December 03, 2011

International Giveaway! Guest Post from Paul Clayton, author of White Seed

Giveaway details can be found at the end of the post and author info.  Giveaway extended until January 15, 2012!!!


Publishers Weekly: White Seed… hews closely to the record of Sir Walter Raleigh's second doomed attempt to plant the British flag in Virginia… The depiction of the colony's physical and moral disintegration between 1587 and 1590… evokes a harrowing sense of human fallibility. Readers… will find this saga, which… soon achieves page-turner velocity, to be both a dandy diversion and an entertaining education.

I can’t remember exactly what triggered my determination to write a historical about the lost colony. It may have been the fact that there were no ‘big’ books about it, the way From Here to Eternity was the first big book about WWII, or Gone With the Wind was the first big book about the Civil War. So I set out to write that big book.

The historical record by itself is a riveting read: 1587. The colonists’ ships were crewed by riff raff more intent on seizing Spanish ships then getting their charges to the New World. When they spotted a ‘prize’ moving up the coast, the colonists were put ashore in a ‘bad neighborhood’ (Roanoke, where the local natives had been brutalized by the last group of English to live there; the actual destination of the colonists was Chesapeake.) Then, Governor White was sent back to England (I get into the why in White Seed). When he arrived, the Armada was threatening and no ships could be spared. He wouldn’t return until three years later.

In July of 1590, three ships anchored off Hatarask, one of the barrier islands. Governor White tells us in his writings, “… we let fall our grapnell neere the shore and sounded with a trumpet a call, and afterwards many familiar English tunes of songs, and called them friendly; but we had no answer…”

In White Seed I dramatized the event thus:

Captain Cocke and the others were silent as they sat in the boats and listened. “I think we had better spend the night in the boats,” said Cocke. We will go ashore at daybreak when it is safer.”

“Aye,” said White, relieved that the captain had not ordered the boats back to Hatarask.

Cocke called his orders over to the other boat and White heard their anchor splash into the sound. The men behind him dropped anchor. The rope thrummed as it ran out. As the anchor took hold, the boat swung about and came to rest in the currents, its stern to the island. The men shifted about as they lay claim to their spaces to lie down for the night.

White listened to the quiet of the island. The familiar smells of chamomile and dandelion reached his nose. He stood and hailed again. “Ananias Dare! Parson Lambert! Captain Stafford!”

Silence hung heavy in the air as everyone waited for a response. None came.

The men again began talking quietly among themselves.

“Governor White,” said Captain Cocke, “perhaps a round of song will do the trick.”

White said nothing.

“Men,” said Cocke, “let us sing a few verses. That is how we shall rouse them.”

“You mean that is how we shall roust them,” said Chandler.

The men laughed. Cocke started the song in the dark, “’Twas a lover and his lass...”

The others joined in, “with a hey and a ho, and a hey nonnino...”

Cocke's voice rang out, “That o'er the green cornfield did pass...”

White listened wordlessly, hoping those on shore would hear. He pictured again his tiny little granddaughter, Virginia. She would be three years of age now. Why had they not come out, he wondered. What in God's name had happened?


Paul Clayton is the author of a three-book historical series on the Spanish Conquest of the Floridas ― Calling Crow, Flight of the Crow, and Calling Crow Nation (Putnam/Berkley).

One of his books, Carl Melcher Goes to Vietnam (St. Martin’s Press, 2004), was a finalist at the 2001 Frankfurt eBook Awards, along with works by David McCullough and Joyce Carol Oates.

Paul’s latest historical is White Seed: The Untold Story of the Lost Colony of Roanoke.

Visit Paul:  Website | Facebook

White Seed is available for purchase at Amazon

I'd like to thank Paul for sharing the inspiration behind White Seed.  The lost colony of Roanoke is a very interesting topic to me.  I'd also like to thank Paul for offering this HUGE giveaway...and it's INTERNATIONAL! 


(5) signed paperbacks for U.S./Canada entrants and (25) eBook copies for U.S./Canada and International entrants are up for grabs! 


THIRTY WINNERS TOTAL!
Entrants will receive one extra entry for each Facebook and tweeted link to this giveaway (come back and share the link in the comments each time you share).  Also, please leave a way to contact you in the comments.  Since this is such a huge giveaway, it will end on December 31, 2011 January 15, 2012 at 11:59pm CST.  Good luck!

Addendum:  If you are in the U.S., please indicate if you prefer the paperback or eBook version.  That way I'll know who to award the paperbacks too.  Thank you! And thanks to cyn209 for helping me to realize the necessity for this stipulation.

33 comments:

  1. I've heard about the lost colony all my life, but know very little about it. I'd love to read this book. Thanks for the giveaway.
    lcbrower40(at)gmail(dot)com

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  2. Thanks for the wonderful interview and sharing a piece of your book. It is interesting to learn about the background behind a book.

    Tmrtini at gmail dot com

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  3. This book sounds great.Please enter me in the giveaway: rexmoy at gmail dot com. Thanks!

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  4. I have not heard of this before and would love to read it! Thank you for this amazing giveaway!

