Baysprites: The Adventure of the Lost Colony

By GRACE JAMES

Baysprites, small creatures akin to elves and leprechauns, stand just three inches tall—about the size of a person's thumb. Originating from Ireland, one clan of baysprites left their homeland during the Great Hunger. In 1846, around one hundred baysprites crossed the Atlantic, stowing away on a ship bound for Baltimore. They eventually established colonies along the northern shore of the Chesapeake Bay. This enchanting tale, narrated by a grandmother to her grandchildren, follows a baysprite colony in the 21st century as they search for a neighbouring colony that has missed their annual contact. The colony's storyteller, accompanied by an escort, embarks on a perilous weeklong journey through human territory to locate the lost colony, encountering unexpected dangers and astonishing revelations along the way.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Austin Macauley Publishers
• Release date: Aug 16, 2024
• ISBN: 9781035819607

GRACE JAMES

James Grace is a retired naval officer and retired expert on the development of computer-based training materials. He was born and raised on the Chesapeake Bay in the USA (state of Maryland), the son of a fisherman and the grandson of a dredge operator. He and his wife Pam currently reside in Leonardtown, Maryland. James has four adult children and several grandchildren. Baysprites is his first book.

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James Grace is a retired naval officer and retired expert on the development of computer-based training materials. He was born and raised on the Chesapeake Bay in the USA (state of Maryland), the son of a fisherman and the grandson of a dredge operator. He and his wife Pam currently reside in Leonardtown, Maryland. James has four adult children and several grandchildren. Baysprites is his first book.

Copyright © James Grace 2024

The right of James Grace to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by the author in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers.

Any person who commits any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library.

ISBN 9781035819584 (Paperback)

ISBN 9781035819591 (Hardback)

ISBN 9781035819607 (ePub e-book)

www.austinmacauley.com

First Published 2024

Austin Macauley Publishers Ltd®

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Canary Wharf

London

E14 5AA

In memory of Edna Cooper, the grandmother I never knew.

It was early summer on the Chesapeake Bay when Susie and John arrived at Grandma Edna’s house for their annual one-week summer stay. Grandma Edna lived in Charlestown in a small cottage on a hill overlooking the North East river. The visit was a magical time where the two children got to play games, visit family and go on walks along the water. However, the best part of the visit, according to John, was Grandma Edna’s stories about the baysprites. Susie was not old enough to remember the stories from last year, but John had given her enough details that she wanted to hear more. After lunch with homemade jam, Grandma Edna, Susie, John and Shaggy, the dog, walked through a small wood down to the beach. The children threw stones while Grandma Edna watched. As she watched, she seemed to be talking to herself, or was it to Shaggy? Then they all headed home for dinner and the children waited in anticipation of her nightly storytelling.

Grandma Edna told her stories sitting in a big stuffed chair next to a bay window. John noticed that the house was getting older, as was his grandmother. Her chair had a new rip in the fabric and the screen on the window still had a hole in it from the previous summer. He had heard his parents talking about ‘the old girl losing it’ and how it may not be safe to send the children to her alone without other adults to help her in the future. John worried that someday these visits would end.