon fire shuttered the ship. Their own crew did not even have a chance to retaliate, and all the while the enemy ship was looming closer. Within moments it would be close enough to board. Not that it mattered much. With another round of cannon fire, the ship would be doomed.
“Captain!” William shouted over the roar of the wind and the creaking of the ship, “We are no match for that ship. That is the Pemberley, pride of the Royal Navy, and she will not be outgunned.”
The captain shot him a sympathetic look as he knew what the ship meant to his young first mate, but he could not afford to surrender. He would rather go down with his ship, as any good captain would. “Would you rather surrender and be left to the mercy of the King’s men?”
William paled at the thought. No. He was not ready to face his past, but the occurrence seemed inevitable at this juncture. Another blast hit and the Deliverance rocked forward. The captain lost his footing, and it was only William’s quick grasp that saved the older man from toppling over the edge. “One more shot and we are done for, Captain. I fear surrender is our only option.”
The captain cast a grim look towards his first mate before nodding slightly. “Raise the white flag!” he called, and a member of the crew scrambled up to the crow’s nest.
William gazed out towards the first ship he had ever sailed upon as a boy. His heart sank at the thought that he might come across his father, or even worse his traitorous half-brother. Now was not the time to be a coward though. He would stand tall and face whatever foe may appear. He had come far in the three years since he left home, and today was merely a test to prove his strength.
The sound of grappling hooks scraping against the railing of the ship knocked him out of his thoughts as the ship rocked towards the Pemberley. Once the two vessels were secured together, a gangplank was lowered and six men in royal navy garb started to cross over, their swords held high.
The sailor leading the charge crossed the deck to stand in front of the captain. “Are you the captain of this godforsaken vessel?” he sneered.
To his credit, the captain kept his voice even. “Aye.”
The officer made to grab his arm, but the captain simply stepped back. The officer glowered at the man. “You are to come with me. This ship is not sanctioned to sail in these waters. As such, I am to place you under arrest until you can be dealt with accordingly. Perhaps if you cooperate, your crew will walk off this ship alive.”
“I am afraid I will not be able to do that.”
“And why not?” the officer demanded as he stepped forward and pressed the edge of his blade against the captain’s chest.
“A captain never abandons his ship: to do so would be dishonorable.”
“What is honor worth when you are staring death in the face?” countered the officer.
The captain offered the man a grim smirk. “That is the thinking of a coward. I will happily die by your sword as long as you take mercy on the rest of my crew. I am the one who set the course, and these men should not be punished for my foolishness.”
The officer considered the captain’s words for several long moments and exhaled loudly before lowering his sword and stepping back. For a moment, all seemed calm and William allowed himself to relax, thanking the heavens for the mercy of their enemy.
The calm ended though with the sound of a blade tearing through flesh. “No!” William shouted as the officer twisted the hilt of the sword, and the captain fell to his knees.
Before he knew it, William drew his sword and pressed the blade against the murderer’s throat. “You will regret that, you damn cowardly bilge rat,” he growled.
The officer only scoffed at him, “I highly doubt that,” he said. “You, however, will regret your insolence.” The officer turned to his men, “Take Mr. Darcy aboard and leave this filthy vessel to sink and rot.”
William’s eyes widened at the man’s address. “How do you know who I am?” he demanded. Two men grabbed him from either side and forced him forward.
The man grinned. “The Royal Navy has been searching for you since the day you left. We finally received word of your whereabouts from a tradesman who recognized you when you made port in Derbyshire. Did you really think you would never be found? Your father and Prince George will be delighted to see you.”
William struggled against the men but to no avail. “Please,” he said. “You cannot take me back.”
“George warned me you would not come willingly. Of course, my men and I are always prepared.” He nodded to one of the men holding William’s arm. The man brought a cloth soaked in a foul-smelling substance and forced it against William’s mouth. He did not have the chance to speak another word before he was knocked out cold. The men dragged him across the gangplank, tossed him in the brig, and then sailed away from the sinking ship.
***
William awakened several hours later in the dark and dank brig of the ship. His lower back was aching, and he suspected that his limp body had been carelessly tossed into the cell. The only light came from a single lit candle perched on a sconce nailed into the wall of the cell.
