HERE BE MONSTERS
Matt Tomerlin’s pirate novels immerse readers in a violent Golden Age of Piracy where fictional characters meet legendary pirates such as “Calico Jack” Rackham, Benjamin Hornigold, Charles Vane, and the infamous Edward “Blackbeard” Teach. The adventure begins when Captain Jonathan Griffith kidnaps Katherine Lindsay, who will one day become the ruthless Kate Warlowe, captain of the Scarlet Devil and bane of the Caribbean. Tomerlin takes readers through the minds of several pirate characters, alternating between POV chapters, from the virtuous to the truly evil. Pirate lovers will find no shortage of treachery, cutlass duels, ship-to-ship battles, buried treasure and much, much more.
MATT TOMERLIN
“Pirate novels are too often accompanied by a goofy hero/heroine who outruns grotesque zombies, translucent ghosts, singing mermaids, and/or monstrous krakens. I wanted to write a story that took pirates seriously and portrayed them as realistically as possible, while still spinning an entertaining yarn. I spent the better portion of a year studying piracy, ships, and the era in which the story would take place. I needed this world to feel as authentic as possible, so its outlandish events would be easier to swallow. These pirates are not caricatures. They are sailors who rebelled against ruthless captains, young men who rebelled against strict fathers, and slaves who seized their one chance for freedom.
I quickly decided on a female protagonist, as I intended to portray the pirates from the view of an innocent who had the most to fear from them. The evolution of Katherine Lindsay, who begins as a delicate woman from London taken hostage by Captain Jonathan Griffith, is the true heart of the first novel in what would become (unbeknownst to me when I released it) an epic saga. While the chapters alternate through several other characters, their actions generally revolve around Lindsay. She is the wrench that grinds Harbinger‘s gears to a halt, the wooden slipper that sabotages a perfectly oiled machine. I had not initially intended to end the book as it ends. Katherine Lindsay took on a mind of her own, and I must admit that even I lost control of her.”
-Matt Tomerlin
GOLDEN AGE – A SHORT STORY
Read Matt Tomerlin’s short story, GOLDEN AGE, which takes place during THE DEVIL’S FIRE and foreshadows the events of the fourth book, SCARLET DEVIL. Governor Woodes Rogers arrives in Nassau, determined to rid the Caribbean of its pirate populace. Jack Rackham, Anne Bonny, and Charles Vane have other plans.