For Malice and Mercy: A World War II Novel received a 4+ star review, making it an IndieReader Approved title.
Following find an interview with author Gary W. Toyn.
What is the name of the book and when was it published?
For Malice and Mercy: A World War II Novel
What’s the book’s first line?
“Your parents are being detained under the Alien Enemies Act and are suspected of collaborating with German intelligence.”
What’s the book about? Give us the “pitch”.
FOR MALICE AND MERCY is a meticulously researched WWII family saga inspired by actual events, about German-Americans wrongfully arrested as spies, then stripped of their citizenship, rights and livelihood. They are banished to a German/Japanese internment camp, and face deportation to war-torn Nazi Germany.
Their son Hank is spared arrest, and enlists in the US Army Air Corps, hoping his pay can save the family’s home. After his B-17 is shot down, his ability to speak fluent German helps him evade capture. He’s pursued by the Gestapo as a spy, and faces certain death if they can catch him. His life depends on the daring plan of two unlikely collaborators. It’s a gripping tale of government treachery, betrayal and the impact of unmerited forgiveness.
What inspired you to write the book? A particular person? An event?
Inspiration is exactly what happened. I was in a quiet, sacred space when the entire storyline leapt into my mind. I wasn’t planning on writing a book. I was involved in other creative projects at the time. But I had a choice of either letting then story die (and regretting it all my life,) or begin writing the book. And here we are!
In some ways the book is inspired by the true-life experience of a dear friend, Ray Matheny, a crewman on a B-17 during World War II, who was shot down and spent almost two years in Stalag 17, the most brutal of all Nazi POW camps. It’s also based on the personal experiences of The Eiserloh family who was accused of being Nazi spies and arrested. They spend months at a German “concentration camp” in Crystal City, Texas.
What’s the main reason someone should really read this book?
The vast majority of today’s WWII historical fiction is either set in Europe, features European protagonists, or relates to European themes. Don’t get me wrong. I love Europe and its history, and I especially honor the incredible sacrifices Europeans made to win the war. But, I believe readers are eager to discover new, compelling storylines about the American experience.
What’s the most distinctive thing about the main character? Who-real or fictional-would you say the character reminds you of?
For many WWII stories, the war is portrayed as a matter of black or white. Good and evil. When it comes to Americans fighting in Europe, characters are typically all good or all Nazi. (Think Saving Private Ryan or Inglourious Basterds) Usually the main protagonist is portrayed as a hero, always having his wits about him to solve the problems at hand. But not for the character of Hank Meyer. He’s a second generation German-American who is in some ways, like Captain John Yassarian of Catch 22. Yossarian is an outsider and eventually displays odd, erratic behavior. While Yossarian also has a definite moral code, his mischief making is definitely where the similarities end.
As for similarities, Hank is also a crewman on a bomber. His religious background, along with his German ethnicity combine to make him an outsider. When Hank is shot down over Germany, he is tortured by Nazi guards because they consider him to be a German traitor. Hank is conflicted with being mostly American but also too German. As the war draws to an end, Hank witnesses the cruelty of Hitler’s “final solution.” This traumatic event devolves into an acute psychotic episode and Hank becomes confused, fully dependent on others for his survival. Yossarian’s madness was artificial. Hank‘s was not, and he represents the hundreds of thousands of returning Americans during WWII who suffered in silence from PTSD (known at the time as “combat fatigue” or “shell shock”), but who were never able to fully recover; many who suffered a lifetime in silence.
When did you first decide to become an author?
I produced a short video documentary on the life of George E. Wahlen, a Medal of Honor recipient from the battle of Iwo Jima. At the premier event, Wahlen’s wife Melba asked if I would be willing to write his biography. Medal of Honor recipients are national war heroes, and nearly all have a book telling about their life and heroics. I jumped at the chance and spent the next year interviewing Iwo Jima veterans, researching at the National Archives, and writing the story that became The Quiet Hero: The Untold Medal of Honor Story of George E. Wahlen at the Battle for Iwo Jima. I was lucky enough to convince Senators Bob Dole and Orrin Hatch to contribute the foreword and introduction.
Is this the first book you’ve written?
No, this is my fifth published book, but my first novel.
What do you do for work when you’re not writing?
