The deMelilla Chronicles
All books are available at Amazon.com, Barnesandnoble.com in hardcover, paperback or Kindle
ESCAPE TO NEW ORLEANS
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​The year is 1778 and the English colonies of America are in revolt. France and Spain enter the conflict on the side of the rebels: the colonists who call themselves “Americans.”
 
Spain is determined to evict the British from the Mississippi Valley and the Gulf Coast. King Carlos III must raise an army, so soldiers and settlers are recruited from the Canary Islands.
 
Most join to escape poverty, drought, and famine. But a few enlist for very different reasons.
 
Escape to New Orleans is available in Paperback, Kindle or Hardcover at Amazon.com.
​This is the first of the "American Revolution Trilogy." Other novels of the Trilogy are Mobile Must Fall, and Pensacola Burning.
Mobile Must Fall:
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​The year is 1780 and the American Colonies are in revolt against Britain.
Spain entered the conflict as an ally of the rebels in 1779 and seized Baton Rouge from the British, securing the flow of supplies to the western front. Bernardo Gálvez, the Spanish Governor-General of Louisiana has determined to send a reconnaissance force into Florida to prepare for an assault on the British fort at Mobile.
Sergeant Diego deMelilla of the Spanish Fixed Regiment of Louisiana has been selected to lead that reconnaissance. Grieving over the recent loss of his beautiful wife, deMelilla is confronted with hardships, British soldiers, spies and a mysterious woman. Through it all, one fact remains – if Spain and the American Revolution are to succeed, Mobile Must Fall. This is the second book of the "American Revolution Trilogy."
​Pensacola Burning
​The American Revolution persevered despite several losses and disappointments. By 1781, the revolution had entered a critical phase. Britain controlled the south, or so they thought, until Spain declared war. Allied with the new United States, the forces of Spain, led by Bernardo Gálvez, the Spanish Governor-General of Louisiana attacked British fortifications along the Mississippi River valley and the Gulf Coast, conquering them one at a time until only the fort at Pensacola remained.
Sergeant Diego deMelilla of the Spanish Fixed Regiment of Louisiana is serving in the vanguard of the Spanish attack on Fort George at Pensacola. During what proved to be the longest siege of the American Revolution, Sergeant deMelilla finds himself isolated, confronted by a shrewd and deadly professional army, his past and his fate seemingly controlled by a young Choctaw priestess. This is the final book of the "American Revolution Trilogy."

El Tigre de Nueva Orleáns

(The Tiger of New Orleans)
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The Canary Islanders made huge contributions to Louisiana and the nation. And author Stephen Estopinal intertwines these reflections of family oral histories and local traditions into El Tigre De Nueva Orleáns: A Novel from the Melilla Chronicles. In the rural farm country south of New Orleans, Bartolome de Melilla, the trilingual grandson of a famous Spanish soldier, was raised on tales of battles against the British. Descendent of Canary Islanders transported to Louisiana in 1778 to serve as soldiers for the King of Spain, the traditions and heraldry of his ancestors were woven into the fiber of Bartolome’s being. With America on the cusp of the Industrial Revolution, 14-year-old Bartolome is swept into the heady danger and romance of the worldly port city of New Orleans. Trusting to the lessons he was taught by his grandfather, he finds himself assisting the city’s foremost Voodoo priestess and strikes up an unlikely alliance with a Chinese businessman. He also falls in love with Anna Steward, the beautiful daughter of a mattress works owner. But with the British invasion, Anna’s family flees New Orleans and he joins the American defenders. To survive and be reunited with his love, Bartolome will have to become El Tigre de Nueva Orleans in this masterfully written saga of love, war, and Voodoo spiritualism.

The Incident at Blood River

In 1794, Spanish Sergeant Pedro deMelilla, a Canary Islander serving in California, survives a battle with the mighty Apache, only to find himself a target of the Inquisition. Incident at Blood River: A Novel from the deMelilla Chronicles tells the powerful saga of the courage and perseverance required to leave paradise in the Canary Islands, only to forge out a different life in the New World. Grieving over the death of his young wife, deMelilla is sent to Mexico City by way of the Sea of Cortez. His small detachment is pursued by a gang of mysterious killers, dedicated to fostering revolution and chaos in New Spain. Only through deMelilla's instincts is his military detachment saved from destruction. In Mexico City, deMelilla is summoned to meet with the Archbishop of New Spain, who is also the head of a secret organization dedicated to saving Spain from corrupt leadership. DeMelilla is then sent to Louisiana to police the wilderness, where he finds another grieving heart. Incident at Blood River tells the exciting story of the brave souls who overcame adversity to forge a new life in a faraway place. .

Anna
In the fall of 1825 and at the dawn of the industrial revolution, Anna and Bartolomé deMelilla manage a successful steamboat business. Voodoo spirits, bent on exacting vengeance for a great wrong, enlist the help of the powerful priestess, Madam Barbeaux to entice their intended victims, greedy men of the infamous East India Company, into a war-like confrontation with Anna and Bartolomé.
 
When Bartolomé is pursued by the East India men and isolated from his family and friends, all business and family responsibilities fall on Anna. In a world where voodoo is accepted as a legitimate religion and laws are not enforced, help for Anna comes from the unseen, spiritual world through her unborn child.
 
