Taylor Anderson Interview - Winds of Wrath

Photo Content from Taylor Anderson

Taylor Anderson is the New York Times Bestselling Author of the DESTROYERMEN Series. He has a Master's degree in History and taught that subject at Tarleton State University. As a gun maker and forensic ballistic archaeologist, he has advised numerous museums as well as the National Parks Service and the United States Army. He's also a technical and dialogue consultant for movies and documentaries involving18th, 19th and early 20th century combat. He's even done some acting.

He's a member of the National Historical Honor Society and the United States Field Artillery Association—from which he was awarded the Honorable Order of St. Barbara. He owns a collection of 18th and 19th century artillery pieces and fires them for movie sound, documentaries, competition, and fun.

His cannons (and sometimes himself) have appeared in many films including: The Alamo (2003), Palo Alto, American Outlaws, Two For Texas, Time Tracers, and Rough Riders. (He also consulted on The Patriot and Ride With The Devil.) He knows precisely what cannons are capable of and that's reflected in his writing.

As a sailor, he's knows the capricious vagaries of the weather and the sea and as a historian, he's trained to research what he's unable to experience first-hand. Careful research was essential to writing Destroyermen because one of the main characters is, after all, USS Walker. Over 270 “four-stacker” destroyers were built during and after WW I, but none remain today.

He loves old music, old trucks old guns, and old dogs—but would give everything he has to go into space. He says he was either born a century too late or too early. He lives in Granbury, Texas.

    

  

Greatest thing you learned at school.

Ha. I answered this the last time we spoke, but I believe it strongly enough to do it again. The most important thing I learned in school was how to learn—more specifically, how to teach myself the stuff I wanted to know.

Tell us your latest news.

Well, “WINDS OF WRATH,” the 15th and final book in the DESTROYERMEN series is out. It has been an amazing ride, “living” in that world and in the heads of so many characters I’ve come to think of as real people for so long, but the time has come to bring it to—if not an end, exactly, at least a satisfactory stopping-place. I never got tired of writing it and still love the world and the story as much as I ever did, but I promised my readers a long time ago that I’d never leave them hanging, either by moving on to other things while they were waiting for another D-Men installment, or just flat never giving them the satisfaction of knowing how the main arc of the story (up till now) turns out--for a variety of reasons. Those who’ve followed this series for so long deserve the catharsis of Winds of Wrath, and I just hope I did it, and them, justice.

Tell us your most rewarding experience since being published. 

The surprisingly large numbers of contacts I receive from people who’ve been touched by the story in some way are the most rewarding, by far. Even being “alternate history” of a sort, I love how much DESTROYERMEN has inspired an interest in REAL history among many readers, but the most touching to me personally have been the notes from former service men and women telling me “I knew that guy!” (referring to some character), or more especially active service members in harm’s way thanking ME for pleasantly distracting them from their grim circumstances. I’m so incredibly humbled by that. How could anyone ask for a better “reward?” 

What are some of your current and future projects that you can share with us?

I’m still writing in the Destroyermen universe and hope to do so for a long time, in addition to other projects. The possibilities for adventures on an entirely different Earth are endless. Just writing the backstories of some of the known factions—standing completely alone from later “known histories”—could keep me busy for years. And of course I hope to return to some of the characters that readers (and I) love so much once the dust of “WINDS OF WRATH” settles a bit, to explore their new and totally different circumstances. As for other things . . . A well-known author and very good friend recently suggested, offhand, “Why not do a Space Opera?” Why not indeed? Hmm. 

Which of your characters do you feel has grown the most since book 1 and in what way have they changed?

