Featured Interview With M.E. Hubbs
Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I am an eleven year veteran of the U.S. Army Infantry. I left active duty in 1992 and retired from the Army Reserve in 2001. Since leaving active duty I have worked as a environmental protection specialist and archaeologist for the US Army Space and Missile Defense Command (USASMDC) on historic Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama. My work has taken me to several far flung islands in the Pacific where the fierce battles of World War II have left relics both above and below the surface of the corral sand.
Besides the extensive non-fiction writing that I have done for my job, I’ve also written non-fiction for several history related magazines and journals including Navy History Magazine, World War II History Magazine, The Bugler, Army History Magazine, Military Historian and Collector and On The Trail Magazine. My article “Massacre on Wake Island” (Navy History Magazine) was the first detailed account of the murder of 98 American civilians by the Japanese in 1943. It has subsequently been used as a reference in several World War II books and articles.
My first novel, The Secret of Wattensaw Bayou was released by Blue Water Publications in March, 2013.
I’ve had a life long passion for history. This interest ranges from battles and leaders to the more mundane cultural and material history of the common people who were the real heroes of the past. History is more than anything else, the story of ordinary people and how those people reacted to extraordinary circumstances. For almost four decades I’ve learned first hand how the people of the past lived by participating in costumed living history programs at scores of American battlefields and historic sites.
I hold a Bachelor’s in History from Henderson State University in Arkansas, a Masters in Environmental Management from Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama and a Masters in Archaeology from Leicester University in the United Kingdom. I’m a member of the Company of Military Historians, The Sons of the American Revolution, The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCWBI) and was the co-founder of the Tennessee Valley Civil War Round Table.
Huntsville, Alabama has been home for Phyllis, my wife, and myself since 1989. They have three children and five grandchildren.
At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I was the kid sitting in the library reading encyclopedias and history books when others were reading fantasy and science fiction. I also discovered historical fiction and filled my head with the stories from The Red Badge of Courage, Iron Men, Johnny Tremain, Rifles for Waite and other classics. I found the stories not only enjoyable, but also provoking. They sent me to the history books to learn more about what really happened during those times. I hope to do the same with my historical fiction. If a child reads and enjoys one of my books, and is provoked to also learn more about that era by means of seeking the subject in non-fiction sources, I have done my job.
Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I read a lot of non-fiction history and archaeology on all eras. However, medieval subjects have been catching most of my attention lately. My current favorite in the adult historical fiction genre is Bernard Cornwell, especially for his Anglo-Saxon Chronicals series and his Archer Tales.
Tell us a little about your latest book?
My second novel, The Archer’s Son, is the story of a young boy in medieval Cornwall who accompanies a band of archers on Henry V’s famous march into France and the bloody battle of Agincourt. From the back cover:
“Eager to see the world that lies beyond his small Cornish village, young Hedyn, son of an archer and serf, is thrilled to be chosen to join King Henry’s army as it advances on Normandy. His excitement quickly gives way to exhaustion in body and spirit, as well as worry for the safety of his newfound friends and comrades. Treachery, disease, hunger, and death plague their steps as King Henry’s men near their fateful battle with the French army at Agincourt. Can a mysterious stranger with a secretive past offer Hedyn hope amidst the horrors of battle?”
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