Here’s the set-up for Matt Tomerlin’s The Devil’s Fire, $2.99 or Currently FREE Via the Kindle Lending Library:

Katherine Lindsay, a timid young woman from London, must contend with an ambitious pirate captain who has murdered her husband and taken her hostage aboard his fearsome ship, Harbinger. As Lindsay grows accustomed to life among pirates, she finds it increasingly difficult to resist her attraction to their wayward lifestyle and the thrill of high-seas adventure. But the memory of her dead husband weighs heavily on her conscience, and her swelling guilt may prove to be the ultimate undoing of her kidnappers. Pirate lovers will find no shortage of treachery, cutlass duels, ship-to-ship battles, buried treasure and much, much more.

Book 1 in the Pirate’s Bane series. Book 2, The Devil’s Tide, is scheduled for release in 2012. For more information, visit facebook.com/thedevilsfire

From the Author:

Pirate yarns are too often accompanied by a goofy hero/heroine who outruns grotesque zombies, transluscent ghosts, singing mermaids, and/or monstrous krakens. I wanted to write a story that took pirates seriously and portrayed them as realistically as possible, while still spinning an entertaining yarn. I spent the better portion of a year studying piracy, ships, and the era in which the story would take place. I needed this world to feel as authentic as possible. The pirates are not caricatures; they are sailors who rebelled against ruthless captains, young men who rebelled against strict fathers, and slaves who seized their one chance for freedom.

I quickly decided on a female protagonist, as I intended to portray the pirates from the view of an innocent who had the most to fear from them. The evolution of Katherine Lindsay, who begins as a delicate woman from London taken hostage by Captain Jonathon Griffith, is the true heart of the book. While the chapters alternate through several other characters, their actions generally revolve around Lindsay. She is the monkey-wrench that grinds Harbingers’ gears to a halt, the wooden slipper that sabotages a perfectly oiled machine. I had not initially intended to end the book as it ends. Katherine Lindsay took on a mind of her own, and I must admit that even I lost control of her.

Perhaps that’s why I can’t help but sympathize with Captain Griffith.

From the reviewers:

“Pirates of the Caribbean for adults” -L. Fitzgerald, A Few Lines More Magazine

“Just loved it!!! A really great pirate story.” -Brian Bigelow, Amazon Vine Voice
Tomerlin is shockingly uncompromising in crafting his “wrap-up.” Expect to turn a little darker in nature by the end of this book as it’s an unsettling ride. This book will leave you more than a bit unhinged and definitely wanting more.  – Leena Fitzgerald

This is not for the kiddies, as the last reviewer mentioned. There is gruesome action and some naughty bits. I recommend it to anyone who likes pirates but is tired of all the supernatural stuff and wants something more adult.  –  Carol Evans

Expect to be seriously addicted and have a few late nights, I couldn’t put it down at the end. Fingers crossed for the sequel!  –  Christina

Matt Tomerlin might be a rookie novelist, but he spins a narrative like a veteran. “The Devil’s Fire” is propulsive and absorbing from the first page, and, a few passages aside, it does not let up. By the time I got to the end, I did not want it to stop. Thankfully, Tomerlin wraps up the narrative while leaving open many possibilities for expansion in later volumes. You’re going to want more after putting this one down.  –  M. Calia

Visit Amazon’s Matt Tomerlin Page

Matt Tomerlin was born in 1979 in sunny Southern California. He has written several short stories and just completed his first novel, “The Devil’s Fire”. He is currently working on “ARCTURUS,” a science fiction retelling of the Arthur legend. Due to positive feedback, he is also planning a follow-up to “The Devil’s Fire”.

Tomerlin currently resides in Murrieta, where he works as a freelance graphic designer, when he isn’t writing.

And here, in the comfort of your own browser, is THE DEVIL’S FIRE by Matt Tomerlin: