Room 13 Book Blitz #rabtbooktours

History / War / Biography

Date Published: April 13, 2026

Publisher: MindStir Media

 

What happens when training ends—and real combat begins?

In ROOM 13: A Fighter Pilot’s Story, Colonel Kenneth Gilmore delivers a gripping, firsthand account of life as a fighter pilot during the Vietnam/Laos conflict, where survival was never guaranteed—and every mission could be your last.

This powerful military memoir traces Gilmore’s extraordinary journey from a college football coach to an elite U.S. Air Force fighter pilot, flying some of the most iconic aircraft of the era, including the F-102, F-101, A-1 Skyraider, and F-106.

But nothing could prepare him for the brutal reality of war.

✈️ 220 Combat Missions. One Life-Changing Experience.

Assigned to fly the A-1 Skyraider—an aircraft with one of the highest loss rates of the Vietnam War—Gilmore quickly learned that traditional training fell short in the face of enemy fire.

After being shot down during mission 130, he survived hours on the ground before rescue—an experience that would forever shape his life, leadership, and understanding of war.

🔥 The Seven Rules That Meant Survival

In the chaos of combat, Gilmore and a fellow pilot developed seven essential rules for survival—lessons forged under extreme pressure and life-or-death conditions.

These principles became the foundation of his leadership when he later returned to command and mentor fellow fighter pilots as an Operations Officer.

🎖️ A Story of Courage, Leadership, and Sacrifice

Over the course of his career, Gilmore flew 220 combat missions and earned numerous honors, including three Distinguished Flying Crosses for heroism. His rapid rise through the ranks to Colonel reflects both his skill and leadership—but also came at a cost, pulling him away from the cockpit he loved.

 

About the Author

Colonel Kenneth Gilmore (USAF Ret.) is a decorated Vietnam War fighter pilot and author of ROOM 13: A Fighter Pilot’s Story. With over 220 combat missions in the A-1 Skyraider and three Distinguished Flying Crosses for heroism, his experiences in air combat shaped both his military career and Phis life. Today, he shares his story to honor fellow pilots and educate future generations about the realities of war.

Contact Link

Website

Purchase Links

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Sub Tales 4 Book Blitz #rabtbooktours

 

Poopie Suits Series, Book 4

 

History - US submarine Force

Date Published: 09-08-2023

 

Sub Tales 4 is the latest offering by brothers Charles and Frank Hood in their prolific output of nonfiction books about the US Submarine Force. Like the three volumes preceding it in the series, Sub Tales 4 offers a detailed recounting of some of the most pivotal and poignant moments in the rich history of the Silent Service. Arranged as an anthology of individual short stories, the book covers many subjects with prose, photographs, maps, schematics, and other illustrations to complement the narrative.

About the Author

Charles Hood is a Physician in South Carolina. He is the principal author of 7 of the 8 books in the Poopie Suits Series of True Stories, not fiction, from the US Submarine Force. Covering decades and wars and the Cold War, these stories offer insight into the severe world of the men (and now women) living inside a steel tube designed to sink.  What were the pressures they faced, the close calls, the unique encounters in ports, how did their families cope?  These subjects, and a whole lot more are covered in the Poopie Suits Series.

Frank Hood served on a nuclear submarine from 1968-1972 and his story "Poopie Suits & Cowboy Boots - Tales from a Submarine Officer During the Height of the Cold War"  was his story.  Surviving an odd interview with VADM Hyman G. Rickover was the first test.  His story interweaves with the culture of the time, the Vietnam War, campus protests, the race with the Soviets to build deeper diving, quiter submarines, and a lot more.

 

Contact Links

Website

Facebook

 

Purchase Link

Amazon

Men of the 65th Excerpt and Giveaway #GoddessFishPromotions

  

Men of the 65th: The Borinqueneers of the Korean War

by Talia Aikens-Nunez

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GENRE: YA nonfiction

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BLURB:

Honor and Fidelity. That is the motto of the 65th Infantry Regiment, also known as the Borinqueneers, the only Puerto Rican unit in the United States Army.

Since the regiment’s creation in 1899, the men of the 65th have proudly served the US through multiple wars, despite facing racial discrimination. Their courage, loyalty, and patriotism earned them hundreds of accolades, including the Congressional Gold Medal in 2014.

But the honor and fidelity of the men of the 65th came into question in 1952, in the midst of the Korean War, when ninety-one Borinqueneers were arrested and tried for desertion and disobeying orders. How could this happen in one of the most distinguished and decorated units of the Army?

