Interview with a pirate.

Yarr! Pirates. Fantasy pirates too.

So, book two in the Pirates of Estovan series is coming soon!

The Pirate’s Lady will be released on 18^th of June, and I thought for those who haven’t read the first (Ten Ruby Trick), you might like a taste of our hero, the racketeer Van Gast, who never did a sensible thing when the stupid was more fun.

So, Van, how did you get to be a racketeer? And what is a racketeer?

You don’t become a rack, you’re born one. It’s all in the attitude, see? You know how merchants like to bend the rules? Racks ignore them, except when it might be useful to follow them. Maybe not even then. It’s fun, you should try it. As long as you don’t get seasick, you’ll be fine.

What are the rules then?

No idea. What’s the point of knowing them if I just ignore them?

Okay. So what does a rack do all day?

Oh, the usual. Thieving, scamming, escaping to spend the ill-gotten loot on booze and women. Maybe a little light skulduggery.

Women, eh? Last I heard you only pretend to be a womaniser.

You’ve been talking to Holden, haven’t you? Seriously, that man needs to learn how to have some fun. I’ll have you know I have a fearsome reputation with the ladies.

So the name Josie doesn’t ring any bells?

Well….look, all right, yes. Yes it does. Damn woman – I never know quite what she’s going to do from one moment to the next. When she grins at you, well, she’s going to do one of three things; rob you, kill you or give you the night of your life. Maybe shoot me in the face, maybe take me to bed. I prefer the bed. You know my motto? Never do the sensible when the stupid is so much more fun? Josie’s the stupid thing for me to do. Butterfly Josie I call her, never wanting to be pinned, always slipping through my fingers. But I’ll catch her one day.

If you tell anyone I said that, I’ll have to shoot you. Sorry about that.

I promise. So, who’s this Holden then?

Him? Oh, just some ex-bonded-slave who sails with me.

Bonded?

You don’t know about the Remorian mages? Well, trust me, you’ll know one when you see one. They bond slaves. It’s…not pleasant. The opposite of fun, in fact. There’s this silver bond that wraps around your wrist and then…your mind isn’t your own any more. *shudders* Anyway, so Holden, the poor sod, has forgotten what fun is, if he ever knew. Always so serious, and ‘Don’t you think we should?’ and ‘You should be sensible, Van.’ Boring. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen him grin. So, I have decided. He’s going to have fun if it kills me. Or him. It may yet do both, but that’s the fun part, isn’t it? The hearthump of excitement when you don’t know if you’ll live or die.

The thrill of the chase, of excitement. It’s what I live for.

Well okay, Van. Thanks for talking to us. Wait, where the heck did my earrings go? Van? VAN!