“‘Anna’ emphasizes the diverse national and cultural origins of the people of New Orleans and Southeast Louisiana,” Estopinal says. “This area is rich with history and culture, and I wanted to share it with those outside of Louisiana.”
 
Estopinal explores Louisiana’s unique history and culture with readers in “Anna”, a fictional novel based on events and religions of the 19th century. This interesting work will expose readers a thing or two about the little-known history of New Orleans, voodoo and Louisiana culture.
 
SOLITARIO : 
BOOTLEGGING ON THE BAYOU
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​Michael Demill, a wounded veteran of the Great War, returned home to discover those he left behind had abandoned him. Impoverished and squeaking out a living harvesting wild oysters, he is given an opportunity to become wealthy.
Demill, fluent in Spanish, French and English, uses his seamanship skills acquired as a professional fisherman to become an importer of rum during the American Prohibition. He soon discovers that bootlegging is both highly profitable and very dangerous. Once in, retiring from the business is complicated, but a beautiful woman provides a strong motivation.
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The Man from Red Hill
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An Irish bondservant, Mary Fermoy, is sold with her infant son to a Cherokee, Billy Redhand. A veteran of the Red Stick Wars, Redhand settles on a farm and accepts Mary as his wife. Redhand names the boy John Circles-the-Tree. The death of John’s mother and the murder of Redhand leaves him orphaned and embroiled in political intrigue and danger.
In an attempt to escape arrest, John flees to Texas and is caught up in the Texas Revolution. Guided by a mysterious girl in his dreams, he returns to the Cherokee Nation as the renowned warrior, Man-from-Red-Hill, just in time to become entangled in the Trail of Tears. The Cherokee Nation was at war with itself and many sought vengeance. Will the Man from Red Hill become an instrument of retribution?
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Beneath the Bonnie Blue Flag
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Napoleon has all of Europe at war. Spain has been defeated and the Emperor of France has declared his brother, Joseph, to be king of Spain. The deposed King Ferdinand has ordered all Spaniards to conduct a Guerrilla War to resist Bonaparte. Louisiana has been sold to the Americans but Baton Rouge and what is known as West Florida remain under the Spanish crown. The European conflict threatens to spread to America and uncertainty grips the land.
Esteban deMelilla, guided by a Choctaw priestess, struggles to recover from the loss of his wife and child. A businessman and former Spanish soldier, Esteban remarries only to be drawn up into a conspiracy to free West Florida from European domination.
Most of the citizens of West Florida support the restoration of King Ferdinand. A few conspirators, including Esteban’s father-in-law, want to establish an independent republic. What sort of government will live under the Bonnie Blue Flag with a Single Star? France, Spain, Britain, and the United States all covet West Florida. What must Esteban do to uphold his honor and protect his family? 

THE SAINT LOUIS TOWER

​"The Saint Louis Tower" is a historical fiction set during the American Revolution, focusing on Mateo de Agulo's journey from a young man on the Canary Islands to a soldier in the Spanish army in the Americas. The story begins with Mateo witnessing a ship bound for the Americas from his father's vineyard in La Gomera, sparking his fascination with distant lands and ships. Mateo, feeling constrained by his lack of prospects on the island and heartbroken over his love interest's impending marriage to a wealthy widower, decides to enlist in the Spanish army for a chance at a new life.
The novel explores Mateo's transformation as he adapts to military life and confronts the realities of war, including encounters with the British, the Choctaw, and bandits, showcasing his bravery and quick thinking in various skirmishes and his interactions with different cultures. His journey is not just a physical one across the vast and wild landscapes of the New World but also an internal journey of growth, responsibility, and understanding his place in the world.
"The Saint Louis Tower" weaves historical facts with fiction, capturing the complexity of the era's geopolitical dynamics, the richness of the American wilderness, and the diverse cultures and peoples Mateo encounters. Through Mateo's eyes, readers experience the harsh realities of colonial warfare, the alliances and conflicts between European powers and indigenous peoples, and the personal sacrifices and choices that shape a soldier's life.
​The novel ultimately tells a tale of adventure, loyalty, and the pursuit of a new beginning, set against the backdrop of the American Revolution and the Spanish Empire's expansion in the Americas, highlighting the interconnected fates of individuals and nations during a pivotal period in history.

 
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
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Stephen Vincent Estopinal grew up in the swamps and bayous of Southeast Louisiana before graduating from Louisiana State University and joining the United States Army. He is a land surveyor and civil engineer, who spends his spare time writing. His other works include, “El Tigre de Nueva Orleáns” and "Incident at Blood River,"  which were chosen as ‘Hot Reads’ of the summer by the New Orleans Times-Picayune for 2010 and 2011. “Anna,” was published in 2012. “Escape to New Orleans,”  “Mobile Must Fall,” and “Pensacola Burning” form the "American Revolution Trilogy."  "Solitario" is about bootlegging, "The Man from Red Hill" occurs during the Texas Revolution, and" "Beneath the Bonnie Blue Flag" is his most recent work.  
All books are available in hardcover, paperback, or Kindle at Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com. 
Textbooks by this author