In this telling of one of the forgotten stories of the Korean War, author Talia Aikens-Nuñez guides us through the history of the Borinqueneers and the challenges they faced leading up to what was the largest court martial in the entire war. Rediscover the bravery of the men of the 65th through Aikens-Nuñez’s thorough writing and the soldiers’ firsthand accounts of the Korean War.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Excerpt 

[T]he US public was shocked to discover that during the war, 162 soldiers of the 65th Infantry Regiment had been court-martialed and ninety-one of those soldiers found guilty of disobeying orders and desertion.

The US military kept the courts-martial quiet. But the soldiers of the 65th sent letters to their families describing what was happening, which led to public outcry and confusion from the press. How could one of the most distinguished regiments of the Korean War, whose soldiers had only months before been praised by General Douglas MacArthur for their “brilliant record of heroism,” become involved in the largest mass court-martial of the Korean War?

Did the Borinqueneers lose their bravery and heroism in such a short time? Or were they victims of discrimination in a prejudiced and segregated system? Were they betrayed by the country they risked their lives for?

This is the story of one of the bravest and most decorated regiments in the history of the US military. It is a forgotten story in a forgotten war. But it is a story of patriotism, loyalty, and bravery in the face of danger and discrimination, and it is one that deserves to be told. -page 10

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Talia Aikens-Nuñez writes chapter books, picture books, and nonfiction for children. Her daughter inspired her to write her OMG Series of books about an accidental little witch. She and her husband live on a river in Connecticut with their daughter and son.

Amazon buy link: https://www.amazon.com/Men-65th-Borinqueneers-Korean-War-ebook/dp/B0BNT3ZRZQ/

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE:

Talia Aikens-Nunez will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Men of the 65th #GoddessFishPromotions

 

Men of the 65th: The Borinqueneers of the Korean War

by Talia Aikens-Nunez

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GENRE: YA nonfiction

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BLURB:

Honor and Fidelity. That is the motto of the 65th Infantry Regiment, also known as the Borinqueneers, the only Puerto Rican unit in the United States Army.

Since the regiment’s creation in 1899, the men of the 65th have proudly served the US through multiple wars, despite facing racial discrimination. Their courage, loyalty, and patriotism earned them hundreds of accolades, including the Congressional Gold Medal in 2014.

But the honor and fidelity of the men of the 65th came into question in 1952, in the midst of the Korean War, when ninety-one Borinqueneers were arrested and tried for desertion and disobeying orders. How could this happen in one of the most distinguished and decorated units of the Army?

In this telling of one of the forgotten stories of the Korean War, author Talia Aikens-Nuñez guides us through the history of the Borinqueneers and the challenges they faced leading up to what was the largest court martial in the entire war. Rediscover the bravery of the men of the 65th through Aikens-Nuñez’s thorough writing and the soldiers’ firsthand accounts of the Korean War.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Excerpt 

“The Borinqueneers successfully defended the 1st Marine Division’s retreat, but they soon realized this was only part of a much larger withdrawal of UNC [United Nations Command] troops. As the retreat continued into mid-December, news came that the enemy buildup had accelerated. Chinese and North Korean forces were gathering and converging on Hungnam. The UNC’s worst fears were coming true: they were losing ground in the war.

They had to accelerate their plans in response to protect their troops and evacuate the Korean refugees that had fled to Hungnam. They ordered troops to board ships, division by division, and sail south to Pusan… Meanwhile, the 65th and the 3rd Infantry Divisions would hold the main line of resistance, providing enough cover for everyone to make it safely out of Hungnam…With each withdrawal, the enemy continued to push the Borinqueneers and the 3rd Infantry Division.

…They were exhausted from several days of fighting…The soldiers of the 65th were some of the last to leave Hungnam. They were hurried and squeezed tightly onto the final boats. Finally, they could rest and relax. Once they left, the military would destroy the port so the enemy could not use the equipment and facilities against them.

…After they loaded onto the final ship and set sail, the dynamite detonated. The soldiers looked back and watched the port explode…everything – erupted in smoke and flame. -pages 65-67

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Talia Aikens-Nuñez writes chapter books, picture books, and nonfiction for children. Her daughter inspired her to write her OMG Series of books about an accidental little witch. She and her husband live on a river in Connecticut with their daughter and son.

Amazon buy link: https://www.amazon.com/Men-65th-Borinqueneers-Korean-War-ebook/dp/B0BNT3ZRZQ/

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Talia Aikens-Nunez will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

Sub Tales Book Blitz #rabtbooktours

 

Poopie Suits Series, Book 7

 

History - US Submarine Force

Date Published: 12-09-2019

 

 

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 WWII, 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 readibility, 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 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

Facebook

 

Purchase Link

Amazon