Today, I’d like to welcome my author friend, Cindy Fazzi, to the blog. She’s a journalist who also writes historical fiction and romance novels. I had the pleasure of chatting with her about her latest book, My MacArthur.
Author Name: Cindy Fazzi
Book Title: My MacArthur
Book Genre: Historical Fiction
Released: Nov. 1, 2018
Publisher: Sand Hill Review Press
How would you describe your latest book?
It’s a fictionalized account of General Douglas MacArthur’s tumultuous, interracial relationship with a young Filipino actress named Isabel Rosario Cooper in the 1930s.
What sparked the idea for My MacArthur?
I was born and raised in the Philippines, where MacArthur lived for 13 years. He spent a quarter of his military career there. My parents’ generation revered him, so when I first read about his relationship with Isabel Rosario Copper, I was really intrigued. Almost all history books about MacArthur mentions her, usually in the footnotes, because there’s very little information about the relationship. My curiosity persisted, so I just had to write this novel.
How long did it take for you to write the book? Did you do have to do any research?
My MacArthur was 10 years in the making. I spent a lot of time looking for reliable primary sources and even more time building up my self-confidence to write about someone as iconic as MacArthur. But I couldn’t get Isabel off my mind, so in the end, I wrote the book because of her.
If you were speaking to someone who hasn’t read your writing before, why should they want to read My MacArthur?
The world knows Douglas MacArthur as a maverick general and World War II hero, but few people know his private life. My novel gives readers a glimpse of the hidden part of MacArthur’s life. It’s the first book to focus on his relationship with Isabel.
How does your day job inform your novel writing?
I used to be a journalist and now I’m a marketing content writer. Writing has always been my source of income. My day job gives me a paid opportunity to practice my craft every single day, and for that I’m very grateful.
Where can readers find you (website, blog, social media, etc.)?
Website: https://www.cindyfazzi.com/
Twitter: @CindyFazzi
Facebook: Cindy Fazzi
Instagram: @cindyfazzi
Thank you, Cindy! My MacArthur is out now.
My MacArthur
The year is 1930. The place: Manila. Douglas MacArthur is the most powerful man in the Philippines, a United States colony. He’s fifty years old, divorced, and he falls in love at first sight with a ravishing young Filipino woman. He writes her a love note on the spot. Her name is Isabel Rosario Cooper, an aspiring movie actress. One glance at his note and she thinks of him as my MacArthur.
MacArthur pursues his romantic obsession even though he’s breaking numerous taboos. She reciprocates his affection because he could open doors for her financially struggling family. That MacArthur happens to be handsome compensates for the fact that he’s as old as her father.
When MacArthur is appointed the U.S. Army chief of staff, he becomes the youngest four-star general and one of America’s most powerful men. Out of hubris, he takes Isabel with him to America without marrying her.
Amid the backdrop of the Great Depression, MacArthur and Isabel’s relationship persists like “a perilous voyage on turbulent waters,” as she describes it. In 1934, after four years of relationship, MacArthur leaves Isabel for fear of a political scandal.
The general goes on to become the iconic hero of World War II, liberating the Philippines and rebuilding Japan. Isabel drifts in Los Angeles unable to muster the courage to return to Manila. As he ascends to his special place in American history, she plunges into a dark place.
Author bio:
Cindy Fazzi is a Filipino-American writer and former Associated Press reporter. Her historical novel, My MacArthur, was published in November 2018 by Sand Hill Review Press. My MacArthur was chosen as a quarterfinalist in the 2019 ScreenCraft Cinematic Book contest. Fazzi also writes romance novels under the pen name Vina Arno.