Award-winning authors Tosca Lee and Marcus Brotherton

There are novels we read for entertainment. And then there are novels that fill us with so much insight, inspiration, and information, we overflow with an overwhelming need to speak about a hidden injustice we never knew. That’s what happened when I read Marcus Brotherton and Tosca Lee’s The Long March Home.

But before we get to this gripping story–that kept me up all night reading–let’s introduce you to our authors.

Marcus Brotherton is the New York Times, USA Today, Publishers Weekly, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author or coauthor of more than twenty-five books that have been called “fascinating,” “brilliantly arranged,” “magical,” and “refreshingly frank.”

Tosca Lee is the New York Times bestselling author of twelve novels, including The Line Between, The Progeny, The Legend of Sheba, and Iscariot. Lee’s work has been praised as “deeply human,” “powerful,” and “mind-bending historical fiction.”

So, you may ask, what is this fabulous book about? A book that impacted me so much that I vacillated between throwing the book across the room, weeping, and calling friends at 2am to insist they read this book. Here’s the publisher’s summary:

Born and raised in Mobile, Alabama, Jimmy “Propper” Propfield is determined to leave his home behind and see the world with his best friends Billy Crockett and Hank Wright. The Army is his way out. Plus, it will help him forget his high school sweetheart, Claire. At first, life in the Philippines seems like paradise—until the morning of December 8, 1941.

Within hours of bombing Pearl Harbor, Japanese Imperial forces turn their attention to the Philippines. For the next four and a half months, the three friends are plunged into a battle for control of the Pacific theater that ends with the largest surrender of American troops in history.

Jimmy, Billy, and Hank are rounded up and marched sixty miles up the Bataan Peninsula enroute to Camp O’Donnell in what will become known as the Bataan Death March.

With no hope of rescue, the three friends vow to make it back home together. But the ordeal is only the beginning of their nearly four-year fight to survive heat, disease, hunger, and life as POWs.

The Long March Home is a riveting coming-of-age tale of friendship, courage, sacrifice, and love as three friends struggle to survive unthinkable odds.

My friends, had you ever heard of the Bataan Death March? Until I read this book, I

By Unknown author or not provided – U.S. National Archives and Records Administration, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=17043258

hadn’t. At the same time millions of Jewish people were tortured and murdered, young men–American and Filipino soldiers–were also being tortured and murdered in the Philippines.

Because history is more than facts and moments in time, the authors wrote a story about individuals. Our featured authors, Tosca and Marcus were able to take brutal acts and humanize them with the story of three friends. The trio’s journey from innocent restlessness to learning how to hold on to their humanity is a must read.

Oh my, I could go on and on, but because getting to know the minds and hearts of the authors of this book will bless you, let’s get to know Marcus and Tosca.

Terri: What did you read as a child? Or, what did/do you read to your children/grandchildren?

Marcus: When I was a child, my mother read to me a lot of classics—Charles Dickens, JRR Tolkien, Louisa May Alcott, Laura Ingalls Wilder, the Chronicles of Narnia.

Terri: Marcus, I love that you began with what your mother read to you. Truly this reflects how important literature was in your home and childhood. Beautiful.

Terri: How was working together on this book? What were the logistics?

Marcus: I began the manuscript in 2010 and chipped away at it little by little. It was unfunded at the start, a passion project. After seven years, I had a good working manuscript that I sent to early readers. The feedback I got was good. But I wanted it to be great.

This project honors the WW2 veterans who were there, so I wanted it to be as perfect as it could be. I called my agent. He suggested I was too close to the canvas, and that I bring in a coauthor to help take it further. That’s when I called Tosca.

Tosca: Marcus called me up and told me about the subject matter and I have to admit, I hadn’t heard of the Bataan Death March. But I could tell it was an important story to share—for people like me who had missed hearing about this chapter of WWII history.

“Let’s do it,” I said. And then added five more years to the process. This is a book that was a total of 12 years in the making.

Terri: Twelve years! What commitment. Thank you for not giving up!

Terri: Who are your favorite authors to read & why?

Marcus: Everything Laura Hillenbrand writes is brilliant. I’ve copied out long portions of Hemingway, letting the words of a master pass between my fingers. Elmore Leonard and Cormac McCarthy are two of our greatest living writers.

Tosca: I have favorite books more than favorite authors—it’s hard to list authors by name because I’m so privileged to call so many of them friends and honestly, they’re all brilliant. But some of the books that have shaped my writing life include Clan of the Cave Bear, Memoirs of a Geisha, The Mists of Avalon, and Interview With the Vampire.

Terri: No wonder the pairing of you two for this project was divine. You both brought backgrounds of diversely compelling points of view.

Terri: Do you have any strange writing habits/quirks?

Marcus: I used to be a newspaper reporter, so I developed the 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. writing habit then, although when I’m deep into a manuscript I think about it all the time.

Tosca: I pray before I write. It sounds a lot like begging, mostly because it is.

Terri: I laughed, Tosca. Begging works.

Terri: Do you have any unusual research habits for your books?

Marcus: After a project is done, I’ll run a manuscript by specialty readers to fact check and comment, like when doing deep dives into the military or foreign countries. I want to make sure everything’s as authentic as possible.

Tosca: I like to recruit experts willing to let me pester them with questions.

Terri: WRITERS! Pay attention to the above!

Terri: Which of your characters has really stretched you as a writer?

Tosca: Jesus Christ was an important secondary character in my novel Iscariot. That was quite intimidating at first.

Terri: Jesus would be an intimidating character in any story, but within the context of Judas’s story–wow.

Terri: Who is your most favorite character—protagonist or antagonist?

Marcus: There isn’t a bad apple among the bunch. Hank is cool. Jimmy’s a thinker. Billy represents everything good about the world. Claire is the friend who turns into something much more.

