When Jack O'Connor learns that the piece of eight he found diving is a clue to sunken pirate treasure, he hopes it will be the answer to all his financial worries.
The problem is, there are two other clues to the treasure's whereabouts. Portia Pennington and Sandy Sequoia -- two young women with their own dark secrets -- each holds one of the other clues necessary to locate the hoard of lost doubloons. Jack unites the three misfit adventurers; and in defiance of the pirate's curse, they go in search of the treasure. But they will have to learn to trust one another and work together if they expect to find the gold and survive the hurricane of the century -- a breeze compared to opening their hearts to each other.
Pieces of Eight: A Story of Sex & Love, Trust & Betrayal by Michael Reed McLaughlinMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
Let me begin by saying that this is a different kind of book than I would usually read, but I am always looking for something a little bit different to read now and then. And this one certainly fit the bill.
I have never been a pirate fan, but I was somewhat intrigued with the history that was central to the adventure. I found Jack a likable person--although I grew tired of his bedroom capers. Thankfully, none of his bedroom antics were told in detail.
Portia and Sandy were fascinating characters. I could have done without the brief homosexual interlude, but I understand why that avenue was pursued. I felt it was woven into the framework of the story and made sense, but I am never a fan of those kinds of scenes.
I also did not enjoy the profanity scattered throughout the story. I am not saying it was absolutely horrific--I've read much worse. At least the author only had it in dialogue rather than nouns and verbs throughout the narrative. But I did feel some of it was not necessary. Again, just my opinino.
Lest you think I did not like the book, let me extol what I enjoyed about the story. The author has a very readable style. Even when I couldn't understand the nautical terms that were used (I still get confused between port and starboard--I identified with many of Portia's failings), it did not spoil the story for me. I found that I was able to escape to the world of the high seas and treasure-hunting through the author's words. The adventure never let up, and I was not sure what the ending would hold. It made we want to keep reading.
I also thought that the three main characters were developed extremely well. They were definitely three-dimensional characters, and I cannot tell you how much I enjoy that in a novel. The characters had to tackle real issues from drugs, to sex, to feelings of worthlessness. I think everyone would be able to identify with one of the characters ot a degree.
I have to say that I found the ending a bit of a let-down. I know I am a romantic, and I like happy ending, but I also am a realist. The ending seemed a little rushed, and too many loose ends were not tied up. But that's just me, More thank likely, the vast majority of people will find the end very satisfying.
I could honestly recommend this to lovers of pirate stories, adventure stories, and just for a change of pace. It is a fast read, for the most part, and as long as the issues which I have pointed out do not bother or offend you, I think you will findthis read worth while.
The author sent me a free copy of his book in exchange for my honest review. I was not financially compensated in any way, and all opinions are 100 percent mine.
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About the Author:
(in his own words)
"That's me! Screenwriter / Director / Author, but primarily entrepreneur of life. So, let me tell you a little about myself.
I grew up in Albuquerque, New Mexico, went to Newport Harbor High and then Del Norte High School, before attending film school from 1993-96 at BYU, where I shot several short films, including The Fourth Trimester, and a feature length version of that film. Believing that one learns by doing something rather than just by reading about it or being taught it, I also wrote, directed, shot, edited, and sometimes acted in a scene on video every week outside of class, as well as watching fifteen classic films outside of class a week. Of course, since then I have been trying to unlearn everything taught to me in school, (mostly formulaic clichés), and rediscover myself as an artist.
Just before graduating, I came back to Los Angeles and formed a production company to shoot an independent film. The company was MRM Productions; and the film was Of Love & Betrayal, a simple story I intended to shoot in 16 mm on my own sailboat with some friends from film school. The project snowballed into a 35 mm project shot on a 76' schooner on location in the Bahamas. There were several tropical storms, hurricanes, dealings with drug dealers, DEA agents, two murders, and the usual cast & crew love affairs along the way; and they weren't even in the movie we were making. What fun!
Although I believe my primary talent lies in directing film, I do a great deal of writing. I have finished several feature scripts in addition to Of Love & Betrayal, and have several more in development. I also scribe a little literature, including The Hero Sagas novels (originally released under the pseudonym of Sterling Drake); they are featured in the web pages associated with this site. Rüneglaive: Sword of Heroes is the first book in a fantasy trilogy available exclusively on the net, along with the maps, histories, languages, heraldry, and artwork of Indrêl.
E-mail me at mrm@mrmproductions.com ! "
To buy this or any of his books, check out this link.
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