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Online Author Talk With Vanessa Riley

Swashbuckling Heroines and High Seas Adventures

Join us online for a chat with author Vanessa Riley about her newest book, "Fire Sword and Sea," based on the folk story of the female pirate Jacquotte Delahaye. Adults. Register to get a link. A recording will also be available for later viewing.

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Join us for an unforgettable experience as we chat online with Vanessa Riley about her newest book, "Fire Sword and Sea," based on the folk story of the female pirate Jacquotte Delahaye.

The Caribbean Sea, 1675. Jacquotte Delahaye is the mixed-race daughter of a wealthy tavern owner on the island of Tortuga. Instead of marriage, Jacquotte dreams of joining the seafarers and smugglers whose tall-masted ships cluster in the turquoise waters around Tortuga. In Haiti she becomes Jacques, a dockworker, earning the respect of those around her while hiding her gender.

Jacquotte discovers that secret identities are fairly common in the chaotic world of seafaring, which is full of outsiders and misfits. As Jacques, Jacquotte falls in love with Lizzôa d'Erville, a beautiful courtesan who deals in secrets and sex. While others see their work clothes as a disguise, Lizzôa’s true self is as a woman.

For the next 20 years, Jacquotte raids the Caribbean, making enemies and amassing a fortune in stolen gold. When her fellow pirates decide to increase their profits by entering the slave trade, Jacquotte turns away from piracy and the pursuit of riches. Risking her life in one deadly skirmish after another, she instead begins to plot a war of liberation.

Don’t miss out on this exciting discussion! Register now to embark on a seafaring journey of self discovery and reclamation of personal power.

Adults. Register to receive a link for viewing this online event.

About the Author: Vanessa Riley is an award-winning author and proud recipient of the 2024 Georgia Mystery/Detective Fiction Author of the Year. She writes sagas and book club fiction that brings to life the hidden narratives of Black women and women of color in novels like "Island Queen" and "Queen of Exiles." Her stories celebrate strong sisterhoods, diverse communities and resilience across historical fiction, romance and mystery genres. Her work has been featured in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Washington Post, Entertainment Weekly, NPR, Publishers Weekly and The New York Times

This event is part of DBRL's Online Author Series, supported by David Lile honorarium funds. A recording will also be available for later viewing on the author series site.

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