All the characters changed a great deal, some more than others, as have some of the very cultures they’re part of. Chack-Sab-At went from being essentially a pacifist to become one of the most lethal commanders in the Grand Alliance. Courtney Bradford was a scatterbrained engineer and “naturalist,” who eventually focused himself entirely on winning the war and even led troops in battle. Halik was an old Grik “sport fighter” with little notion of the world beyond his own dawning comprehension that there was more to it than he knew, who was “elevated” to become a Grik general. Given better understanding even then, and greater support, he might’ve destroyed the Alliance. As it was, he became the next thing to a Grik “Alexander,” and statesman. Even the great and terrible Dennis Silva changed from his beginnings as a deliberately simple and mischievous gunner’s mate motivated (in his mind) by “happy, hungry, horny, and mad” but whose somewhat indifferent cruel streak even then was balanced by a sense of fairness and justice. Over time, the very small number of people he actually cared about slowly expanded to include all “his” people and their cause to the extent he was willing to die for them. On the surface, he seemed to change least of all, except for additional wounds and scars, but those wounds went beneath the surface and that’s where he might’ve changed more than anyone. There are too many other examples to list. I could go on for pages about Captain Reddy, Lord Koratin, The Mice, “Spanky” McFarlane, Tabby . . . It’s funny, but the young Fred Reynolds who participates in the action snippet I’m including below probably changed less than anyone in spite of some very terrible experiences—aside from growing from a boy to a man. 

Your Favorite Quotes/Scenes from WINDS OF WRATH

I can’t tell you my very favorites because they’ll spoil everything, but this is a little scene from a fight between Dominion lancers and a protective force of NUS infantry and artillery. Fan favorites Fred Reynolds and Kari Faask are present (without their “Nancy” floatplane).

Dukane’s battery unleased six loads of canister, consisting in this case of eighteen hundred half-inch balls. His gunners groaned when a gust of wind revealed only a score or so horses and riders going down. Almost all their fire had churned the ground a hundred yards short of the oncoming enemy.

“You’re an idiot, Donkey!” Meder roared. “We haven’t time for your foolishness now. Aim high!” Putting his hands on his hips he turned to the front and assumed a disdainful air. “C Battery! We shall not cast our seed upon the ground!” Even the nearby infantry exploded with laughter.

“Whaat does thaat mean?” Kari asked. Fred’s face reddened and he shook his head.

“Fire!” Meder roared.

On any battlefield—on any world—no matter what kind of charcoal is in the gunpowder, what wood provides the sabot or sawdust that buffers the shot, gunsmoke billowing around canister always has a yellowish tinge. One is tempted to blame the brimstone in the powder, for its hellish associations, but if that’s so, why doesn’t the color exhibit when any other type of shot is fired? Perhaps it’s because canister is so hellish, in and of itself.

Almost none of C Battery’s canister went to waste. Men dropped their lances and threw up their hands as they tumbled from the saddle. Horses screamed and rolled, smashing and grinding their riders. A great swathe was torn from the cantering horde—just as the third battery savaged it just as badly. Rifle-muskets came into their own, keeping up a continuous fire by ranks and even the most dubious marksmen found it difficult to miss in such a press. But regardless how many men and horses were shot or blown to the ground, there were more.

Writing: Behind the Scenes

It might surprise people to learn that no matter how “weird” some of the situations throughout the DESTROYERMEN series are, many are inspired by real history—or even my own experiences. To the first, whenever anyone says “that’s impossible,” or “nobody would ever do that,” (the most common example of this usually refers to the very first book when Walker and Mahan, already shredded and burning, charge right at the mighty Amagi), I simply say: “Taffy 3.” If they know what I’m talking about, they’ll usually mutter “oh yeah.” If they don’t know, they should look it up—or read about some other horrible, one-sided destroyer actions around Guadalcanal, where tiny DDs went right up against battleships. To the second . . . well, again the snippet provides an example. I have a 3” Ordnance Rifle and a M1841 6pdr, both of which my friends and I love to fire live. We used to compete in muzzle-loading artillery competitions at Ft. Sill, Oklahoma, (I sure miss those), and were actually pretty good. On one occasion, (though there were no charging lancers, of course), some dear friends with another 6pdr were on the firing line beside us and kept churning the ground with canister about half-way to the target. One of our crew members with a singular dry wit, (who’s inspired another favorite character in the series), turned to the crowd of spectators behind us and derisively made the same pronouncement that Meder did in the snippet. I’ve always wanted to use it, and now it’s been immortalized. Ha! 

What is the first job you have had?

Hmm. That’s hard to remember. It was either cowboy, or working in a stone yard. I did both at the same time but don’t remember which came first. The next was roofer in the hot Texas sun. I remember that very well. 

What did you do for your last birthday?

That’s easy. I spent it in the woods by myself with a musket on my shoulder.

