| Cindy
Vallar
Author,
Editor, & Pirate
Chronicler |
 |
Welcome!
Books have been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. In fact, my dad once described my first library when I was a year old: Her library contains a multitude of magazines, some beginning on page six or ten, others on fifteen or twenty-one, except the newest which not only begins on page one but still possesses its blue and yellow cover. My mom shared her love of reading, especially historical fiction, as well as her writing. Among my many keepsakes is one of my earliest attempts at creative writing -- a description of a photograph from a Girl Scout calendar.
I continued to write short stories and poetry and made several attempts at novel writing in high school and college. My first publishing credit came from my senior English class when I wrote "The Traveller," a poem in the style of Geoffrey Chaucer, which appeared in my high school literary magazine, Soliloquy. In college, I majored in library science and later went on to get my my master's degree while working as a school librarian.
Having retired from library work, I now pursue my dream. My passion for research and a desire to make history more interesting inspires me to write historical novels and articles about pirates and privateers. Within these pages I invite you to explore my writing and research, my editing services, my workshop offerings, reviews of books I recommend for your reading pleasure, and many other treasures.
Once again, welcome and enjoy your visit!
Sláinte or Fair Winds and Following Seas,
Cindy Vallar
The Scottish Thistle
Cover Art by Trace Edward Zaber
Loyalty and honor. A Highland warrior prizes both more than life, and when he swears his oath on the dirk, he must obey or die . . .
Visit Book's Page
Read an Excerpt
Learn about the Rising of 1745
Listen to an Interview
Visit Thistle's Scotland
Read the Reviews
Order the Book
Odin's Stone
Sketch by Elizabeth,
Marchioness of Stafford
Long ago on the Isle of Skye, Alexander, Lord of the Isles, tires of the feud between two clans and invokes an ancient Norse rite involving the Stone of Odin . . .
Read the Story
Read the Reviews
Rumble the Dragon
Artwork by Lian
When Ingvar Skullsplitter plunders the dragons' sacred chalice, a young, intelligent misfit ventures into the dangerous world of men to prevent . . .
The Rebel & the Spy
Engraving by R. Telfer
Alexine You lives in two different worlds -- Barataria and New Orleans -- but when a stranger enters her life, she must finally choose between being a privateer or loving a spy . . .
What's New & Forthcoming
Workshops & Appearances
Articles & Interviews
Book Reviews
If you or your organization are interested in having me present a workshop, please contact me.
Presentations are done via Zoom, in-person, or by e-mail.
Under the Crossbones Interview
Podcast:
Under the Crossbones, August 2015
(my segment begins at minute 7:00)
Podcast: Craft of Writing/Publishing
and Writing about Pirates
Latino Role Models Success, 16 February 2017
Red Pencil: Christmas at Carnton
Historical Novels Review, May 2018
(My final Red Pencil column)
Gold and Gunpowder Interview
September 2021
Who Wrote the First Pirate Blockbuster?
A 300-year-old Mystery
Wreckwatch, Summer 2024
Just Desserts
Pirates & Privateers, 18 September 2024
The Longest Spring
by P. D. Sherrard
Historical Fiction: World War I
Anywhere but Schuylkill
by Michael Dunn
Historical Fiction: 1870s
Some Murders in Berlin
by Karen Robards
Historical Fiction: World War II
Portsmouth Point
by C. Northcote Parkinson
Nautical Fiction & Naval History
The Life and Times of Horatio Hornblower
by C. Northcote Parkinson
Nautical Fiction
The Sugar Storm
by Lyle Garford
Historical Fiction & Historical Mystery
Curse of the Templars
by C. Wayne Dawson
Historical Fiction & Historical Mystery
Read a sample issue of my Thistles & Pirates Newsletter.
If you're interested in receiving my other newsletter, Pirates and Privateers, click here.
© 2000-2020 Cindy Vallar
All artwork and photographs are
copyrighted and may not be used without permission
of the owner.
If I don't own the copyrights, I
have legally acquired the rights to use the artwork.
