Military Fiction
Date Published: October 13, 2023
Publisher: Acorn Publishing
When the People’s Republic of China unleashes a devastating attack on the United States, newly appointed Naval Commander Bill Watkins and his crew are suddenly alone, deep in the enemy’s backyard, and unable to communicate with naval or national leadership.
At home in Washington, the president is detached from reality. Survivors of his cabinet contend with military leadership for control, some to save the nation they serve, others in pursuit of personal power. As America becomes alienated from her allies, Russia begins a campaign that creates heightened fears of nuclear annihilation.
Bill must navigate a political minefield to find friends among China’s neighbors, while undertaking a role that demands he take unimaginable risks and wrestles with the question: What losses are acceptable in order to win?
Is There a Message in Your Novel That You Want Readers to Grasp?
Primarily, I want readers to take away an
understanding that risk is inherent to our lives in every endeavor, not just in
the military. Obviously, it is especially important for military leaders to
understand, assess, and when necessary, accept risk. Consequently, any culture
or attitude that punishes informed, intelligent risk-taking are anathema to
military service.
A second message is that extreme nationalism,
coupled with a failure to understand the reality of an intertwined world has
the potential for catastrophic consequences. The world is too small for us to
believe we’re not all in it together.
Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
Keeping
it short! I am a terrible over-writer. I still find it difficult to cut, cut,
cut. I’ve learned to just accept that my original word count will probably need
to be reduced by at least forty percent. I also find that while I see the
settings in my mind, I don’t always describe them in the first draft. I have to
add sensory details after the fact.
How many books have you written and which is your favorite?
I’ve completed two novels; this is the first that’s been
published. While Against All Enemies was my favorite while I worked on
it, my favorite now is the third, the one I’m writing now. It’s based, very
loosely, on my father’s and two uncles’ service during World War II. As an avid
reader of war fiction and non-fiction, it’s giving me the chance to explore
operations in that war that haven’t received much attention from fiction. We
can’t let the stories of those events be lost.
If You had the chance to cast your main character from Hollywood today, who would you pick and why?
Tom
Hanks. He’s able to convey so much of what would be interior monologue to the
screen through his expressions. Also, he’s very respectful in how he portrays the
military, while not glossing over the absurdity that sometimes goes with
military culture.
When did you begin writing?
I
started when I was in seventh grade. It’s been on and off since then. I had my
first short story published in The Omega Chronicles, a San Diego based
science fiction newspaper, in January 1991. It’s now defunct, but I’m sure that
wasn’t my fault! However, I didn’t make sufficient time while I was on active
duty to write, so there were long periods where I did little writing, though I
did take a children’s writing correspondence course. I started putting more
time and effort into writing in 2000 or so, with gaps created by my seven
mobilizations between 2001 and 2012 when I retired from the Navy.
How long did it take to complete your first book?
The
first book I finished, and now need to revise, took about fifteen years. Against
All Enemies took about nine months to finish, and another five years to
revise, polish, and get published.
Did you have an author who inspired you to become a writer?
Always a difficult question. There isn’t
just one. C. S. Forester, for the age of sail. Herman Wouk, for modern times.
Robb White, for pure adventure. Isaac Asimov for, well, everything science and
science fiction.
What is your favorite part of the writing process?
After
having put the third or fourth revision of a project aside for a few months,
coming back to it and reading it for revision. I never say this part out loud,
but sometimes I will think “hey, this is pretty good.”
Describe your latest book in 4 words.
Truly
living requires risk.
Can you share a little bit about your current work or what is in the
future for your writing?
I mentioned the World War II book before.
My father and my uncles, several of them, all served during the war. The things
they went through are sometimes unimaginable. We’ve all seen so many movies and
read books set during the war that we’ve become inured to the trauma and the
danger they faced. We know we won the war. They didn’t. There were times they
were certain we couldn’t win, but kept fighting anyway. I want the reader to
experience that.
I also want to get back to my first novel, set
during the American Revolution. It’s the first book in a series that will
follow a single family’s naval service through American history, at least up to
the second world war. There are so very many fascinating events that the Navy
was involved in. I want to find the ones less well known and have my characters
participate.
About the Author
A Naval Academy and Naval War College graduate, Thomas M. Wing retired after thirty-two years as a Navy Surface Warfare officer. He served in guided missile destroyers and frigates, as well as with destroyer squadron, cruiser destroyer group, numbered fleet, and Joint Task Force staffs, where he planned and executed real-world joint operations at the operational and strategic levels of war. He also participated in naval combat during Operation Praying Mantis in the Middle East in April, 1988. He has taught Coast Guard licensing courses and has held a variety of sailing licenses, including Master and Master of Sailing Vessels, Upon Oceans. As well, he founded and served as Executive Director for the Continental Navy Foundation, which conducted experiential education at sea for young people 13-17 years of age. He also commanded the Foundation's tall ship, the brigantine Megan D.
His novel, Against All Enemies, resulted from a random thought during a period of political tension between China and the U.S. What if that political tension included cruise missiles flying in from the sea to strike the San Diego waterfront? Thomas M. Wing resides in San Diego with his wife and daughter, two cats, and a dog. He still spends whatever free time he has on the water.
Contact Links
Twitter: @thomasmwing1
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