What was your favorite childhood television program?

Other than being glued to the grainy, black and white TV watching the space shots, I’d say it was a tossup between “Gunsmoke” and “I Dream of Jeannie.” Goes to show I had diverse interests even then, I guess. Of course, there wasn’t a lot to choose from, either. 

What is the first thing you think of when you wake up in the morning?

Coffee. Always.

What's your most missed memory?

My daughter when she was little, sitting on my lap, watching the Sci-Fy channel and betting each other “who’s gonna get ate next.”

Have you ever stood up for someone you hardly knew?

Sure, and the incident that springs to mind involved a guy I didn’t even like--what little I knew of him. Somebody blamed him for something I knew he didn’t do and my “Wait just a damn minute” mode kicked it. It’s happened a lot and I don’t really have any control over it.

When you looked in the mirror first thing this morning, what was the first thing you thought?

Honestly, I don’t believe I’ve looked in a mirror in days. I get up. Drink coffee, (lots of coffee), and start writing. My wife is a teacher and I try to quit writing for the day when she gets home, but that doesn’t always work. I do try to meet her at the car. Of course, she often looks at me very strangely. Perhaps I should check the mirror more often? 

What do you usually think about right before falling asleep?

If I don’t read something utterly different from what I’m writing, I’ll wallow there thinking about what I want to write NEXT. Half the time, I have to just get up and do it. Best to read something. 

If you had to go back in time and change one thing, if you HAD to, even if you had “no regrets” what would it be?

I thought at first that this might be the weirdest question I’ve ever considered—but I do write a kind of alternate history, don’t I? Looking back and considering all the aches and pains that haunt me from time to time, maybe I wouldn’t have played football. But I really liked playing football, even though I’ve never been passionate about watching it. Hmm. No, chances are, I’d probably still do it. On the other hand, given a “do-over,” I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t have bought this damn 2006 Jeep I’ve been fixing up. It’s always down with something that’s so . . . different from all the other old vehicles I’ve restored, even other 4X4s. Definitely not worth the aggravation. 

What is something you think everyone should do at least once in their lives?

Fly a very small plane, go on a trek in the wilderness with the bare essentials, canoe down a roaring river, sail in a storm . . . I guess all these things and others could be described as testing yourself in nature—not against it because you won’t have fun and you’ll never win anyway—but in tune with it, in it, with it. A benefit to this, of course—besides the obvious—is that if you ever do find nature against you, you might at least hold your own. Does that make sense?

Matt Reddy and the crew of the USS Walker are positioned to push the line of battle to the breaking point on an alternate Earth, in the thrilling return to the New York Times bestselling Destroyermen series.

Matt Reddy and his sailors have fought, bled, and died for their Lemurian friends and other allies from across time, but their enemies are still operational. In Africa, the Grik General Esshk has escaped defeat to build a new army and new weapons, and is desperate enough to use them to destroy the world if he can't have it.

In South America, the NUS, General Shinya, and the Army of the Sisters have the evil Dominion on the ropes and are closing in on the seat of its blood-drenched power, but the twisted Don Hernan has struck a deal with the fascist League, and Victor Gravois is finally assembling the awesome fleet of modern ships he's always craved. If he's successful, the war will be lost.

Undermined by treachery on a stunning scale, Matt Reddy must still steam his battered old ship halfway around the world, scraping up what forces he can along the way, and confront the mightiest armada the world has ever seen in a fiery duel to the death.

Praise for WINDS OF WRATH

“Anderson’s world-spanning Destroyermen saga comes to a tense and well-crafted climax in the thoroughly satisfying 15th and final entry. . . . Anderson sends the series out with a bang.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Praise for Taylor Anderson and the Destroyermen Series

“I cannot recommend [these books] too highly.” —New York Times bestselling author David Weber

“Taylor Anderson…[has] steamed to the forefront of alternative history.” —National bestselling author E. E. Knight

“The fact that Anderson has a gift for complex plot and dialogue and a fabulous sense of humor makes reading his work a fun and guilt-free pleasure.” —North County Times (CA)

“If you like a fun tale set in a well-developed world, pick up the Destroyermen series and kick back and enjoy.” —SFRevu

“Action sci-fi doesn’t get significantly better than this.” —Booklist

You can purchase Winds of Wrath at the following Retailers:

        

And now, The Giveaways.

