Congratulations, your book "War Sonnets" is the bronze category winner for "Historical General" in the 2022 HFC Book of the Year contest. Attached is the award badge and if you need physical stickers for your books, please let us know and we can send you the private link and password for ordering. What a way … Continue reading We Interrupt Your New Year’s Eve Celebration…
Category: Works in Progress
The Poetry of War Sonnets: Engaging the Enemy
April 1945. Leo and his men and the rest of the 112th RCT are embedded at Hot Corner, not far from the Japanese-held Ipo Dam and the Bigti Caves, in what's being called a "reconnaissance in force." All those Japanese troops hiding in the caves are up to something, and it's the 112th's job to … Continue reading The Poetry of War Sonnets: Engaging the Enemy
Another Post On Querying
For the past eight months, I've spent most of my writing time researching and querying literary agents. I've sent out close to seventy query letters. The results? Crickets. Some agents do reply, with a (often form-letter) "lovely but not for me" kind of email. Most don't reply at all. I get it. A publishing company … Continue reading Another Post On Querying
The Poetry of War Sonnets: War Zone
Leo's troopship lands in the Lingayen Gulf in early February 1945, shortly after the main assault force lands in late January. They meet no resistance, but the remnants of battle are fresh. Leo's sonnet envisions the landing troops that preceded him. Tadashi and Kaito, the only survivors of the raid on the Cabanatuan POW camp, … Continue reading The Poetry of War Sonnets: War Zone
A Five-Star Review for “War Sonnets”!
While I'm (not so patiently) waiting for responses to my search for an agent/publisher for War Sonnets, I decided to submit the manuscript to the Historical Fiction Company for a review. I so desperately needed some kind of moral boost! As the days passed, I realized that whatever the results, it would be a make … Continue reading A Five-Star Review for “War Sonnets”!
The Poetry of “War Sonnets:” Strange Surroundings
In the fall of 1944, Tadashi is a guard at the infamous Cabanatuan Prisoner of War Camp northeast of Manila. He has been here for two years, and learned much about the Americans held captive there, as well as the cruelty of the Japanese brass. He yearns for home, for the wife he loves and … Continue reading The Poetry of “War Sonnets:” Strange Surroundings
Slogging Through the Query Trenches
Writing a novel is the easy part of being an aspiring author. When I finished War Sonnets, sent it through the last batch of beta readers and critiques, and polished it until it shined, I felt like I was on the home stretch. I'd written a good story, felt validated by the work I'd put … Continue reading Slogging Through the Query Trenches
The Poetry of “War Sonnets”: Before They Were Soldiers
Although they are from opposite sides of the world, Leo and Tadashi, the main characters in War Sonnets have a lot in common. They are both from families who have farmed the land for generations., a land they love. In those early days, before they are called to war, Tadashi's haikus and Leo's sonnets reflect … Continue reading The Poetry of “War Sonnets”: Before They Were Soldiers
The Woman of “War Sonnets”
There is little room for women in a World War II novel. But to Tadashi, there is only one woman who matters anyway: his wife, Sachiko. Most marriages in early twentieth-century Japan were "arranged"; Tadashi's was no exception, and he feels honored by the gods when he realizes how much he loves her. Sachiko is … Continue reading The Woman of “War Sonnets”
Meet the Men of “War Sonnets,” Part Three
When I last wrote about my War Sonnets characters, I had no idea I'd be adding a bunch more. Major changes took place in my most recent draft (Draft Three), the largest of which is the expansion of Tadashi's story to include more depth, more chapters and more characters. Let me introduce Tadashi's latest comrades: … Continue reading Meet the Men of “War Sonnets,” Part Three
Susannah Willey Writes 