For those living in Athens, OH and interested in my Tom Ellis sequel Jenkins’ Ear, the book is now available at the Little Professor Book Center on Court Street, near Copeland Hall.
I am always keen to support local businesses, so please pop in and buy it from them if you are interested in the book.
BOOK LAUNCH. Jenkins’ Ear, my second historical fiction novel, is now published. It is set during Oglethorpe’s British invasion of Spanish Florida during the War of Jenkins’ Ear. It’s available from all good online retailers, including Amazon (https://lnkd.in/gnBPUzXj). For bookstores, visitor centers, and educational purposes, it can be purchased in bulk from the publisher Culicidae Press: https://lnkd.in/gzz-VwDH
Here is the cover information:
The second installment in the Tom Ellis trilogy. After the dramatic adventures experienced by the young Ellis in Yamacraw Bluff in the burgeoning Savannah, Georgia, war has been declared. Using the pretext of Jenkins’ severed ear, the British are amassing a fleet to attack and inflict a brutal blow against Spain’s American colonies. Meanwhile, in Georgia, General Oglethorpe has been ordered to assemble a force and invade Spanish Florida.
Georgia’s first ranger, Tom Ellis, is now a corporal and is sucked into the fight of his life. Failure will be unthinkable, and heroes will be required on all sides, as South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida learn about the outcome of Florida’s invasion.
Jenkins’ Ear is a fully panoramic historical novel that captures the sights, scenes, and experiences of combatants during the British foray into Florida. It tells the story of the Spanish machinations that led to South Carolina’s Stono Rebellion, chronicles Florida’s invasion, and concludes with the siege of St. Augustine’s Castillo de San Marcos.
Thank you to those who make my work possible: Michael Muecke, Angela Schmeling, and Brent Jonas.
I took the MLK Day weekend to proofread and approve the draft for my upcoming sequel to Yamacraw Bluff. It was already a fun weekend, but busy while I read and double-checked the content of Jenkins’ Ear (sample pictured).
A great weekend became an awesome weekend when I received this unsolicited email.
Dear Dr. Pittaway,
I have just completed reading your excellent book – Yamacraw Bluff with great pleasure. It was an enjoyable read and I have recommended it to several friends. Your fictional characterization of the early days of the Colony have given me ideas to mull over as I research my ancestors in Georgia. Based on family recollections, you have done an admirable job in describing life on the frontier.
It appears the first of our clan was [family ancestor] who arrived 20 December 1737 as a Royal Trust Servant. Subsequently the generations took advantage of the Land Grants handed out and slowly moved west, eventually settling in what is now Mitchell County in the 1840’s. Since then we have traveled far and wide.
Your book has rekindled my desire to research not just my family history but that of the surrounding area in the north Atlanta suburbs where I now live.
Again, thank you for hard work in assembling this fine fictional work.
Every day, I get to walk past the Little Professor Bookstore in Athens, OH. As a local author, I have my book featured in their window. It’s the highlight of my day to see my book, Yamacraw Bluff, in that window. However, I get even more joy when it isn’t there, meaning somebody has purchased it.
Gaining positive reviews for a book is always a major motivator to carry on writing. I am delighted to have maintained a perfect 5-star rating on Amazon for Yamacraw Bluff after 17 reviews.
The most recent was from Myra. I am so happy that she enjoyed it and that somebody purchased it as a Christmas present.
Reviewed in the United States on December 31, 2025
Format: Paperback
Excellent read – got it as a Christmas gift and read it right away. I’ve spent a lot of time in the Hilton Head / Savannah area and I’ve always been intrigued by the history there. This book was well researched and it’s a great story. I highly recommend it.
A positive review is heartwarming. At least this is how I felt after reading the most recent review of Yamacraw Bluff on Goodreads. If you’re interested in the book, it’s available from all good online retailers (https://lnkd.in/gYD_Qkjd) and Culicidae Press. The sequel, Jenkins’ Ear, will be out soon.
Thank you, Sean, whomever you are!
“Historical fiction is not normally my genre, but I took a chance on this book based on a friend’s recommendation. I was pleasantly surprised to find a tale that is at times harrowing, at times rollicking, but always entertaining. The story follows its fictionalized protagonist on an epic journey from the squalid constraints of London’s infamous debtor’s prisons to the wide-open possibilities of early colonial America. Along the way, we get to know James Oglethorpe, the eccentric, idealistic aristocrat who founded Georgia.
Before reading this book, I knew nothing about Oglethorpe or the progressive ideas that inspired him. As such, I was convinced that the barroom brawl where the protagonist first encounters him had been concocted for the sake of an interesting plot. Some quick research dispelled that misconception. Turns out Oglethorpe was quite the charismatic rogue, and his founding principles stood in stark contrast to what most of us think of as the ideology of the Old South. Bravo to the author for introducing me to such a complex, interesting historical figure.
Overall, Yamacraw Bluff provides an entertaining look at a part of American history that few Americans are aware of.”
Image Hotels has reviewed Yamacraw Bluff and has now made it available for visitors to its Bluff Hotel in Savannah (630 W Bay Street).
The Bluff is located along the hill commonly referred to as Yamacraw Bluff, the site of the original settlement of the City of Savannah. Clearly, somewhere I will have to visit next time I’m in Savannah.
Another bookstore in the region has agreed to stock Yamacraw Bluff. The book is now available at the Beaufort Bookstore, located at 2127 Boundary St., Beaufort, SC. It is particularly exciting for me to see it in that bookstore, as I visited it a couple of times while collaborating with the Low Country Small Business Hub, which worked across the region to help small businesses.
The owner, Bruce Page, is a retired teacher, and I hope he enjoys some local history when he delves into my book. You can visit their store online here.
Book clubs reading my work is truly a new experience for me. I’m excited to share that the Hilton Head “Page Turners” Book Club recently selected Yamacraw Bluff for their June book selection. They had lunch at the Olde Pink House in Savannah, GA, and engaged in a lively discussion that lasted three hours.
Then they strolled around downtown Savannah, visiting some of the historical markers in the story. With permission, I’m sharing some of the pictures. Under the portrait of James Edward Oglethorpe in the Pink House, at the John Wesley historical marker, and finally at the Yamacraw Bluff historical marker. This is why I wrote the book: to celebrate this history and these places. Published by Culicidae Press.
This is the type of order you love to see. The Visit Savannah Gift Shop in Savannah’s Visitor Information Center (301 MLK Jr. Blvd) just purchased 25 copies of Yamacraw Bluff to sell to tourists and visitors to Savannah.
One of the reasons I wrote the book was to popularize Savannah’s colonial history. I found it fascinating, and I thought more people should have access to it. So, this development is welcome. It will enhance visibility and sales of Yamacraw Bluff while achieving the broader goal of increasing awareness about Savannah’s origins. Fingers crossed they shift plenty of books and come back to order regularly.
Luke Pittaway 