Thank you TAYLOR ANDERSON for making this giveaway possible.

1 Winner will receive a Copy of Winds of Wrath by Taylor Anderson.

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Taylor Anderson Interview - Pass of Fire

Photo Content from Taylor Anderson

Taylor Anderson is the New York Times Bestselling Author of the DESTROYERMEN Series. He has a Master's degree in History and taught that subject at Tarleton State University. As a gun maker and forensic ballistic archaeologist, he has advised numerous museums as well as the National Parks Service and the United States Army. He's also a technical and dialogue consultant for movies and documentaries involving18th, 19th and early 20th century combat. He's even done some acting.

He's a member of the National Historical Honor Society and the United States Field Artillery Association—from which he was awarded the Honorable Order of St. Barbara. He owns a collection of 18th and 19th century artillery pieces and fires them for movie sound, documentaries, competition, and fun.

His cannons (and sometimes himself) have appeared in many films including: The Alamo (2003), Palo Alto, American Outlaws, Two For Texas, Time Tracers, and Rough Riders. (He also consulted on The Patriot and Ride With The Devil.) He knows precisely what cannons are capable of and that's reflected in his writing.

As a sailor, he's knows the capricious vagaries of the weather and the sea and as a historian, he's trained to research what he's unable to experience first-hand. Careful research was essential to writing Destroyermen because one of the main characters is, after all, USS Walker. Over 270 “four-stacker” destroyers were built during and after WW I, but none remain today.

He loves old music, old trucks old guns, and old dogs—but would give everything he has to go into space. He says he was either born a century too late or too early. He lives in Granbury, Texas.

    

  

Greatest thing you learned at school.
I believe the most important thing I learned in school was how to learn—more specifically, how to teach myself the stuff I wanted to know. Make sense?

Defining moment during your youth when you realized you wanted to be a writer.
There was no such thing in my youth, nor was there ever a specific moment when it dawned on me that I wanted to become a writer. I’ve always loved to read and tell stories, and tinker at writing, but I was so busy with other things, writing was just something I did for hoots—until I broke down and began the DESTROYERMEN Series. I can tell you when the inspiration came for that. I was on the set of the 2003 Alamo movie and some fellows and I were having an inevitable discussion about “famous last stands.” After numerous examples were given and evaluated, I suggested the dreadful trial of the U.S. Asiatic Fleet at the outbreak of WW2 as a candidate for analysis. Hardly anyone knew what I was talking about. That bothered me because the U.S. Asiatic Fleet and its British, Dutch and Australian allies truly did face an Alamo-like situation in late ’41 and early ’42. I think the seed to write something, maybe not about the Asiatic Fleet, but including it had already been planted, but that’s when it sprouted, along with a determination to spin an unconventional tale about some of its members. The sci-fi/alternate history aspect of the story sprang from my desire to tell a fictional story, and if I was going to do that, I refused to alter the wartime experiences of anyone or any ship that actually endured the ordeal. It occurred to me then that if I was going to change things around, I might as well change them a lot. I started writing, and the story just flowed. The next thing I knew, the first DESTROYERMEN novel, “Into the Storm,” was done. I was blessed to quickly find an agent who believed in the story, (and me), and 14 installments in the saga, “Pass of Fire” has now been released!

What fiction most influenced your childhood, and what effect did those stories have on the Destroyermen series?
I was a big fan of Heinlein as a kid, but I also loved Treasure Island and Moby Dick. I guess the most lasting influences those and all the other historical fiction and non-fiction I read at the time might’ve had on me was a love of adventure, exotic places, and tales of discovery. In retrospect, an awful lot of them tended to have something to do with the sea as well.

What’s one thing that readers would be surprised to find out about you?
Ha! Probably that I’m such a crummy typist. I do, actually, type with two fingers and a thumb. No kidding. I just never learned how to do it right, and I guess it’s too late now. On the other hand, I may be the fastest “two-fingered typist” in the world!

Has reading a book ever changed your life? Which one and why, if yes?
Not profoundly or noticeably in the sense that I knew it at the time, or that I can look back and recognize it now, but I’m sure the aggregate of all the stuff I’ve read over the years has certainly helped form the way I think in various ways.

