HOWDY! Welcome to a new adventure!
BEFORE I BEGIN
Before I begin to tell the tale, I must make some acknowledgements.
***Cover photo by Said Mhamed***
*******DEDICATED to the following readers for all of the hate and love they invested in my characters. I loved the in-line comments! duchessdome, adatracy, royalgreyy , sonja252 , luvgodhearts, peachesontherun, noname97225 THANK YOU!!!!!!! *******
· This is entirely fictional. I try to be as accurate as possible when I write historical pieces, but it is only a work of fiction so if you find historical errors please chalk it up to my literary license.
· To make understanding what you read easier, I included New Words and definitions at the end of each chapter. Skip them if you don't care, read them if you're curious.
POSTING SCHEDULE
· No such thing. If you've followed when I wrote any of my other 7 books, you know that it's pretty regular though. Usually I post a chapter a week (usually on weekends) Sometimes I can post more than one chapter, and sometimes life happens and I can't post for a few weeks. But I love writing and barring a really crazy event (Like if I die) I will finish this story and then start working on the next. I just can't help myself. (smiley face)
MISTAKES?
* Until this is marked completed, please understand it is a work in progress. That said, if you find spelling errors or see obvious oopsies (like "he" instead of "she" or mixing up names, etc.) please send me a private message with a reference to story and chapter so I can work on getting it fixed. Please do not use in-line comments to point out grammar mistakes and such.
BUT PLEASE DO use the in-line comments to post your reactions to my story. I can't say it enough--you keep me inspired. I love that you all hate on my villains and adore my hero/heroine. It really means a lot...since I really do work hard on making them believable.
STORY NOTES:
· This story takes place about 10 years after The Rebel's Prize.
* The inside scoop on the title:
A Montebank. A Charlatan. A Con Artist. A fraud. A Swindler. They all present an alternate version of themselves to create an alternate reality...one in which they benefit at another's expense. They are the ultimate Pretenders.
A target. A mark. A scheme. A con. All are the goal of the pretenders. All their planning and deception go to win the gold- that thing of value they will take from their victims.
· This is the third book that features the crew of the Charlotte: a group of men that were sent to hell and fought their way back on a ship of wood and sail.
· As much as I would love to let the Charlotte sail off into the sunset for all eternity, HISTORY had other plans for tall sailing ships.
In their early days, steamships were fitted with sails as well. But by the 1880's the technology had improved to the point that steam was nudging sail out of the picture. There were some shipping lanes that sail still dominated, but not many. Steam had slowly taken over.
Since the steam and steel were swiftly replacing wood and sail, many fine ships like the Charlotte were dismantled, or worse, left to rot. So I decided to send the Charlotte out in a beautiful blaze of glory. It seemed a fitting end for a fine ship that had seen so much adventure. I won't say more, in case you haven't read the other Charlotte books (The Pirate's Treasure, and The Rebel's Prize)
LAST BUT NOT LEAST
· Be sure to FOLLOW so you don't miss an update and as always, your COMMENTs (feedback) and VOTEs are appreciated.
See you on the next page!
-Glorianna James
YOU ARE READING
The Charlotte Series: Book 3: The Pretender's Gold
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