As a child, when he sailed on this ship, he had never been down here, and in all honesty, he never thought he would find himself in such a place. He had certainly hoped that when he made his escape it would be for good, but things rarely went the way he wanted them to. It was a simple fact that he had come to accept.
The thought suddenly occurred to him that George could be on this very vessel. His stomach twisted into knots at the thought of seeing the man who had betrayed him so severely. Thanks to George he would never again be united with what he had lost. There was a hole in his heart because of it, and he had a sinking feeling that it would never be filled again. There was little use in such a grim way of thinking. If he had to face George again, he needed to be in his best frame of mind. So, he sat there, staring into the darkness, breathing deeply, and trying to gather his strength for the inevitable encounter.
Sometime later, a trapdoor opened and a figure began to descend a narrow ladder. William straightened against the wall and braced himself. He exhaled softly when the figure was revealed to be a man by the name of Denny, one of George’s oldest compatriots, now risen to the rank of captain judging by his regalia.
“William Darcy,” said Captain Denny. “I was hoping I would get to meet you, and I must personally thank you for increasing my wealth. There is quite the price on your head.”
“Is it worth the lives of the twenty good men you just sent to the bottom of the sea?” William said tightly. “Is he here?”
“No. Unfortunately that happy reunion will not take place until we reach port. Prince George and your father have missed you. They are beside themselves with excitement that the prodigal son will return at last.”
“If that is all you have to say to me, then I suggest you leave me be,” William said. “I am in no mood to hear your taunts about my unfortunate familial connections.”
Denny crouched down so William could see his face through the bars. “If you dare to escape,” he said, “it will be the last thing you ever do.”
William was unfazed by the captain’s threat. “You would not dare deprive the royal family the pleasure of killing me themselves,” William responded evenly.
Denny glowered at him knowing that his captive spoke the truth. “No foolishness will be tolerated” he said menacingly. “We will be making port in two days’ time. I will leave you to your misery. Goodnight.” The captain turned on his heel and left the brig with a sharp slam of the trapdoor.
William slumped down further. It appeared that he would not be getting any food, and to attempt an escape on anything but the last night of his voyage would be nothing short of a death wish. He would need to conserve his strength. There was already a plan forming in his head, but he would need time to mull it over. He would have to act very carefully if he was going to lead a successful mutiny.
***
William awakened after several intermittent respites with a plan fully formed in his mind. It was slim, and it largely hinged on the crew believing his words about the royal family. Words that were highly treasonous at that; moreover, if the single ally he had in mind was still the first mate of this vessel, and William firmly believed that he was, then he at least had a slight chance to succeed.
The candle had long ago been extinguished, so William searched blindly for the loose bars in the cell. While he had never been in the brig himself, his brother George had spent one night in the cell soon after his father had first taken him in, and long before George fooled him into thinking he would fall in line. George had the unfortunate habit of wreaking havoc wherever he went. After one particularly unruly day in which George tampered with the water supply and set the rowboat out to sea, his father had tossed him in the brig.
Several weeks later, George proudly revealed the story of how he had escaped the brig by lifting several loose bars in the decrepit cell. He had spent the night out on deck admiring the stars before sneaking back into the cell with his father none the wiser of his night of liberation.
George had spent his life spinning wild stories and speaking in half-truths, so William knew there was a chance that no loose bars existed, and even if there had been, surely George would have been smart enough to have them repaired with the ship under his control.
William tampered with every single bar, patiently working his way to the back corner of the cell. He was beginning to think his plan would be doomed before it even began, when mercifully, he was able to shift one of the bars upwards, and a second, and a third, and several more until he had created an opening just large enough for him to shimmy through. He thanked the heavens for his tall and wiry figure, otherwise he would have no chance at all of slipping through the opening.
Once he was free of his cell, he replaced the bars and began to climb the ladder that led to the upper deck. Pressing his ear against the trap door, he listened for several moments. There were no sounds of footsteps.
