Meet Author Craig DiLouie!

Craig DiLouie is a Canadian author who writes in multiple genres; horror,  historical thriller and scifi/fantasy.  In this interview, we discuss his series Crash Dive.

1.      Your series, Crash Dive , is set in the Pacific theater of World War II. What about this era appeals to you that you chose to write about it?

 

Thank you for having me as a guest at your blog, Peni! Crash Dive is a military historical fiction series set in the Pacific during WW2, chronicling the adventures of a young naval officer as he fights in and works his way up the ranks of the submarines. Think Horatio Hornblower in a submarine, and you get the picture.

 

The story idea came together around three things. First was a read of Captain Bill Ruhe’s excellent memoir of submarine warfare; when I was done, I finally understand why boys love submarines, and fell in love myself. Second was a desire to portray the war realistically, not like the predominantly antiseptic, overly dramatized films of the period. I wanted to do a Das Boot in the Pacific, which led me to read a dozen books and numerous technical manuals to try to portray exactly what it was like to sail and fight in these amazing machines. Third was I wanted to tell a series of simple “man in a hole”-plot action stories with real grit and technical realism. The result is a series about heroism and a young man rising up to discover himself and be the best he can be, but also about how submarines and sub warfare worked, and its horrors and difficulties.

 

2.      How would you define your writing style?

 

Fast pace, deep point of view, and rich in detail and grit. I really wanted readers to get into the head of Charlie Harrison, our hero, and experience what it was really like to fight in submarines in the Pacific in WW2.

 

3.      Will there be any more additions to the Crash Dive series? If not, what plans do you have for future novels?

 

The series completed with the last episode, Over The Hill, which brought Charlie to Japan’s surrender and the end of the war. Right now, readers can get the series in six Kindle or paperback books, or get the whole series omnibus for Kindle for a discounted price, as well as an audiobook omnibus narrated by the great RC Bray.

 

After Crash Dive, I moved on to start my next WW2 series called Armor, which follows the crew of a Sherman tank from North Africa to Berlin. Readers will get the same likeable characters, compelling action, historical and technical detail, and unflinching horrors of war they’d come to expect from Crash Dive. The five-part series launches in January 2020.