Meet Jacqueline Church Simonds

Meet the author

Jacqueline Church Simonds

Ms. Simonds at the Beagle Bay, Inc. warehouse.
Photo by Marilyn Benton, Reno Gazette Journal

Jacqueline Church Simonds has done all sorts of things in her life: from being a lights & sound roadie for a small Southern rock band; to selling almost any sort of retail item imaginable–even once working as a Lady’s companion! She has lived all over the U.S., and is currently residing in Nevada (and loving it!). With her husband, Robin, and their beagle, Bertie, they embark (pun intended) on some serious RVing every year, frequently going to book festivals and trade shows (check the events page for details).

She has written short stories and poetry published in "little" literary magazines; won Honorable Mention in the Baltimore Sun Summer Fiction contest; been the fiction editor of a university literary magazine Bartleby; and has had a piece in Down East magazine. Captain Mary, Buccaneer was her debut in print. An unpublished novel, Four Days in Hamden submitted as her thesis for her Senior English Honors won her praise from the Literature professors at University of Maryland Baltimore County.

With her husband, Robin, Jacqueline Church Simonds is the publisher of Beagle Bay Books and Creative Minds Press. Captain Mary, Buccaneer was the genesis of their small press.

Using her internet "handle" JCSimonds, Jacqueline frequents three small publisher's on-line discussion groups: Publish-L, Small-pub Civil and the Self-Publishing discussion list. Of the last group, she is one of three "list moms." She is also a blogger on Publisher's Marketplace. She also wrote about her experience at Book Expo America, which you can read by clicking here.

Of her book Captain Mary, Buccaneer Jacqueline writes, "Captain Mary, Buccaneer came to me, for the most part, in a dream in about 1989. But I didn’t do anything but take a few notes. My last semester at University of Maryland, Baltimore County (where I had attended as a returning student), I was doing a pick-up course in History. The professor handed out a sheet of topics she recommended for our final papers. There, near the bottom was: "The pirate women Ann Bonny & Mary Read." I couldn’t believe there were real women pirates. After I graduated, I began work on "Captain Mary, Buccaneer" in earnest. It took about 18 months to complete the first draft. I had so much fun writing the book and creating a swashbuckling female character to rival any Errol Flynn!"