New Larry Laswell Releases Naval Tribute Novel VOWS TO THE FALLEN

"The book is a tribute to the destroyer sailors, especially those who fought in the Pacific in World War II," said Laswell. "I thought that August 15th would be a fitting date to release it."

Laswell wanted to honor the tremendous heroism of destroyer sailors who became a major "point of the spear" and suffered most of the hardships in WWII following the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Laswell's first novel, "The Marathon Watch," is a military book set during the Vietnam War, which follows a courageous naval captain and his crew aboard the USS Farnley, one of the oldest U.S. naval destroyers. His second novel, "Vows to the Fallen," set in the South Pacific during World War II, follows the main character, Captain O'Toole, but serves as a prequel to The Marathon Watch. In Vows to the Fallen, O'Toole is a young lieutenant when the carnage of his first battle traumatized him, and must learn to handle the challenging role as leader, and deal with the reality of war: command decisions have consequences for his men.

Last year, Laswell donated 50 percent of his book sales for his first novel, "The Marathon Watch" to the USS KIDD (DD-661) Veterans Memorial Museum in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. It was here that Laswell conducted some of his research on World War II destroyers for Vows to the Fallen.

"It was sort of a journey home to me, and the thing that surprised me is that I served on a WWII-class destroyer that had undergone modernization, and the differences were night and day," Laswell said. "They were two entirely different ships, even though they were the same class destroyer."

Laswell will release the first chapter of "Vows to the Fallen" in May, with a pre-release version of the book available for review by book bloggers, especially those specializing in military, action or adventure books. Laswell also plans to conduct a book tour in July leading up to the book launch in August. He invites fans and readers to read and comment on his blog posts, which include military topics of conversation, his real-life sea stories about his life in the Navy, and the back story to "Vows to the Fallen." Reviewers interested in previewing an advanced copy of "Vows to the Fallen" should contact Laswell via his website, www.larrylaswell.com.

About Larry Laswell:
Larry served in the US Navy eight years. In navy parlance, he was a mustang, someone who rose from the enlisted ranks to receive an officer's commission. While in the navy, he served as Main Engines officer aboard the USS Intrepid CV-11, and as Submarine Warfare Officer aboard the USS William M Wood DD-715.

Now retired, he fills his spare time with woodworking and furniture design. He continues to work on "The Marathon Watch" series, an upcoming Science Fiction series, and an anthology of over eighty humorous sea stories.

For more information about Larry Laswell, visit http://www.larrylaswell.com.

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