The Gallician frigate had come out of the fog from windward, and had fired its first devastating broadside into the Tritonish frigate from near point blank range. They paralleled each other, mere yards apart, and made no effort to alter course or maneuver for an advantage. With more sail set now, the schooner forged ahead and rapidly closed with the frigates. "Ready the port battery!" "Aye aye, sir!" "Helm, steer as to pass between them!" "Aye aye, sir!" "Sure madness, Edward!" warned Hotchkiss. "But a method to it, Isaac! When I give word, we must put into the wind, and as our guns bear, concentrate fire on the Toad's starboard quarter. Let us then fall off the wind and repeat with the starboard battery." "Aye!" Hotchkiss nodded with understanding. Fully awake and alert, his senses at their sharpest, Pierce watched the battling frigates grow larger. The damp night air whipped past mingled with spray thrown up by Island Expedition's hurried dash through the sea. Despite the apprehension in his gut, Pierce felt alive. Sailing Home From Another World Master and Commander Edward Pierce, captain of HMS Island Expedition, languishes with his ship and crew in a world both very like and unlike his own. A voyage of exploration has led him further afield than he would ever have imagined possible. As he works to convince the Tritonish Government that he is not a rebel pirate, Pierce is offered a unique opportunity to claim citizenship in this parallel world...but in doing so, will he breach his loyalty to King George III? Not knowing whether he will be able to sail back to England, Pierce navigates the uncertain course of diplomacy that allows Stone Island to become a official Land of Vespica...and allows him to be released to sail for home. But the voyage there is fraught with peril, and his welcome is uncertain. What will the Admiralty make of his incredible tale? And will Evangeline, his heart's joy, still be waiting for him?
About the Author: About the Author Long fascinated with the age of sail and the great sailing navies, D. Andrew McChesney served in the modern US Navy as an aviation electronics technician. After completing a 22-year career, he revived and revised a story first written in high school. Beyond the Ocean's Edge: A Stone Island Sea Story was published in May 2012. Sailing Dangerous Waters placed second in the Author! Author! Great First Pages Contest. McChesney is the secretary and webmaster for Spokane Authors and Self-Publishers (SASP), a member of the Pacific Northwest Writers Association (PNWA), and recently joined the Historical Novel Society (HNS). He lives in Spokane, Washington with his wife Eva, daughter Jessica, a Quaker parrot named He-lo, and a corn snake called Teako. Visit the author at www.stoneislandseastories.com.