Ahoy! It’s been a piratical week around here. First, of course, was Friday’s annual celebration of International Talk Like a Pirate Day, always a red-letter day.

On Sunday, we went to the Salem Pirate Faire. Salem may be known for witches, but pirates were probably more common back in the day. This year’s Faire saw Captain Hook trying to find a bride and a treasure map, particularly the treasure map.

Here’s the captain himself, as portrayed by David Stickney, Executive Producer for the Faire:

There were shiploads of entertainers, including Roderick Russell, who is one of only fifty people foolhardy enough to practice sword swallowing. Fire eating is apparently not as impressive to him, but it sure impressed me.

And finally, here’s Captain Hasallmyparts, one of the contestants from the costume contest. Note this is NOT one of the show’s cast members. This is an attendee!

It was a beautiful day in a perfect setting, and we had a terrific time. So why am I regaling you with “what I did this weekend”? This is all by way of making an announcement.

The editor of Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine has told me they will be publishing my pirate mystery story “The Pirate’s Debt,” and that’s a mighty good reason for me to celebrate all things pirate. I don’t know which issue the story will run in, I can say that the story features William Cunningham Ward, the lawyer from my previous pirate story “Skull and Cross-Examinations,” (Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, Feb. 2008).

So now you know why I’ve been in a swashbuckling mood. As the pirates probably never said, ARRRRRRRR!