I grew up reading the adventures of Jim Davis, Treasure Island, and Scuppers the Sailor Dog. These books led me from the flat dusty plains of West Texas to the helm of a cruising sailboat on the Chesapeake.
My favorites novels have always been nautical stories. I especially love those in which the protagonist battles evil from the decks of an 18th century warship, but I have also felt a growing interest in more contemporary stories. Unfortunately, I couldn't find many adventure stories revolving around contemporary characters on modern sailing vessels. This notion led to creation of the Llyrical Adventures, a series of stories about a contemporary craft and her crew.
The Llyrical Adventures series honors the historical maritime fiction developed by authors like Alexander Kent ( aka Douglas Reeman), Patrick O’Brian and C.S. Forester, but it attempts to provide more modern stories. The series moves the action from the deck of 18th century frigates to the cockpit of a modern cutter rigged sailboat. When danger threatens Llyrical's crew, it doesn't come from the ship to windward. It is often very personal and quite unexpected.
The protagonists of historical adventures are most often a lone male hero and his loyal sidekick. The Llyrical Adventures feature a cruising couple. Crafted in the tradition of Nick and Nora Charles, Nick and Nicole O’Connell are equal partners in cruising and in solving mysteries of all types. They are sympathetic, intelligent and vulnerable characters who should appeal to men and women alike.
These adventures are written by a sailor and make use of a variety of nautical situations and cruising grounds. My muse is a lady named Llyrical, a navy-hulled Island Packet yacht. Llyrical's name comes from the synthesis of name of the Gaelic God of the sea, Llyr, with the adjective lyrical, meaning evoking strong emotions. She is currently berthed at a marina on Maryland's Eastern Shore.
Contact Us: Please let us know if you have questions or comments regarding this exciting new series.
Copyright 2005 John O'Neal