Silver Wings for Vicki: Nancy Drew Hits the Skies

I was recently browsing in an antique store...my favorite pastime, yes, even more than reading, and I came across this old hardback book. And when I say old, I mean the copyright is 1947.

My curiosity was immediate and strong. I knew it had something to do with aviation by the little picture on the front. (My copy is just the hardback with the little woman's face.) I thought it was a pilot, but there was no blurb. I just took a chance.

It turns out it's the first in a series about a flight attendant in a time when aviation was really becoming a passenger thing. When planes were all aluminum and rivets and shown like sterling silver, when the DC3 was considered top of the line. And while this young lady, Vickie Barr, plays air hostess, she solves mysteries.

Now, the last set of old books I bought with a 1940s copyright, about a woman pilot, were ridiculous and unbelievable. But I liked this. It was just a fun, utterly charming, enjoyable read. The heroine could be called one of those Mary Sues or whatever they are, but yet..not quite. Despite her perfect family life and the way things fall into place for her, she has drive, works for what she has, appreciates many, and is very humble. Heart-in-the-right-place and doing-it-for-the-right reasons kind of humble.

She also learns quite a bit about flying, through the pilots, lectures, school.

If you were fond of Nancy Drew and ever desired to be a flight attendant, give this series a go. In this, the first installment, Vickie applies for the job (This was very interesting to me!! You'd not get away with these hiring practices or requirements now! LOL) and then goes to school. Once through school, she discovers a mysteries smuggling operation is using her flight for transportation...

There's also mild, fun romance and delightful bits of humor. I understand the first four books in the series were by Helen Wells, who also penned a nursing series. The author herself is fascinating. According to her bio on Goodreads, she was a social worker turned full-time young adult writer... In 1934 Wells graduated from New York University [where she'd been the first female editor of the literary quarterly], with a major in philosophy and a minor in sociology and psychology.

Best piece of fiction ever? No. A door stop? No. But it is the first book that has managed to hold my attention from beginning to end in quite a while and I thought it warranted sharing, this old gem.

Clear to Lift: A Novel

I would normally roll my eyes at a review that states, "Heart-pounding, edge-of-seat adventure."  But I'm going to say that. I am aware that is sounds cheesy and cliched, but in this case, it's true. As I read the final rescue scene in this novel, my heart was pounding and I was on the edge of my seat, literally. When I closed the final page and looked at my coworker (I finished reading this on a work break), I actually said, "A woman who saves the day! Exactly my kind of read!" (I was actually more specific in my quote, but to reveal more would be spoilers.)

It's Fallon Navy Base, a woman helicopter pilot doing SARS and bomb clean up and checking into F-18 crashes. It's amazing stuff. I wasn't aware until recently that there was a Navy base in the desert. I was intrigued by life on this base, wish there was more of it, such as the heroine's F-18 ride. More, more, more! I didn't like the casual reveal of that in the middle of the story. I wanted the details.

This woman has more going on than helicopter flying though as she navigates not only the peaks of the Sierra Nevada but the emotions of her heart as she questions her romantic choices and what makes her happy and comes to terms with past abandonment.

The writing is top notch, the story smooth, the action intense. My only quibble is that I felt as though I was thrown into this woman's life all of a sudden. There were lots of things in her past relevant to the tale or that I wanted more of, such as the F18 ride. Basically, I wanted more of this story, this heroine. I would have liked it to have gone a bit more, instead of starting with her at Fallon.

Terrific tale. I cannot wait to see what this author writes next.

Girl power!

I received this from the author, no strings attached.

Black Dove, White Raven: Bitter Irony in a Novel of Ethiopia

I really liked Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein.  Black Dove, White Raven seemed like it would be unusual because Wein's young pilots grew into maturity in Ethiopia.  It was unusual all right.  It nearly ripped my heart out.

                                                       

 Rhoda Menotti and Delia Dupré were stunt pilots who performed together in the U.S. in the 1930's.  They had to perform for white only audiences because the venues were all segregated.   African-American Delia became involved with an Ethiopian pilot in Paris and gave birth to a son. She wanted her son to be raised in an environment where he wouldn't be considered inferior because of his race, and intended to take him to Ethiopia. Rhoda was offended by their segregated shows, but Delia insisted that they had to take any money they could get.  She wanted to earn enough to live in Ethiopia, so that her son could be free of American racism.

When Delia died in a tragic accident, Rhoda honored her friend's intentions for her son.  She went to live in Ethiopia with Delia's son, Teo and her own daughter, Emilia.  I admired and respected Rhoda for her loyalty to Delia's memory, and for treating Teo as part of her family.  Rhoda was a credit to her Quaker background. She used her piloting skills to help people in Ethiopia.   

 Ethiopia in the 1930's was no utopia.   There was a nightmare at the heart of Ethiopian society from which it had yet to awaken.  Teo was caught up in that nightmare.   He was trained to be a pilot and became quite accomplished.   When he was sixteen his life took a terrible turn that Delia would never have anticipated.  I wept for Teo. His mother wouldn't have even considered bringing Teo to Ethiopia  if it had occurred to her that such a thing could happen to him.