He slunk through the shadows of the ship and made his way towards what he hoped was still the first mate’s cabin. Once he arrived, he knocked softly on the door, hoping that Reynolds was still a light sleeper. He held his breath as he waited and finally exhaled in relief when the door began to creak open to reveal a sleepy Phillip Reynolds.
The man’s eyes widened when he recognized his visitor, and William had no time to utter a single word before he was engulfed in a tight embrace. “William, my boy, it is you. Forgive me for saying so, sir, but I had rather hoped I had misheard the captain, for a grim fate awaits you when we arrive at port.” At that he released William and took a step back.
“That is why I have come to you, Reynolds. I need your help to escape again, this time by way of mutiny.”
Reynolds’ face contorted into a look of unease. “I am not so sure that will work, sir. This is the flagship of your father’s navy. Each of these men were handpicked by him.”
William smiled, “That is exactly why I know this will work. Do you think for a second that any of these men will receive a share of the reward that my father promised for my capture?”
Reynolds was silent as he contemplated his answer. After a moment, he shook his head.
“Exactly, it will all go to Captain Denny, and neither my father or George will compel him to do what is right. They are not looking out for the best interests of their men. They are simply using them as pawns in their selfish game of acquisition. That is all the Royal Navy has ever been: slaves to the will of a corrupt king. That should not stand.”
“This is a dangerous game you are insisting on playing, sir, but if you believe this is the right course, I will stand by your side.”
William clasped the elder man’s hand in his. “Thank you, Reynolds. Now tell the crew what I said and instruct them to gather on deck. I shall go fetch the captain, and then we shall see where the crew stands.”
Before William turned to leave, Reynolds handed him the dagger he kept on the nightstand. “Take this—just in case.”
William tucked the knife into his belt and turned towards the Captain’s Quarters.
***
William pushed the door open to reveal a richly adorned, spacious room complete with a map table, an elegant four poster bunk that had been nailed into the side of the ship, shelves full of books and atlases, ornate sconces, and a thick embroidered rug. The captain was living in as much comfort as one could on a ship, while the crew were down in the hull sleeping on simple cots and hammocks with barely a half a dozen candles between them. Should he succeed, one of the first things William would do as captain would be to improve the living standards of his crew. For without a loyal and satisfied crew, a captain had nothing. That was a lesson he hoped Captain Denny would soon learn.
William crept into the room, holding the knife in his hand. The captain was sleeping soundly, which gave William a distinct advantage. He seized the collar of the captain’s shirt yanking him upwards as he roughly roused the sleeping man while pressing the blade of the knife tightly against his captive’s throat.
“How did you escape?” Denny managed to choke out.
“I am afraid that your beloved Prince George has been remiss in maintaining his flagship. All the better for me, yet all the worse for you.”
“If you are planning a mutiny, it will not succeed. These men were handpicked by the king himself and they shall not waiver in their loyalty.”
“We shall see,” William said in a terse reply. “After all, would you sail under a captain and king that refused to fairly reward your service? I think the answer is no. Now come along. You have a crew to face.” With that, William dragged the man out of bed and repositioned the dagger to his back, forcing him forward.
“You will pay for this,” Captain Denny said. Those were the last words he said before William bound and gagged him.
***
William and Denny stepped on deck to find the crew of the Pemberley amassed in front of them. William knew this was the moment upon which his freedom depended. He had to gain the trust of these men, and if he did not, he would surely lose his life. He locked eyes with Mr. Reynolds who gave him an encouraging smile. Thanks to him, the crew at least looked receptive.
“Gentlemen, I stand before you as a man who is looking out for your best interests while neither your captain, nor prince, nor king does. The man that stands beside me will happily take the entire reward for my capture and keep it for himself. None of you would ever see a single gold piece.”
Growls and grunts sounded through the crew as all eyes turned to William and Captain Denny. “I know better than any of you the sins of the royal family. Each of you may have been hand selected by the king and his heir, but it was not for your honor, skills, or valor but rather because you were viewed as useful pawns to a corrupt ruler. Can any of you name a single moment in your naval careers when you were justly rewarded? You just witnessed Captain Denny murder my captain and crew for the price on my head. Do you think you would fare better if Denny were to choose between you and the reward?”
