In an effort to introduce my readers to other authors and their work, every week I run an Author Spotlight, sharing information about an author, their work, and how they go about writing their books.
Author, publisher and newspaper publisher, maritime history expert Ken Rossignol has been a featured speaker on dozens of cruise ships in the Pacific, Atlantic, Mediterranean, and the Caribbean, discussing the stories of the history of the Panama Canal, the heroes of the Titanic, the explorations of the New World voyagers, the Bermuda Triangle, and the history of piracy, among other maritime history topics.
Ken has appeared live on Good Morning America, and in news productions including 20/20, ABC World News Tonight, and in a production of the Discovery Channel Investigation Motives & Murders Series, A Body in the Bay.
After covering hard news for 34 years while publishing a regional newspaper, Ken sold the newspaper and began writing full-time. He is the author of over forty books, and his newest book, Pirate Trials, reveals the details of the actual trials of pirates in England, Scotland, and the United States. He is also a popular speaker at regional historical society presentations and at the Titanic Museum Attractions in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, and Branson, Missouri, where he enjoys meeting visitors and sharing the lore of the high seas.
News coverage of Rossignol’s landmark civil rights case in the United States Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, Rossignol v Voorhaar, included articles in most major news outlets, as well as a column by syndicated columnist James J. Kilpatrick. His extensive experience garnered national attention, with him appearing on Good Morning America and his newspaper’s stories featured on 20/20, as well as on the front page of the Washington Post.
A conversation with Ken:
When did you decide to become an author and why?
I wanted something to do instead of watching all the other fat people around the pool on a cruise.
How long have you been writing, and what was your first book?
My first book, The Privateer Clause, came out in 2009.
What genres do you write in?
Maritime history, true crime, cruise thrillers, and 20th century history.
How many books do you have out?
About 44, with 8 underway in various genres.
Are you trade published, independent, or a combo?
All independent, with Amazon
What is your writing style? Panster or plotter or?
Whatever works or suits me at the time.
Do you write more than one book at a time?
Unfortunately, yes.
How much research is involved in your writing?
I like fiction the best because I can just make stuff up, but the research can be unfathomable in order to make the book realistic.
Where do you write? Do you have a home office, write in a coffee shop, or what?
Home, at sea around the world, in staterooms, on balconies with the ocean in my view over my laptop. That is why my writing can be choppy at times, the ship won’t hold still.
Do you use any programs like ProWriting Aid, Grammarly, or ?
Grammarly keeps me from looking like I went to public schools.
How do you promote your books?
Mostly on Amazon with sponsored ads. I have done them all, but the biggest worry right now is AI-generated con jobs.
What are your writing goals, long and short term?
To leave a great legacy of money for my granddaughters.
Any advice to new authors or someone who wants to become an author?
Learn marketing or die.
You can find all of Ken’s books on his Amazon Author’s Page.
And finally, here’s a chuckle to start your day from the collection of funny signs we see in our travels and that our readers share with us.
Thought For The Day – The beautiful part of writing is that you don’t have to get it right the first time. – Robert Cormier
Nick Russell
World-Famous, New York Times Best Selling Author, and All-Around Nice Guy!