Rhoda's daughter Emilia also learned to fly as a teenager, but the drama of this book centered on Teo.  Emilia was better at navigation than at flying.  She didn't actually enjoy flying which I found disappointing.  Yet she was intelligent, resourceful and immensely loyal to Teo.

I was captured by the originality and intensity of Black Dove, White Raven  until Rhoda's husband, an Italian military pilot, did something that I considered unbelievable.  It was against military regulations and wasn't consistent with the love and concern with which he had previously treated his daughter, Emilia.  So it was both implausible and reprehensible.  The spell that Elizabeth Wein had woven was broken for me at that point.

For most of this book, I thought it was the best novel that I'd read in the first half of 2015, but the out of character behavior of Orsino Menotti, Rhoda's husband, was significant.  So I felt that I had to deduct one bike from my rating.


                                      

                                                              

Surrender Your "Getting Treated Like a Lady" Card in Hover by @Anne_A_Wilson

I never gave much thought to helicopter flying on an aircraft carrier. When I think aircraft carrier and Navy, I think F-14s, F-35s. I think of tailhooks and arresting wires. But now I'll def give some thought to the helos. Having read this book, I gotta admit they're pretty bad ass. (This is coming from an F-16 mechanic so that's a compliment. We tend to be loyal to our birds.)

There's some incredible flying and emergency scenarios in this story. There's heart-pounding moments and lots of educational bits about the Navy and life on an at-sea deployment, from how the men behave on ship and leave, to the different attitudes toward women, to having/initiation, to small spaces. And I learned a lot about helicopters.

And I love how strong this woman is, and yet at times, I thought her weak..hold on... By the time I finished the story, I realized she wasn't weak; she was human. I appreciate that a strong heroine is presented to us in a realistic way. She's not perfect, not fearless. We're not talking about a comic book hero, but a woman with thoughts, feelings, desires, insecurities. And she overcomes them, from her fear of water to her fear of love.

And through her we see the constant battle a woman in a man's world--namely a Navy carrier in the middle of the ocean with only one other woman aboard--goes through. It's a constant tightrope--don't say the wrong thing, don't use the wrong tone, don't wear the wrong clothes...


I thought the heart-pounding situation was a tad implausible and the build-up to answers took too long, like why she was on every flight rotation and who the Aussie guy was. It took took long for her and us, the readers, to get answers, in my opinion. That's my only quibble.

But the romance, the writing describing Sara's thoughts and feelings toward Eric....superb. I was right there with her, feeling it, experiencing it, and that doesn't happen often for me in the more romancey scenes. I also found myself growing invested in some of the side characters. By the end of the story, I cared about them too and wanted them to get home to their wives and babies.

A solid read. I received this via Amazon Vine. Quotes may not be exact in the final copy.

Experience the Life of Barn Stormers in The Flying Circus by @SusanCrandall

The 1920s was not only about bootleggers and flappers; it was a time for barnstormers in their Jennies. Aviation was changing. Curtiss Wright was doing his thing, making better engines, planning for the future: commercial flight. Records were being made and broken.

I wanted to read this novel because of its heroine: Cora Rose Haviland, a socialite turned daredevil wing walker. As far as heroines go, she doesn't disappoint. She rides around on a motorcycle, jumps it through hoops of fire, gives men what for, and all this with a cute little dog in tow. Though fictional, she could be any number of women who really existed, like Mabel Cody, or Blanche Stuart Scott.

The story is really focused on a young man named Henry though, a German forced by a prejudiced society to deny his heritage. It's just after The Great War and emotions are still running high. Though in third person POV, it follows solely Henry. I disliked this method of narrative. I had expected that the story would follow all three of them equally, perhaps alternating POVs, giving equal page time.

Henry is on the run from the law for reasons not revealed to us fully until the end, so I will say no more about that. He's an insightful young man though who is an aircraft mechanic and pilot (after he meets Gil). I liked him, but for a main character, he's very subdued, rather "overcome" by the other two characters.

Gil is a former WWI pilot who flew reconnaissance. He has no interest in doing a flying circus and both Henry and Cora rather force the whole thing on him. In my opinion, he's the most sympathetic character. Cora, while I loved her, got on my nerves at times. She goes from brave to stupid rather quickly. I wish the novel had had alternating POVs so that perhaps we could have gotten in her head and found out what exactly was motivating her to be this way. Her brief bits of explanation to Henry, I simply found unsatisfactory.

These three travel town to town, promoting, flying, coming up with stunts--and in Henry's case, safety features--drinking, saving lives, being hit by tornadoes, all kinds of things. And unavoidably, there is a love triangle, though I don't feel there's any real romance in this. The triangle is brief and feelings are never fully reciprocated at the same time, not until the very end. Cora seems to "love" the one who's there or more exciting at the moment. I don't feel this should be in the romance category (which is where Amazon Vine placed it).

It addresses many issues though as well as fully immerses readers into the early days of aviation: shell shock, shame, prejudice, and just what makes a person "free". It's a fun book; the characters grow on you (the reader), and the story will not quickly leave your mind after you're done, like most books nowadays. There's a lot of uniqueness within its pages. And the ending was well done.

I received this ARC via Amazon Vine. Quote may not be exact in the the final printing.

