Excerpt: Pirates of Mirth

Downstairs, he saw the unattractive, sallow woman who had tried seducing him the night before. She smiled and batted her heavily-made-up eyelids, but Calico Jack only managed a scowl. He’d forgotten how much he despised women at times. Half of them were only good for one, maybe two things at most. And the ones who were of any real use were batshit insane. Especially the sailors. He pulled up his collar and stepped out into the brisk morning air.

The gulls were crying overhead, the wind was blowing, and the general populace was minding its own unethical business. It was a typical morning on the island of Moreno. He watched as glass after glass was downed, and occasionally one was broken over another man’s head. Oh, the magical wonders of alcohol. It can turn a nasty man nastier, and a clean man worse than the first. And it was only ten in the morning.