They Called Him Marvin by Roger Stark Book Tour, Guest Post and Giveaway! {Ends 6/24/22

May 9, 2022 | Adult | 2 comments

Book Details:

They Called Him Marvin by Roger Stark
Publisher: Silver Star (September 21, 2021
Category: Historical Romance, WW2, Family Saga, Based on a True Story
Tour dates: April 25-June 24, 2022
ISBN: 978-0578855288
Available in Print and ebook, 320 pages

Book Description:

They were just kids, barely not teenagers, madly in love and wanting to be a family, but WW2 and a B29 got in their way.

Three hundred ten days before Pearl Harbor, buck private Dean Sherman innocently went to church with a new friend in Salt Lake City. From that moment, the unsuspecting soldier travelled a remarkable, heroic path, falling in love, graduating from demanding training to become a B29 pilot, conceiving a son and entering the China, Burma and India theater of the WW2.

He chronicled his story with letters home to his bride Connie that he met on that fateful Sunday, blind to the fact that fifteen hundred seventy five days after their meeting, a Japanese swordsman would end his life.

His crew, a gaggle of Corporals that dubbed themselves the Corporealizes, four officers and a tech Sargent, adventured their way across the globe. Flying the “Aluminum Trail” also called the Hump through the Himalayas, site of the most dangerous flying in the world. Landing in China to refuel and then fly on to places like Manchuria, Rangoon or even the most southern parts of Japan to drop 500 pounders.

Each mission had its challenges, minus fifty degree weather in Mukden, or Japanese fighters firing away at them, a close encounter of the wrong kind, nearly missing a collision with another B29 while flying in clouds, seeing friends downed and lost because of “mechanicals,” the constant threat of running out of fuel and their greatest fear, engine fire.

Transferred to the Mariana Islands, he and his crew were shot down over Nagoya, Japan as part of Mission 174, captured and declared war criminals.

Connie’s letters reveal life for a brand new mother whose husband is declared MIA. The agony for both of them, he in a Japanese prison, declared a war criminal, and she just not knowing why his letters stopped coming.

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Praise for They Called Him Marvin By Roger Stark:

“This was an amazing book. This isn’t a look at war through rose colored glasses, but one that shows the reader what life was like for people from many backgrounds. A soldier, his love left behind on the home front, and those that were considered the enemy at the time.
This was an intimate story that doesn’t focus only on the war, and pulls the reader in quickly and easily. Historical fiction lovers, those with an interest in war history, and anyone just looking to take a few steps back in time will greatly enjoy reading this.”- Liliyana Shadowlyn, The Faerie Review

“The fact that the premise for this book started with the story that Marvin told and then the letters from Dean and Connie shows how much research Roger Stark put into writing this book. I love how he revolves all of the events around the dates of the letters. The letters give the reader a reprieve from the atrocities of war and show the humanity of the soldiers fighting.
There are some parts of the war that are shared that are so vivid and so horrifying – both on the part of the Japanese and on the part of the Americans. It is so heart-wrenching to think that these young (barely) men were out in those situations.

My almost-93 year old grandpa, whose name is Marvin and who served in the Korean War, also read this book, and he really liked the story.
For anyone who likes to read books based on wars or just history in general, I definitely recommend this one. It is also a love story that unfolds and is eye-opening to horrors that were experienced.”-Heather, 2 Many Books, 2 Little Time

“Told in prose with diary-style sections of narration as well as central figure 1st Lt Dean Harold Sherman’s own personal correspondence, this is a beautiful tale of enduring romance and the heroism of those who fought and flew during the latter part of World War Two during the United States’ conflict with Japan. What results is a touching family saga that also foreshadows the great horrors and sacrifices of life in war.
Author Roger Stark has crafted an emotive work with plenty of historical richness, pathos, and heart to offer readers. One of the features which I found particularly impressive about this piece was the heartfelt presentation of the unshakeable bond between Dean and Connie, both through the curation of their own words to one another and the contextual gap-filling which Stark achieves with facts, but also emotionally sensitive additions and details.
Overall, I would highly recommend They Called Him Marvin to fans of accurate wartime accounts and for enthusiasts of World War Two reports.”- K.C. Finn, Readers’ Favorite

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Review By LAWonder10:

They Called Him Marvin is a very poignant tale of young love, war, separation, loss, endearment, and much more. It is a painful reminder of the gravity of war.

It begins with a boy and girl in love. Because of their youth, the girl’s parents discourage the relationship. However, their love prevails.

The boy served in the part of aeronautics he truly enjoyed. Their “Honeymoon” was cut very short. Soon he was called to where his wife could not go,. Much of the book is centered around their letters in a time when the mail was inconsistent. The reader experiences much of their sentiments and challenges through their letters. It feels like one is really a part of their story.

The characters were portrayed in a realistic way and the scenes were vividly clear. It was easy to connect with the characters and events.

The Title and Cover image were so simple, yet, eye-catching and “fitting”. The story is an all too familiar one for many who have had loved ones in wars.

I offer a Five sr=tars rating

*This book was gifted me with no pressure to post a positive review. This is my honest review.

