"Unsettled" starts Sunday, "Crossbones" continues tonight

For those readers of the Portland Press Herald who wonder what I've been up to in recent months, here's the answer: researching and writing "Unsettled", a 29-part series -- 32 if you count the prologue, epilogue, and story-length sidebar -- which runs daily starting Sunday.

It's the epic and shocking story of Maine's Passamaquoddy people over the past half century, one that will likely shatter my fellow Mainers conception of what sort of society we've been, while reshaping public understanding of the contemporary tensions both with and within the tribe. And there are a lot of surprises along the way.

The prologue just posted a few minutes ago, so you can get a taste of the series right away. Chapter One runs Sunday -- I've seen the layout: you won't have any trouble finding it. (Until the end of the day today you can also view this short promo video on the series.)

I'll say more about the series once it starts running, but whether you live in Maine or not, this is a tale you may well want to delve into.

Also tonight catch episode four of "Crossbones", the NBC drama starring John Malkovich and inspired by my third book, The Republic of Pirates: Being the True and Surprising Story of the Caribbean Pirates and The Man Who Brought Them Down. It kicks off at 10pm Eastern.

[Updated 6/27/14, 11:47 to reflect Prologue posting]