Interview With WWII Author Gary Santos

  

1. What inspired you to write this book? My father served on the aircraft carrier USS Randolph during WWII. This ship was the one of the most important things in his life, second to family. After Dad passed away in 2016, I began researching the ship's history and discovered an incredible rescue mission which has been lost to time.  

2. What exactly is it about and who is it written for? After losing a plane and its 2-man crew inside Japan, Randolph mounts an improbable mission to return them to the ship. All the while, the US fleet is defending against the ubiquitous Kamikaze. It is a contrast of one side who wants to live and the other committed to death.  

3. What do you hope readers will get out of reading your book? The struggle of American sailors. It's not too well known that more sailors were dying offshore during the Battle of Okinawa than marines and soldiers ashore. 

4. How did you decide on your book’s title and cover design? A Grand Pause is a musical term and comes from the musicians serving aboard Randolph. Although they have a small role, they are a metaphor for the greater story. The cover design was a simple choice, it's a period photograph from the Natl Archives of flight operations on Randolph.  

5. What advice or words of wisdom do you have for fellow writers – other than run!? Know your subject intimately. Share the manuscript with acquaintances and seek criticism.  

6. What trends in the book world do you see -- and where do you think the book publishing industry is heading?  I'm really surprised by the popularity of ebooks. I think it will open reading to a larger audience.  

7. Were there experiences in your personal life or career that came in handy when writing this book? Being in aviation for 30 years definitely afforded me insights to writing about flight operations.  

8. How would you describe your writing style? Which writers or books is your writing similar to? According to the Kirkus Review, my writing style is like a documentary. This is the result of technical data and historical events I write into the story. By far my greatest inspiration was 'the Bridges at Toko-Ri.' When I stumbled onto the action report of this rescue at the Natl Archives, I thought I was reading James Michener's classic. I reread the novel and knew the direction to take. Where Michener wrote a true carrier warfare story with fictional characters, I endeavoured to do the same except with real men.  

9. What challenges did you overcome in the writing of this book? The biggest challenge was creating the Japanese antagonists and remaining faithful to their culture. We tend to simplify the Kamikaze's motive by stating 'they wanted to die.' Nothing was further from the truth; they wanted to live but had to die, due to a strict observance of Bushido.  

10. If people can buy or read one book this week or month, why should it be yours? The WWII generation is slowly disappearing. They can never be forgotten.  

About The Author: Worked in aviation for over 30 years. Born in Queens, New York and currently resides on the South Shore of Long Island. To learn more, please see: Facebook

 

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About Brian Feinblum

Brian Feinblum should be followed on www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog ©2024. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab rescue dog, and El Chapo, a pug rescue dog. His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent.  This award-winning blog has generated over 3.6 million pageviews. With 4,800+ posts over the past dozen years, it was named one of the best book marketing blogs by BookBaby  http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs  and recognized by Feedspot in 2021 and 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. It was also named by www.WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.” For the past three decades, including 21 years as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book publicity firm, and director of publicity positions at two independent presses, Brian has worked with many first-time, self-published, authors of all genres, right along with best-selling authors and celebrities such as: Dr. Ruth, Mark Victor Hansen, Joseph Finder, Katherine Spurway, Neil Rackham, Harvey Mackay, Ken Blanchard, Stephen Covey, Warren Adler, Cindy Adams, Todd Duncan, Susan RoAne, John C. Maxwell, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler. He hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America several years ago, and has spoken at ASJA, Independent Book Publishers Association Sarah Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association, Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, APEX, Morgan James Publishing, and Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association. His letters-to-the-editor have been published in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Post, NY Daily News, Newsday, The Journal News (Westchester) and The Washington Post. His first published book was The Florida homeowner, Condo, & Co-Op Association Handbook.  It was featured in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald.