The sixth book may be the charm for local author Rod Farrington.His latest action-adventure novel ‘Phantom Marauders of the Bermuda Triangle’ is the first in his collection to be voluntarily picked up by popular book sellers Barnes & Noble and Books-A-Million.The book was released in the United States two weeks ago; it made it into the top three best selling books in the ‘War on Drugs’ category on Amazon.com last Saturday.Mr Farrington, a full-time computer programmer at Gorham’s, is hoping sales in stores on the Island will go just as well.“My ego always gets in the way and always wants everything to be the best seller, but this one seems to have a lot of excitement beside myself,” he said.“Just to have Barnes & Noble take it on and Books-A-Million take it on when I didn’t even ask them is hopefully a good sign.”‘Phantom Marauders of the Bermuda Triangle’ is a fictional tale about the war on drugs.In his novel the Governor of Bermuda takes a drastic step to combat crime and declares an attack on drugs. He licenses privateers with a letter of marque to attack drug smugglers and drug dealers trying to bring in illegal drugs and weapons.The modern-day privateers, called phantom marauders, hate drugs and will use any means necessary to intercept narcotics on the high seas.Explained Mr Farrington: “So these guys are really tough, but in a good way. When they do come upon what they suspect could be a yacht or a cargo ship [carrying drugs] in the seas they will ask to allow to board and check for drugs; if they get fired back upon or have no response then they are very quick to open fire.“What makes them unique is they actually have a stealth ship which is called the Phantom — that’s where the name of the book comes from.”Mr Farrington has been writing for the past eight years. He felt led to explore his own imaginative side after watching the biopic ‘Finding Neverland’ about JM Barrie, the creator of Peter Pan.“The story [of how I started writing] is one of those events in life that you never forget. My wife wanted me to go to the movie ‘Finding Neverland’ and I really had no desire to see that movie ... but I went.“The thing that really captured me in that movie was Johnny Depp played the author that wrote Peter Pan and when I saw the imagination he had when he wrote the novel it made me think ‘I have got a very strong imagination’ and that was the moment that I decided I wanted to start writing.”Mr Farrington used his love of history and Bermuda to enhance his writing. He described his novels as historically accurate and geographically correct, but said he occasionally took liberties and created something that didn’t exist.“This one is truly written around modern-day Bermuda. I do delve in not only drugs and illegal weapons, I touch on a little bit of the gang life.“This novel, although it takes place in Bermuda and a lot of the chapters take place in Bermuda, the real action part is on the open seas, away from Bermuda.“The [characters] even go through Hurricane Igor with this and there is a whole chapter related to that.”While most of his novels have taken a year to write, this particular one took double that because of Mr Farrington’s hectic schedule.“It goes in spurts. When I am inspired, almost the second I leave [work] I am typing or I will type through my lunch hour.“In fact in this novel I even give a thank you to Delta Air Lines because I have written hundreds of pages of novels while flying to and from Bermuda.“A lot of people like to watch a movie or sleep, but I have just gotten into the habit as soon as I sit down on that aeroplane I start writing.”He believes part of the book’s appeal can be attributed to his son Jason, who created the cover images for all his novels. “This one is kind of edgy. I think people will look at the cover and maybe even get a different impression, but the cover is a grabber,” he said.Mr Farrington hopes teen audiences will take time to read the dedication page, in which he declares “a really strong anti-drug message”.‘Phantom Marauders of the Bermuda Triangle’, $15, is available at Gorham’s, Brown and Co, The Book Store, Bermuda Craft Market, The Book Seller and A S Cooper’s.Mr Farrington will be available for a joint book signing with author Tracey Caswell tomorrow at Gorham’s from noon until 2pm. He will also be at the Bermuda Craft Market in Dockyard on Sunday from 1pm until 3pm; and outside Brown and Co next Wednesday during Harbour Nights.