A Chance Kill: Darkly Ironic WWII Thriller by @LettersPaul, Review & #Giveaway

Please join author Paul Letters as he tours the blogosphere for A Chance Kill, from April 6-10.

Publication Date: February 26, 2015

Silverwood Books

Formats: eBook, Paperback

Pages: 300

Genre: Historical Fiction

 A Chance Kill is a wartime thriller where an old-fashioned love story forges through a conspiracy of authentic, action-filled adventures.

Based upon the author’s grandmother’s experience, seventeen-year-old Polish catholic Dyta Zając finds herself forced away from wartime Warsaw due to her family’s shadowy connections. Dyta’s time on the run sets her on a path towards confronting the ultimate Nazi.

Half a continent away, an RAF bomber crew embarks upon Britain’s little-known first offensive of the war. Courtship edges Dyta’s destiny closer to that of members of the RAF crew – and toward the Allies’ most brazen covert operation to strike at the Nazi elite.

But more dangerous than the enemy, however, is the assumption that your enemy’s enemy is your friend…

*****REVIEW*****

It was Dyta, the female protagonist, who attracted me to this novel.  I hadn't read a book dealing centrally with a non-Jewish Polish woman who is involved in the struggle against the Nazis.  All the books I'd previously encountered that took place in Poland during WWII were focused on Jews trying to survive the Holocaust.  So this is an unusual perspective for me.  Dyta also has some formidable skills that would make her stand out in any context.

Paul Letters likes to employ dark irony.  I enjoy the cleverness of irony in the context of satire. In a serious novel dark irony intensifies tragic events and gives them more impact.  I appreciate that this is the author's goal. Dark irony shocks readers.  It makes a dark book feel even darker.  Those who are familiar with my reviews know that I don't prefer dark fiction.  Yet whether Dyta is in Warsaw, Paris, London or Prague she  is always an inspiring element in this book.  She burns brightly in the darkness that surrounds her. I always hoped as I was reading A Chance Kill that she would ultimately prevail regardless of the tribulations that she experienced.

I did notice that this author has a tendency to utilize expository lumps for the purpose of characterization as if he wanted to get characterization out of the way so he could focus on action.  For me, action scenes that contain little in the way of characterization seem very dry.  If  I'm not reviewing a book, my normal habit is to skim the details.  I had to fight that proclivity while Tom, the RAF pilot male protagonist, was battling Messerschmitts.

Both the protagonists are well-intentioned people with blind spots based on assumptions.  They grow beyond their assumptions to become stronger individuals.   The crucible of war also shapes their lives in ways that they never expected.  Tom is not as unusual as Dyta, but he is courageous and tries to be principled.

Let me point out that although this book contains romance, it definitely isn't part of the romance genre.  Letters is under no obligation to provide his readers with a HEA ending.  From a relationship perspective, this book ends on a cliffhanger note.  There will be a sequel, and we will presumably find out whether the romance survives.  

Since I am interested in aviation, I wanted to find out more about the planes that play a part in A Chance Kill.  I was particularly intrigued by the  RAF's Mosquitos which were known as Mossies. They were faster and more maneuverable than anything that the Germans had, and they were made of wood.  Here's an article about them on Wikipedia.  I was so impressed with them that I'm giving this book an extra bike.

                                                  

Buy A Chance Kill

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About the Author

Author Paul Letters deals with a physical disability (which is twisted and transposed to a character in A Chance Kill). It prompted Paul to change his life and give up full-time teaching to write. He studied history, education, international affairs and literary journalism at the Universities of Cardiff, Oxford and Hong Kong.

Paul is from England and now lives in the jungled fringes of Hong Kong. He writes freelance journalism, most often for the South China Morning Post, and is currently working on a World War Two novel set in Hong Kong.

For more information please visit Paul Letters’ website. You can also find him on Facebook, Goodreads, and Twitter. Follow the WWII 75 Years On Twitter page for daily tweets on what happened in history 75 years ago.

A Chance Kill Blog Tour Schedule

Monday, April 6
Review at Flashlight Commentary

Tuesday, April 7
Review at Books and Benches
Spotlight at Beth’s Book Nook Blog

Wednesday, April 8
Review at Quirky Book Reviews
Review at Back Porchervations
Spotlight at A Literary Vacation
Spotlight at With Her Nose Stuck In A Book

Thursday, April 9
Review at History From A Woman’s Perspective
Spotlight at Boom Baby Reviews

Friday, April 10
Review at The Great Reads!
Interview at Back Porchervations
Guest Post at History From A Woman’s Perspective
Spotlight at CelticLady’s Reviews

GIVEAWAY

A Chance Kill Giveaway

The Witch of Stalingrad by Justine Saracen

I chose this novel to read because of the Night Witches. People who follow this blog will already know who they were--Russian women pilots during WWII who flew at night, relying solely on distance, flight time, and compasses to drop bombs on the invading Germans. They were some of the most remarkable women in aviation history. This novel, however, not only shows us their bravery and determination, but also that of other women. This book is full of amazing, admirable women and I was pleased with each one, from the war correspondent who must fly a plane in battle--something she doesn't expect, to the medics who carry the wounded under fire, to the POWS in camp who huddle around their tied-up comrade to prevent her from freezing to death, this story honors them all.

