Birds on Martinique, Caribbean Beer, and Becoming an Amazon Bestseller!
Here’s my final newsletter for 2025!
The December issue is focused on my 2nd novel, working title ‘To Catch a Traitor,’ which takes place in Martinique.
Martinican Town of Saint Anne’s
To Catch a Traitor, includes many of the same characters as my first book (John, Francie, Vittoria, Luca, Mother, Lepic, etc.) and it takes place on the island of Martinique.
And what an island it is, with its impressive culture and fascinating history.
Let’s dive right in. Here we go…
PS: My first novel, To Catch a Spy, is now an Amazon bestseller and makes a GREAT Holiday gift. It can be ordered from Amazon or Barnes & Noble.
Martinique
Sainte-Anne’s islets are located off the southern coast of the island, and include Hardy, Burgaux, Poirer, and Percé. Altogether, they total 14 acres in size, so they’re really small; hence the term ‘islets’ and not islands.
The islets are famous for being breeding sites for several pelagic birds (meaning birds who spend much of their lives on the open sea).
Map of the Islets
Albatrosses are the most famous of the pelagic birds, but they don’t breed on the Sainte-Anne’s islets. However, there are several birds that do, but I’ve never heard of them. There’s the Brown Noddy and the Red-billed Strawtail, and last but not least, the Sooty Tern.
If you’ve heard of any of these birds, good on you!
There are also several non-pelagic birds that stop there when migrating, but I’m not going to list them.
The Brown Noddy (not toddy, which I accidentally typed at first)
The islets form a natural reserve, and access is prohibited. Apparently the Sooty Terns like their privacy and have put up ‘No Trespassing’ signs. Gotta appreciate their modesty; after all, they breed there.
You can’t access the actual islets, but you can snorkel or kayak near them; that’s allowed. If you ever visit Martinique, your best bet is to visit the quaint and charming seaside village of Saint Anne’s—rumor has it you can see the islets from the town.
Saint Anne’s is actually a hub of activity for the southern part of Martinique. You can charter snorkeling excursions, boating trips, and kayak tours that take you right up to the islets, if you so desire.
Saint Anne’s
Final point—there are really good restaurants in town, too. Early Bird specials are fine; just don’t order the Brown Noddy (almost did it again) if you see it on a menu.
Martinican Culture
Hatuey beer is one of the most famous Caribbean beers. Most people default to Red Stripe, and that’s great. But Hatuey has such an amazing history.
The beer was named after the Taino Indian leader, Chief Hatuey, who was a Caribbean hero. He was a famous and feared freedom fighter who led a group of Indians from Hispanola (the island that is half-Haiti and half-Dominican Republic). Together, they ventured to Cuba to warn the other Indians about the Spanish brutality they witnessed back home.
Hatuey Beer
In 1512, Chief Hatuey was captured by the Spanish and told to convert to Christianity. He asked a friar if the Spanish went to heaven, and after being told they did, he refused to convert, saying he didn’t want to be with them in the afterlife because they were so cruel. In fact, he told the friar he’d rather go to hell.
The Spanish inadvertently proved Chief Hatuey’s point by burning him at the stake for his refusal.
Statue of Chief Hatuey
I know, it’s a terrible story. I respect that guy so much after taking the stand he did; he had to know what was coming, and still…
My guess is he went to heaven; his heaven.
Anyway, on to the beer. It was first brewed in Cuba by Bacardi in 1927, I think. Over the years, it became popular with the U.S. Marines who were stationed on Cuba; those guys know a warrior when they see one!
Cuban production ceased when Castro seized control. He took over manufacturing facilities, including the brewery, in 1960. After that, production transitioned to the U.S.
So here’s what Hatuey beer is like -- it comes as a lager or an ale. The ale has a crisp taste with sweet notes. Also, it pairs well with almost anything -- BBQ, Italian food, pork, etc. I didn’t see chicken listed, but it could be included in the all-encompassing BBQ category.
Note what is NOT listed -- pairing the beer with any pelagic birds.
My World
Promoting a book is a nonstop job, and authors need to be ready for that.
I’m an introvert by nature, but I’ve really taken to raising awareness of To Catch a Spy AND talking about the craft of writing. It’s fun. And no one knows the book, or how and why I wrote it, better than I do.
So I actively promote it! One event I recently did was a podcast. Jen Jumba, who was the moderator for my panel at Bouchercon, asked me to be a guest on her show, Storied Account With Jen Jumba.
My episode is scheduled to post on or around Christmas Day, December 25th. I had a great time talking with her about many different things; she won’t tell you the questions in advance, but you are told the conversation will be about the book you wrote. That’s a little intimidating, but it makes for great dialog. Visit her site after Christmas and give it a listen if you’re interested. I had a great time, and I’m hoping you will, too.
Here’s another promotional thing -- my book, To Catch a Spy, was recently nominated for Best Cover in a contest sponsored by the firm, Bedside Reading.
It caught me by surprise, but I’ve loved the cover since I first saw it. The designers did a phenomenal job, and I’m grateful to them. There’s a saying that 3 things sell books -- the cover, the blurbs (endorsements from established writers), and word-of-mouth. I’m fortunate to have all three working in my favor!
BTW, Bedside Reading is an awesome firm! They found a great promotional niche and are doing really well with it.
Book Cover Contest
Anyone can vote for their favorite cover among the nominees in the first two weeks of January; so on or after New Year’s Day, just go to their website, bedsidereading.com, and vote for the one you like.
Besides those two events, I’ve been doing book signings at Barnes & Noble stores, and local speaking events for foundations, charities, and book clubs.
I think I've become a shameless promoter…
One More Thing…
I can officially say To Catch a Spy is an Amazon bestseller. A couple of weeks ago, it was listed as the #7 best-selling book in its category. I was so excited that I forgot to take a picture of it. I remembered a few days later, but it had dropped to #12.
Still, that’s a big, big milestone for me! I dreamed about achieving that status for a long time, and thanks to all of you for making it happen…
Check out #12
Happy Holidays!