Goodreads asked Sara Whitford:

Where did you get the idea for your most recent book?

Sara Whitford The Smuggler's Gambit was actually inspired by history and stories I learned while doing genealogical research. My fifth-great-grandfather was born in the same year as the book's hero, Adam, and he was also apprenticed—although circumstances were quite a bit different for my ancestor.

The novel takes place in Beaufort (pronounced BO-fort, not BYU-fort), which is a little coastal town here in North Carolina. I live not too far from there and I think the salt water must be in my blood, because I can't imagine writing stories that don't take place near the ocean. My ancestors have been in eastern North Carolina for centuries, so I'm steeped in the history and traditions of the region. I believe that gives me an endless fountain from which I can draw stories to tell.

Thanks to my genealogical investigations, I did a ton of research on the period between the end of the French and Indian War and the start of the American Revolution before I ever even started working on The Smuggler's Gambit. A lot of people don't realize that the sparks that eventually ignited the War for Independence were first lit in the 1760s, not on July 4, 1776.

Oh... and one more thing... there is also something in the book about Blackbeard, a pirate who had close relationships in eastern North Carolina. I'm not going to say too much about that here—you can read the book—but if you're interested in learning more about that notorious sea rogue, you might want to visit this article on my website called "Five Things You Didn't Know About Blackbeard": http://sarawhitford.com/five-things-y...

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