THE OCCUPATION OF JOE
“A timely, important, and compelling read.”
Now Available on Amazon.com
SOME READINGS SCHEDULED
For those interested in hearing The Occupation of Joe, as well as a few poems, I’ve scheduled some readings:
Oct. 3 at 7 p.m. Open Mic, San Carlos library
Oct.18 at 7 p.m. San Mateo Library
Nov. 10 at 10;30 a.m. San Mateo Library
Dec. 8 at 9 a.m. on Barnes and Noble Authors Day
Dec. 19 at 7 p.m. San Carlos Library
Let Technique Torque Your Poetry
I’ll be reading from The Occupation of Joe in the October readings and on Authors Day at Barnes and Noble, Hillsdale, San Mateo.
The Nov. 10 readings will include poems published in Fault Zone, the literary anthology published by the California Writers Club, SF Peninsula branch. The Dec. 19 presentation includes a discussion of how well-known poets used various techniques to enhance the effect of their works.
SOME GREAT REVIEWS
Some great reader reviews have been posted on Amazon and Goodreads about The Occupation of Joe.
“Lyrical and poignant” wrote one reader. Another labelled the story “poignant, thoughtful.”
“Emotionally gripping”
“A book you won’t forget any time soon.”
Several said they read the story in one sitting. “I couldn’t put it down,” two people said.
Set in Tokyo in 1945, The Occupation of Joe is about a young American officer, who befriends a local boy at the beginning of the American Occupation of Japan. As post-war pressures mount, he becomes entangled in the lives of the boy, his infant sister and his beautiful mother – at the risk of their lives and his own.
“The genius of this book is in the representation of the best and worst in human beings,” another review wrote. “Author Baynes describes well the full breadth of human emotion, formed in large part by living conditions and the possibility of a better life. This book should be turned into what would be a great film, with the theme that HOPE is that which gives our lives meaning.”
A woman in New Mexico said: “I loved the power of the prose. It reminded me of Hemingway’s style. The story flowed so smoothly that it was impossible to put down”
“In unadorned language that puts the reader right there on the cold and devastated Toyko streets, Baynes explores the nuances of the relationship between occupied and occupier in a tale that resonates beyond its time,” another reader reported. “I continued to think about the characters and their complex connections long after I finished reading.”
One review was headlined The Occupation of This Reader.” It concluded: “Baynes, erstwhile AP reporter and filmmaker, writes with the urgency of a dramatist and the clean, no-nonsense prose of a beat reporter. I found myself caring deeply about these three people. I highly recommend The Occupation of Joe.”
I hope you’ll give it a try. Find out for yourself what these readers are talking about.
The Occupation of Joe has been released.
The Occupation of Joe, my new novella, was officially released today. You are now able to order paperback or digital copies on Amazon.com or directly from my publisher.
What happens when a young man sees the human cost of war? After years of single-minded hate, of trying to defeat the evil empire, what happens when he finds himself face-to-face with a child on the edge of starvation?
Tokyo, 1945. A young American officer befriends a local boy at the beginning of the American Occupation of Japan. As post-war pressures mount, he becomes entangled in the lives of the boy, his infant sister and his beautiful mother – at the risk of their lives and his own.
Published by Top Hat Books, purveyors of quality historical fiction, The Occupation of Joe is an emotionally charged novella, a compelling post-war tragedy. It’s a fast read, told in short, propulsive chapters through alternative viewpoints.
I hope you’ll give it a look. And please let me know what you think. If you like it, there are ways you can help me to promote it.
For more information, please visit my website.billbaynes.com
Why another blog
Obviously, I’m trying to sell my writing. All the marketing guides say I need to establish ongoing contact to friends, colleagues and interested readers. So I’ll do that. I’ll keep urging you to read The Occupation of Joe. Next spring, I’ll be pushing another book, a middle-grade novel.
But I also like to think aloud. This blog is a place for me to do that on a variety of topics:
• Books
• Ideas
• Interesting stuff
• Baseball
• Sometimes a photo or two
• Even an occasional poem
I’ll get a lot less directive and a lot more speculative.
The blog will be published at strictly irregular intervals. That might mean weeks. It might mean hours. Click the setting for “whenever.”
I welcome your comment, your interaction.
Do you think I need to find a name for the blog? A masthead?
What do you think? What do you suggest?
