A Conversation with Tim Wendel

I wish I could go back and do this interview again, or do a Part Two -- and that's not because this interview isn't good! No, it's because I didn't spend enough time talking with Tim Wendel about the plot of his book, because talking with him about Japanese fire balloons was so fascinating.

Wendel's novel Red Rain is about these balloons, probably the best-kept secret of World War II. As Wendel explains, the government decided that if people in the U.S. knew that Japan was sending thousands and thousands of incendiary devices that would start wildfires across the American West that the population might panic. Instead of keeping everyone informed, the government sent out military fire patrols to fight the blazes. The fact that these paper balloons (by this time in the war, silk was in short supply in Japan) traveled across the Pacific and reached their targets is a marvel of physics; as Wendel says, the Japanese were the first to harness the power of gulf-stream winds to carry weaponry in this way.

Another thing that interested me, however, was that Wendel, a much-published, award-winning author, chose to release this novel with the very small Writer's Lair Books instead of a big, well-known imprint. It's not because Red Rain isn't deserving of a big, well-known imprint; the book has received critical acclaim, and it's an affecting, character-centric novel. I recommend that all readers and authors listen to what Wendel has to say about his decision, because I think more and more authors will be making similar choices in the next few years as publishing continues to change. 

Unfortunately, I didn't have enough time in this interview to ask Wendel all the questions I wanted to; fortunately, he lives in the DC area, so when his next book comes out, I'll be able to invite him back to The Book Studio for another conversation. In the meantime, thanks for watching!