For my day job I’m a marketing consultant/researcher for a company that helps associations and other organizations boost their member/customer acquisition, retention and engagement. I conduct consumer and market research, and write and publish my findings. I also manage an in-house marketing agency, with a team of writers and designers who produce marketing collateral and campaigns for our Fortune 500 clients. I’m fortunate to work for a company that allows me the flexibility to write and promote my books.
How much time do you generally spend on your writing?
When I’m working on a book, I become intensely focused and can spend 20-30 hours a week researching and writing, in addition to my day job. My wife of 40 years has encouraged me to spend whatever time is necessary, but I wouldn’t have written any book unless she gave me her blessing, and encouraged me throughout the process.
What’s a great piece of advice that you can share with fellow indie authors?
Learn patience. It’s an important skill for authors, and it took me far too long to learn it. I learned not to be in a hurry to see my book in print. I learned not to skimp on hiring the best editors. Paying for skilled editors is totally worth the expense. Never rely on a family member to be your primary editor. That’s because poor editing is sloppy, and sloppiness is the result of impatience. To reviewers and others in the book trade, sloppiness is like screaming “I’m an amateur.” Impatience has killed many a good book that may well have been successful, but the author wanted to speed up the process. As Stephen Covey used to say, don’t forget the law of the farm. You can’t flake out all summer, then rip up the soil in the fall, throw in a few seeds, water it a few times, then expect a successful harvest. There are no shortcuts to a successful book. Take more time than you think is necessary to make sure it’s the very best book you can produce.
Would you go traditional if a publisher came calling? If so, why?
I’ve published three books with a larger traditional publisher. They were good to me and my books were successful. I was fortunate to have teamed up with people like Steven R. Covey, Clayton Christenson, Mitt Romney, Harry Reid, NFL Quarterback Steve Young, Jane Clayson, among many others. It’s possible I could write other books with a traditional publisher, but for now, I enjoy the autonomy of being an indie author with a small publisher.
Is there something in particular that motivates you (fame? fortune?)
Definitely not fame. And I gave up the fantasy of making a fortune as an author when I received my first royalty check. I’ve since sold a ton of books, but royalties are not the only way I measure my success. I am motivated to write because it gives me a reason to research. I enjoy the didactic element of historical fiction, and sharing the results of my findings with others. When I uncover some important part of history that is not widely known by many so-called experts, that’s an amazing reward.
Which writer, living or dead, do you most admire?
Aside from historians David McCullough and Steven Ambrose, whose non-fiction narrative style I admire, I very much admire novelist Dean Hughes. He has written at least 120 books and sold millions of books. But most people outside of the Intermountain West have probably never heard of him. He is an inspiration to me because he has mastered the skill of perseverance. He simply keeps writing and writing, and writing. I love his well-written historical novels, and the research that goes into to each book. But he has also sold a bazillion books for the children and YA markets. At age 77, he keeps writing. And while his success has been a long process, nobody outworks him.
Which book do you wish you could have written?
The Train to Crystal City: FDR’s Secret Prisoner Exchange Program and America’s Only Family Internment Camp During WWII. by Jan Jarboe Russell.
As a New York Times bestseller, I love this book and all the research that went into it. Prior to this book, few historians were aware that over 11,000 German-Americans, many of whom were U.S. citizens, were treated just like the Japanese internees during World War II. They were arrested, many had their bank accounts frozen and property seized, and thousands were locked up without charge. They ended up at a “concentration camp,” like Crystal City, where Germans outnumbered the Japanese internees until 1943, when a massive deportation sent thousands back to Nazi Germany against their will. It was all part of FDR’s secret prisoner swap with the Nazis, where Germans throughout North and South America were rounded up, and traded for Americans being held by the Nazis.
I learned of this untold story from my own independent research, and decided to include portions of this story in For Malice and Mercy. I found this book, and to my delight, it confirmed much of my own research. My interviews with former German internees revealed the massive frustration these American still feel, especially since the U.S. Government formerly apologized to the Japanese internees, and paid each survivor $20,000. But these Germans haven’t received a dime in compensation, and all efforts to simply issue an apology have been frustrated in Congress. It’s a sad, little known story in American history, and I have great praise for Jan Russell for being the first to tell this story to a national audience.