Lynn Ellen Doxon had authored over a thousand newspaper and magazine articles, three nonfiction books, and a children’s book before she branched into historical fiction in 2022 with the publication of the first World War II novel in her Becoming the Greatest Generation series. Book two in that series, and her newest release, is The Moonlight Cavalry (Artemesia Publishing, April 2024). You’ll find Lynn on her website LynnDoxon.com and her Amazon author page. For more about her work, read her 2023 interview for SouthWest Writers.
The Moonlight Cavalry is the second book in your Becoming the Greatest Generation series. Can you give readers a little background on this new book?
In the first book, Ninety Day Wonder, schoolteacher Eugene Sinclair is drafted against his will as war rages in Europe but before the US is involved. Following boot camp he is trained for the Coastal Artillery and sent to the shores of Puget Sound. He feels his calling is in medicine and manages to get additional training as a pharmacist. His pharmacy training is completed on December 5, 1941.
After the Pearl Harbor attack, he is almost immediately reassigned to anti-aircraft artillery and sent to Camp Davis in North Carolina for Officers Training School. On his way there he meets Sarah Gale, a young woman who works in the camp laundry. Ninety days later he is commissioned as an officer and deeply involved with Sarah Gale.
Following further training in Texas (and New Mexico since Fort Bliss extended all the way to what is now White Sands) and Florida, where Sarah Gale is now stationed as a WAC and they become engaged, he was sent to the Pacific, where he is separated from his battery.
In The Moonlight Cavalry, Gene leads a replacement platoon to the island where his unit will soon arrive, then rejoins the unit as they follow the 24th Infantry around New Guinea and the Philippines. Along the way they experience pitched battles, battle fatigue, friendly fire and the biggest killer in the Pacific, tropical diseases. Gene contracts malaria and is plagued by hallucinations of his fifth great grandfather’s experience in the Revolutionary War.
What drew you to the historical fiction genre?
I discovered historical fiction in elementary school, and it quickly became my favorite genre. In high school I waded through several Michener novels and read War and Peace. I was a voracious reader all my life and read The Thorn Birds (which isn’t historical fiction) in one sitting when it first came out. When I decided to start writing full time, historical fiction seemed the natural choice.
Were there any scenes you found difficult to write? How did you move past that?
As the relationship developed between Sarah Gale and Gene, I had to consider how to write intimate scenes between them. Since this is a 1940’s novel I went with the suggestive level of many 1940’s movies, but I still am not sure those scenes are as engaging as they could be.
What is the most difficult aspect of writing historical fiction?
There is a lot of research involved in writing historical fiction and the temptation is to try to include all you have learned. I quickly figured out that my long descriptions were not as engaging as Michener’s. They sounded more like the academic writing I did on the way to getting my MS and PhD. I tried to remove everything that did not contribute to the story.
Also, this story takes place recently enough that there are some people who remember it and more who can say “that’s not what my dad told me.” Sometimes I could not find research on details I wanted to include so I just made things up. It is fiction, but the historical details still need to be accurate, or somebody will call you on it.
When writing a series, what is it that keeps readers coming back for more?
Each book has to be a complete story but still have some unanswered questions to draw the reader to the next book. Of course, everyone knows how the war comes out, but how does Gene fare for the remainder of the conflict? It is also important to have characters people love. I hope I have made Gene and Sarah Gale into characters that people want to know.
How much involvement did you have regarding the book’s cover design?
I sent the editor several suggestions and he sent back something that was much better.
What is your elevator pitch for The Moonlight Cavalry?
The Moonlight Cavalry is the story of a searchlight battery of antiaircraft artillery, told by their executive officer, island hopping across the Pacific during World War II.
Authors are faced with handling much of their own exposure when it comes to media and marketing. How do you balance your writing career with the business of being a writer?
My daughter and I just started a digital marketing company. In that process I have learned a lot about effective websites and social media marketing. The problem is I simply don’t have time for everything, and things aren’t too well balanced at the moment.
What part do critique groups play in your writing process?
I find the critiques of other writers to be very important. I belong to a critique group that has made several suggestions that I believe will make the third book much better. I believe critique groups and beta readers are extremely important in the writing process.
When can readers expect to see book three in your Becoming the Greatest Generation series?
Life is pretty hectic right now. I am hoping to have a publication date in November 2025.
Su Lierz writes dark fiction, short story fiction, and personal essays. Her short story “Twelve Days in April,” written under the pen name Laney Payne, appeared in the 2018 SouthWest Writers Sage Anthology. Su was a finalist in the 2017 and 2018 Albuquerque Museum Authors Festival Writing Contest. She lives in Corrales, New Mexico, with her husband Dennis.
Leave a Reply