
Can you describe what your book is about in one sentence? A handsome, dangerous pirate, a marriage of convenience, and an adventure on the high seas may prove to be Sophie Bellard’s undoing.
Where did you get the idea to write about pirates? I first got the idea to write about pirates after I saw the third Pirates of the Caribbean movie, At World’s End. I really wanted Captain Jack Sparrow and Elizabeth Swann to fall in love, and was disappointed when they didn’t. The Pirate’s Bride started out as POTC fanfiction that rectified the movie’s oversight, but the plot quickly morphed into its own story.
What is the theme of The Pirate’s Bride? The theme of The Pirate’s Bride is learning how to truly love someone. The definition of love is explored throughout the entire novel. Both main characters don’t know how to love. Because of a horrible past event in Sophie Bellard’s life, she feels she doesn’t deserve love and closes herself off from it. Andre Dubois believes loving someone will take away his freedom. He only wants to answer to himself, and if he loves someone he may lose that control.
Why New Orleans? That’s an easy question: Disneyland’s Pirates of the Caribbean ride, of course! The ride planted the seed, but I also set the book there because I’ve been to New Orleans several times, and loved it there. It’s a very romantic city. In my research, I discovered that New Orleans was the home of real-life pirate Jean Lafitte, as well as others. I liked the idea of a French pirate. French is a sexy language, there is quite a French influence on the city, and since this is a romance novel, I figured it was the right setting.
How much research did you put into this historical novel? I put in hours of research! I didn’t know anything about sailing, so I googled sailing terms. I looked up galleons and sailing ships from the early 1700s to learn about ship decks and how fast ships sailed. I even researched the terminology of “bells,” and how they divided up someone’s watch. Besides sailing vocabulary, I investigated birth control during the 1700s. Wow, was that eye-opening! And I also spent time looking at women’s and men’s clothing during that time. You can’t have a zipper in a dress if it wasn’t invented! Lastly, I translated many words from English to French or Spanish.
Check in next time for more fun facts about the making of The Pirate's Bride.