[Guest Post]: How I got Inspiration to write my first book by Frank Hood, the author of Sub Tales. Stories that Seldom Surface

My today’s guest is Frank Hood who, together with his brother Charles, has co-written the whole series about his life and service aboard a nuclear submarine.

This topic resonates with my new release, a sci-fi thriller Dive Beyond Eternity, with the plot focused on World War II U-boats and modern days nuclear submarines.

How I got Inspiration to write my first book

by Frank Hood

When I was commissioned as a US Naval Officer, and volunteered to serve on a nuclear submarine, I had to sign a 95 year Non-Disclosure Agreement. I was 21 at the time.
I served on the USS Seahorse (SSN 669) and did many things I still cannot talk about today.
My youngest brother, Charles, used to always ask me, “Tell me some stories about your time on the ‘Horse”, but I always had to reply, “Still can’t do that”.

He persisted, and finally he asked, “Are there no non-classified stories you can share?”. I thought for a minute and said, “Yes, I can share funny stories about the day-to-day life aboard a state-of-the-art, brand new, hard charging nuclear fast attack submarine – but who cares, these all happened many years ago. No one knew what we did, and no one cares.” He said, “I care, your kids care, your grandkids will care. If you don’t tell these stories, who will? Your unique slice of history will fade, and no one will ever know the difficulty of your training, the tremendous psychological and emotional pressure you were under, and what a group of 100 men, locked in a small steel tube designed to sink, did to relieve that stress”.

I finally relented and started dictating my memories of the many non-classified funny moments that I experienced. These notes became the first book in our series of now 7 books, each with all true stories of the US Submarine Force.

“Poopie Suits & Cowboy Boots – Tales From A Submarine Officer From The Height Of The Cold War” became a classic among the submarine community.
It is ranked among the Top 100 Books of the Cold War Biography genre by Amazon.
It is ranked in the Top 100 Submarine Books of All Time by The Book Authority.
From its sales, we have donated $50,000 to the United States Submarine Veterans, Inc. Scholarship Fund.

When other submariners read it, they wrote back to us and said, “Wait until you hear MY story.” They also provided many leads into fantastic historical stories that are not well known – but now have surfaced. Daring rescues at sea, fight for survival in combat, dangerous unanticipated events that put the boat and the crew in danger of being lost, and a lot more.

So my youngest brother’s persistence has lead to a growing volume of now recovered stories, that will document the bravery, ingenuity, sacrifice, and shenanigans of men, and now women, who are even now, silently on the Front Lines of Freedom.

About the Book

 Poopie Suits Series, Book 7

Genre: History – US Submarine Force

Date Published: 12th September 2019

Exhilarating true stories from the history of the US Submarine Force. Life threatening sudden emergencies, fearless rescues, famous skippers, innovative ingenuity while at sea, a unique baseball game at the North Pole, a man with an indomitable will to survive in World War II, and a lot more. 

Organized by themes, you can read any story alone. An Audio Version has been narrated by a professional narrator who rode 6 subs himself.  The nuance, color, and sense of being there clearly comes out in this audio book. Since its inception, this book has been our Best Seller of our 7 books with true stories of the US Sub Force.  It has 329 Global Reviews on Amazon, 88% 4 or 5 Star. If you want to learn something about submarines, read or hear true stories of men in extremis, and want to know about the men who volunteered to ride them…This book/audio version is for you.

This book is highly acclaimed by both submarine veterans and civilians for his readability, accuracy, and the content.

Ranked in Top 10 by Amazon of books of Cold War Genre.

Ranked in Top 10 in Best Submarine Books of All Time by the Book Authority

The audio book is convenient for those who drive a lot, have vision impairment, or just want to sit back and listen while they do other chores. 

This book is a winner!

About the Guest Author

Charles Hood is the principal author, aided by his submarine veteran brother Frank. Charles is a physician who started helping Frank write his story (Poopie Suits and Cowboy Boots) and then became so enamored of all things submarine, he has dedicated 7 years of his life to collecting, editing, and publishing these fabulous stories so that they are not lost to time.  These stories of the bravery, the mettle, the endurance of the men (and families) who volunteer to serve aboard a submarine will make you go “Wow”.

Contact Links

Website: www.subtales.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/2hoodssubbook

Purchase Link