Under the black ensign

Long before Captain Jack Sparrow raised hell with the Pirates of the Caribbean, Tom Bristol sailed to hell and back Under the Black Ensign . That's where the real adventure begins.
Bristol's had plenty of bad luck in his life. Press-ganged into serving aboard a British vessel, he's served under the threat of the cruel captain's lash on his back. Then, freed from his servitude by pirates, his good fortune immediately takes a bad turn ... as the pirates accuse him of murder--and leave him to die on a deserted island. Now all he has left are a few drops of water, a gun, and just enough bullets to put himself out of his misery.
But Bristol's luck is about to change. Finding himself in the unexpected company of a fiery woman and a crafty crew, he unsheathes his sword, raises a pirate flag of his own, and sets off to make love and war on the open seas.
"A riveting tale of sailing ships, piracy and the high seas." --Midwest Book Review
* A National Indie Excellence Award Winner

The time-honored cry of the sea floated down to them from the foretop. "Sail ho!" All eyes went aloft. The lash was momentarily forgotten. The sail must be very close, otherwise it would not have been announced. "Where away?" shouted Mannville. "Off the starboard, coming across our bows!" Men leaped to the rail. The haze of light cast up by the sun on water momentarily blinded them. And then they saw the ship. It was sailing against the morning sun, full-rigged, tall-masted, gilded sterncastle sparkling. It was a bark of about sixty guns. Against the light, its sails looked black. Even as they stared at it, a roll of bunting went up the truck and burst. Its identity was unmistakable. A grinning skull against an ebon field.                 -- L. Ron Hubbard Excerpted from Under the Black Ensign by L. Ron Hubbard All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.