Award-winning author Vanessa Riley is taking on a pirate in her latest release. I recently spoke with her about Fire Sword and Sea.
Tell me about your latest book.
Fire Sword and Sea is a historical fiction inspired by the real-life pirate Captain Jacquotte Delahaye, a Black woman of mixed heritage who lived and sailed in the Caribbean during the 1600s. The novel explores freedom, female leadership, chosen family, and modernity, in a world that gave women only two sanctioned roles—wife or wench. Fire Sword and Sea examines the cost for women to win their dreams.
How long did it take you to write it?
About two years. This one took longer because of the world building. Usually I write in the 1800s. I had to learn everything about the 1600s from the way people dressed, what they ate, how money circulated, not to mention the political dynamics of only two world superpowers—Spain and the Muslim Mughal empire. All other nations are trying to become one. Lots of deep archival research. The writing itself was challenging—striking the right tone, getting history right, and making the emotional journey feel urgent and alive.
Which character could you relate to the most and why?
Jacquotte. Her determination to have the life that she wanted inspires me. Often we live a smaller version of ourselves to fit others’ expectations or to not make waves. Jacquotte sailed right into danger. She did what she had to do to protect herself, her vision, and survive. Her challenges felt deeply familiar. Many women still navigate that tension in their careers and life goals.
How are you celebrating the book’s release?
On the road with indie bookstores, libraries, and readers. This book was built for community, and celebrating it face-to-face—with conversations about women’s roles, leadership, and resistance—feels exactly right.
What is the most valuable piece of writing advice you’ve received?
Write with the most dangerous story you can. If you’re not afraid of what’s on the page, you haven’t pushed hard enough.
What books have you read lately and loved?
I’ve loved James by Percival Everett and Harlem Rhapsody by Victoria Christopher Murray, Bitter and Sweet by Rhonda McKnight—both masterclasses in voice and emotional layering.
What books are you excited to read?
I’m always excited for historical fiction that pushes boundaries and teaches me something I don’t know about power, modernity, and history in unexpected ways.
What’s next for you?
More stories excavating hidden history—particularly women whose lives disrupt the narratives we’ve inherited. I’m also hoping to have conversations around women’s leadership, ethics, and survival across time.
Do you have anything you would like to add?
History didn’t lack powerful Black women—we lacked the will to remember them unless they fit a certain mold. Break the mold. Unleash the ancestors. Fire Sword and Sea is one small act of reclamation and freedom.
Use the Black Fiction Addiction link to purchase your copy of Fire Sword and Sea by Vanessa Riley, award-winning author—sagas of history, romance, and mystery.