Monday, February 29, 2016

Historical Fiction Author to Visit Post Road Library

Author Nicole Castroman will speak and sign copies of her book Blackhearts in a special after-hours event at the Post Road Library on Saturday, March 5 at 6:30 p.m.

In addition to meeting Castroman for a book signing, teens in middle school and high school are invited to wear their pirate finery, discover their “own” pirate name, and participate in a cannonball “battle” at the Blackhearts Book Release Pirate Party.

Blackhearts is the fictional origin story of Blackbeard, the pirate known for striking fear in the hearts of the bravest of sailors. This story imagines his time as a young man in Bristol, England where he was known as Edward Teach,” explains Lisa Echols, Youth Services Supervisor at the Post Road Library.

This is Castroman’s first novel. In an Ask the Author forum on Goodreads.com, Castroman explained that the idea for Blackhearts came while she was planning a trip to Charleston, South Carolina.

“I love history and found out that in 1718, Blackbeard held the entire city of Charleston hostage. His only demand was medication for his sailors. I decided to dig deeper and discovered that only the last two years of Blackbeard's life were documented. He was one of the most notorious pirates who ever lived, yet there isn't much information available. It's believed he was born in Bristol, England. His flag ship was called Queen Anne's Revenge. He could read and write, so it was obvious he was educated. I decided to take what information was known about him and create my own story,” wrote Castroman.

Blackhearts has elements of adventure, romance, and scandal – not to mention a 4.5-star rating from readers on Amazon – and it’s received positive reviews since it was published by Simon and Schuster earlier this month,” adds Echols.

The Library has several copies of the novel and it can also be found in bookstores and at Amazon.com. Teens that really want to get into character as a pirate for the Blackhearts Book Release Pirate Party should check out the Library’s Mango Languages program for a little talk-like-a-pirate training.

Admission to the event is free, but registration is requested. Visit www.forsythpl.org for more information or to register.

No comments: