Pirates on the Emerald Coast

(Statesboro, GA  March 2005) Bowlegs’ Bounty, the debut novel from author Joseph Kropp, is now available. What child wouldn’t jump at the chance to jump aboard a pirate ship in search of treasure? That’s what Tip and Tap do – the allure of Billy Bowlegs famed treasure draws them aboard for a ride they’ll never forget. But it’s not all fun and games when it doesn’t work out quite the way they planned. Will they get the treasure? Will they escape with their lives? Well – you’ll just have to wait and see.

Follow Benjamin, Martin, and their parents on an unforgettable vacation to Florida’s Emerald Coast. Did their parents know they would run into the pirate, Billy Bowlegs, the night they arrived at the beach – or was that a coincidence? How does their dad know so much about Captain Bowlegs? And how does their mom always pull just the right thing out of her bag at just the right time?

Listen in each night, as Mr. Kaye weaves their vacation adventures into the fabric of the bedtime stories he tells of Tip and Tap, boys whose lust for riches leads them on a perilous quest for Bowlegs’ treasure. Believing him to be so rich he wouldn’t miss it, Tip inadvertently steals the one thing the treacherous pirate holds most dear. When Bowlegs vows to recapture his prize, will Tip and Tap survive his wrath, or will dead men tell no tales?

"When the Kaye family goes on vacation to the Emerald Coast in Florida, ten-year-old Benjamin and eight-year-old Martin are inspired by the setting, pirate legends, and their father’s bedtime stories about the pirate, Billy Bowlegs, to dig for treasure on the beach. Of course they won’t find anything, right? Don’t be too sure. Using the children’s adventures of the day, Mr. Kaye tells a thrilling tale each night about Billy Bowlegs and the two boys, Tip and Tap Pettigrew. Benjamin and Martin can’t wait to hear the next installment of Tip and Tap’s adventures each night. Neither could I. The fast-paced story about the boys adventures and pirate chases kept me turning pages."

"Joseph Kropp has written an adventure within an adventure. The Kayes’ trip has its adventurous moments, as well as some educational experiences. The bedtime story is an adventure with a moral, designed to make kids think about theft and what the whole idea of stealing entails. Bowlegs’ Bounty is educational as well as fun."

Judy Schuler, Heartland Reviews

And here’s what two 7^th grade reviews for my local paper had to say about Bowlegs’ Bounty:

"Local author spins intriguing pirate tale. Bowlegs’ crew is in hot pursuit of the two boys. It is up to Tip and Tap to outsmart the pirates and keep the bounty . . . and their lives. [A] suspenseful tale."

Lindsey and Paige Oliver, Statesboro Herald

Husband, father, and psychologist, Joseph Kropp lives and practices in Statesboro, Georgia. His works have been published in professional books and journals, and in Southern Living magazine. He earned a B.A. from Indiana University. His M.S. and Ph.D. are from the University of Georgia. He is at work on his second novel, Hickok’s Gold.