And while I've read many Russian-themed WWII novels, I still walked away from this book having picked up a few new tidbits about life during the war there, like the fact they painted the Kremlin to look like a row of houses and Lenin's tomb looked like a village cottage.

Honored also in this tale and whom I was pleased to learn about is Marina Raskova, famous navigator who founded the three female air regiments we meet in this book: the Night Witches, the fighters, the dive bombers.

The story is told following two women: an American war correspondent/photographer with a Russian family history and a Night Witch who is actually so much more: a fighter pilot, a POW, a soldier. There is a wonderful romance between them, a very sweet, tasteful romance, none of that insta-love. Their love seems to grow from mutual respect and admiration, as well as physical attraction, and they make the most of the time they have together.

Strange, too, the power of an embrace, when they had only that. In the frigid air and confines of the plane, with gloved hands and heavily padded bodies, no other touch was possible. But for a few moments, the kiss was a pledge, a surrender, the center of the world, the star around which both their lives orbited.

There's food for thought, about politics, love, how we think and how our thoughts change due to the things we experience.

If I have a single complaint, it's that the physical relationship between the women seemed a bit "off". I couldn't help but notice that Alex was always the giver of pleasure and Lilya the receiver and I pondered if this was because of age or something else. But then some people receive pleasure by giving it. Something else the story made me think about.

I give this book five bikes for many reasons. It's informative, thought-evoking, well told and written, entertaining, and honors the bravery of many women. I loved it. And the ending--not ridiculous or far-fetched as some romances tend to be. It was just right.

I received this via Netgalley.

Youngest F-35 Pilot Straps Into the Cockpit...And SHE Finds Love

I had tits in a testosterone world and showing any sign of weakness was not an option.

I have some seriously good things to say about this story and some not so great. It's one of those tales that you could say has me on the fence.

First, the good: we have a totally kick-ass, feisty, strong heroine here. She's a fighter pilot--a good one--and she stands her own against all the guys and earns their respect. She must be bright too, because at just 22 years of age, the Air Force is letting her fly the brand new F35.

The group chatter/ribbing among the pilots is awesome. As a woman in a male-dominated profession, I work with guys like Mojo and the author captured this lifestyle to a T. I laughed and smiled and felt like I was there, among this easy camaraderie. I took a real liking to Ash and Mojo and Stitch.

As an aircraft mechanic who has worked on a variety of planes, I very much appreciate the little details the author put in the story about the faulty environmental systems. There were some instances I found myself nodding my head in agreement over some little technical thing.

However, the story never gets overly technical, just in case anyone doesn't like that stuff. It's "layman" speak, nothing that won't be easily understood. You don't have to be an aircraft mechanic to get it.

I also absolutely love how the heroine gets her call sign. That was probably my favorite part of the story.

What I didn't like was quickly the heroine and the hero sleep together, before 8%, before he even knows her name. And I do realize this was necessary for the rest of the storyline, for the awkward situation between them to exist, but I'd rather it have gone differently. This situation also made me dislike the hero from the very get-go because the heroine was a bit drunk. He should have known better.

I also didn't like the lack of detail about the heroine's flight history. The USAF isn't going to just let a 22 year old go straight from simulator to million-dollar jet. What did she fly before? What was her training like? Pilots must have a college degree. She did four years of college and flight school/private pilot's license by 22? Doable? Yes. But lemme have the data, 'cause I like that stuff and it would help with her background.

And hey--everyone throws up the first time. She can't be that perfect. LOL

It's a good romance if romance is what you're looking for. I just would have preferred she hook up with Ash. LOL But we're left in enough suspense that we begin to doubt that HEA will come. Good job with that! I also appreciated the theme about hurting before healing, especially in regards to the loss of a loved one.

I have a feeling this may be the first in a series.

Def an author to keep an eye on.

I received this via Netgalley.

From Housewife to Helicopter Pilot: The Concetta Hassan Story

"I guess what they say is true. If you let the bird out of the cage, it may not be happy stuck inside four walls."

I loved this movie. It's so inspiring! It brings home that saying, "It's never too late" and you're never too old. And us women can certainly carry the load and take care of business. 

Long story short: It's the late seventies and Concetta (this movie is based on a true story) is happily married with three children (one a baby. In real life the baby had a heart condition. In the movie, she doesn't.) When her husband has a heart attack and can't work anymore, they lose everything, and it's up to Concetta--despite her husband's protests and the damage to his pride--to get some money coming in...STAT.

After a failed gas station job, she joins the Army...at 32 years of age!

For a while there, I didn't think she was going to survive Basic, not under that bad-ass "John Wayne". (FYI, I loved this "John Wayne" lady. Watch the movie and check her out for yourself.)

She not only makes it, surprising everyone but her husband who knew she could do it all along, she strives for even more and four years later, decides to be a helicopter pilot, enrolling in flight school in which she's the only woman in a barracks full of men. And sometimes she's patronized...etc.

But we also see how her home life is, how the daughters have strife with their father, as he's the one home all day, and yet he's the one they turn to when they have a bad dream or whatever. And this hurts the working mother. It was also interesting to watch what it's like for a stay-at-home husband as he goes from shame to hurt pride to acceptance and telling people off for judging him. From anger at his wife to being proud of her.

