The Isle of Gold by Seven Jane Pages: 284
Published by Black Spot Books on October 9, 2018
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy & Magic
Mystery, Myth & Magic Meet in an Epic Adventure of Two Women Lost at Sea—and the Secret that Binds Them Together
AN ORPHAN DISGUISED AS A PIRATE SETS SAIL FOR A MYSTICAL ISLAND IN HOPES OF UNRAVELING THE MYSTERIES OF HER PAST
The year is 1716—the Golden Age of Pirates. An orphan who sleeps in the dusty kitchens of a quayside brothel, Merrin Smith is desperate to unravel the secrets of her past and find the truth about the events that brought her to the Caribbean island of Isla Perla as a child. Disguised as a sailor, and with the help of her longtime friend Claudette, Merrin joins the crew of the pirate ship Riptide, helmed by the notorious Captain Erik Winters. Tenacious and rumored a madman, Winters is known as much for his ruthlessness as for his connection to the enigmatic and beautiful proprietress of the Goodnight Mermaid, Evangeline Dahl, who vanished from Isla Perla two summers before.
At sunset the Riptide sails for the mythical island of Bracile, a place hidden between air and sea and that exists only for a moment every two years, and which has never returned any man who has sailed for its shores. The journey will be perilous and long, and it will take Merrin far away from the only home she’s ever known. Because she can read, Merrin will serve as the Captain’s apprentice, deciphering old texts for clues to the island’s whereabouts as the ship sails through haunted, frozen waters and into the very heart of the ocean. As she struggles to navigate the rough, seafaring life aboard a pirate ship, Merrin must keep her identity hidden from the scrupulous gaze of not only Captain Winters, but also Mister Brandon Dunn, the ship’s surly, legend-spouting quartermaster, and Tom Birch, the charming boatswain Merrin can’t help but feel drawn to.
As the Riptide makes its way to Bracile, Merrin begins to suspect that the men she has worked so hard to deceive may in fact be more connected to her than she would have imagined, and that perhaps her own past might have more to do with the Dunn’s legends and myths than she ever could have guessed.
In The Isle of Gold [Black Spot Books, October 9, 2018] Merrin Smith must face perilous waters, cursed sea goddesses, and the embodiments of some of the ocean’s most terrifying legends as she not only struggles to survive her journey, but to find the answers to the mysteries of her past.
A story where history meets fantasy, The Isle of Gold is an epic, emotional adventure of two women—one desperate to save herself, and the other determined to be rescued—and the secret which binds them together.
“For as long as men have sailed the ocean, they have told stories about the sea,” says Jane. “It’s a place of mystery, myth, and magic—and this makes The Isle of Gold a perfect setting for an epic adventure that is not only a tale of historical fiction, but of the very evolution of a woman’s spirit as she seeks to find herself in a world of unpredictability and uncertainty.”
“There is an old saying that ‘the cure for anything is saltwater—tears, sweat, or the sea.’ In The Isle of Gold, Merrin’s journey requires all three.”
Today we have the author of Isle of Gold, Seven Jane here to tell us a little but about the characters!
Meet the Characters
(Tell us about your main characters! Looks, personality, some background story, and/or maybe a few quotes from the story?)
Evangeline
Evangeline Dahl is the cunning and successful proprietress of the tavern Goodnight Mermaid on Isla Perla, and the rumored lover of Captain Erik Winters of the pirate ship Riptide. She is described as having both unsurpassed beauty as well as possessing of the unpredictable personality of the ocean itself.
When Evangeline vanishes from Isla Perla, Winters bleeds the waters red in his unrelenting search to find her. He believes she has been taken hostage by the gods of the sea as retribution for becoming so powerful in her ability to manipulate and control the trade of merchants and pirates sailing the Caribbean. It is on this quest that Merrin joins the Riptide’s crew and we begin our tale.
The true identity of Evangeline, or of how she arrived in Isla Perla, is unknown, as are her connections to Merrin Smith and the rest of the ship’s crew.
Brandon Dunn
Brandon Dunn is the surly quartermaster of the pirate ship Riptide, and the closest confidant to Captain Erik Winters. He is described as tall and reedy, with sea-weathered skin, black eyes, and a thick crest of silvery-white hair.
