Sgt. Dunn Novel #6 title and cover reveal!

Hello Sgt. Dunn Readers!

I’m pleased to announce the upcoming release of the sixth Sgt. Dunn novel, Rangers Betrayed. 

I expect to publish very soon, probably this weekend, October 1st or 2nd.

Thank you so much for your support.

Here's the awesome cover my my good friend David M. Jones (Jonesy) created and below is the book description.

Rangers Betrayed Description

U.S. Army Ranger Sergeant Tom Dunn’s newest squad member has a dark secret. And a plan.

Nazi Germany’s V2 rockets are streaking down on London, indiscriminately killing civilians. The Allies are desperate to find out how the weapons work. Dunn and his British counterpart, Commando Sergeant Malcolm Saunders, are assigned separate, but related missions.

Albert Speer, the Nazi Minister of Armaments, is transporting ten completed V2 rocket engines to another manufacturing facility for installation into the deadly rockets. Thanks to Bletchley Park’s Ultra intelligence, the Allies know all about it. Dunn and his squad earn the assignment to intercept the rocket engines in western Germany.

Meanwhile, Saunders and his men parachute into Poland, south of Warsaw, to retrieve a captured V2 rocket gyroscope as well as schematics for the rocket obtained by the Polish Resistance. His wedding day is a week away and he promised Sadie he’ll be there on time, but something goes wrong. Separated from his squad, he scrambles to reunite with his men in time to catch the only way home, but meets one obstacle after another.

From their first moment in Germany, as Dunn’s men execute their mission, things go inexplicably wrong. Betrayed by one of his own, Dunn must rely on his quick thinking to get his men out of an impossible situation so they can complete their mission and capture the extremely valuable Nazi V2 rocket engines.

In the sixth book of the Sgt. Dunn series, Munsterman continues to masterfully blend history with action-packed plots in another of his fast-paced WWII Action Thrillers.

National Airborne Day!

August 16th is National Airborne Day.

Happy Airborne Day!

U.S. Army Airborne School

The latest Sgt. Dunn novel, Capture, is on sale for only 99 cents!

The latest Sgt. Dunn novel (#5), Capture, is on sale for only 99 cents! 8/10 through 8/16.

Sgt. Dunn hasn't done this to dogs

I recently ran across this little story and video. The original title of the article is misleading, so don't worry, no dogs were harmed. 

I can't tell if the dogs are wagging their tails or if the tail is just acting like a rudder against the air.

Parachuting Dogs

To plot or not to plot . . .

I admit it. I'm a plotter, not to be confused with a plodder, although I might fall under that heading (nothing to do with writing, though).

I work from a plot when writing my books. In the writing world you're either a pantser (as in, seat of the pants) or a plotter. Some people on both sides of the question argue for their method and against the other (perhaps a bit like politics).

I don't presume to speak for other writers, just myself. When I start plotting, meaning typing stuff into my Excel spreadsheet, that's not the first time I've been thinking about the book. I have already worked on it mentally starting as soon as I get the BIG idea for the book. I know the important things that are going to happen before I open Excel. I typically already know the exact ending.

Plotting is like preparing to take a road trip. You mark out the main roads you plan to take, perhaps even noting which locations you'll stop for pop or coffee and bathroom breaks, and where you'll spend the night.

Writing is like actually getting in the car with your spouse, partner, or best friend, and hitting the road. You know what needs to happen in a particular chapter because you made a small note of it, but the details are not laid out (for me anyway). That's where the creative juices take over and you write the chapter. You accomplish the goal of that chapter, but then something you hadn't planned on happened!

That's when it gets exciting. It happened to me today in my newest book, Sgt. Dunn #6. A British character named Steve Barltrop (after one of my good friends and a FIRST READER) was supposed to do one thing in chapter 22.

Here's the plot point from my Excel spreadsheet:

Barltrop waiting for C-47 to return for pickup, rising concern over missing Saunders.

As I started writing the chapter, something unexpected happened that raised the stakes for Barltrop and the men with him. It occurred to me only in the midst of writing, not plotting. This is the equivalent to your spouse, partner or best friend on the road trip nudging you in the arm and saying, "Ooh, look over there. Let's go take a look!" I also realized that the chapter was too early and I moved it from number 22 to 35.

If you are a plotter, this probably happens to you, too. I love it when it does because I know if I'm surprised, my readers will be, too.

Thanks for stopping by.

Sgt. Dunn #4, Saving Paris, on sale 7/22 - 7/29 for only 99 cents!

Happy summer reading.

The fourth novel in the Sgt. Dunn series, Saving Paris, is on sale for only 99 cents beginning 7/22 through 7/29.

Happy 4th of July! Some thoughts on the Revolutionary War (1775 - 1783)

Happy 4th of July!

The Revolutionary War, fought between 1775 and 1783, created our new country at a very high price in terms of casualties. The total number of American deaths in that war for freedom from the British was about 25,000, 8,000 in combat and the rest from other causes including disease.

The total number of deaths in the Civil War was about 750,000 and WWII was about 405,000. At first glance, it appears that the Revolutionary War was inexpensive in human terms by comparison. However, when one takes the totals as a percentage of the population, the number is staggering; it is second only to the bloody Civil War.

War         Deaths      % of Population at the time 
Civil War 750,00      2.385% (1860)  
Rev          25,000     0.899% (1780)
WWII      405,000     0.307% (1940)

I'm grateful to be an American and thankful for those who've come before us to create this great country.