Capt Wilmy the Pirate Monkey of the Cape Fear

John Kmetz and his wife Sue have been attending the Saturday 5:30 p.m. Celtic service for years. He has also become a writer. The Lost Treasure of Snow's Cut is his first children's book (ages 5–8) and the first in a planned series of Captain Wilmy adventures set along the coast of southeastern North Carolina.

Captain Wilmy is no ordinary pirate. He's a monkey from Monkey Junction with a brass compass, a band of unlikely friends, and a map that leads straight into the heart of the Cape Fear. When word of a long-lost treasure buried somewhere along Snow's Cut reaches his crew, Wilmy and his Protectors of the Cape Fear Parks set sail down the river to find it and discover what real treasure looks like along the way.

A read-aloud picture book that turns real Wilmington, North Carolina landmarks into the stage for a small adventure about courage, friendship, and the places we call home.

Set in the real Cape Fear, Wilmington is the story.The Cape Fear coast isn't just the setting. It's the world the crew lives in. Real places, real names, real geography.

Snow's Cut

The canal connecting the Cape Fear River to the Atlantic and the heart of the lost-treasure mystery.

Monkey Junction

The real Wilmington crossroads named for the monkeys at a 1950s filling station. Wilmy's hometown.

Cape Fear River

The road, the playground, the obstacle. The water that ties southeastern North Carolina together.

John is currently working on his second book, The Mystery of the Venus Flytrap, to be released later this year. He will be available to sell and sign books in the old parish hall on Sunday, June 14, 2026, from 11:15 a.m. to 12 noon. You can purchase your book(s) from Amazon or on the day of the book signing. The book sells for $10. Buy one for your child, grandchild, or godchild as a birthday or Christmas gift.

To learn more, visit Capt Wilmy’s website at captainwilmy.com. All profits from the sale of his books will be used for handicap access to playgrounds and parks in the Cape Fear area.