When Merrin seeks to join the Riptide‘s crew, Brandon Dunn is the first sailor that she meets, and throughout the journey Dunn serves as both Merrin’s friend and agitator. He is as obsessed with the legends of the sea as Winters, but insistent upon them in a way that Winters is not, particularly concerning the ghosts of the ocean and the legend of Mélusine. His is prone to drink and smoke cigars, which he does primarily when in celebration.
Dunn’s true connection to the crew and to Evangeline Dahl remains unknown, as does his true nature or motivations for bringing Merrin onboard.
Tom Birch
Tom Birch is the handsome, unassuming boatswain of the pirate ship Riptide. He is described as kind and friendly, with a stature like his namesake, an easy laugh, and saltwater green eyes.
When Merrin joins the Riptide, she can’t help but be drawn to Birch, though he is the person from which she struggles most to keep her identity–and sex–hidden as she strives to ignore her developing, and completely unexpected, feelings. When she finds herself doubting everyone else–especially herself–Tom is the one person she’ll give everything up to keep safe.
Tom Birch’s connection to the Winters and Dunn is unknown, but this doesn’t stop Merrin for falling headfirst for the loyal, dependable boatswain. Likewise, whether its by curse or fate, Birch develops feelings for Merrin that even he is powerless to avoid.
Erik Winters
Erik Winters is the rumored madman that helms the pirate ship Riptide. Tenacious and sometimes ruthless, Winters is known as much for his disposition as he is for his penchant for rum and connection to Evangeline Dahl, the proprietress of The Goodnight Mermaid.
Upon Evangeline’s disappearance, Winters leads the Riptide‘s crew through a series of bloody battles as he tries to recover his love. But, after two years of failures that have only added to his brooding and ill-tempered personality, Winters believes that the sea itself has stolen Evangeline. We meet Winters as he prepares to sail to the mythical island of Bracile to steal her back.
Though formidable, there is warmth in Winters’ heart–if you dare get close enough to find it. Merrin finds an unlikely alliance with this sullen pirate, as they both seek a missing piece of their heart on the journey to Bracile.
Claudette Abobi
Claudette Abobi is Merrin’s best friend and her sister in arms at The House of Sparrows, the brothel where Claudette works and Merrin lives on Isla Perla. She is island-born and beautiful, and equal parts cunning and loyal.
When Merrin readies to join the Riptide, Claudette helps her assemble the necessary pieces of her disguise, although she makes it known that she doesn’t want Merrin to go, and fears for her fate at sea. The relationship between Merrin and Claudette is left unexplored, but it is hinted that there is more than friendship between the two women.
When Merrin prepares to set sail, she sees Brandon Dunn speaking to someone hidden beneath an awning on the quay, and it is Claudette that steps out of the shadows. Claudette’s association with the Riptide‘s quartermaster is unknown, and Claudette’s story remains unknown…for now.
Merrin Smith
An orphan who calls Isla Perla home, Merrin Smith is determined to find out who she really is, and how she arrived on the island as child. She’s a natural loner, friendly only to Claudette, although she feels a strange and powerful attachment to Evangeline Dahl–a woman to which she has never actually spoken. Merrin can’t shake the feeling that her fate is deeply tied to that of Evangeline, and when the island’s most enigmatic proprietress vanishes without a trace, Merrin defies the rules of piracy and, disguised as a man, joins the crew of the Riptide helmed by ruthless Captain Winters, Evangeline’s rumored lover.
Merrin’s true identity, the true nature of her relationship with Claudette, her attraction to Tom Birch, and her connection to Evangeline are unknown–but this headstrong and determined protagonist is not to be underestimated.
Come meet the characters of #TheIsleofGold by @sevenjanewrites & enter to #win a signed copy of the book from @Bookbriefs Click To Tweet
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About Seven Jane
Seven Jane is an author of dark fantasy and speculative fiction. Her debut novel, The Isle of Gold, was published by Black Spot Books in October 2018.
Seven is a member of The Author’s Guild and Women’s Fiction Writing Association. She writes a weekly column for WFWA‘s Industry News newsletter, and is a regular contributor to The Nerd Daily.
She is represented by Gandolfo Helin & Fountain Literary Management and supported by Smith Publicity.
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