Caribbean Chronicles

Ricky Bradhsaw has never sailed the Spanish Main, searched for buried treasure, or battled pirates on the deck of a Spanish galleon. But all that changes on a snowy Christmas Eve when Ricky falls into the chilly waters of a creek across from his apartment while trying to rescue Barnacle, a mangy mutt with shrimp breath. Now Ricky finds himself on a raft in the middle of the Caribbean Sea, where there is surprising beauty on every island, danger around every corner, and great honor and glory for all who can survive the curse of the Black Avenger.

What if you were forced to sail with pirates? Captured and tried for piracy. Then, sentenced to hang. Would you trade your body to the crew of the Flying Dutchman to save your soul? Ricky did. Some dead men do tell tales. And there is stolen treasure in this pirate story. Last winter, Ricky Bradshaw was another gangly freshman hoping to fit in - or at least not get picked on - and maybe catch the attention of Becky Nance, a girl in his biology class.

In this YA pirate tale, award-winning author Eddie Jones blends action, adventure, and humor into a fictional retelling of the pirate exploits of Calico Jack, Anne Bonny, and Mary Read. While searching for rumored treasure in a cave on Coffin Cay, a small island off the southwestern tip of Haiti (Hispaniola), Ricky suffers an absence seizure. During his last trance-like episode, Ricky uncovered a treasure from the Nuestra Señora de Riqueza, a vessel in an armada of ships sailing the Spanish Main.

At the conclusion of a seminar on “Trances and Visions: Exploring the Out-of-Body Experience”, the wealthy daughter of a prominent physician approaches Ricky with an offer: "If my father could fix things so your mother would receive the best cancer treatment for free, would you go back in time to clear my ancestor’s good name?" Ricky explains that he can’t simply will himself to have an episode and take a time-travel trip.