Why "Unbroken" the book is better than the movie

My wife and I went to see Unbroken last night. I loved the book and was very excited to see the movie, but it didn’t live up to the book. As my wife pointed out, “The book is always better.” But why is that? The movie was well acted and the effects looked good. So I was trying to think about why it left me disappointed. Part of it was definitely because a lot needed to be cut from the book. The movie focuses on Louis Zamperini’s prison-camp experiences. It certainly is the most-exciting part of the book when Zamperini is facing life-or-death consequences. It only gives his running career and change from petty thief to Olympic champion a partial look and pretty much ignores his battle and recovery from post-traumatic stress. By giving those two sections of his life Read more…

Cover art for "Lock Ready"

Here’s the cover art for my new historical novel that coming out next month. Lock Ready is my first historical novel in seven years. It’s also been 10 years since I wrote my last Canawlers novel. Lock Ready once again return to the Civil War and the Fitzgerald Family. The war has split them up. Although George Fitzgerald has returned from the war, his sister Elizabeth Fitzgerald has chosen to remain in Washington to volunteer as a nurse. The ex-Confederate spy, David Windover, has given up on his dream of being with Alice Fitzgerald and is trying to move on with his life in Cumberland, Md. Alice and her sons continue to haul coal along the 184.5-mile-long C&O Canal. It is dangerous work, though, during war time because the canal runs along the Potomac River and between the North and Read more…