Tosca: Billy made me giggle a few times—out loud.

Terri: I loved the pre-war years with the friends. The innocence, yet that angst to leave their sleepy hometown for adventure.

Terri: What is something God taught you while you wrote your featured book?

Marcus: It was such a long process with this book, I often wondered what God was doing. The book is finished now, of course, but I believe he’s still writing this story of where the book goes and what it does.

Tosca: What Marcus said. This was a long time in the making—there was even a time when I wondered if this thing would ever see publication.

Terri: Thank you, both, again, for persevering. Marcus, I too believe this story has sturdy boots to carry it through generations. God’s timing is the best–even when it feels unbearable to us.

Terri: What is one of your favorite quotes from The Long March Home and why do you love it?

Marcus: At the risk of giving away too much information, Jimmy tells Hank’s father, “Your son saved my life.” That line, in all its possible meanings, says everything.

Tosca: There’s a line when one of the characters is referred to as “God’s favorite prodigal.”

Terri: Loved those quotes, too. Mine was the first line of the book: “July 8, 1941: Dear Jimmy, You left without a single word.” Ach. That punched a hole in my heart to let the rest of the story inside.

Terri: What is a question no one has asked you about The Long March Home and you wish they would? Why?

Marcus: Readers sometimes want a theme to emerge that’s right on the nose. This book will move you in powerful ways if you let it, but it’s story isn’t tidy, and you have to grasp its symbolism to see its themes. A few critics have knocked it as having no redemptive arc. But that’s not accurate. The arc is there. You just have to realize that redemption can whisper. It won’t always announce itself when you see it.

Tosca: Maybe not a questions so much as a puzzling assumption I run across often: when a male and female duo write together, readers/reviewers often assume that the man wrote the gritty war scenes and a woman wrote the relational or romantic ones. That kind of division by gender is simply not true.

Terri: Marcus, well said. I know I struggled initially, but once I realized I had an obligation to know this part of history, the “switch” flipped and the spiritual thread became evident. Of course, the there was that scene! Readers: watch the YouTube A2A interview about “that scene.”

Terri: Tosca, preach it sister!

Terri: What are you working on now?

Marcus: I’m working with a celebrity on his life story, but due to a contract clause I can’t say who it is until the book comes out. He does a lot of noble work.

Tosca: A medieval thriller about the European witch-hunts.

Terri: Oh yeah! Can’t wait!

Terri: What is the best writing tip you ever received? How was it helpful?

Marcus: If you want to write fiction, even if you’re already an amazing writer, read the how-to books first. You’ll save yourself a lot of anguish.

Tosca: To skip the boring stuff.

Terri: Great tips!

Terri: What is the least helpful writing tip you ever received? Why wasn’t it helpful?

Marcus: Write what you know. Your knowledge and experience must infuse your themes and characters. But if writers only wrote what they knew, we’d see a lot of books focused solely on donuts.

Tosca: Write what you know. If I did that, I’d be teaching folks how to Marie Kondo their closets rather than writing fiction.

Terri: Had to laugh. You both chose the same bad tip. And, Tosca, you can Marie Kondo my closet any time.

Terri: What do you hope readers know about you and your books?

Marcus: My goal is to write like music makes you feel.

Terri: Marcus! That is beautiful. I may steal that. Nah, I would give you credit.

Terri: Do you have a recipe that compliments your book’s characters, setting, or time period? Please share.

We were fortunate to have the help of a friend who not only lives in Alabama near her mother who remembers everything about the area, but who shared valuable details about Mobile, Alabama and some local favorite foods. This is her mom’s easy-to-make recipe for an item mentioned in The Long March Home: Chocolate gravy.

Sue’s Chocolate Gravy by Sue Evans

1 c. sugar
2 T flour
1 T cocoa
1 c. milk
1 T butter
½ t vanilla

Stir sugar, flour, cocoa with whisk. Add milk and stir. Warm in microwave and stir with whisk. When thick, add butter and vanilla. Serve over your favorite biscuits!

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Thanks, Tosca and Marcus for this informative and inspirational interview! Readers: if you’re like me, you’ll need to read the contents a few times, there’s so much to glean whether you’re a reader or writer or both! Now for the GIVEAWAY!

The June A2A Giveaway!

Yes! Thanks to Revell, this month’s giveaway is a copy of Marcus and Tosca’s, The Long March Home in hardcover! Thank you, Revell!

Isn’t this exciting! And you could be the WINNER! How? Well, by entering! Not just once, but up to SIX times!* Leave a comment below and share this blog and if you haven’t already, please subscribe to my newsletter at the bottom of this blog and receive a free gift from me — and an extra entry.

NOTE: WANT TO INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING THIS INCREDIBLE GIVEAWAY?*

Check out my YouTubeA2A interview with Marcus and Tosca. Because, in the video interview Marcus will read a riveting excerpt of The Long March Home, answer different fun questions! Really fun! By Liking and Commenting on the video episode, you will have one more entry.* Sharing the video, another entry.* Subscribe, and you have TWO entries for a chance to win.* 

The Deadline is June 16th!

Watch our A2A interview!

That means, my friends, if you comment and subscribe -– or are already a subscriber -– to my blog, then watch the video and LIKE, SHARE, and COMMENT on the VIDEO, then Subscribe to my YouTube Channel, your name will be entered SIX TIMES!*

If you already have a copy of The Long March Home, be sure to let you friends and family know so that they can enter!

July’s Author Highlight is the Christy Hall of Fame and bestselling author Cathy Gohlke.

Thanks so much for stopping by. I hope you enjoyed getting to know Tosca and Marcus— I sure did! Until next month, God bless and KEEP READING!

*So sorry, entries from the contiguous US only.