William knew he had them now as nays resounded among the members of the crew. “That is neither fair nor just. Each of the men on this ship are the best sailors this realm has ever seen, yet you are treated as common deckhands. If you pledge yourselves to me, I will guarantee that you will be rewarded. We should not be forced to serve a corrupt king, but rather we should sail for ourselves and the betterment of our lives.”
William forced the captain to his knees. “This man cannot promise you a life of freedom, but I can. I propose we take this ship for ourselves and sail under the black flag, as pirates. No longer will this ship be called the Pemberley. Instead we will sail upon the Georgiana. We will go where we please and take what we deserve. No man will ever be our master! Who says aye?”
A chorus of resounding “Ayes” rang throughout the ship.
Reynolds stepped up beside William. “For too long I have seen the men on this ship be deprived of what they rightfully deserved. I vow to sail under the command of Captain William Darcy, a man of honor and justice. Who is with me?”
A clamor of approving vows again reverberated throughout the ship as William stepped up to the helm. “Cast the former captain out to sea, and let him deliver the message to the king that we are no longer his willing pawns. We will chart a course to the open waters and see what this realm has to offer us.”
William watched with grim satisfaction as his fellow crewmen lowered the former Captain Denny down to sea in the dinghy. With any luck, the man would make his way back to George and his father as living proof that it was unwise to pursue him.
Reynolds came up and stood beside him, “So Captain Darcy, where to?”
“Chart a course to the south, as far away from this wretched kingdom as we can get.”
A sweet, lesbian romance about growing something unexpected and wonderful from the roots up.
My gorgeous lesfic romance between a dyslexic paramedic and an uptight University lecturer is just a month from being released! If you like gardening, funny kiddies and romantic shed antics, this is the book for you! #thewordsshimmer out August.
Noah Martin is the most handsome physics instructor at his college. Of course, being an ex-model helps a bit in that department. He is engaged to a beautiful and talented designer, Olivia Wilson. They have a newborn daughter, Amelia, and are extremely busy with both of their careers.
With the stress of everyday life and their newborn baby… they begin to just live together and not really be together. They skirt around the main issue between them and find excuses to not talk about it.
When Noah’s coworker, Lea, and Olivia’s main male model, Adam, show up to tempt them… they are forced to deal with their relationship problems head on.
Here's a link to it on Amazon Kindle: Tell Me It Gets Easier
In 72 hours or less... my new novel, Tell Me It Gets Easier, will be available on Amazon Kindle. I’ll post a link for it when it is published. :)
Thank you, @disneyjackie, for commissioning this story and convincing me to publish it once it was done. You’re amazing!!
Here’s the summary:
Noah Martin is the most handsome physics instructor at his college. Of course, being an ex-model helps a bit in that department. He is engaged to a beautiful and talented designer, Olivia Wilson. They have a newborn daughter, Amelia, and are extremely busy with both of their careers.
With the stress of everyday life and their newborn baby… they begin to just live together and not really be together. They skirt around the main issue between them and find excuses to not talk about it.
When Noah’s coworker, Lea, and Olivia’s main male model, Adam, show up to tempt them… they are forced to deal with their relationship problems head on.
Also, if you’re interested in what inspired the title... it’s this song:
My manuscript is back from the proofreader/beta reader and I have five weeks to whip it into shape.
On the one hand it seems daunting because it’s the first time I’ve worked with a publication date looming, but on the other hand, I know I can knock edits out of the park pronto when I need to. All I have to do is print myself another copy, apply bum to seat, and go through to apply the corrections that need correcting and the suggestions that I agree with (which won’t necessarily be all of them - there are some things I did for reasons that I stand by, even with another perspective).
Hey all. If you have read my latest book and enjoyed it, It would mean the world to me if you left a review on the Amazon page. I have been getting hammered this week with a couple bad reviews, and it is super discouraging.
And if you haven’t read it, well, it’s free if you have kindle unlimited.(And I truly believ that CSers will get a kick out of it, especially if you also love Pride and Prejudice.) I’ll be doing a sale at the end of may, so I’ll keep you guys posted. Anyway, yes, reviews would be much appreciated. :)
