Close to
the Sun
By Donald Michael Platt
Publisher: Fireship Press
Release
Date: June 15, 2014
Genre:
Historical Fiction
Length:
404 Pages
Buy
the Book : Amazon
| Barnes
& Noble
About
the book:
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 fire- bombing 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
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.
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.
Close
to the Sun Blog Tour Schedule
Monday,
August 18
Wednesday,
August 20
Thursday,
August 21
Friday,
August 22
Saturday,
August 23
Monday,
August 25
Tuesday,
August 26
Wednesday,
August 27
Thursday,
August 28
Friday,
August 29
Monday,
September 1
Tuesday,
September 2
Wednesday,
September 3
Thursday,
September 4
Friday,
September 5
My
review will post this weekend - I apologize that I am behind schedule
