“The Curse of Captain LaFoote” by Eddie Jones Book Review + {Pirate Party Pack Giveaway – 6/2} (CLOSED)

If you drowned and the sea spit you out, thrusting you back into an age of pirates, buried treasure and beauty beyond belief… would you stay? Explore this adventure in the new book “The Curse of Captain LaFoote” by Eddie Jones.

BOOK SUMMARY

RICKY BRADSHAW has never sailed the Caribbean Sea, searched for buried treasure or battled pirates on the deck of a Spanish Galleon. He’s never fallen through the floor of Davy Jones’ locker or watched an old fisherman morph into a porpoise. All Ricky knows is his lonely life with his widowed mom in a tiny apartment overlooking the Chesapeake Bay. But all that changes on a snowy Christmas Eve when Ricky’s apartment building burns down and he suffers a seizure, falling into the chilly waters. Suddenly Ricky finds himself thrust into a world where there is surprising beauty on every island, danger around every corner and great honor and glory ahead of him—if only Ricky can summon the courage to survive the curse of Captain LaFoote.



AUTHOR BIO

EDDIE JONES has authored four non-fiction books, one young adult novel, and written over a hundred articles that have appeared in over 20 different publications. He is co-founder of Christian Devotions Ministries and a contributing writer for, CBN.com, Common Ground Christian News, The Ocracoke Observer, and  Living Aboard Magazine.  He’s a three-time winner of the Delaware Christian Writers Conference and a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers and Boating Writers International. Eddie sails, surfs and writes in North Carolina. For more information see: http://www.captainlafoote.com/.

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

Tell us about The Curse of Captain LaFoote.
EDDIE: When my boys were young, I'd tell pirate stores on the bow of our sailboat. The lead character was Captain Stinky Foot. Captain Stinky Foot was named after my youngest son. If you've ever spent any time on a boat in August with a crew of unwashed young males then this needs no further explanation. I've always been fascinated by the stories of boys snatched away from London and Bristol and forced to serve before the mast. Seems to me life at sea was more fun than peeling potatoes. And more dangerous.
So The Curse of Captain LaFoote is a pirate tale awash in buried treasure, romance and dead men's bones. The truth is, this book and the ones that follow in the Caribbean Chronicle series are love stories. For Ricky Bradshaw, the hero of the book, the story is a quest to find his father, soul mate, and purpose in life.

What is your lead’s wound?
EDDIE: A friend suggested that I let my lead have epilepsy. She said when she has an episode she sort of zones out—like daydreaming except she can’t stop it. She also said she knows when it’s about to happen. That she smells something like burning wires. So I gave Ricky epilepsy and finished the story.
It wasn’t until much later that I realized the book had a larger purpose. I met another woman at a writer’s conference whose son has epilepsy. During the conference, her son suffered a seizure — the first one he’d ever had without his mother present. The look on her face that morning convinced me that Ricky Bradshaw could be a champion for those suffering from epilepsy.
It’s not cancer or heart disease but over three million Americans live with epilepsy. If the sale of this book can raise awareness, then the book has done its job. For each book sold, the publisher and I will donate “a few pieces of eight” — half a sandy dollar — to the foundation’s Heroes Among Us program. Our goal is to raise ten thousand dollars in honor of Ricky Bradshaw.

What is the spiritual message in your book?
EDDIE: That courage cost. Near the end of the book Ricky has the chance to go back to his old life. We get to do the same thing, go back to our old way of doing things. But Christ says there is a cost for doing the right thing. Ricky faces that choice.

What takeaway value do you hope readers receive after reading this novel?
EDDIE: There are a lot of other deep and important themes explored in the book too. Things like what the poop deck is and why cruise ships no longer use them, the secrets inside Davy Jones' locker, and why you shouldn't walk downwind of a pirate who's just eaten turtle soup.
Seriously, my goal in writing this book was to spur the imagination of young readers. Boys especially. I wanted to create within them a desire to read and set sail for a life of adventure, wherever that journey may take them. Even now I can see Ricky standing on the sugar-white sands of that island just south of Hispaniola. I am that boy. And so are a lot of other boys.

MY THOUGHTS

The Curse of Captain LaFoote by Eddie Jones was a quick read for me. The story easily captured my attention. The fast moving action is definitely captivating and fun. I like that this book was written with younger readers in mind. It’s not a bedtime story for preschoolers, but it will definitely appeal to the late-elementary/middle school-age kids. And it’s full of pirate adventure and action that will keep a boy’s attention for sure.

GRAND PRIZE GIVEAWAY
All you need for a PIRATE PARY!

• 8 invitations
• 8 - 9" party plates
• 8 - 9-oz. cups
• 16 luncheon napkins
• 16 pc. blue cutlery set
• 1 red plastic table cover
• 2 rolls of streamers, 1 blue and 1 red
• 12 each of blue and red balloons
• 2 pkgs. of confetti, 1 blue and 1 orange
• 4 yds. deluxe creepy cloth
• 12 pirate swords with eye patch
• 72 pirate tattoos
• 8 dessert plates
• 16 beverage napkins
• 8 treasure chest-shaped filled treat boxes
• 1 10 ft. pennant
• 12 child-size pirate hats
• 1 photo door banner
• 1 piñata and toy & candy asst.

Prize – One person from this blog will be entered with people from 24 other blogs for a chance to win the Pirate Prize Pack listed above.

To Enter – You must first be a follower of PS Mom Reviews & tell me what you like about this book. 


This giveaway is open now through Wednesday, June 1st. I will post the winner on Thursday, June 2nd.

Open to USA only!


*Disclosure: I was provided a copy of this book for review. All opinions are my own.*