Stranded in the Sky FAQs

When can I read STRANDED IN THE SKY?

You can order now! Hardback, paperback, and eBook are available at all major book outlets like Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Walmart, Target, ThriftBooks, etc. Also check you independent bookstores. It was released on May 16, 2023.

Can you tell me about STRANDED IN THE SKY before I purchase it?

Stranded in the Sky is a narrative nonfiction book that follows the crew and passengers of four luxury Pan Am airliners caught over the Pacific when the Empire of Japan struck Pearl Harbor and several other islands on December 7, 1941. Accounts of flights that turn from happy adventures to quests for survival, and escapes from Pan Am island bases that sustain repeated bombing and strafing by the new enemy, will keep you on the edge of your seat.

How much research did you do?

I am proud of the investigative research. I am patient and methodical when retrieving all facts that are discoverable. My research carried me to New York, San Francisco, Miami, and Washington, D.C. to museums, libraries, colleges, and archives, including the Library of Congress and National Archives. I obtained contemporaneous newspaper, magazine, and audio and video accounts. I also interviewed children and grandchildren of Pan Am crew members and passengers who were part of the story as well as reviewed their letters, diaries, photographs, and interview transcripts.

Tell us more about your writing style. You say it is narrative nonfiction. Can readers expect something more than a dry, footnoted type of book?

Definitely. A reader will be drawn into the story and want to read more. This is not intended to be a textbook lesson. I employ literary techniques commonly found in fiction to bring the nonfiction story to life, peppered with actual quotes to make the story rise from the page . . . or HD screen. It will read much like a novel, yet will be completely accurate.

Why should I read the book?

If you enjoy history, particularly World War II, or enjoy period pieces that include Pan American Airways and exotic locations in the South Pacific told in a suspenseful manner that leaves you at the end of each chapter wanting to know more, then this book is for you. It’s a story that’s never been told as comprehensively and colorfully as in Stranded in the Sky.

Tell us about your next book.

It is my first fictional book that is informative and suspenseful and will take you into two areas of life that you likely didn’t know even existed.