Truly a great movie with so much to it. I wish they'd explained the man's heart condition better though. I mean, why couldn't he get a desk job at least? Seems to me being home with screaming girls all day is more stressful than sitting at a desk or selling insurance. And if he could have relations, why couldn't he climb a ladder? But I'm not a doctor...and don't understand. I also think the movie could have showed us just what kind of discrimination she faced besides a patronizing teacher. I know there had to be some. She mentions it in the newspaper articles.

Fabulous movie, terrific heroine. Remember, ladies, no matter how old you are, no matter how long you've been at home if that's the case, it's never too late to prove anything to yourself. It's always your TIME TO TRIUMPH.

The real Concetta flew helicopters in the Army way into her sixties. She was a flying grandma. 

I watched this via Amazon Prime.

An American Duchess Transforms from Fun, Feisty Aviatrix to Emotional Basket Case

"I never believed in the idea of nobility. Now I understand what being noble truly means. It has nothing to do with a title. It's not even about sacrifice or duty. It's about a passion for your world, one that runs through your blood. It's about loving something so deeply you would never put yourself first."

In the past, I've often complained about romance novels, about how they always end with a couple getting married and the woman with a babe in her womb. So predictable. And is that really a HEA? We all know there's so much more to a woman's life, to marriage.

This story goes that further step, and for that I'll give it a few points, but now I understand why most stories end with marriage. It gets so boring after that. Though it didn't have to be...

I loved the first part of this book, loved the heroine, the scandal surrounding her arrival and the family she is marrying into. I laughed at her shocking remarks to all the uptight women, applauded her stance on women's rights, wanted more of her flying escapades. This was truly a heroine after my own heart....oh--and I grinned when she criticized the English upper class for having inherited their fortune rather than working for it. However, that last bit being said, I was surprised at how she changes after she's wed. It's not like she works for anything either, never did, come to think of it.

After she's married all she does is think about sex, how to get her husband to visit her bed more often, why her husband isn't sleeping with her. That becomes the main focus of her life, of her very existence. And then something bad happens and the story just won't let up on it and the emotional ramifications. I realize it's hard to go through in real life, but to pound on and on and on about it. The experience became too much of the story. The heroine became a ninny.

And then suddenly she declares, "I intend to be the first female to circumnavigate the globe. I can do this. you need three things: guts, ability and money. I do that those things, Nigel (her husband). And I want to the world that I do."

And, oh....my poor heart. I got excited for nothing. NOTHING. Oh , there's a brief mention--one sentence--of her flying from FL to NY, but that's all. Instead the story chooses to focus on her just doing something randomly stupid. And then suddenly she's afraid to fly over water, this girl was going to fly over the Atlantic? Huh? So while I loved her in the beginning, in the end I decided she was all bark, no bite.

The first part of the story has so much more going on: a younger sister in love with no dowry, a dowager stuck in the old ways, the question of a brother's sexuality, an uncle who has reason to throw the heroine's mother in jail...so much suspense and excitement that all disappears once the heroine marries and her focuses in life completely change.

At the risk of repeating myself, it was a great story in the beginning, but the exciting stuff was over too quickly and the not-so-exciting stuff expounded upon mercilessly: her loss, the duke's old-fashioned values, his shell shock. I am fully aware shell shock is an important issue, but this isn't The Poppy Factory and it was just too heavy and too much for this type of tale/genre.

I also got tired of the back and forth...I love him. I love him not. He loves me. He loves me not. I love him...

I received an ARC of this via Netgalley.

Close to the Sun Follows the Adventurous Lives of WWII Aviators (HFVBT)

Thank you to Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours for providing a digital copy of this for my reading pleasure.

I don't normally read "man" books, but I was drawn to this because of the aviation theme. It follows three different men as they pursue their dreams of flying pursuit planes and enter WWII. One man is a German. I had a hard time enjoying his stories. His personality was that of a jerk. One is a Jewish American. Something didn't grab me about his bits. Even his romance was uninteresting to me.

But then we have Hank and I really, really like Hank. All his parts were interesting to me: the girl Winty, his experience in cadet school, the men he knows (like the Texan), motorcycle races... I learned a lot about how early Army Air Force training was like--from the hazing to the lack of flight time to the pursuit vs bombers issue. I had no idea that bombers were "uncool". Don't seem one bit uncool to me!

The book can drag if you're not interested in one or two of the main characters, but if you like the characters and have an interest in aviation history, this is for you. Matter of fact, I got my husband a copy of this one.

***

Publication Date: June 15, 2014
Fireship Press
eBook; 404p

Genre: Historical Fiction



Close to the Sun follows the lives of fighter pilots during the Second World War. As a boy, Hank Milroy from Wyoming idealized the gallant exploits of WWI fighter aces. Karl, Fürst von Pfalz-Teuffelreich, aspires to surpass his father’s 49 Luftsiegen. Seth Braham falls in love with flying during an air show at San Francisco’s Chrissy Field.

