Synopsis
Mingo’s Cave is about adventure on the Caribbean island of St. John, USVI. Quirky island characters search for hidden treasure, party at the local bar, fall in love and try to prevent the destruction of an Eco-sensitive camp and seek revenge for the murder of their friend. In 1944, a native boy, Mingo Tamaryn, finds a cave. Mingo ignores warnings and almost dies. The location of the treasure cave is once again lost. This time it is locked away in Mingo's gentle, broken mind. He becomes a beloved savant at Arawak Camps on the island of St. John. A physically strong, beautiful young woman, Riley Ferguson, fled a frigid family and found Caribbean paradise. She is a hammock weaver and scuba diver. Riley and Mingo become good friends. He is now a frail old man and tells her fantastic stories of hidden pirate gold. Leslie Anne Murray, a heavily tattooed, quirky Boston ex pat is attracted to the sexy Caribbean vibe of Cruz Bay. She has spiked hair, tall lean good looks and world wide diving experience and fits perfectly into the pulsing tropical scene. Jack Basnight from the Outer Banks of North Carolina is having a Caribbean fling. He is a handsome carpenter employed by Arawak Camps. Tim, who is Jack’s brother, quits the Navy SEALS and shows up on island. He is convinced to start - up a new scuba operation aboard the fifty foot dive boat, the Marion II. The beauty of the cobalt water and verdant jungle mask an ugly reality. The ground under idyllic Arawak Camps is worth millions. Slimy land pirates, Captain Jacque and Big Tom plan to cash in. The bulldozers are rumbling and murder cracks the island serenity. . Join the crew of the Marion II as they search for pirate gold and try to save paradise.
About the Author
Chuck Ball grew up in North Carolina. After High School, he worked his way around the world on a Norwegian freighter as a deck hand. This is when he began keeping a journal and thinking about becoming a writer. When he returned to the States, he went to Elon University. After graduation he worked on the grave yard shift of a milk carton factory and completed his first novel. He then became a reporter for a small underground newspaper. Eventually he succumbed to the need to have an income big enough for rent and food. He went to work in the corporate world. There he spent long years in 'quiet desperation' while raising a family. "The Caribbean always held an allure for me. I often looked at the beautiful travel pictures in the airline magazines as I did the corporate grind, flying from one sales meeting to the next. I wondered if I would ever swim in those warm turquoise waters". The chance came when Chuck was caught in a corporate 'right sizing'. "My son (pictured on back cover with Chuck) was working as a carpenter on the island of St. John in the US Virgin Islands. He suggested that I come on down. I couldn't pack fast enough and soon I left the cold, blustery States and stepped into the tropics. I was blown away. Everything was fascinating. The animals, the plants, the smells, the water, the culture. I could not believe I was waking up in paradise." Chuck worked with his son at an eco friendly resort and recorded his observations in his journal. "That journal became the essence of 'Mingo's Cave'. I did a lot of research too but most of what I saw and heard and experienced was in my journal." Chuck completed 'Mingo's Cave' and recently published "Hemingway's Heist" which is another island story focused on Key West and Eleuthera. When Chuck is not in St. John, Key West or Eleuthera he lives near Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina. "The people of coastal Carolina share some of the same characteristics as people on tropical islands in that they are extremely independent and resourceful. All these places face the challenge of struggling economies and exposure to hurricanes yet are some of the most beautiful places on earth." Chuck is working on his next novel; 'No Redeeming Qualities' which he hopes to finish soon. You can contact him at chuckballauthor@gmail.com
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