Which character have you enjoyed getting to know while writing PASS OF FIRE?
That’s tough to say. All the characters that have survived from “Into the Storm” through “Pass of Fire” have changed tremendously. Some of those changes are obvious and profound, while others may seem more subtle, but are no less important. Watching them become who they are now, over time, has been both inspiring and heart-rending. I think, considering what they’ve been through, it’s amazing so many have remained “true” to themselves, regardless, and remain who they always were in certain crucial ways. As for “new” characters, there aren’t very many important ones in this installment, but I think I enjoyed “getting to know” the Celestial Mother, Jash, and even another side of Lawrence a little better the most. And then there’s Blas and Sister Audry. Their . . . interconnected journey always fascinates me as I write them.

What advice would you give to someone who wanted to have a life in writing?
Turn forty. Ha, just kidding. I always say that as a metaphor for gaining life experience, and I’ve known plenty of twenty year olds who’ve gained more life experience than many people do in a lifetime, but it is important. And the stranger the story you want to tell, the more important it is to infuse it with sufficient realism for people to suspend their disbelief. Your scenarios have to be plausible, (to a degree), your science needs to work, (on some level), and your machines need to operate in an explainable (without letting the story get bogged down too much in minutiae) fashion. Just as important, if your story involves combat, the weapons—whatever they are—need to be understandable and operate within consistent constraints.

What were your inspirations for the character development?
Most of my “good guy” characters are drawn from people I’ve known, though the vast majority are composites of numerous individuals. This goes along with the “life experience” I spoke about, through which one meets and interacts with a lot of different people from all walks of life. One thing that may seem counterintuitive; I don’t think there’s anything wrong with using characters who seem stereotypical—on the surface. Many people do, until you get to know them, because they portray themselves that way and that’s the way they want the world to see them. Getting to know (and revealing) the real person behind the façade is one of the more interesting aspects of writing a particular character.

Writing "bad guys" is harder, even though I've known some of them too. I just don't "get" them and it often creeps me out trying to get in their heads.

What is the best piece of advice you ever received from another author?
Well, I never knew another author until I became one, and by the time I met, (and was honored to become friends with some), I guess they supposed I knew what I was doing. I didn’t have a clue. I got loads of good advice from my agent, Russell Galen, some of the first and most helpful of which went something like “get rid of all that silly crap, fix this and change that, and I’ll look at it again.” I’m proud that he’s trusted me to do most of that on my own, since then.

After being transported to a strange alternate Earth, Matt Reddy and the crew of the USS Walker have learned desperate times call for desperate measures, in the return to the New York Times bestselling Destroyermen series.

Time is running out for the Grand Human and Lemurian Alliance. The longer they take to prepare for their confrontations with the reptilian Grik, the Holy Dominion, and the League of Tripoli, the stronger their enemies become. Ready or not, they have to move--or the price in blood will break them.

Matt Reddy and his battered old destroyer USS Walker lead the greatest army the humans and their Lemurian allies have ever assembled up the Zambezi toward the ancient Grik capital city. Standing against them is the largest, most dangerous force of Grik yet gathered.

On the far side of the world, General Shinya and his Army of the Sisters are finally prepared for their long-expected assault on the mysterious El Paso del Fuego. Not only is the dreaded Dominion ready and waiting for them; they've formed closer, more sinister ties with the fascist League of Tripoli.

Everything is on the line in both complex, grueling campaigns, and the Grand Alliance is stretched to its breaking point. Victory is the only option, whatever the cost, because there can be no second chances.

Praise for the DESTROYERMEN Series

“A new, genuinely different ‘alternate Earth’ story.”—New York Times Bestselling Author David Weber

“Gripping and riveting.”—New York Times Bestselling Author S. M. Stirling

“Taylor Anderson…[has] steamed to the forefront of alternative history.”—National Bestselling Author E. E. Knight

“Intriguing what-ifs…combine with churning, bloodthirsty warfare.”—Kirkus Reviews

“Action sci-fi doesn’t get significantly better than this.”—Booklist

You can purchase Pass of Fire (Destroyermen #14) at the following Retailers:

        

And now, The Giveaways.