The young men encounter friends, rivals, and exceptional women. Braxton Mobley, the hotshot, wants to outscore every man in the air force. Texas tomboy Catherine “Winty” McCabe is as good a flyer as any man. Princess Maria-Xenia, a stateless White Russian, works for the Abwehr, German Intelligence. Elfriede Wohlman is a frontline nurse with a dangerous secret. Miriam Keramopoulos is the girl from Brooklyn with a voice that will take her places.

Once the United States enter the war, Hank, Brax, and Seth experience the exhilaration of aerial combat and acedom during the unromantic reality of combat losses, tedious bomber escort, strafing runs, and the firebombing of entire cities. As one of the hated aristocrats, Karl is in as much danger from Nazis as he is from enemy fighter pilots, as he and his colleagues desperately try to stem the overwhelming tide as the war turns against Germany. Callous political decisions, disastrous mistakes, and horrific atrocities they witness at the end of WWII put a dark spin on all their dreams of glory.

Blogger Praise for Close to the Sun

"Donald Michael Platt’s Close to the Sun is an amazing story told from the perspective of average male fighter pilots in the onset and during WWII, juxtaposing between various men from many sides of the war. The details in this novel were spectacular, creating imagery and depth in the scenes and characters, as well as the dialogue being so nostalgic and well-written it felt right out of a 1950’s film. The romantic nuances of his storytelling felt incredibly authentic with the tug and pull of the men being called to serve and the women whom they loved who had their own high hopes, dreams, or work. I loved how he portrayed this women the most—strongly and fiercely independent. I’ve read several other books by Platt, and this is the best one I’ve read yet! I couldn’t stop reading. " - Erin Sweet Al-Mehairi, Hook of a Book

"Donald Platt's Close To The Sun, is nothing short of Historical Fiction gold. Platt's flair for emotionally provocative storytelling makes this book attractive to both male and female readers. Seamlessly weaving the threads of action and feeling into a brilliant tableau of humanity. This is a masterfully penned tale of war, ambition, love, loss, and ACES!" - Frishawn Rasheed, WTF Are You Reading?

"Fast-paced and riveting I couldn’t get enough of Hank, Karl and Seth’s exploits! CLOSE TO THE SUN is a thrilling novel that leads readers through idyllic dreams of heroism and the grim reality of war. Platt provides readers with a unique coming-of-age story as three adventure-seeking boys discover far more than how to be an aerial combat pilot. CLOSE TO THE SUN is an amazing tale of adventure, heroism, war and the drive within us all that keeps us going when things look bleak." - Ashley LaMar, Closed the Cover

"I found Close to the Sun to be an entertaining read, it was well written, with well developed characters, these characters had depth and emotion. A unique plot, told from the point of view of pilots prior to and during World War II. It was a well researched and interesting book" - Margaret Cook, Just One More Chapter

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About the Author

Author of four other novels, ROCAMORA, HOUSE OF ROCAMORA, A GATHERING OF VULTURES, and CLOSE TO THE SUN, Donald Michael Platt was born and raised in San Francisco. Donald graduated from Lowell High School and received his B.A. in History from the University of California at Berkeley. After two years in the Army, Donald attended graduate school at San Jose State where he won a batch of literary awards in the annual SENATOR PHELAN LITERARY CONTEST.

Donald moved to southern California to begin his professional writing career. He sold to the TV series, MR. NOVAK, ghosted for health food guru, Dan Dale Alexander, and wrote for and with diverse producers, among them as Harry Joe Brown, Sig Schlager, Albert J. Cohen, Al Ruddy plus Paul Stader Sr, Hollywood stuntman and stunt/2nd unit director. While in Hollywood, Donald taught Creative Writing and Advanced Placement European History at Fairfax High School where he was Social Studies Department Chairman.

After living in Florianópolis, Brazil, setting of his horror novel A GATHERING OF VULTURES, pub. 2007 & 2011, he moved to Florida where he wrote as a with: VITAMIN ENRICHED, pub.1999, for Carl DeSantis, founder of Rexall Sundown Vitamins; and THE COUPLE’S DISEASE, Finding a Cure for Your Lost “Love” Life, pub. 2002, for Lawrence S. Hakim, MD, FACS, Head of Sexual Dysfunction Unit at the Cleveland Clinic.

Currently, Donald resides in Winter Haven, Florida where he is polishing a dark novel and preparing to write a sequel to CLOSE TO THE SUN.

For more information please visit Donald Michael Platt's website. You can also connect with him on Facebook and Twitter.

Close to the Sun Blog Tour Schedule

Monday, August 18
Review at Forever Ashley & Closed the Cover

Wednesday, August 20
Spotlight at A Bookish Affair

Thursday, August 21
Review at Tribute Books Mama

Friday, August 22
Spotlight at CelticLady's Reviews

Saturday, August 23
Review at Beth's Book Reviews

Monday, August 25
Review at Jorie Loves a Story

Tuesday, August 26
Interview at Jorie Loves a Story

Wednesday, August 27
Spotlight at Princess of Eboli

Thursday, August 28
Guest Post at The Writing Desk

Friday, August 29
Review at Queen of All She Reads

Monday, September 1
Review at Book Nerd

Tuesday, September 2
Review & Guest Post at My Tangled Skeins Book Reviews

Wednesday, September 3
Review at Book Babe

Thursday, September 4
Spotlight at Layered Pages
Spotlight at Kinx's Book Nook

Friday, September 5
Guest Post at Cynthia Robertson Blog

Soaring Home Isn't Just a Book, But a Tribute to Early Aviation

"I'm not meant to be here, in this small town. I want to do something, set a record, go places no woman has ever gone."

