Where Gold Lies
E-book U$4.99
ISBN: 1-60601-226-6
Paperback AU$24.99
ISBN: 978-0-9805484-2-6
After Captain Flint dies in Savannah from the effects of yellow fever and too much rum, young Dick Brown and his pirate shipmates set out to find Flint's hidden treasure. Their quest leads them first to England and then back to the Caribbean, searching for the vital chart that will lead them to the spot.
There, on the island where Flint buried untold wealth in gold and jewels, Long John Silver, Dick Brown and the pirate crew struggle to win control of the chart. They finally succeed, but will their victory bring them the riches they dream of? Or will Dick find that there is more to life than gold, and that true love has a value far beyond sparkling jewels?
"We all love Treasure Island. It is the first book I remember my mother reading to me (how scared I was!) The story is a part of our history, and I love it so well that I wanted to tell it again, from the standpoint of a young pirate, who might just have been family."
~ Jacqueline ~
Once, a long time ago when I was too young to read for myself, I recall my mother reading to me at bedtime. She had chosen everyone's favourite Treasure Island. It is a very vivid memory because she had got as far as the night the pirates attacked The Admiral Benbow inn, and Jim Hawkins and his mother were cowering in ditch, fearing for their lives.
I was absolutely terrified, and would not let my mother read any more. Still, something must have stayed and bubbled away in the back of my mind, because I eventually sat down to write another version of that great tale.
I suppose I should feel a bit of a fraud, relying so heavily on the invention of another writer, but I hope Robert Louis Stevenson in his final resting place overlooking the ocean at Samoa will take my attempt as a compliment.
Although all our favourite characters are there, Jim Hawkins, Dr Livesey, Squire Trelawney, one man dominates them all. Long John Silver stumps through the story on one leg and a crutch, and has stumped right out of the book to become one of our literary icons. Everyone knows about Long John, but it seemed to me that there was a great deal more that might be said about him. Adult emotions do not have much place in the original children's book, but I was free to show much more of him. Filling out his character was great fun and, of course, I fell in love with him. I suspect Stevenson did too.
My story is, perhaps, a little more grown-up but I have shamelessly borrowed the original characters. I won't say I have improved them - that would be arrogant indeed - but maybe I have seen them through adult eyes.
The story takes place in two settings that I know and love, the West Country of England and a heart-breakingly beautiful tropical island, complete with white coral sands and leaning palm trees. I was brought up in the first, and am now a permanent fixture on the shores of the Coral Sea. Writing an adventure story set in places like that was no hardship at all!
Robert Louis Stevenson's grave in Samoa
Home is the sailor, home from sea,
The hunter home from the hill.
Initially, I was afraid that basing my story on such a well-known text would be tying my own hands, limiting me to repeating almost parrot fashion what we have all read. Instead I found that the characters had a life of their own and were quite capable of speaking for themselves.
Any author will tell you that when a character writes his (or her) own story, life is not only much easier for the author but the resulting story is more authentic and absorbing for the reader. I hope you find that too.
Maura
Reviewer for Coffee Time Romance & More
The Author is a descendant of Dick Brown, one of the infamous Captain Flint’s crew. She is very curious about the man she knew as a respected minister.
Dick Brown led a very adventurous life before finding respectability as a clergyman. He wants his daughter to know how he became Richard Brown and a bit about her own family.
A young pirate has the adventure of his life searching for Captain Flint’s treasure. This is a retelling of Treasure Island through the recollections of a much older and wiser Dick Brown with the additional story of what happened to him after.
I really enjoyed this adventure tale. I was a bit skeptical at first believing that no one could add to or improve on Treasure Island, but I was mistaken. The author does a great job of telling the story from another angle and continuing on after the original story ends. I have always enjoyed family stories and this reads just like one as it is written from a father to his daughter. It just seems so much more personal written in this style. The plot and the characters are very well done and this one will be difficult for you to put down.
Snapdragon
Reviewer for Long & Short Romance Reviews
Jacqueline George’s pirate tale, Where the Gold Lies, is well worth reading. Although it is far from a typical romance – and further from what you expect to discover between the pages of a ‘historical romance,’ quality of characters make this work shine. It is largely a retrospective of the life of one man, Dick Brown, and is presented as thru a descendent of his. This initial setup is cleverly contrived, and offered almost conversationally – so delightfully first person that indeed you feel are having this revealing chat with a friend.
The sounds and smells of the sea, the loss of men and friends and any sense of attachment to man or principle pervade this work. The men – From Long John Silver to Billy Bones, have names that offer the sound and sense of the times. They weigh anchor and dream of the nearest taverns, wait to ambush ships full-laden from Charleston. Our narrator shares views of the people they see – especially the women of the West Indies. Yet, to our young narrator- none can compare to the beautiful Isabel. We see her importance early on – but are swept back into the story – the ‘his’-tory, of this young man’s days in England, his time at sea, and the pursuit of treasure which would make many men famous. Unexpected and unpredictable turns crop up, just when you think you can predict how it will all turn out.
This is beautifully written, and cleverly put together. I selected 4 books for it here, as I can only just call it a romance – a pirate’s tale would be more accurate. Yet, Romance does drive some events, and I don’t believe a romance fan would be dismayed to read this…
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