Technology has created a wide variety of ways to reach audiences all over the world. It takes is a little thinking outside the box and you can market a self-published book in creative, affordable and impactful ways. Consider book tours! Tours are a great way to connect with your readers and technology has made them easier and more cost effective than ever!
Author Gary R. Hall is taking his latest book Sacrifice and Salvation: Mission GDR, on tour — a Virtual Book Tour with Outskirts Press. This will allow Gary to take his book into the far corners of the globe, all from the comfort of his own home! Keep an eye out for Gary’s book as he will be featured on several blogs over the weeks and months ahead!
Luckily for us, Gary was kind enough to answer a few questions as the tour was getting started so that we can give you a sneak peek into the mind of the creator of Sacrifice and Salvation: Mission GDR.
OP: Tell us a little bit about Sacrifice and Salvation: Mission GDR. What is it about?
Gary: This book is about recovery and enlightenment. Trudi Kehle and Peter Ackerman are ethnic Germans who escaped from the former Czech Sudetenland after World War II while still youngsters. Both are troubled by their country’s immoral Nazi conduct. Trudi’s father was a Nazi sailor who died in the Black Sea Campaigns. The adult Peter, now a US Army sergeant, and Trudi, are dispatched on a mission to retrieve suspected war criminal, Herman Nagle, from East Germany to account for his war conduct. While searching for Herman, they find the Jewish woman Sarah living in the forest — confused and unaware the war is over.
Enlightenment occurs when, during mission training, Trudi befriends a young American girl named Evelyn. Trudi and Evelyn have only their athletic interests in common until Trudi becomes Evelyn’s mentor. As the relationship grows, Trudi describes the differences between her life and the relatively secure life of a teen-age 1950’s American girl. Under Trudi’s mentorship, Evelyn becomes a successful athlete as well as a world-knowledgeable and matured young lady.
OP: Why did you decide to write this story?
Gary: I lived and vacationed in West Germany (and then Germany after reunification) for well over twelve years. During this time, I became aware of the stark differences between the war-era lives of my stateside contemporaries and the lives of most Germans. Reading and conversing with those Germans who had lived through the war convinced me that there was a story to tell.
OP: What types of readers would be interested in this story?
Gary: Readers will be motivated by the strong protagonist character of Trudi. Readers who are drawn to post-war events in Europe — especially the Sudetenland crisis since Peter and Trudi lived there as youngsters. A reader interested in how a cross-cultural female mentorship might work.
OP: What differentiates it from other books in the same category?
Gary: It’s difficult to find books in this category. There are plenty of books describing the war, but not many post-war books. This book describes day-to-day life in the early to mid-post-war years, which is seldom found. This book describes real geographical and cultural sites that I personally visited.
OP: What is special about your book?
Gary: I get some comments about the amount of research, the detail, and the geographic accuracy of the book. That always surprises me because I lived and studied through casual interest for many years before I decided to write. At one point I interviewed the 1980’s mayor of a small East German town named Kella. This was especially interesting because Kella had been the location of a non-fiction American writer years before. The Bürgermeisterin (female mayor), another German family and I, with interpreter, talked for two days. We were also taken on a walking tour of a surprisingly neat and picturesque village. It’s personal because I developed an affinity for the Germans through the years and often puzzled how so many Germans could have bought into the Nazi philosophy. It’s personal because I’m aware of how detached my American friends and relatives have been from the reality of post-war Europe. We lived the good life, but hardly knew it.
OP: Have you published any other books? Do you plan to publish more?
Gary: I am the author of The 5K Zone: Cold War Border Intrigue, also published by Outskirts Press. I am currently working on the third of a series.
OP: How can someone learn more about your book or purchase it?
Gary: On Amazon under books or Kindle store: Authors page — https://amazon.com/author/gary-hall: My webpage for The 5K Zone: Cold War Border Intrigue, is www.5kzone.com. The book can also be purchased from me in Everett, WA.
To purchase Sacrifice and Salvation: Mission GDR from the Outskirts Press Bookstore visit https://outskirtspress.com/sacrificeandsalvationmissiongdr
To purchase The 5K Zone: Cold War Border Intrigue from the Outskirts Press Bookstore visit https://outskirtspress.com/the5kzone
OP: Thanks for your time, Gary! We look forward to learning more about you as you visit other bloggers!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Gary was a career army non-commissioned officer with over twelve years of Cold War duty in West Germany and one year in Viet Nam. He is the recipient of four Army Commendation Medals and a Bronze Star for meritorious performance of duty in Viet Nam. In West Germany, Gary was an instructor and course chief of the Communications Officer/Communications NCO courses at the United States Army School, Europe (USASCHEUR). Upon retirement from the Army, Gary earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Forest Resources at the University of Washington. Gary now lives in Everett, Washington.
For more information or to contact the author, visit https://www.outskirtspress.com/sacrificeandsalvationmissiongdr
This author purchased the Media Marketing Blitz marketing option, which allows self-publishing authors to connect with bloggers and harness the power of the blogosphere by taking their book on the “virtual road.” Learn more about this service by visiting your Publishing Center and reviewing the available marketing options.
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