Dangers of reading Accidental Pirates

 In case you thought reading was a safe activity:

 

Here's the interview with me about Accidental Pirates -- paperback available Nov 26 - Get your boys reading for Christmas.

The sequel is half finished with 15 of 30 chapters already filled with slam bang action and adventure.  

I think I've been remiss in sharing some fun facts lately, so here's a helping of history:

FUN FACT: 

In 1111, Al-Mustazhir bi-Allah served as Caliph of the Abbasid Empire and spiritual leader of the Sunni branch of Islam. He married Ismah Khatun. In March, she headed for Isfahan to take her place in the Caliph's palace. In February, a delegation of Sufi's, disgruntled merchants, and lawyers from Aleppo had arrived in Baghdad to complain that they had lost that lovin' feeling of support from the Caliph, and they were tired of fighting the infidels who continued to storm, besiege, kidnap, and kill. With the recent loss of Sidon to King Baldwin, they feared Tyre, Damascus or Aleppo could be next dominoes to fall. 

With a total abandonment of gruntle, the delegation went to the sultan's mosque and disrupted the service, driving the speaker from the pulpit and breaking it to pieces. They proceeded to do the same at the Caliph's mosque. The arrival of Ismah Khatsun provided them with another opportunity to totally lose their cool. The Caliph wanted them arrested, but Sultan Muhammad, brother of Ismah Khatun, declared jihad on the infidels.

Meanwhile, the crusader states had their own problems. They were dependent on Europe for their supplies and manpower, and knew that if their enemies ever united against them, they could not hope to hold. 

(The above is summarized from parts of chapter 11 of Dan Jones Crusaders)