Sons of Cuba Series

by Ellen W. Martin

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GENRE: Historical fiction

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BLURB FOR BOOK I AND BOOK II – SONS OF CUBA

Relentless political turmoil streams through the veins of Cuba like lava coursing down the side of a volcano holding the Cuban people hostage to tyranny since Christopher Columbus discovered the Caribbean Island. One wonders if the country’s destiny can ever change.

In BOOK I – SONS OF CUBA – PRELUDE TO REVOLUTION Felipe Cardena, the rebel, endures lost love, the exhilaration of victory, demoralizing disappoints, imprisonment, exile, and an assassination attempt. Nothing will stop Felipe Cardena until he achieves his ultimate goal — free Cuba from tyranny.

In BOOK II – SONS OF CUBA – HOMECOMING after victory is declared by the Cuban rebels, the plot shifts away from the revolution and centers on Tangi Montolio, a fiery redheaded activist who once was one of the rebel leader’s most passionate supporters. Tangi and her family become a victim and suffers under the hands of Felipe Cardena’s new leadership. The rebel now turned dictator will discover that his brief interaction with Tangi will lead to the destruction of his legacy.

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Excerpt : BOOK II – SONS OF CUBA – HOMECOMING

TANGI rushed over and picked up the now hysterical Andrés. Her eyes widened. Standing at the front door was that same disgusting soldier that had harassed her at the plaza; three others were behind him, rifles in hand. Once again, he leered at her. She looked down; her blouse was still open. She buttoned the top button and held Andrés close.

Ramon Miguel stepped between Tangi, Fernando, and the soldier. “What can we do for you?” He asked.

“I told you, I’m looking for Fernando Reyes. Are you he?”

Ramon stared at the soldier; his eyes narrowed. “Maybe, but tell me first why you’re here.”

The soldier waved a piece of paper in front of Ramon’s face. “This is about you turning your farm over to the government.”

Fernando pushed Ramon aside and snapped, “I’ll do no such thing. That land has been in my family for generations. Besides, what would the government want with a few meager acres?”

The soldier looked first at Ramon, and then at Fernando. “Okay, which one of you is Reyes?

Fernando yanked the papers from the soldier’s hands. “I told you I am. What is this?” He asked, shaking the papers in the soldier’s face.

“It’s the deed to your land. Sign it; sign it now without argument. If you don’t, we have a prison cell waiting for you.”

Ramon Miguel took the papers from Fernando’s trembling hands, and glanced over the legal document. He turned his back on the soldiers and pulled the old man aside. “I’m afraid you have no choice,” he whispered. “You wouldn’t survive a week in jail, and I can’t go to prison for you. Who’d take care of Tangi and the baby?”

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

After a lifetime of personal adventures, travel and escapades (a lot of risky escapades), author Ellen Martin, is living her sunset years bouncing around a tennis court or clicking away on her keyboard.

Outrage at social injustices, the thrill for suspense, and unraveling a good mystery are triggers that motivate Ellen to write memorable stories and colorful characters.

Over 30 years as a military wife, she has resided both in the Orient and in Europe where she became no stranger to social injustice and poverty. She and her family have lived in the Philippines, Japan, Italy, and the Netherlands — not to mention both U.S. coasts and Kansas in the winter. She is fascinated by real-life, colorful personalities.

On a more personal note Ellen was a flight attendant for the Charter Airline Saturn in the 1960’s. Her job was escorting United States troops in and out of Viet Nam. Her adventures in the war zone continued until she was swept away by her fighter pilot husband.

After retirement the couple’s travels included Germany, Austria, Czech Republic, Poland, Hungry, Spain, Scotland, and Ireland and topped off with a visit to Cuba.

God gifted Ellen with one “perfect” son and three grandchildren.

You wrap all this in a package and Ellen has been rewarded with an endless supply of fodder for her fiction.

In her historical fiction Book-I SONS OF CUBA–PRELUDE TO REVOLUTION she weaves an embellished tale of the most notorious and charismatic Cuban rebel in modern history. There’s a chance you might find him charming, intriguing and actually root for him in his early endeavors to free his beloved Cuba from tyranny.

However, in Book II - SONS OF CUBA – HOMECOMING, the story takes the reader from the rebel’s exile in Mexico to preparation for the revolution from the Mountains of the Sierra Maestra. This is where you will meet the fiery redheaded peasant girl, Tangi. The narrative shifts its focus from the revolution and centers around the fictional character, Tangi, and her family’s struggles, fears and disappointments in the new regime.

How the story in real life ends is no secret. But, in Book II – SONS OF CUBA – HOMECOMING, the characters and the author may just get the last word.

In 2020 Ellen’s new book INTO THE DEVIL’S DEN turns from historical events to present day reality – Terrorism — terrorism in our own backyard.

Check out her website for excerpts from her books: https://www.booksbyellen.com

Amazon buy links:

Prelude to Revolution

https://www.amazon.com/SONS-CUBA-BOOK-Prelude-Revolution-ebook/dp/B081LMXDHK/

Homecoming

https://www.amazon.com/SONS-CUBA-BOOK-II-HOMECOMING-ebook/dp/B082WSVJT6/

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Ellen W. Martin will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Author Interview

CAN YOU TELL ME A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF AND HOW YOU BECAME AN AUTHOR?

I’m married to a retired Air Force officer and we have one adult son and three wonderful grandchildren. For almost thirty years we were provided the opportunity to live in Japan, the Philippines, Italy, and the Netherlands, both U.S. coasts and Kansas in the winter.