If you were to look at the aviation industry as if it were a human being, growing and aging like one, then Soaring Home takes us back to when aviation was just learning to toddle on its chubby little legs. WWI has just ended. Planes are up there, but they're solely for military use or very short flights--barn storming. Long distance hasn't been done yet, but the Wright brothers have done their thing and Glenn Curtiss is struggling to create what will be the aviation industry.

While we follow this spunky heroine, Darcy, as she learns to fly and dreams of making the transatlantic flight (as does the hero), the book name drops some of the most fascinating names in aviation history.

Glenn Curtiss

Glenn Curtiss has moved on from bicycle and motorcycle racing and is now manufacturing airplanes. One failed factory doesn't stop him. He opens another. This fascinating and amazing man is mentioned in the book because the hero, Jack, works for him, flies his planes--in the beginning. GC not only helped birth the aviation industry as we know it, but made the first long-distance flight in the States and created the Curtiss Aeroplane & Motor Company, commonly known now as Curtiss Wright. He's also famous for having created the Jenny, a common airplane flown by the Army during WWI. To list this man's accomplishments would take all day and not leave much space for the review of this book itself!

              Lena Pearl Neff Curtiss

Something that stood out as interesting to me was that he taught women to fly, and this was when even the hero of the book balks at such a thing. Perhaps he even taught his own wife, as this photo from Wiki Commons rather attests to.

Marjorie

And brought to my attention for the first time ever, Marjorie Stinson is mentioned. After getting a license in the Wright school, she opened her own school in San Antonio, TX. (She was also the only women to be accepted into the U.S. Army Reserve Corps in 1915. She trained men for WWI and garnered the nickname 'The Flying Schoolmarm'.)

Katherine

She recruited her sister Katherine as an instructor also. Katherine was only the fourth woman in America to receive a pilot's license. Her love of aviation was inspired by her ascent in a hot-air balloon. She not only was the first woman to perform in Japan and China, but also the first to fly for the U.S. Post Office.

Again, I could go on and on about these ladies, but I digress...I should also add that these people were merely mentioned, did not actually have roles in the story itself. The story itself is about Darcy and Jack--both fictional. Darcy wants to fly and Jack can teach her, but Darcy is constantly waylaid by her demanding family. (I really don't see why she should care for her sister's kids when it's her sister who keeps getting knocked up, but things were different back then.) Even Jack doesn't like the idea of women flying.

While I liked how persistent Darcy is, at the same time she also began to come across as nagging. Three-fourths into the story she began getting on my nerves. I felt like she was pushing Jack into the transatlantic flight, that it was all about her, not him achieving his dream, 'cause he didn't seem to want it as much as her. Do I understand it, her desire to make history? Yes, I do, very much, but at the same time it's obvious she's totally not prepared and has no patience. I can't get into too much detail about this without spoilers.

The book is filled with aviation stuff, from rudders to over-oiled engines, to the importance of NOT grabbing your yoke for balance, just all kinds of things as these two prepare for this transatlantic flight that may never happen...and at the same time they both resist their love for each other. Her because she knows he won't let his wife fly and she doesn't want to be under a man's thumb and he because he's just not the marrying type...

Though a Christian fiction, the book doesn't tend to be really religious. There's merely some spots here and there in which the heroine is upset that the hero doesn't go to church and in which it's thought that "God wants me to do this; God wants me to do that". Though only mentioned about three or four times, I didn't care for the anti-drinking message. For the millionth time, what is the deal with alcohol? Plenty of darned good people (who may even go to church!) enjoy a drink after a hard day's work...and they deserve it!

Wasn't too keen on the ending much at all.

I received this via Paperback Swap.

Can Love Really Take Flight in this Classic Aviation Movie from 1937?

I came across this old movie whilst browsing Amazon Prime movie selections. When I saw the words "champion aviatrix" and "flight records", I had to immediately watch it. This combines my love of aviation, women pilots, and classic black-and-white movies. It stars Bruce Cabot and Beatrice Roberts.

The plot:
She's a flight attendant who flies on the side. He's a hotshot airline pilot (American Airlines!) who keeps nattering about a flight from LA to Manila (quite a feat back then). She loves him. He doesn't realize she's alive. When she passes up an incredible opportunity to stay near him, her heart is broken when HE abandons her and their potential flight to pursue a career in Hollywood, with the latest starlet danging off his arm.

She then goes on to become the champion aviatrix mentioned above.

I liked this. It wasn't what I was hoping for, but I was entertained and I enjoyed seeing the old airplanes even though the picture is really quite awful at times--fuzzy and dark.

The heroine had some great retorts and holds her own most of the time, but in the end I was disappointed with her. She very quickly goes from champion aviatrix to relinquishing all control and becoming a mere flight attendant again. All the hero has to do is say, "Fetch me some coffee." I was VERY disappointed in this.

