Shadows Beneath the Stars

A broken radio, a mysterious pendant, and a mother’s forbidden past set the stage for a new WWII novel, Shadows Beneath the Stars.

Set against the turbulent backdrop of the 1940s, the novel introduces readers to Luke Pierce, a young man dreaming of college but trapped by the storms brewing within his own home. In the quaint town of Hanford, California, Luke grapples with a father hardened by hate and a community fractured by fear. But it is the discovery of his mother’s true identity that shatters Luke’s world, forcing him to question everything he knows about loyalty and courage.

Shadows Beneath the Stars takes readers on an epic journey from the emotional battlegrounds of the American home front to the physical front lines of Europe. As Luke faces the horrors of war and the brutality of a German prison camp, he must reconcile his family’s buried truths with the man he fights to become.

The novel’s authentic portrayal of prisoner-of-war life is deeply personal to the author. He drew inspiration from his father, PFC Mason Lane, who was captured during the Battle of the Bulge in December 1944. This connection imbues the novel’s depiction of captivity and resilience with a raw, historical depth.

Shadows Beneath the Stars explores the cost of hatred and the redemptive power of truth. It is a story about the fierce fight for acceptance and the enduring bonds of friendship in the darkest of times.