Gina Rae Mitchell

I am Cuba by Matthew Cost is a biographical historical fiction novel. Please read on to discover more about this informative book and my interview with Mr. Cost.

I Am Cuba by Matthew Langdon Cost
Published by Encircle Publications on 2020-03
Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Military
Format: Paperback
Pages: 304

Who was Fidel Castro? In the summer of 1958, 300 bearded revolutionaries, led by a 30-year-old lawyer named Fidel, turned the tides of war in Cuba by defeating 12,000 soldiers in combat. How was this possible?
If you want to understand Cuba of the last 60 years, you must first understand who Fidel Castro was, and the events of the Cuban Revolution of 1953 to 1959.
The revolution began in 1953 with a botched insurrection in Santiago, Cuba. Fidel was captured and put on trial where he defended himself, finishing with the now immortal words: "Condemn me. It does not matter. History will absolve me."
Fidel was imprisoned, granted amnesty, exiled to Mexico, and then led an invasion of Cuba with 81 revolutionaries aboard a pleasure yacht called the Granma. Only 18 men survived. How did Fidel build this small band of guerillas into an army that would sweep to power in Cuba?
Who was the rifle-toting woman who became Fidel's most trusted advisor as well as his lover?
These questions and more are answered in the thrilling I Am Cuba, a historically accurate novel detailing society, politics, war, and love in Cuba in the 1950s.

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I am Cuba by Matthew Cost – New Release & Author Interview

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I am Cuba by Matthew Cost – New Release & Author Interview

Author Interview:

What inspired you to write in this genre?

My senior year in college I took a history course with a Latin American professor. He was so passionate about his subject, and I was a history major, that I became hooked. The year after I graduated, I began writing this historical on Fidel Castro and the Cuban Revolution. I decided I needed to visit Cuba for research purposes and bring sincerity to my story. I finally achieved that goal a few years back and finished the novel. All in all, it took me 30 years to write. Along the way, I published a historical on Joshua Chamberlain and the Civil War. I also have a mystery trilogy planned with the first one due out in September.

If an author fictionalized your life, in which genre would the story belong?

Is there a category for dysfunctional?

Do you have a set writing schedule?

Since becoming a dedicated writer six years back I write every day from first thing in the morning on. I usually stop by early evening as my brain cells lose creativity.

Do you need silence to write, or can you work in any environment?

I wear headphones and listen to cool jazz music with no vocals. It is like my own world.

What is your favorite type of music?

Jazz for writing. Country for driving. 80’s rock for working out.

If you could set up your perfect writing scenario, what would it involve?

What I’m doing now. My schedule is completely flexible.

How do you choose the names of your characters?

For “I Am Cuba”, it is a historical, and most of the characters are real people. My two fictional characters scrolled through ideas before finding what fit.

When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

I’ve always wanted to be a writer. I took some detours on the way and opened a video store, a health club, and a mystery bookstore. Then I was a history teacher for 10 years. I wasn’t in any particular hurry, knowing that writing is something I can do into my golden years.

What is your most unusual writing quirk?

I suppose it would be headphones with jazz music. I can write anywhere. In my living room with a house full of kids. On a rental unit in South Carolina on the deck overlooking the beach.

Do you have a hobby you would like to share with us?

Travel, golf, basketball, and reading.

What do you read for pleasure?

I have returned to reading mysteries over the past couple of years.

Do you have a favorite snack or beverage while you are writing?

Coffee to start but that is it.

Who has influenced your writing the most?

My mother and father.

Is there anything you would like my readers to know about you and your book?

I believe that the very best stories lie within history and just need to be dug out. “I Am Cuba; Fidel Castro and the Cuban Revolution” is an obvious example of this. It should be understood that in 1959 when Fidel Castro came to power, he was revered in Cuba, and the darling of the entire world over. This is when my book ends. Obviously, since then, there has been a lot of water under the bridge. To understand Cuba of the last 60 years, you need to understand the events of the Cuban Revolution as depicted in my historical.

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I am Cuba by Matthew Cost – New Release & Author Interview

Thank you to author Matthew Langdon Cost and Encircle Publications for providing me the information used in this release day promotion.

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I am Cuba: Fidel Castro and...Shop on Amazon

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