But let's keep in mind, this was 1937...and while I would have liked to have seen her have more backbone than that and accomplish the feat in question on HER own, without letting him take the reins...well, whatever.

I also wish they'd make the hero more likable, though he does something in the end that redeemed him in my eyes.

If you're like me and you can't resist a woman pilot movie, no matter just how much flying she does, this is a nice way to while away 70 minutes.

Aviation, Whales, and Alaskan History, All Between the Pages of Kitty Hawk and the Curse of the Yukon Gold by Iain Reading

This is a fun adventure book aimed at middle-grade readers, but I believe adults will get something out of it as well.

We have a fresh-out-of-HS heroine who gets a clothing company to sponsor her and takes off from Canada to Alaska to spend her summer whale-watching. This was very cool and I enjoyed this tremendously. As she flies around, she witnesses things whales do and I was educated by these scenes. I learned a lot, actually, that I didn't know about humpback whales, from their smelly breath to their eating habits.

BUT, Kitty Hawk's whale-watching expedition is interrupted when she takes it upon herself to make a stupid detour. I'm still trying to get my mind around the fact that a relatively smart young women took this risk. Seems implausible to me, honestly. Anyway, her detour leads her to "discover" stolen gold and gets her kidnapped. From this point on she's tied up with a rope, climbing mountains, eating energy bars, and assisting the gold thieves.

Despite my being perturbed over the fact she was so unbelievably dumb in the first place, I came to enjoy the adventure and the entire story of the stolen gold surprised me. The book is fun. The heroine spunky. I'd let a teenage daughter of mine read it.

Annoyances:
The heroine constantly talks to a little voice. I was super annoyed by this. Also adding confusion to these conversations she has with her little voice is the fact that her thoughts are in quotation marks, leading me to think at first reading that she said that out loud. Then I would remember she's speaking to that little voice in her head...

While I appreciated that Alaskan gold-rush history made into the book to educate younger readers, I do not like how this was gone about. It's TOLD through dialogue, story-tellers, throughout the story, meaning all these historical bits and stories--and there are pages of them--are TOLD and not shown. Telling instead of showing is very boring. I don't see myself reading the rest of the series if this method is going to continue. These bits are like reading a biography and I'm simply not into that.

I received this from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

My Vintage Day, World War II "Experience"

I did something utterly exciting this last Friday. I went to Heber City, UT, where they were honoring the 70th Anniversary of D-Day. You all know my obsession with aircraft--all kinds!--and my strong interest in World War II. I certainly read enough novels about it!

So...I'm tickled pink to share with you all my day. I feel it's appropriate to share it here. I'm not on Facebook anymore either, so this gives me a way to share my pictures with those who are interested.

What did you do? you ask.


I went up in a B-25 called Maid in the Shade! I sat in the back with the guns and we flew around for about twenty minutes. I've never in my life flown on a plane so very old with so much history behind it. This aircraft is a restored WWII plane that flew missions in 1944. It did a lot over Italy. I've taken a screen shot from the website. I encourage you to go look for yourself though; just click on the words Maid in the Shade up there.

Anyway, here are some photos from the experience, outside and in. I must say, I loved the feel of this aicraft. It feels like you're in a plane. The rumble, the vibration. It's just too awesome for words. So much more exhilarating than modern-day aircraft. With modern-day ones, you pretty much forget you're in a plane.

Inside! Finally! I'm terribly windblown at this point...and a bit frazzled...I'll get to that.

My generous and handsome hubby. No, ladies, you cannot have him.

Before we took off, the emergency exit was open, just a little circle of sheet metal. 

I was facing the cockpit. This was my view. I was sitting next to a gun, on the left.
I think what amazed me the most about this experience is all the people I know who had a hand in the life of this aircraft, the women in the factories who riveted them, the WASP who ferried them, the men who flied them over Italy, and the soldiers who sat in the seat you see wondering if they were going to die. We must remember to thank these people each and every day. Without them having fought the war, imagine what the world would be like now.

Flying over Park City.

Me with my flight certificate. See how hard a time I'm having keeping my dress down? You see, I thought it was appropriate to wear one of my new vintage-style dresses... However, it was a LOT windier than I anticipated and I also had to...whilst holding my dress down, somehow climb up and down a ladder. *gulp*. Thank goodness I wore full-coverage underwear. Double thank goodness they were purple. It's not so bad if they match, huh? I'm fairly certain I flashed everyone there. UGH.

Like the dress? Want the look for yourself? Find it on ModCloth, one of my favorite online dress shops. And no, this isn't a sponsored post or review. I bought and paid for this item myself and just thought I'd mention it.

My certificate.

I, of course, had my feminine radar up and took photos of everything remotely womanly in the museum hangar.

When I saw this....I laughed. Had to take a picture, because this was me...all day. *smh*

Funny fact I learned...you know those pin-up girls painted on the sides of the bombers to "boost morale"? Personally I think some of the nudies probably boosted other things...*snort* but of course, American women back then had delicate sensibilities--or so, men thought--and it turns out they were not allowed to pain those nudie girls on the sides of their aircraft until they were overseas. 

Anyway, that ends my Vintage WWII experience. Did anybody else do anything to honor WWII, D-day?