Guest Post:

Guest Post by Roger Stark, Author of ‘They Called Him Marvin’

I very much appreciate this chance to share some things with you. What I want to talk about is rather personal but it is something many of us, writers and non writers deal with. It sometimes cripples us and stops us from accomplishing what we wish to accomplish or even what we should accomplish.

The subject is Self Doubt.

I can’t think of a more challenging experience than taking you first chapter to a friend to read. The first chapter you have labored over, re written countless times and figuratively sweat blood over. I mean you know the weak spots, places you just couldn’t make up your mind which way to go, how to say it, A thousand questions roll around in your head, “Will they get that reference?” “Does the story flow or wander in places? “What the heck was I thinking when I took this project on?”

It is for sure gut check time.

I had my days of self doubt, thoughts of my foolishness to think I could complete such a project of creating TCHM. There were a few things that helped me get through all that.

One was fellow writers that I studied and practiced with. I developed so much trust in them that I felt like I could tell them my darkest secrets and it would be ok. They played such an important part in my success in completing my manuscript, I will be forever grateful to these writing comrades and count them as close friends.

Ann Lamott helped me outa bunch. I stumbled across an article she wrote about the practice of writing a shitty first draft (that was her word not mine.) I began writing with the expectation that nothing could be classified as shxxxx. She however suggested just getting it out of you, onto the page, almost to just regurgitate what ever was floating around in your head, take a look at it and re-write it. And then re-write it again and again. It was amazing to have such a permission that what came out for a first take did not need to be the final draft.

I occasionally rid my self of doubt by reading what I had written. This happened a number of times over the six years of writing involved in TCHM. On a manuscript of this size, it was not unusual for me to not see a section or chapter for months at a time. When I would open one of these sections it would amaze me how well I thought it was written. Often, I could not remember writing the section and it felt as I read it, that someone had stolen my computer and typed a section for me. Seeing the quality of these unremembered words really stroked my writing ego and helped me labor on.

The encouragement of family was a big part of my completing this project. The loving support of my wife and children was relentless and dependable. Whenever my tank felt empty, they could aways make things better.

Although he isn’t family, another source of inspiration and encouragement was LT Dean Harold Sherman the hero of my story. I am not sure I can explain nor do I fully understand the relationship we developed. He was as real to me as any of my alive friends. I felt him nudge me in the early hours and whisper an idea into my ears. Sometimes it was a sentence, sometimes a storyline, but on a regular basis he came and assisted in the work of writing. At first in my stupor of sleep I would think “Oh that is good, I write that in the morning.” But alas I could never remember the prompting. So, my routine became to get up when the inspirations came and take to my computer and record them.

I am not free of self doubt since I finished writing. It still torments me from time to time, but I have learned to not let it paralyze me.

Meet the Author:

Roger Stark, by his own admission, is a reluctant writer. But there are stories that demand to be told. When we hear them, we must pick up our pen, lest we forget and the stories be lost. Six years ago, in a quiet conversation with his friend, Marvin, he learned the tragic story of his father, a WW2 B-29 Airplane Commander, shot down over Nagoya, Japan, just months before the end of the war.

The telling of the story that evening by this half orphan was so moving and full of emotion, it compelled Roger to ask if he could write the story. The result being “They Called Him Marvin.”

Roger Stark’s life has been profoundly touched in so many ways by being part of documenting this sacred story. He prays that we never forget, as a people, the depth of sacrifice that was made by ordinary people like Marvin and his father and mother on our behalf.

Website: https://theycalledhimmarvin.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TCHMarvin

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You Can Find the Tour Schedule Here :

Teddy Rose Book Reviews Plus April 25 Kickoff & InterviewGud Reader Goodreads April 26 ReviewAm Goodreads April 27 ReviewLu Ann Rockin’ Book Reviews April 28 Review &Guest PostLynelle Inspire to Read April 29 Review & ExcerptCarole Amazon May 2 ReviewSuzie M. My Tangled Skeins Book Reviews May 3 Review & Guest PostRaymond Amazon May 4 ReviewSal Bound 4 Escape May 5 Guest ReviewSage N. Goodreads May 6 ReviewLaura Lee Celticlady’s Reviews May 13 Guest Review & Guest PostKaren Amazon May 16 ReviewMike. Goodreads May 18 ReviewJas International Book Promotion May 19 ReviewLinda Lu Goodreads May 23 ReviewDee Amazon May 26 ReviewNora S. Storeybook Reviews June 1 Guest Review & ExcerptLiam Goodreads June 3 ReviewAmy Locks, Hooks and Books June 9 Re-Post Review & ExcerptSmitty Goodreads June 10 ReviewTeddy Rose Book Reviews Plus June 13 ReviewBee Book Pleasures June 14 Review & InterviewGracie Goodreads June 15 ReviewBookgirl Goodreads June 16 ReviewBetty Goodreads June 21 ReviewDTChantel Amazon June 22 ReviewAmber M. Amazon June 23 Review

Giveaway Details:

This giveaway is for 3 print copies, one for each of 3 winners. This giveaway is open to the U.S. only and ends on June 24, 2022 midnight, pacific time. Entries accepted via Rafflecopter only.