Golden Age of Piracy · Historical Fiction

Crimson CrossAzure Waves

Charleston burns, a family falls, and sixteen-year-old Samuel Drayton is cast into the lawless waters of the Caribbean — where the line between pirate and patriot is thinner than he ever imagined.

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Coming late 2026 Crimson Cross: Azure Waves cover
Book one of the Crimson Cross series
Setting: the Caribbean, 1700–1718
For readers of authentic maritime adventure
The books

The Crimson Cross series

Crimson Cross: Azure Waves cover
Azure Waves Hardcover
$49.99
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Crimson Cross: Azure Waves cover
Azure Waves Paperback
$19.99
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Crimson Cross: The Bermuda Years cover
The Bermuda Years Prequel
$14.99
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Chris Stirling
The author

From the frozen prairies to warm waters

Chris Stirling traded Winnipeg's winters for the reefs of Bermuda, where he found his passion for maritime history. A technology manager by day and adventure storyteller by night, he brings systematic research and a love of human drama to the Crimson Cross series — written between chasing a toddler and following his beloved Winnipeg Jets.

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From the blog

Pirate history & the writing journey

Nassau Before the Legend: The Harbor My Pirates Actually Sailed Into
Ten years before Nassau earned its reputation as the Republic of Pirates, it was something stranger: a renamed frontier port run by a governor who had already sold out to a pirate once. Here is the real Nassau of 1699, and why I built Samuel's world around it instead of the more famous version.
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No Prey, No Pay: The Pirate Code Samuel Drayton Learned to Live By
Long before Parliament back home ever asked a common man his opinion, pirate crews in the Caribbean were drafting their own constitutions and voting on every clause. Here's the code that actually governed a pirate deck.
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Course Corrections: A Late-Summer Update from the Crimson Cross Desk
The ship is still under sail toward publication, and there's a lot happening below decks. Here's an honest look at where Azure Waves stands, and what's still ahead before she reaches open water.
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