Sunday, April 10, 2016

Sgt. Dunn novel #5 title reveal!

I'm pleased to announce the title to the newest Sgt. Dunn novel (#5)! I plan to release the new book in early May. Stay tuned!

Capture

Here's a very brief description:

The story picks up ten days after Saving Paris (book 4). We find Dunn and his men still attached to General George S. Patton's Third Army and moving east across France, pursuing the retreating German Wehrmacht. Near the Moselle River, Dunn is presented with unusual situation and, as always, finds a creative way to solve the problem.

Meanwhile, Sgt. Saunders and his men, accompanied by a British communications expert, travel to Spa, Belgium where they hope to create havoc at a Wehrmacht radio center.

In the upper left of my blog, you can track where I am in the process of editing and pre-publication. As of today, I'm working on edit #4 (of 8).

Thanks for stopping by.



Friday, January 15, 2016

I love Chicago architecture!

From 2004 to 2007 I worked in Chicago, in the Loop. One Sunday afternoon in the April, 2005, I took my camera and wandered around. Here are some of my favorite pictures.

The Sweet Spot (my name for it, official name: The Batcolumn). This enormous bat (101 feet) is at 600 W. Madison. I got the sun inside the bat, but missed the sweet spot by a bit, but maybe it's good for a sac fly.


Light and Dark on Wacker


Left to right: Water works, old Quaker Oats Tower and what I call the Jetson's Building


Facing Wacker from across the Chicago River


Looking straight up on Wacker Drive


The Wrigley Building - yes, the clock works


The Merchandise Mart






Tuesday, January 12, 2016

Handling WWII weapons

This past Saturday, I went to a local gun show with a good friend. 

It was dirt cold that morning, and the venue was the auto race track on the southwest side of the city. The paved parking lot was full by the time we arrived a little after ten am, so we had to drive over the ice-covered "grass," which had been previously driven on when it was wet and thawed, and the ruts were like something from the horse and buggy days.

This was only my second gun show ever; I don't own any weapons, but find the show a great place to see and touch WWII weapons. It took a couple of hours to walk up and down the many aisles filled with sellers' tables. 

Here's the list of weapons I got to pick up and examine:

  • Thompson .45 caliber submachinegun
  • British Sten submachinegun
  • M-1 Garand
  • Mauser 98
  • Luger
  • M-14 (not WWII, but still cool)


We ran across a Mauser 98 with a scope (like the weapon Madeline uses in the book Saving Paris). The seller thought it was produced at the end of the war and never issued. The price tag was $10,000! I did not ask to pick that one up!



The only thing I bought for myself was a dummy .50 caliber round. In the pics below you can see just how huge this round is. Imagine 700 of these hitting your aircraft in one minute. The .30 caliber was fired by the honor guard at my Uncle Amos's funeral a few years ago.





I looked for a 1911 Colt .45, but didn't find one. There were lots of .45s, but they were all new(er). Maybe next year.

Thursday, December 24, 2015

Monday, December 21, 2015

First sentence written for Sgt. Dunn novel number 5!

I published Saving Paris, Sgt. Dunn novel number 4 on 19 December (two days ago). Tonight I wrote the first sentence, and a little more, for Sgt. Dunn number 5 (known as sd5 until I can think of title).

I'm pumped!

Saturday, December 19, 2015

Sgt. Dunn novel number 4 - Saving Paris, Kindle version available!

It gives me great pleasure to announce the publication of the fourth Sgt. Dunn novel, Saving Paris.


Sgt. Tom Dunn returns in his fourth book! Dunn and his British counterpart, Sgt. Malcolm Saunders, and their squads of lethal U.S. Army Rangers and British Commandos must secure the only armor-bearing bridge in Chartres, just fifty miles from Paris. George S. Patton’s Third Army is rushing across France and it must have the bridge to keep pressure on the retreating German army.

Adolf Hitler, still reeling from the defeats and turmoil in France, sends General Dietrich von Choltitz, the Butcher of Sevastopol, already known for his brutality, to Paris as the new governor. It’s obvious even to Hitler that the liberation of Paris is imminent so the Nazi Führer orders the general to execute an unthinkable act.

Back in England, a Bletchley Park analyst reads decrypted German Enigma messages and uncovers a terrifying Nazi threat against Paris. He works desperately to unravel the details and contacts an old friend working at 10 Downing Street for help. As information becomes clear piece by piece, there is only one choice: call on Dunn and Saunders, and their squads.

Dunn and Saunders must fight the odds as the fate of Paris and perhaps all of Western Europe rests in their courageous hands.

In Saving Paris, we see the return of some old friends as, once again, Munsterman weaves WWII history and fiction for another compelling, fast-paced WWII action thriller.


Tuesday, December 15, 2015

Sgt. Dunn novel #4 - Saving Paris final proofread almost done!

I'm very close to completing the last edit; only 35 pages to go! Still targeting this coming weekend, 12/18 - 12/20 for publication.

Stay tuned.