Book 1 of The Sea Hawkes Chronicles
Historical Fiction/Nautical Fiction
Date Published: April 10, 2025
Publisher: Acorn Publishing
The man who fights for his family is far more dangerous than the one who
fights for his king.
Colonial sea captain Jonas Hawke returns home to Norfolk after a year-long
voyage only to have his ship and its valuable cargo seized by the British
Royal Navy. As the royal governor further tightens the noose on trade, Jonas
is thrust into the chaos of a growing rebellion. Desperate to support his
family, he sets out to find work. When he is denied a commission with the
newly formed Continental Navy, he outfits his own vessel as a private
ship-of-war and voyages to the Caribbean in search of enemy merchant ships
he can capture and friends he can trust.
But dangers multiply on the unforgiving sea. The Royal Navy reacts
mercilessly to the threat posed by privateers like Jonas. How will Jonas
fare now that he has boldly defied the King of Britain to preserve his
family? And what will happen to his loved ones while he is away, engulfed in
a war to oppose tyranny in the name of freedom?
Interview
What is the hardest part of writing your books?
A: Finding the time to sit down and focus! Life gets in the way, and since I spent so much time in the Navy, where my service came first, I’ve chosen to put family first in the second half of my life. That’s complicated by the fact that I’ve reached the age where aging relatives need more support, and my daughter is in college starting her own life.
What are your most played songs?
A: I don’t have a playlist. My music tastes run the gamut, from old songs and compositions, some dating back to the 1700s, to the occasional hip-hop and rap, including country, wester, hard and soft rock, classical, everything in between. Last year, my sister turned me on to Five Finger Death Punch. This year, so far, it’s music by Allison Scagliotti, under the name Femme La Pendu. Like I said, wide ranging!
Do you have critique partners or beta readers?
A: I don’t have critique partners, though I should have one or more. I do have beta readers. One is my roommate from my first ship, who I can count on to tell me the unvarnished truth. Others are friends or acquaintances, classmates form the Naval Academy, and parents of my daughter’s friends. The main common characteristic is they will not pull their punches.
What book are you reading now?
A: James L. Nelson’s George Washington’s Great Gamble; Give Me A Fast Ship, by Tim McGrath; History of American Privateers, by Edgar Stanton Maclay; and The Librarian of Burned Books, by Brianna Labuskes.
How did you start your writing career?
A: Telling myself stories when I was in grade school. I didn’t start writing them down until I was in high school, and even then, rarely. After the Naval Academy, I started writing them more frequently. I still didn’t show them to anyone, until I sold one about seven years after grad, in 1991. The next time I let anyone read what I wrote was in 2010-ish, when I let my late writing mentor read a first draft of In Harm’s Way.
Tell us about your next release.
A: Titled The Sea Hawkes, it continues to follow Jonas Hawke as he returns to sea, this time taking his son, Willian, along. Jonas is angry and vengeful, determined to take the war to the British at home. But there are risks attendant to fighting in the enemy’s waters. I’m about one third of the way through the first draft, but I’ve got a sentence of two that describe what happens, at a high level, in each chapter, so there’s a vague chart, if you will, of the voyage. I know several main events, at any rate. I guess the best way to say it is my subconscious has the whole story. I just need to let it flow out through my fingertips.
About the Author
Naval Academy and Naval War College graduate Thomas M. Wing retired after
thirty-two years as a Navy Surface Warfare officer. He served more than ten
years at sea and twenty-two years ashore in increasingly important tactical
and operational billets. A dedicated sailor for half a century, he created
the Continental Navy Foundation, served as its executive director, and
commanded its brigantine, Megan D.
He wrote In Harm’s Way from a desire to explore the topic of
America’s early sea warriors and how they struck fear into the hearts
of British shippers around the globe. Thomas’s award-winning first
novel, Against All Enemies, was released in 2023 by Acorn Publishing. He
resides in San Diego with his wife and daughter and a cat and a dog.
Whatever free time he has is spent on the water.
Contact Links
Website
Facebook
Twitter: @thomasmwing1
Goodreads
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Purchase Link
Amazon
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