Author Interview: Trevor Atkins

Today it's my pleasure to welcome author Trevor Atkins to the blog to talk about his latest Childrens Adventure book The Day the Pirates Went Mad. 

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and how your writing journey started? 
Of course! I live on the west coast of Canada with my family and I’ve been working with words for much of my life, but have only recently pursued historical fiction. Even writing with the aim to publish has only come about recently. I was first motivated to show my daughter that nowadays there are easily available platforms through which you can share your creative ideas with the world. That’s how we ended up writing our three-act play, “The King and Queen’s Banquet”. 

This latest story, “The Day the Pirates Went Mad”, was intended to be just a short story with nuggets of real life from the Golden Age of Pirates woven in – to help make learning fun. But as the scenes were outlined and the historical research progressed, it grew into a proper-sized novel!

If you had to give an elevator pitch for The Day the Pirates Went Mad, what would it be? 
“The Day the Pirates Went Mad” is an entertaining ‘cozy’ historical fiction set at the turn of the 18th century during the Age of Sail. Although intended for ages 10-12, older readers can also enjoy this story and it’s suitable for sharing with younger readers when supported by an adult. (You know your kids’ reading-level best!)

Seeking adventure and fortune, Emma Sharpe runs away from the orphanage she was sent to after her parents landed in debtors’ prison. She stows away aboard the New Adventure and finds a home and a new family in the comradery of the crew, but she wonders what her special skill is; why did the captain allow her to stay?

Now she is on her way to the West Indies, the setting of so many of the stories she has heard, about exploration and pirates. After being blown off course to a deserted island, the crew recovers a cursed pirate treasure. As the situation aboard ship worsens, Emma and her friend, Jack Randall, must dare to confront the growing danger before it’s too late.

While exploring a theme of greed/wealth vs. family/friends, “The Day the Pirates Went Mad” also conveys a ‘boatload’ of learning about the life and times of those sailing the seas 300 years ago – but without dwelling on the grittier realities (that’s the ‘cozy’ part). Entertainingly educational!

In that vein, we also have a Teacher’s Guide on the website, and are adding behind-the-scenes and research-related posts in an on-going basis. In the New Year, we’ll be putting more of a STEAM focus on these resources.

That’s the gist of it without giving away the details!