Thank you TAYLOR ANDERSON for making this giveaway possible.

Winner will receive a Copy of Pass of Fire (Destroyermen #14) by Taylor Anderson.

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Taylor Anderson Author Interview

Photo Content from Taylor Anderson

Taylor Anderson is the New York Times Bestselling Author of the DESTROYERMEN Series. He has a Master's degree in History and taught that subject at Tarleton State University. As a gun maker and forensic ballistic archaeologist, he has advised numerous museums as well as the National Parks Service and the United States Army. He's also a technical and dialogue consultant for movies and documentaries involving18th, 19th and early 20th century combat. He's even done some acting.

He's a member of the National Historical Honor Society and the United States Field Artillery Association—from which he was awarded the Honorable Order of St. Barbara. He owns a collection of 18th and 19th century artillery pieces and fires them for movie sound, documentaries, competition, and fun.

His cannons (and sometimes himself) have appeared in many films including: The Alamo (2003), Palo Alto, American Outlaws, Two For Texas, Time Tracers, and Rough Riders. (He also consulted on The Patriot and Ride With The Devil.) He knows precisely what cannons are capable of and that's reflected in his writing.

As a sailor, he's knows the capricious vagaries of the weather and the sea and as a historian, he's trained to research what he's unable to experience first-hand. Careful research was essential to writing Destroyermen because one of the main characters is, after all, USS Walker. Over 270 “four-stacker” destroyers were built during and after WW I, but none remain today.

He loves old music, old trucks old guns, and old dogs—but would give everything he has to go into space. He says he was either born a century too late or too early. He lives in Granbury, Texas.

    

What was your first introduction to literature?
Wow. That’s a tough one. The first things I REMEMBER reading were Heinlein’s “Red Planet” and “Farmer in the Sky.” I remember wagging them around with me in 1st grade, and reading them when I was supposed to be doing other stuff. About the same time, my classmates and I were required to memorize a poem. While most kids were soaking up . . . something you’d expect, I guess, I insisted on memorizing “Old Ironsides” by Oliver Wendell Holmes. I can still recite it. Other than that, I was pretty much glued to dinosaur books and histories.

What’s one thing that readers would be surprised to find out about you?
Well, after twelve books and untold jillions of words crammed in them . . . readers might be surprised to learn that I can’t type worth a damn. That said, I may be the world’s fastest two-fingered typist.

When did you write your first book and how old were you?
I “tinkered” with writing all my life—I loved it—but life always got in the way of me finishing anything fit to submit. I guess I was about 43 when I finally finished “Into the Storm”—the first book in the Destroyermen Series—and sent it in. I had no idea what I was getting into, and even less of a notion of how I was “supposed” to go about it, but I got incredibly lucky and found an agent who believed in the yarn—and me—and before I knew it, “Into the Storm” was published and the Destroyermen saga had begun.

What was the greatest thing you learned at school?
Honestly? Probably HOW to learn what I wanted to know. That was certainly true in college. I wasn’t the least bit interested in most of what my professors had to say, but they taught me how to teach myself.

What tools do you feel are must-haves for writers?
I actually get asked this question a lot. Obviously, after what I said above, I don’t think you have to be a great typist to write, so I often pop off with something like “turn forty.” This is usually followed by disappointed gasps, but in reality, “forty” is just an arbitrary number that I apply to life experience. I’ve known lots of twenty year olds with more life experience under their belts than retirees, but I do think you need to have lots of life experience to draw on, particularly if you’re writing stuff that requires grownups (with life experience of their own) to suspend their disbelief.

Did you learn anything from writing DEVIL'S DUE and what was it?
Nothing specific, but I learn new things with every book I write and Devil’s Due was no exception. Granted, in “my” world, I get to make up lots of stuff, but the historical aspects are as true and real as I can make them. That means that I usually spend as much time on research as I do actually writing. Not a problem, since I absolutely love learning new things.

