The Internet is such a wonderful tool for authors. Naturally we think of its utility for research. But it is also wonderful for networking.
Thanks to the Internet I recently met fellow author Jack Durish, a veteran who has penned a historical novel that I would have never chosen to read, but that I am so happy I did. In Rebels on the Mountain, Jack weaves a tale of the Cuban Revolution, a topic I sadly knew little about. He introduces us to the real life Fidel Castro and his rag-tag Fidelista fighters, to Batista, Che Guevara and even to Ernest Hemingway! When I was done I needed to know more about Jack and his book.
1. What is the one book of yours you want us to read?
Rebels on the Mountain available in all ebook formats on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and iTunes.
2. Give us a one sentence synopsis.
Nick Andrews, a U.S. Army spy assigned to unwrap the mystery of diplomatic failures in Cuba, avoids being entrapped in Castro’s Revolution until he is forced to bury his friends and fight.
3. Pick a few characters from your book and tell us who you would like to see portray them in a movie?
Fictional Characters:
Nick Andrews: A U.S. Army Ranger and Korean War Veteran who has made a career of reconnaissance patrols behind the Iron Curtain – possibly portrayed by Stephen Amell
Lucia Comas: An American-educated, island-born mulata, daughter of the second wife of don Carlos Comas, a Cuba sugar plantation owner, and love interest of Nick Andrews – possibly portrayed by Christina Milian
Emma Regan: An American socialite whose husband, a retired pediatrician operates a free clinic on the sugar plantation she inherited, and sister to the don Carlos Comas’ second wife Sigourney Weaver
Real Characters
Fidel Castro: The charismatic leader of the revolution that overthrew the Cuban dictator, Fulgencio Batista – possibly portrayed by Jsu Garcia
Che Guevara: The Argentinian doctor who became one of Castro’s most notorious lieutenants and his executioner following Fidel’s rise to power – possibly portrayed by Guillermo Diaz
Ernest Hemingway: Nobel Prize winning author and Havana resident who mingled freely in the halls of power in Havana and purportedly supported Castro’s revolution – possibly portrayed by William Hurt
4. Tell us about the story, but please don’t reveal too much.
Nick Andrews uses the cover of a pleasure trip with friends, the Regans – a retired doctor and his socialite wife who own an estate in Cuba – to infiltrate the island from its halls of power in Havana to the rebel camp in the mountains at the eastern end of the island. Unexpectedly, he rekindles a childhood crush with the island-born niece of the Regans, and makes friends with a loyal Fidelista rebel. Romance, rum, rumba, and revolution layer themselves into a tale of intrigue, action, and suspense.
5. What inspired you to write this book and how long did it take?
I was slated to pilot a vessel from Galveston Bay to the Chesapeake, with a stop in Havana, when I was a young sailor, but the trip was canceled due to several factors including the fall of the Batista government in Cuba. I suppose that I never let go of the disappointment of missing that adventure. Thus, I followed events in Cuba closely and studied the history of the island and its people during the intervening fifty years. I spent another two years cataloging and studying my research, and another year and a half to write and edit the manuscript.
6. What other books have you written?
Dream Pirates – Fiction for young readers with impaired reading skills and new English speakers WordPerfect: Creative Applications – Technical manual Infantry School: A Soldier’s Journal – Personal memoir Vietnam: A Soldier’s Journal – Personal memoir Trifles: Literary Dessert – A collection of short stories to be published soon
7. Which authors inspired you, your style?
Many including… Ernest Hemingway: Voice Mark Twain: Irony Charles Dickens: Memorable characters
8. Where can we learn more about you and your books (and how to follow you on social media)?
Http://www.jackdurish.com
9. Is there anything else you would like us to know?
I am currently working on my second novel featuring Nick Andrews as a young soldier in the Korean War. Also, I have been posting to my blog a series of articles built from my research into Cuba with special emphasis on the love-hate relationship between the island and the United States. Most expect a change in US-Cuban relations when Fidel Castro dies, and Americans will begin looking forward to visiting this Caribbean paradise, which has been off limits for so many years.