Smuggling, Piracy and Highway Robbery

I've been continuing to research smuggling, piracy and highway robbery, only to discover that any ideas I come up with are not half as imaginative, crazy, daring and colourful as some of the things that actually took place in the 18th and 19th centuries. So when I finally (finally!) finish writing my stories, and a publisher says, 'Joan, this is too far fetched,' I shall say, 'On the contrary, dear publisher. Not even a tiny bit far-fetched. The truth is way wackier than the fiction.'