Bilge Rat - Pirate Adventurer: Black Tarantula (Bilge Rat, Pirate Adventurer, 2) - Softcover

Kevin Charles Smith, the oldest of seven children, was born in Chicago and never outgrew his fascination with Disney s Peter Pan. As such, he has spent a lifetime exploring the timeless subject matter of pirates and the high seas in all manner of books, magazine articles and internet websites. His chosen profession took him to the peak of success with the nations top companies, beginning with Carnation (now Nestle) in 1973 and ending with the Kellogg Company. As this time passed and his inner-child matured, he was intrigued and captivated by Hollywood s swashbucklers (Errol Flynn, Burt Lancaster, Douglas Fairbanks Jr. and Tyrone Powers) who graced the silver screen with their daring, resourcefulness and electrifying exploits. Following an accomplished 35 year professional career, culminating as Senior Vice-President of Marketing Services at Kellogg s, Kevin set sail on his second passion to finally render the book that had been developing in his subconscious onto paper. Realizing there was a scant amount of information on the subject of pirates in general, he made a personal pledge to craft his very own fictional tale about pirates, genuinely capturing their unique way of life. As he was closing in on his third book in his new pirate series based on everything that he had been saving up in his mind, Kevin teamed up with an amazing editor, Ali Bothwell-Mancini. She graciously immersed herself into the project, as they conspired to craft and fine tune the Bilge Rat, Pirate Adventurer Series, which encompasses Book One: Remarkable Rascal and Book Two: The Black Tarantula. Kevin s creative career has served him well, as it has afforded him a strong understanding of the entertainment industry s workings. Over the years he has partnered with some of world s greatest performers, and has successfully tied in with numerous blockbuster movies. The Bilge Rat, Pirate Adventurer Series was created recognizing the vacuum that existed in entertainment overall. To satisfy this identified need, Kevin put together a strong team of marketing experts and literary professionals who helped fashion his dream into reality. Response to his debut work, Remarkable Rascal was astounding as Hollywood Reporter identified this book as a Top Five Deal within weeks of the first reader copy becoming available. With a keen sense of what readers of all ages appreciate and enjoy, he ventured to fill in the major gaps he found woefully missing in his intensive research of life on the high seas. At the same time, he endeavored to create an interesting and fanciful tale complete with intrigue, romance and suspense that is both timeless and ageless. Kevin never lost his sense of humor through this arduous creative process, nor his allegiance to the breakfast table. As his literary team laid out their marketing plans, one of the agents mentioned how well the tale would adapt for the sale of serial rights. Kevin s immediate response was, Cereal rights would be grrrrrrrrreat! . On a more serious side, Kevin has great concern for public education reform movements that seek to remove literature from classrooms in favor of limitations attached to "Common Core". He regularly visits middle and high schools together with public libraries in his quest to preserve this valuable and integral component of education our youth to become productive members of our society. Kevin remains wed to his high school sweetheart, Patricia. Together, they are the proud parents of Kari and Shannon, and even prouder grandparents of Rowan, Lia and Van. Kevin and Pat now reside on Marco Island in Florida, where Kevin can be closer to the sea.

THR's 5 Book Deals of the Week: YA Science Fiction, Pirates and Female Cops This week The Hollywood Reporter inaugurates a regular roundup of recent book deals that will catch the attention of consumers and Hollywood when they are published. Young Adult continues to be where the action is in the book market, especially YA science fiction and fantasy novels. Three of the week's most important deals fit into that category, including two novels about space travel and one about pirates. In particular, recent bestsellers like Suzanne Collin's The Hunger Games and Pittacus Lore's I am Number Four have increased interest in YA science fiction. Bilge Rat by Kevin Charles Smith sold to Journey as part of three-book deal by Mark Miller at Mark B. Miller Management and George Brigandi at Brigandi & Associates. The story is cleverly described as "Mutiny on the Bounty meets Pirates of the Caribbean with an Oliver Twist." Smith is a former senior vice president of marketing at Kellogg's Cereals and this is his first book deal. Bilge Rat already has cover art and Smith and his team are fielding inquiries about the film rights. --The Hollywood Reporter 12/9/2011 by Andy Lewis

FINALIST: 2017 International Book Awards - Award-Winning Finalist in the “"Fiction, Young Adult"” category. --American Book Fest - IBA

William Echo Eden continues his tale in this second title in the Bilge Rat, Pirate Adventurer series. In need of a new First Mate, the Amafata s captain offers that position to Echo. He graciously accepts, but must first testify at the trial of his predecessor, Mr. Bass. Sentenced to hang, Bass escapes before the deed is done. Echo hopes that he has seen the last of yet another enemy in his short life and prepares the ship for the next stop in their travels, Barbados. Before they set sail, news of the Black Tarantula s latest plundering and destruction reach the island and Captain Adams, the nephew of the three witches who befriended Echo in the previous book, mounts an expedition to end the vicious pirate s murderous rampage. Echo longs to accompany Adams, but his duties to Amafata prevent him from joining. On the way to Barbados an outbreak of typhus forces them to put in at an uninhabited island to replenish their water supply. When the captain and shore party fail to return, Echo discovers that the island isn't as deserted as they thought and his mates are slowly being slaughtered as sacrificial lambs. Relying on inventiveness and knowledge, he soon extricates some captives, but shortly after they are back aboard their ship, they encounter an even deadlier foe pirates! After the captain is fatally wounded, Echo must take command and deems it prudent to surrender. Neither he nor his mates wish to be pirates, but Captain Rambling Dirk Shivvers makes it clear that those he selects to replace his dead men have no choice. Echo and the others acquiesce, although they agree or just play pirate until they can escape the clutches of this band of misfits and miscreants. To this end, Echo finds ways to outsmart those pirates who would do him harm while ingratiating himself with Shivvers, who is stealing from his own crew. Echo tucks this fact away until a time when it will prove beneficial, but as the days pass, Shivvers becomes increasingly jealous of Echo. To protect himself and his mates, Echo resurrects the ghost of the Black Monk and uses some of his herbal medicines to concoct a special brew that eventually results in him being elected captain of the pirates. As Echo ponders whether to accept this honor, news of the Black Tarantula s depredations reaches him. The latest attack destroys Saint Domingue and his girlfriend, who evades the pirates, becomes the object of the evil pirate s obsession. To thwart this nemesis and safe his love, Echo and his pirates must become masters at deception, battle, and many other tactics if they hope to survive a confrontation with the most fiendish pirate in the Caribbean. Early in this tale Echo mentions that he s still haunted by the loss of his younger brother, but there is little of evidence to show this or the effect it has on him. As in the previous title, Remarkable Rascal, his enemies come in all shapes and sizes and they provide ample adventures for him to pursue, including kidnapping, torture, and madmen. Descriptive and unique characters once again populate The Black Tarantula: Powder Monkey, Long Tall Willie, Creeping Jeremy, Charlie Crowfeet, Muttering Moses Hart, Fighting John English, Sharkface Topper, and Tiger Eyes. Smith is equally adept at demonstrating how Echo likes to think outside the box, such as his use of Angry George s hobby to acquire needed information. The depth and breadth of Smith s research is also evident, and he has a storyteller s giftedness to deftly weave pirate lore and history into a believable and compelling tale. But Black Tarantula is not for the faint of heart. It is entertaining, but also violent and gruesome. By story s end, fans will look forward to the next book in the saga, Demon Pirate. --Pirates and Privateers