    Margaret
    singitm@hotmail.com

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  5. Interested in reading this!! I've heard various theories throughout the years about the lost colony. It's added to my Goodreads wishlist.

    journeythroughwords at yahoo dot com.

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  6. https://twitter.com/#!/JourneyThruWord/status/143036634437402624

    journeythroughwords at yahoo dot com.

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  7. Sounds fascinating. This goes on my TBR list! I love different locales for historical novels instead of same-old same-old. This meets that criteria.

    You can contact me through my blog. :)

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  8. I love the setting! Can't wait to read it.
    Tweeted
    sadidy1963@gmail.com

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  9. this sounds like a very interesting read!!!!
    thank you for the giveaway!!
    i would like the paperback version, please!!

    shared on my FB wall: www.facebook.com/cyn209

    cyn209(AT)juno(DOT)com

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  10. This sounds fascinating! Like so many others, it seems, I have heard of the lost colony but don't know very much. I would love to read more! Thanks for the great giveaway.
    candc320@gmail.com

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  11. I shared on Facebook (Colleen Turner).
    candc320@gmail.com

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  12. This sounds great - and unlike anything I've read about before! This Canadian wouldn't mine learning a bit of history from another country :)

    martinack_75 AT hotmail DOT com

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  13. I just love historical fiction and this book looks great. I would love the paperback copy since I don't have an ereader yet.

    booksnobsblog at gmail dot com

    Thanks for the giveaway.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Ooo, I discovered this book on Goodreads.com and was instantly interested because I've always been fascinated with the story of Raonoke. So mysterious! :)

    Thanks for the giveaway!
    Beth
    bharbin07[at]gmail[dot]com

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  15. Thank you for the giveaway! I'd prefer the paperback version.

    Rachelhwallen@gmail.com

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  16. Oooh, fascinating. I would love to read this. Thank you
    kaiminani at gmail dot com

    I have a nook so the ebook would be fine by me

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  17. I shared on my facebook
    https://www.facebook.com/pattyleonardwoodland/posts/102179549901884
    thank you
    kaiminani at gmail dot com

    ebook is fine by me as long as it can go on a nook

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  18. Sign me up!!! The Lost Colony has always been one of my favorite mysteries in history..awesome giveaway Michelle!!

    momkelly2003@yahoo.com

    shared:
    http://celticladysreviews.blogspot.com/2011/12/historical-fiction-connection.html

    https://www.facebook.com/CelticLady1953

    https://twitter.com/#!/CelticLady1953/status/144111874055745536

    https://plus.google.com/u/0/106233228202428868132/posts

    Thank you!!!

    momkelly2003@yahoo.com

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  19. I've always been fascinated by the lost colony. I'd love to win an ebook version (I'm in the U.S) This looks like a great book!
    rlawrence110 at yahoo dot com

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  20. I tweeted
    https://twitter.com/#!/rlawrence110/status/144211962035838976
    rlawrence110 at yahoo dot com

    ReplyDelete
  21. thank you for such great giveaway..I have tweeted :)

    https://twitter.com/#!/Jennilicious2/status/145640365607755776

    ReplyDelete
  22. and I have shared it on facebook

    https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=150387781735862&id=297146696966914

    twosisters8795 at hotmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  23. I remember reading about this in school and be fascinated with the story. I am so interested in this book.

    CarolNWong(at)aol(dot)com

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  24. I tweeted:
    http://t.co/WQi2rc2k

    CarolNWong(at)aol(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  25. I shared on my facebook:

    http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1802916392

    My fingers are crossed!

    CarolNWong(at)aol(dot)com

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  26. Thanks for the giveaway! I live in North Carolina and love local interest historical fiction!

    I'd like a print copy, not an e-book, if I win.

    susanna DOT pyatt AT student DOT rcsnc DOT org

    ReplyDelete
  27. retweet: https://twitter.com/#!/SusieBookworm/status/148776864775811072

    Oooh, I'll have to check out the Spanish conquest of Florida series, too. Looks fascinating!

    susanna DOT pyatt AT student DOT rcsnc DOT org

    ReplyDelete
  28. Sounds interesting - Good Luck everyone.
    Twitter
    http://twitter.com/#!/AButchersWife/status/154591139960336385
    FB
    http://www.facebook.com/bookscrafts.prettythings/posts/193404757422064

    ReplyDelete
  29. Oh I'd love to win a copy! I prefer paperback since I don't own an e-reader. I've always been fascinated with the whole Roanoke mystery. So cool!!

    Thanks!

    Amanda
    libraryofmyown at gmail dot com

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  30. My facebook share:

    http://www.facebook.com/ahackteague/posts/270776856309641

    Amanda
    libraryofmyown at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  31. My twitter share:

    http://twitter.com/#!/vegasbookgirl/status/154627311696752640

    Cheers!

    Amanda
    libraryofmyown at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  32. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  33. What a wonderful site for all of us writers to gather and share! Thank you for creating this place! It is delightful! My e-mail address is....
    tudordynasty1500@sbcglobal.net

    I am currently writing a fictional book about George Boleyn! I love the giveaway idea! I will post this to my George Boleyn page on Facebook!

    ReplyDelete

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