Ft. Myers author: Last Living WWII Veteran mystery : "It's a process"

It's time to go behind the scenes of an author's writing process. I interviewed J Robert Gould about his writing the top-selling novel, The Last of the Greatest Generation. The author lives in Fort Myers, and his book is one of the fastest selling WWII stories of 2023.

What is your writing process?
Preferably, my best time to start writing is in the morning when no one is around. For me, the solitude allows me not to be distracted by the daily activities that often interfere with my creative process. That said, there have been times when I find my fingers sitting on the key board as I struggle to formulate my storyline. When those times occur, the advice that keeps coming back to me is to 'just start writing' even if what your putting on paper isn't perfectly congruent to your story. When I do this, I find that my imagination starts reframing things that I can then go back and restructure the way I want it. This may fall outside the structure of other authors, but when I do this, occasionally something emerges that I hadn't even thought about.

Tell our readers about the "last living veteran" character and why he stands out as the "last of the greatest generation."
The 'last living veteran' character emerged from my father-in-law, who served on the USS Ticonderoga during World War II. His stories of his time on the ship were always compelling to me, even more so when I realized he was only 17 when he joined the Navy. He regaled us with the time the Kamikaze's struck the ship and even into his late 90's could tell you the exact date and time of the attack - and when I looked it up, he was absolutely correct. One afternoon on my patio, I was talking to my wife about World War II veterans, and started wondering what it will be like when we learn that the last veteran of that generation passes. That's when the story started formulating in my mind and using my father-in-law (Papa John) as the main character. I started developing a story about the last living veteran. Further, I had wondered, what if the last living veteran had more to them then just a end of an era; what if he had a secret that affected two nations that he's held for half a century?

From the story, it's obvious you love Fort Myers. Tell us where you grew up and why your hometown now is so special.
I am originally from Orlando, Florida and I lived there most of my life. There was a period of time when I relocated to Atlanta, Georgia, but as a Florida boy, it's hard to take the water away from you for too long. It wasn't long before I had an opportunity to come back to Florida and Ft. Myers was the perfect place to return. It's a quaint town with that small-town feeling and virtually everywhere you turn, there's water. The resilience of the people is remarkable here, especially having recently been through Hurricane Ian. The town sits on the Caloosahatchee River and when the storm hit, the town was literally under 5 feet of water. The destruction was devastating, but the people of Ft. Myers were determined to build it back, and that they did. It's a town that locals like to say "is our little secret," and for that reason I find the laid-back style of living here to be the best in the country.

How do we find your book, The Last of the Greatest Generation?

The book is in all bookstores and retailers that sell books, but often times it is sold out. The fastest way to get the book, in paperback or hardcover, is from Amazon.

Click here to buy "The Last of the Greatest Generation."