Introducing Michael Winston

Hello, my name is Michael Winston and I write historical fiction novels. In addition to writing I am also an artist and have many other interests, from fossil hunting to cooking to bird watching. Being an army brat we moved every three years, so I was fortunate enough to experience various lands and cultures from an early age. I joined the US Navy as a young man and served aboard the Destroyer Escort, USS Cromwell (DE 1014) and spent three winters sailing the Caribbean and one winter in the North Atlantic and Mediterranean. My subsequent career as a psychotherapist working for the VA and then the US Army in Germany has led me into the realm of psychology and character; all of these aspects I believe have helped me as an author to create exciting, informative and character-driven novels. Let me tell you about them.

First, my Jonathan Kinkaid Series, is a meticulously researched, nautical fiction, action-adventure trilogy. Each book is based on actual events; each takes us to a different theatre of the war at sea during the American Revolution. I also painted the cover art.

The first book of the Jonathan Kinkaid trilogy, “Independent Action” finds our hero serving as First Lieutenant aboard the American frigate Randolph of 32 guns, blockaded in the port of Philadelphia during the winter of 1776-77. Tasked with orders to undertake “independent action” in the frigid waters of the North Atlantic against a mighty British convoy, she manages to elude enemy warships long enough to transform her crew–from the crusty boatswain O’Toole to the teenage midshipman Billy Weatherby–into an effective fighting force. A story of the fury of the sea and the waste of war, of brave but fallible men and boys who find themselves in dire straights, of history and the building of character, “Independent Action” is fast-paced, old-fashioned, high seas adventure at it’s very best.

In the second book, “Uprising, Kinkaid’s daring and proficiency are tested to the limit when he is given command of the lightly armed brig, Swift, of 12 guns. Ordered to deliver a diplomat bearing a copy of the Declaration of Independence to the Dutch free port of St. Eustatia in the Caribbean, his mission seems easy enough. But then why have they taken on over 100 muskets and heavy weapons? All Kinkaid is told is that he must assist a major of marines with a secret assignment that takes them to the wet, steaming jungle island of Dominica, inhabited by cannibalistic Carib Indians. As if this and the might of the Royal Navy weren’t enough to contend with, Kinkaid must also gain information of any pirate activity in the Caribbean that might interfere with American shipping between St. Eustatia and American shores. A story of strange allies and astounding deceit, of happy times followed by terrible heartbreak, where the tinkling of champagne glasses is followed by the roar of cannons in the blink of an eye, “Uprising” is rousing, fast-paced sea-going adventure in the Winston style.

“Tidings of Victory” is the third installment, where Captain Kinkaid and his seagoing patriots take the news of our great victory at Saratoga to Benjamin Franklin in Paris, resulting in a treaty between France and our Independent Colonies, a French fleet to American shores, and the blockade of Yorktown, forcing the surrender of British forces and the end of the war. Filled with spies and saboteurs, intrigue and villainy, this masterfully written tale is another triumph of high-seas adventure, as a more confident and newly married Kinkaid wrestles with his own demons as well as enemies of the cause. A more-than-worthy finale, in this book you will find everything you loved about the first two novels, from the sound of booming cannons in ship-to-ship battles to a bold rescue mission of American seamen from an English prison, and much more. A fast-moving, intense and vivid story that reaches a brilliant and unexpected conclusion. For lovers of great adventure novels everywhere.    

I also wrote the epic "Sunset of the Iroquois," about Washington's 1779 invasion of the Iroquois lands of New York State where I live, a gritty, character-driven, action-packed adventure, based on a bloody period of our history. While based on actual journals kept by the soldiers, this exciting story is told from both sides and is filled with Iroquois lore and tactics and technology of the elite Rangers. Reader discretion advised because of graphic descriptions of torture and violence.

My latest undertaking has been the Sgt. Smith World War II Trilogy, depicting a squad of soldiers in the 1st Infantry Division. The first book, published on May 11, 2012, "Baptism of Fire," relates the Fighting First's battles in Tunisia against Rommel's Afrika Corps and the 10th and 21st Panzer Division. Although written in novel format, these books are true stories, based on documented history and stories my father told me. A gritty and unvarnished odyssey into the foxholes of a war we should never forget.   

A list of my books can be found at: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005EBFSHU

I hope you will enjoy reading my books and please feel free to contact me about them. 
Sincerely,
Michael Winston