X is for Xanadu – Guest Marsha A Moore
Today we have a guest post by romance novelist Marsha A. Moore, author of Tears on a Tranquil Lake.
From her website bio: “Creativity is the elixir of my life. I’m happiest creating . . . writing, painting, drawing, knitting, cooking. Imaginative expression extends a portion of me out to the world. I love writing, all forms – novels, short stories, and poems. Twisting real life experiences into fictional adventures intrigues me. Poetry flows when emotions overwhelm my ability to sequence plot or paragraph. Other artistic activities like watercolor painting and pen-and-ink drawing relax me. I’m currently working on some illustrations for my fantasy romance book, Tears on a Tranquil Lake, and its sequel.”
‘X’ is for my version of Xanadu…Tortuga
by Marsha A. Moore
Since this is ‘X’ day with the A to Z blogging challenge and India is participating, I searched and searched for an ‘X’ connection to ideas I wanted to write about. In fact, I fell asleep one night pouring over ideas.
The pleasure palace of Xanadu slipped in and out of my dreams. It was the summer capital of Kubla Khan’s Yuan Dynasty in China, built around 1250. It became fabled as a metaphor for opulence and decadence, famously described by the English poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge. Apparently, the poem, Kubla Khan, came to him in a dream after he’d enjoyed the pleasures of opium the previous evening. The first lines, to refresh your memory:
In Xanadu did Kubla Khan
A stately pleasure-dome decree :
Where Alph, the sacred river, ran
Through caverns measureless to man
Down to a sunless sea.
The overindulgence and hedonism of Xanadu seemed in line with the pirate’s famed hangout in the Caribbean, the island of Tortuga. It is a primary setting in my newly-released fantasy romance, Tears on a Tranquil Lake, and its sequel, Tortuga Treasure. Writing those books required learning the history and lore of this pirate pleasure palace.
Tortuga was a wild pirate stopover during the 1600s. While Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean movies paint it as a somewhat mythical place, it did really serve from 1640 to 1684 as a neutral hideout for pirate ships and storage of their booty.
Although the island was known to the native tribes, and formed a landing for Christopher Columbus in 1493, it wasn’t used as permanent settlement until Spanish and French pirates claimed it for their own uses. Various European governments then attempted to control the island. The French government built a fort, and a Spanish army tried to overthrow that effort. The British entered the mix, and amid such indecision, the pirates easily commanded authority with their natural barbaric style.
Eventually, the various governments devised ways to deal with or control the pirates’ wild lifestyles so the island could be inhabited by ‘civilized’ peoples. The French governor even imported 1,650 prostitutes, hoping to lure the lascivious buccaneers into respectable, settled lifestyles with family commitments. Hard to believe! Seems to me like giving candy to lustful pirates wouldn’t have given them reason to want a full meal.
After a few years, the French government realized their error and attempted more successful business deals with the pirates, hiring them to serve as naval strike-force backup. Money provided a better hold on the Tortuga pirate community than sex!
Come enjoy a hedonist journey through my book Tears on a Tranquil Lake. My mermaids and pirates will take you along as they discover the pleasures and vices of their Xanadu.
Blurb:
What a surprise for a young woman, to find herself suddenly transformed into a mermaid.
Ciel’s first thought – track down the merman who changed her and make him reverse his magic.
Unable to find him, survival in her new world becomes paramount. She eagerly accepts help from a dashing pirate captain who takes a fancy to her, lavishing her with finery. When her merman does show up, he competes for her affection. One look into his eyes makes her life more complex — he is her soul mate.
Which man will she choose – pirate captain or merman? Which life – human or mermaid? Caribbean adventures and dangers chase Ciel as she searches for decisions and the key to her happiness.
Warning: This book contains Haitian vodou, sultry wenches, foul-mouthed scalliwag pirates, overindulgence of fine Caribbean rum, and amorous encounters on deserted beaches.
Links to Marsha and her books:
ISBN: 978-1-926931-29-6
Purchase from:
I just wanted to say thank you so much to Marsha for sharing a bit about her book and her research today! Also, a quick request below:
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Great post, Marsha. I loved Tears and look forward to your next book.
[ Follow me on Twitter: authorcawilson ]
Thanks lots, Charlene. It’s exciting to have the next book contracted.
Hi Marsha,
Wonderful post. Very interesting about Kubla Khan and Xanadu, also about the government’s attempts at taming the
pirate population, fascinating!
Cheers, Sara
Love the warning! And what a coincidence – I just happen to be reading another romance that takes place on Tortuga. Now I’ve really got a hankering to see the Caribbean.
Very illuminating guest post and a clever way to surmount the letter ‘X’ hurdle!
Btw, hahah I forgot about the ‘evil twin’ trapdoor plot device for soap operas, thanks for reminding me. The twin often coincidentally appears after the same actor has a contract dispute with the TV network…
Oooh, interesting stuff. Great post!
Your book sounds fab!
Great interview, ladies! The book sounds great.
[ Follow me on Twitter: talliroland ]
Now that sounds like an awesome book! Pirates and mermen – either way it should be an interesting choice.
Love that title–thx for introducing this to me, sounds fantastic!!!
Tortuga certainly has a history.
Great “X” post! It sounds like an interesting story.
Sounds cool!
Great interview!
[ Follow me on Twitter: JoStorm ]
The book sounds totally fun! Thanks for the history of Tortuga—I wasn’t entirely sure it was a real place.
sounds like a great setting and a great book.