One Survivor of a Volcanic Eruption, Martinican Coffee, and Updates on Promoting My Book
Volcanic Eruption Destroying the Capital City of Saint Pierre, Martinique
Don’t forget — my current novel, To Catch a Spy, can be ordered from Bookshop.org, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon.
Martinique
Martinique is an island in the Caribbean, part of the Windward Islands and located north of St. Lucia and south of Dominica. It’s also the location for my next book.
The island itself is over 400 square miles, and has a population of about 350,000. It’s also 50 miles long, to give you some perspective.
Martinique is an official department of France, meaning its inhabitants have all the rights afforded to Parisians and all French citizens. The island is also sitting on a foundation of volcanos. Interesting, but that has some downsides -- in 1902, the volcano on Mount Pelée erupted, and it destroyed the then-capital Saint Pierre in less than a minute, which was known as the ‘Paris of the Caribbean.’ That tragedy is widely considered the worst volcanic disaster of recent history; about 30,000 residents of that city losts their lives. There was one survivor, a prisoner named Ludger Sylbaris who was detained in an underground cell. Mercifully, he was pardoned after surviving the disaster, and was thereafter known as ‘The Man Who Lived Through Doomsday.’ He sustained burns over most of his body, and went on to have a career with the Barnum & Bailey Circus.
Ludger Sylbaris, Sole Survivor
Interestingly, Martinique is also known as the Island of Flowers, partly due to the volcanic soil. The Carib Indians appreciated their abundance and variety, and called the island ‘Madinina,’ which literally meant island of flowers. They supposedly shared this moniker with Christopher Columbus back in 1502. By the way, he named the island ‘Martinique,’ which could have been a bastardization of Madinina. We don’t know for sure as there are no witnesses around and not much documentation, but you can see the leap.
The most common flower on Martinique is the Red Ginger, which some might argue is a redundant name (like tuna fish). It’s often used by florists since it holds up well for 3 weeks or more.
Red Ginger
As an odd aside, some of you might remember the TV show, Gilligan’s Island, and the redheaded movie star named Ginger, played by Tina Louise. Tropical island, Ginger the redhead, Red Ginger…perhaps it’s all a coincidence. Again, who knows?
Ginger — Did she really bring all those clothes on a 3-hour boat tour?
Anyway, a truly magnificent place. I find the island so interesting that I’ll be posting about it on a regular basis in the future.
There’s so much to share!
Martinican Culture
Those of you who know me realize I’m a coffee fan. I was going to describe myself as an addict, but that’s too harsh. It’s close, though.
Anyway, in my research I discovered that Martinican coffee is a world-renowned beverage known for its smooth, fruity flavor, which stems from the volcanic soil and tropical climate.
Much to my surprise, Martinique was the coffee capital of the world in the 1700s all from a single plant, and it’s a fascinating story!
The Theft. The story of that single plant involves a thief, so I want to share it. Way back then, King Louis XV refused to allow coffee to be planted on Martinique. That didn’t stop one guy, French Naval Officer Gabriel de Clieu. He broke into King Louis XV’s garden late one night and took a cutting from a coffee tree, then brought it with him when he sailed to Martinique.
Gabriel de Clieu
The Transport. The voyage to the island was not smooth -- there was a brutal storm and his ship was attacked by pirates. Also, the ship ran low on water, but de Clieu shared his ration with the coffee plant, keeping it alive.
The Result. That single plant thrived when it made it to Martinique, and it eventually became 18 million coffee plants. In fact, Martinique produced more coffee than the entire nation of France could consume.
That one plant also became the parent to the majority of coffee trees in the Caribbean as well as Central and South America, thereby launching a massive industry that still thrives today.
All from one plant — and one thief!
My World
An expectation of authors nowadays is promoting your own book -- publishers want you to have a strong social media presence, arrange for book-centered events, get some media, etc.
Along those lines, I’ve had some great events! I was interviewed in Littleton, NC by Laurie Judd, and met some wonderful people.
Being Interviewed by Laurie Judd
I’ve also had some articles written, one by The University of Delaware Alumni magazine, and very recently I was a guest on the SuitUp show.
On SuitUp, you can see I look a bit nervous, and I do a lot of head-bobbing, which I have to work on. The interview was great, though…Terrance knows books and asked great questions.
I’ve got a few more interviews lined up, and some media mentions, which is always fun.
This is new to me, but I’m becoming more comfortable with it all. I”m realizing I know more about my book than anyone else (I know, I know…) and it’s a lot of fun sharing what went into it.
As always, thanks for your support!