What was your inspiration for the series?
No question about it, I was inspired by the forlorn, Alamo-like situation that the US Asiatic Fleet found itself in during the early months of WWII. Cut off from all support, with no air cover or prospects for reinforcement, and fighting the Imperial Japanese Navy—arguably the most modern and powerful in the world at the time--with little more than WWI relics . . . The Asiatic Fleet’s true story of heroism and sacrifice reads like a novel, only it was true. Adding a couple more old four-stacker destroyers to the actual forces involved wouldn’t have made any difference—other than adding a couple more rusting hulks on the bottom of the Java Sea—but then putting them in an even weirder situation, (that they might’ve actually seen as a kind of deliverance from the real hell they faced), was an idea that I just couldn’t shake once it hit me.

Which character have you enjoyed getting to know the most over the course of writing DESTROYERMEN?
Chief Gunner’s Mate Dennis Silva springs to mind first, of course. He is an incredible amount of fun to write. Starting as kind of a tertiary character, he has grown into the role of the Hercules of the ship—and series . . . simply because he had to. Somebody had to, and his growth into that role has been a profound journey. Other characters have grown as much or even more in various ways, but Silva’s evolution has been the most fun.

For those who are unfamiliar with Captain Matt Reddy, how would you introduce him?
Captain Reddy is the guy you would HOPE to have in charge when everything goes in the crapper. Not because he’s a military genius and never screws up, (he does screw up pretty dramatically on occasion), but because he acts—right or wrong—when the absolute worst thing to do is nothing. Just as important, his honor and integrity inspires others to keep hold of theirs in the worst of circumstances, and sometimes, in that kind of situation, trying to do the right thing is the only thing that keeps everything from falling apart.

What part of General Kurokawa did you enjoy writing the most?
The challenge of writing Kurokawa has always been fun because his thought processes are so alien to my own, but that also makes writing him . . . a little weird. The same goes for other “villains” such as Don Hernan, and more recently, Victor Gravois. Interestingly, the “bad” humans are a lot harder to write than the “evil” non-humans, such as the Grik, because humans ought to know better than to . . . be the way they are. As malevolent as the Grik are, they are just following their nature—for the most part. There are always exceptions.

You have the chance to give one piece of advice to your readers. What would it be?
Start with the first book, “Into the Storm,” and go from there. Each installment can stand alone, but if you start in the middle or at the end, you’ll miss a lot of the character evolution of Silva—and many others. Not to mention, you’ll miss a lot of fun!

Where can readers find you?
Readers can find me—and a lot of very knowledgeable fans of the series—on my website: www.taylorandersonauthor.com I also do my best to respond quickly to all posts or questions on my author facebook page. The fan-driven wiki and Destroyermen Fan Association page are usually pretty busy as well.

New York Times bestselling author Taylor Anderson continues the thrilling Destroyermen series of alternate history and military strategy, as the conflict is about to become terrifyingly personal....

Captain Matt Reddy and the crew of the USS Walker have been fighting for their lives ever since their ship was swept from the Pacific to another world and they became embroiled in a deadly conflict between their Lemurian allies and the ravening Grik.

But things are about to get worse. With Reddy's family and allies held prisoner by the mad General Kurokawa, the mysterious League and evil Dominion plotting schemes of their own, and the Grik trying to build their swarm and concentrate power, Reddy faces danger on all sides.

Although desperate to confront Kurokawa, Captain Reddy fears he's subordinating the war effort for personal reasons. But Kurokawa is too dangerous to be left alone. With the mighty League battleship Savoie at his command, he plots a terrible vengeance against Reddy and his tiny, battered destroyer.

The stage is set for a devastating cataclysm, and Reddy and his allies will have to risk everything to protect what they hold dear.

Praise for the DESTROYERMEN SERIES

“A new, genuinely different ‘alternate Earth’ story.”—New York Times Bestselling Author David Weber

“Gripping and riveting.”—New York Times Bestselling Author S. M. Stirling

“Taylor Anderson…[has] steamed to the forefront of alternative history.”—National Bestselling Author E. E. Knight

“Intriguing what-ifs…combine with churning, bloodthirsty warfare.”—Kirkus Reviews

“Action sci-fi doesn’t get significantly better than this.”—Booklist

You can purchase Devil's Due at the following Retailers:

        

And now, The Giveaways.

Thank you TAYLOR ANDERSON for making this giveaway possible.

1 Winner will receive a Copy of Devil's Due (Destroyermen #12) by Taylor Anderson.

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