When compelled to spend Christmas on the private
island of her father’s intended bride, Jeanine must cope with pirate legends,
unexpected storms, and murder. Will she and her family discover the truth about
Anne Bonny’s connection to the Banet family before someone else winds up dead?
Back cover blurb: Compelled to spend Christmas on a private
island with her father’s future bride and family, Jeanine learns that Margo
Banet is descended from a pirate queen.
Relatives and friends all have their reasons for
attending the festivities—including the legendary treasure. But when Margo’s
nephew winds up dead and a violent storm cuts them off mainland, Jeanine has to
wonder if they will solve the mystery before someone else dies trying.
Book excerpt
Aimee leaned into
Frank. “I really think I’m going to like being a part of this family.”
My father bounced off
the couch faster than I could. “Does this mean?”
Aimee shyly held out
her left hand. A ring sat securely on her ring finger. An iridescent opal, sat
in the center of the setting. By the deep rich glow of the stone, I could tell
its quality. Surrounding the opal were a dozen or more little diamond chips making
the petals of the flower.
“Oh, it’s stunning!
You have great taste, brother of mine.”
He looked at Aimee
instead of the ring in response to my outburst. “That I know.”
I hugged my soon-to-be
sister-in-law. “Welcome to the Jensen clan, Aimee.”
She hugged me back.
“Thank you.”
Josie snuggled up, not
wanting to be left out. “Didn’t I tell you, Aimee? Didn’t I tell you right off
the bat?”
Aimee crouched down to
Josie’s level. “You are absolutely right. You told me on the boat that I would
love your family. And that you would love me.” She whispered the last couple of
words.
“Does that mean I call
you Aunt Aimee?” Justin asked.
She smiled. “I guess
so.”
“Then, Aunt Aimee, get
comfortable and have a seat so we can do the rest of the Christmas Eve
tradition.”
“There’s more?” She
feigned surprise well. I think Frank had briefed her on our routine before they
came over. But we made room on the couch, not hard because I think it could
seat thirty in a pinch, and resumed the Jensen tales of the night.
Frank took up the next
part, perhaps to impress his new fiancée. “The tree, as we’ve said, points to
God and his changeless, eternal nature. But what was the first thing we put on
the tree?”
“The lights?”
“Exactly. Because as
it says in the John, ‘In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through Him all things
were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made. In Him was life,
and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness has not overcome it.’ The lights on the tree remind us of the
true light, the light of the world, Jesus Christ.”
I liked the next part.
It always gave me goose bumps, so I decided I would tell it. “Next on every
tree are the ornaments. What do the ornaments represent? What makes the tree of
God beautiful?”
“We do!” shouted Josie
and Justin.
“Yes,” I agreed. “As
it says in Zechariah, ‘The Lord their God will save his people on that day as a
shepherd saves his flock. They will sparkle in his land like jewels in a
crown.’ Also, it looks like fruit on the tree and reminds us to be fruitful for
Him in the coming year.”
“Now,” said my father.
“It is time for us to remember how our Savior came into this world.” He opened
his well-worn Bible to the Gospel of Luke. “In
those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the
entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius
was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to their own town to register.’
“‘So
Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem
the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David.’”
Dad would have kept
reading. I know this, because he did every year. But at this moment, Charlie
burst in. “Help! Help!” He waved to all of us. “Miss Margo is hurt! Come
quickly! Down by the docks!”
Author bio Susan A. J. Lyttek, author of five novels (which
includes Plundered Christmas), award-winning writer, blogger, wife and
mother to two homeschool graduates has temporarily given up hunting a full-time
job and instead spends her days tutoring over Zoom and writing the strangest
tales she can. Learn more at www.sajlyttek.com
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/plundered-christmas-susan-lyttek/1120834625?ean=9781611164619
http://pelicanbookgroup.com/ec/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=68_38_50&products_id=630
Questions:
1.
Why this book? What inspired you to write it? I have
always loved Christmas so it seemed like a good fit. But with my Talbott family
stories, there needed to be a historical angle. One of my students at the time
was researching female pirates and another young lady loved those stories, so
they fed me a fair amount of information regarding Anne Bonny. There was enough
mystery regarding her time both as a pirate and her death/disappearance that I
could make it my own. Then, to give her a family line that kept the wrong
secrets… Perfect!
As far as the Talbotts themselves, Jeanine is
a diehard for tradition. She wants her Christmas in a certain way. So having
her dad’s fiancée make them spend Christmas on a tropical island is a great way
to make her uncomfortable and throw her into another mystery.
2. What is your favourite Christmas
carol/song and why? I’ve answered this question for you before as far as my
lifetime favorite. I decided this time, to think about the song that when it
plays puts me fully and intently into Christmas as soon as I hear the
recording. That would be O Holy Night as recorded by Nat King Cole. For all of
my growing up, when my parents played that record, I knew Christmas was at
hand. I still think he has one of the best voices of all time.
3.
What is the best Christmas present you ever received
and who was it from?
I have had a lot of wonderful presents over
the years. There are very few of them that I still have. One of those is my
engagement ring that Gary gave to me the second Christmas we spent together.
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