Operation Oboe by Miller Caldwell

Operation Oboe by Miller Caldwell

Published Authors OnLine Ltd

ISBN 075520090-X

Price £9.99, fiction

What is your book about? Operation Oboe is a historical novel, based on two of my female relatives/Godmother.

Vera vists her aunt Fleur in Hamburgh 1914 as she married Dr Willy Richter. She is caught behind enemy lines and is carefuly smuggled back to the north of Scotland and her home by sympathisers. But what happens to Fleur? After Dr Willy Richter dies in 1936, Fleur decides to stay in Germany 'til 1939 when she returns home, leaving her son in Hitler's Army. Fleur is appointed to The West African Gold Coast to seek out Fifth columists living in the Bsael Mission community at Abetifi. Some see her as German, others British but she mamages to isolate the Swiss from the Germans and finds she has African family connections. She donates her oboe to her niece after she loses fingers in a lorry accident and turns to teaching after the war at the Wesley school in Kumasi. By this time her son is dead and her new life in an emerging Ghana concludes the story.

Why did you write the book? I wrote the book as I knew the family story was of great interest.

Where did you get your inspiration from? I visited Ghana before writing the book and sailed backin a cocoa boat to write about the two voyages in the book.

How does your book differ from others that are similar? This book is a novel but was almost double biography. Such inspirational female characters are few and far between in the film and literary world.

Why did you choose POD? POD was new to me in 2003 when I published Operation Oboe. I had no idea how well it would sell but I wanted it on a publisher's site too. It stayed in the top ten of AuthorsOnLine for over two years and it has attracted many US sales. I chose not to wait for a big publisher; it was better to have a product than a script.

What do you see as the advantages and disadvantages of this method? It advertises the book in the US/world wide web and I can order as many books as I want. I am also pleased with the quality of book production.

How did you market your book: Guest speaking engagements sell many books, Coop stores in south and east of Scotland; on many web pages of friends and literary pages from Books from Scotland to SOAS and Borders bookshop event in Dundee. Car sticker and web on bumper, flyers, word of mouth. I always have copies of books in my car and car park sales take off around Christmas.

What would you say to others considering POD? POD is a realistic way to publish a book. Few authors are taken on by the mainline bookshops. Selling the book can be a challenge but can be fun.

Where can I get a copy of your book? OPERATION OBOE is found at http://www.authosonline.co.uk/ or on myweb at http://www.millercaldwell.org/ for more information about this novel being prepared as a film script.