My newest novel, Steering to Freedom, has just been published by Penmore Press!In May 1862, Robert Smalls, a slave and ship’s pilot in Charleston, South Carolina, crafts a daring plan to steal the steamship Planter and deliver it along with the crew and their families to the Union blockade. After risking his life to escape slavery, Robert faces an even more difficult challenge: convincing Abraham Lincoln to enlist black troops. Based on a true story, Steering to Freedom tells the powerful and inspirational tale of a young man who becomes the first black captain of a US military ship, while struggling to navigate a path to freedom for himself, his family, and his people.
I've been working on this project for years, so it's a thrill to finally have this story published both in paperback and as an ebook.
You can order a copy through your local bookstore, or buy it on Amazon or Barnes & Noble.
Penmore Press is a small publisher, so this book will need a lot of extra help in order to reach a broad readership. I know you're all busy, but I hope you will help spread the word. A mention on Facebook, Twitter, or a rating on Goodreads makes a big difference. If you enjoy it, please tell other people or write a review on Amazon or elsewhere. Most public libraries allow you to request that they add a particular book to their collection. I'm also happy to speak with book clubs, either in person or via Skype.
But most of all, I hope that you will read Steering to Freedom. Robert Smalls and his family and friends were amazing people, and their story is a thrilling and important part of American history.
(I know I've been quiet about posting here for a while, but I hope to have more soon. Including a bit of history about how this book came to be published.)
