Thursday, May 1, 2014

Aloha to Darlene Marshall and THE PIRATE'S SECRET BABY

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Aloha, thar, matey!  Today, Disney-MGM Studios is celebrating its 25th anniversary as one of four theme parks at Walt Disney World.    My favorite park remains the Magic Kingdom ... and my favorite ride is THE PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN ... which Disney-MGM studios successfully launched into a movie franchise.   

Pirates!   In college, I took part in the Gasparilla Invasion of Tampa Bay ... and I'll tangle with a few scalawags at the RT Booklovers' Convention in New Orleans.  Yet no one writes pirates like Florida's own Darlene Marshall:

Darlene Marshall is an award-winning author of historical romance featuring pirates, privateers, smugglers and the occasional possum. She loves working at a job where business attire is shorts and a shirt festooned with pink flamingos and palm trees. Marshall lives in North Central Florida, a convenient location for researching sites of great historical significance, which also happen to also be at the beach and serve mojitos. Her books have been published in English, German and Estonian.

You can learn more about Darlene by visiting her website: darlenemarshall.com.

Pirate Flag from Indonsia's Tall  Ship
during visit to Pearl Harbor (link)

I reviewed Darlene's latest release, THE PIRATE'S SECRET BABY ... 

The captain of the Prodigal Son has a deserved reputation as the deadliest (and best dressed) pirate in the Caribbean, but Robert St. Armand’s totally at sea when it comes to “Marauding Mattie,” the daughter he never knew he had. How in the world can he deal with the littlest pirate, one who prefers knife-throwing to arithmetic lessons, and who’d rather be keelhauled than eat her beets? He needs help!

Lydia Burke is living a safe, respectable life, separated from England by an entire ocean. It’s exactly what she needs and she’s not going to risk her boring, but secure, position as a governess to consort with pirates, especially one who’s too pretty for his own good or her peace of mind.

No self-respecting governess would be willing to come aboard the notorious Prodigal Son, but Robert didn’t fight his way to the top by letting small obstacles like scruples stop him. If he can’t hire Lydia Burke, he’ll steal her and take her to England with them, certain he can charm her into his bed along the way as an added bonus on the voyage.

It will be a true voyage of discovery for the pirate and the governess, as one learns to navigate the rocky shoals of parenthood while the other tries to keep deadly secrets hidden, and both will find that while it’s a child who initially brings them together, the growing passion between them offers the greatest temptation.

... giving it a five star rating (link).  Darlene is offering two signed copies of THE PIRATE'S SECRET BABY.  I am giving away one now, before RT, and I'll giveaway one later, after RT, assuming I survive the pirate invasion.  To enter the giveaway for the first copy,

1.  Let's talk about pirates!  What do you love about them?  Do you have a favorite pirate film?  Do you have a favorite Jack Sparrow quote?   

2.  Comments are open through Saturday, May 3, 10 pm in Baltimore.

3.  I'll post the winner on Sunday, May 4.

Come back on May 21 for a recap of my encounter with RT pirates ... and the second book giveaway.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore
Aloha Spirit in Charm City 

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13 comments:

  1. My goodness Kim, you're having some really awesome books this week. Now, who doesn't love a swash buckling pirate!! I love Captain Hook from "Once Upon a Time". He's swoon worthy and so very cute.

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  2. Who couldn't help but love Jack Sparrow. I've always enjoyed reading about pirates - the ultimate bad boy lol.

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  3. Thanks for the giveaway. The book sounds great. Pirate heroes are my favorite. No, I don't have a favorite pirate film or quote. I've never been sure about why I like them so much. I guess I seem them as very masculine.

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  4. We went to Disneyland in Anaheim a few weeks ago and of course, rode on Pirates of the Caribbean. I love how Jack Sparrow has been added to the ride.

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  5. I also like to read about pirates, although I'm not quite sure why. My favorite pirate films are Horatio Hornblower with Gregory Peck and The Pirates of the Caribbean movies with Johnny Dep.

    Darlene is a new author for me and the Pirate's Secret Baby sounds like a must read.

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  6. They're interesting to read about

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  7. I love Jack Sparrow!!!!! He's got so many great lines I can't pick a fav ;) thanks for sharing!

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  8. I love reading about pirates! Of course, these are the romanticized ones. LOL Jack Sparrow was a riot!

    Marcy Shuler

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  9. I do love pirates in books & movies & Captain Jack Sparrow is a great favourite.

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  10. Love pirates...they just have a devil may care attitude. Jack Sparrow is the best~

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  11. Pirates of the Caribbean is definitely my favorite pirate movie. I love Cap'n Jack!

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  12. I always liked Burst Lancaster in The Crimson Pirate and Errol Flynn in Captain Blood.

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  13. It's been a while since I have read a pirate story but one of my favorites is one by author Jennifer Ashley.

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