Before we were married I was a Flight Attendant for Saturn Airways, a Charter Airline, meaning there was never a specific destination — we went wherever we were contracted to go. My most unique opportunity with this airline was flying U.S. troops in and out of the warzones of Viet Nam – this is how I met my husband of fifty-three years.

I am a dreamer, a person who seeks adventure wherever I can find it. Perhaps this is one of the reasons I became a writer. I now find my adventures filled with intrigue in the solitude of my computer room writing books – with plenty of help from my Ragdoll cat, Biscuit.

The first time I actually sat down and started writing was over twenty years ago. When my fingers hit the keyboard that first day, my intention wasn’t necessarily to write a book. I was attempting to piece a puzzle together; trying to make sense of a situation that intrigued me so much I kept researching until I uncovered at least a basic understanding as to why people were compelled to risk everything and leave their beloved country.

WHAT IS YOUR BOOK ABOUT?

The two book series SONS OF CUBA is about the people and events leading up to, during and after the Cuban Revolution.

The inspiration for writing this book leads back to a small five-year old Cuban boy found floating off the coast of Florida in 1999. His mother drowned leaving him caught in the middle of a tug of war between the U.S. and Cuban governments. It was because of this incident I found myself incensed with why so many Cubans risked their lives to make that treacherous ninety-mile voyage from Cuba to the shores of the United States in unreliable boats. I needed to understand why they would do this. As explained earlier, I began my quest to put the puzzle pieces together. After doing my research, the answer became a bit more understandable. However, I was left with and even larger question. Why did Fidel abandon his original goal of ridding Cuba from generations of tyranny only to become the very thing he hated the most? This question still remains an enigma.

I didn’t plan to write a historical fiction, but I surprised even myself with a two book series about Cuba — both books I hope people will find interesting and intriguing. Who knows, maybe after you read you’ll find the answer to the questions I looked so hard to find, but still elude me.

WHO IS YOUR HERO/HEROINE? Is he/she based on someone in real life?

The Hero in BOOK I – SONS OF CUBA – PRELUDE TO REVOLUTION is Felipe Cardena, a young, idealistic college student who wants nothing more than to break the cycle of dictatorships Cuba has endured since Christopher Columbus discovered the island. Book I of SONS follows actual events that occurred up to and after the Cuban Revolution. The story captures the joys of victory and the despair of defeat as the band of revolutionaries seek to free Cuba from its latest dictator. The character knows the joy of love and the heartache after love is lost. Felipe is based on Fidel Castro, but his character and all the supporting cast of characters in both books are fictitious — only the events are real.

In BOOK II – SONS OF CUBA – HOMECOMING the story shifts away from the revolution and focuses on Tangi Montolio. Her brief interaction with the handsome young rebel during the early days of the revolution will influence both her and Felipe’s future. The irony of her story is this fiery redheaded mountain girl activist was one of the rebel leader’s most passionate supporters. But once Felipe becomes Cuba’s President, Tangi, her family, and all of Cuba will find themselves once again struggling against tyranny. Her story illustrates disappoints, heartaches, fear of the firing squads, imprisonment, and the confiscation of people’s land.

In my fictitious account of the Cuban Revolution, there is a twist of fate. I know history cannot be changed, but whether you live in a democracy or under the iron fist of a dictatorship, everyone has the right to dream “What If”.

WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE TIMES FOR WRITING? MORNING? EVENING?

I don’t have a favorite time to write, but I do have a routine. I usually get started around midmorning. Sometimes I take a lunch break, sometimes I don’t. I do always stop around 5:00 PM. I also don’t necessarily write every day (unless I’m really deep into a plot or under a deadline). I enjoy getting outside and playing tennis or Pickle Ball, and occasionally force myself to walk a couple miles when I’m not on the court.

However, there are times (even in the middle of the night) when one of my characters jolts me from a dead sleep and goads me to get up and jot down notes on how the next scene or chapter should go. I know it sounds bizarre, but more often than not, the very reason I woke up will be the exact direction I was looking move the plot forward. When I don’t listen and roll back over, those ideas are either lost or become so watered down they lose their overall effect. Yep, I’ve lost a lot of sleep sometimes.

WHO ARE YOUR FAVORITE AUTHORS? DID THEY INFLUENCE YOUR WRITING, AND IF SO, HOW?

My current favorite author is Greg Ilse, a suspense/thriller author of multiple books. I do like John Grisham and an occasional Tom Clancy. And, I cannot forget Steven King.

It’s difficult to say if any of these authors influenced my writing. Despite my first two books being a historical fiction, my preferred genre is suspense/thriller. So I suppose they influence my writing in most ways because I enjoy books with twists and turns and a lot of action and my next two books just happen to be suspense/thrillers.

DID YOU HAVE A FAVORITE BOOK AS A CHILD? DID IT INFLUENCE YOUR CHOICE TO BECOME AN AUTHOR?

I can’t remember having a particular favorite book as a child. Treasure Island and Peter Pan come to mind. I also loved Nancy Drew books. As far as those author’s influencing my writing, who knows what lies in the depths of lost memories. Those authors may have had some influence, but I’ll never know.

For more information about my books check out my website. You’ll find excerpts from the series SONS OF CUBA and photos we took while visiting Cuba.

There is also an excerpt from my next book INTO THE DEVIL’S DEN - SNARED BY THEIR OWN LIES. This suspense/thriller will be released by the end of October 2020.