Kidnapped by Pirates: Based on the true story of a fourteen year-old boy, Charles Tilton, who was kidnapped alone from an American whaler by Jean Lafitte's pirates.

Although the exciting story of Evelyn's great-great grandfather had been told in the family down through the years, no one had ever put it on paper, so Hilton decided to write the entire story for her grandchildren. Kidnapped by Pirates is based on the true story of a fourteen year-old Quaker boy, Charles Tilton, who was apprenticed on a New England whaler. In 1814, group of Jean Lafitte's rogue pirates attacked the ship, sinking it and kidnapping the boy alone in the Atlantic. They brought the boy to Lafitte's Galveston Island base and pesented him to Lafitte as a ransom prize. Enraged that his men had attacked and American vessel and sailors, the French buccaneer ordered the disobedient men hung. Lafitte was known for his soft heart toward women and children and he offered Charles a job as cabin boy on his own ship until he could get back home. The audacious teenager eagerly accepted and ended up staying for 6 years of swashbuckling years of adventures with the privateer and his band! In 1820, the U.S. Government decided to send naval ships to disband the thousand-man base at Galveston. Before they arrived, Lafitte split all the spoils and schooners among his men and burned their thriving town. Then they all scattered in different directions. Charles, now 20 and an officer, received his leader's second ship, so he and several friends sailed up Texas' Trinity River and into a small lake. Here he and his friends buried their gold and silver. You will have to read the book to learn about his other adventures. Years later, Charles Tilton applied for a Mexican Land Grant, built a house on the river bank, and married a pretty pioneer girl. They eventually had nine children but he never forgot his exciting years with his friend, Jean Lafitte. Most of these adventures are related in this intriguing, fast-paced book. Kidnapped by Pirates was so popular that I decided to continue the story and tell about Charles' youngest daughter's adventures. It is also based on a true story. This sequel, entitled Annabelle and the Great Hurricane, is extremely exciting and follows the deadly 1900 storm hour by hour as the water rises into the yards and then into the houses. This storm, known as the deadliest hurricane to ever hit America, killed over 7,000 people when it hit Galveston. While on a vacation to visit relatives on Galveston Island in 1900, Laura and her two little girls became trapped in the hurricane along with the family. The reader will be riveted to the pages as the water rises and the family struggles to escape death. They finally devise a frightening plan that may save their lives! I hope you will enjoy my book as much as I enjoyed researching and writing it!