The new novel "Protective Craft" is now finished and out on Kindle and in Paperback. The title refers to the actions of the naval craft as well as rites practised by one of the characters.
Also discussed are the rights of man and the systems of government set up in the colonies by an absolutist king and his followers that would have led eventually to uprisings. It is the follow-up to the prize-winning "Any Means to an End" available in paperback and ebook.
Thanks to winning the prize in the Rosetta Press Literary Contest,
I was able to let them do some proof-reading and editing to go along with my own. They also did some adjustments to the original cover illustration by Vivien Welsh adapting it to reflect the new direction of the story towards romance and witchcraft.
The issues covered in both novels
are, I feel, taken further in the second book. These are romantic and
family values, loyalty to crew and captain, what is "freedom" and how government systems can justify their right to govern plus treatment of the governed. (Analysis of the systems set up in the original charters of the American colonies by absolutist kings in the 17th century can clearly been seen to lay the seeds of the system's destruction in the revolution 100 years later. They couldn't take the hints from a Civil War in England could they!) However, double standards continue,
with a "Do as I say, not as I do" attitude from the Commodore. Researching the history of the time has been fun and enlightening. My hopes are that you could read the novels and at least get a feel for the times.
I hope you can find time to read the books, wherever you are in the world.
One reader left this positive comment on the Amazon site after reading the Kindle ebook version. Another left this 5 star review after reading the paperback.
Keep buying and reading,
Andrew R Welsh
