1935! The winds of war have begun to fan the flames of conflict across the Pacific.  As sixteen year old Nick Grant tries to support his mother and sister during the Great Depression, he‘s swept into a deadly contest between spies struggling to control the Pacific Ocean.

Nick's life changes abruptly the moment world famous aviators, Charles and Anne Lindbergh, land at Alameda airport. After Nick refuels their plane, Anne takes him aside and offers him a month’s wages to deliver a mysterious map case to Bill Grooch, aboard the tramp steamer S.S. North Haven.

Desperate for money, Nick agrees. Suddenly the map case and Grooch catapult him into a quiet, but deadly, cat and mouse game between U.S. and Japanese spies.

Nick becomes a vital player as the U.S. and Japan vie for advantage and control of the strategic islands of the Pacific.

Chapter One: Unexpected Visitors

4:20 pm, Tuesday

March 26th, 1935

Alameda Airfield, California

“You’ll never make it, Nick!” Tommy shouted as he pedaled to keep up.

Nick Grant looked over his shoulder at the approaching Bay Liner and pumped his bike pedals harder. The train whistle blasted. It was going to be close. “Yes I will, Tommy!”

The train would slow.

It had to!

The airport terminal was the last stop before San Francisco Bay. Nick risked another look and realized his classmate had given up. But at least the train had stopped gaining. Good!

Nick leaned hard into the turn and struggled to control his bike. Gravel flew. He crossed the tracks and skidded to a halt in a cloud of dust.

The engineer blasted his whistle in protest and shook his fist, but Nick ignored him. The travelers watched passively, unaware of the recent drama. Each train car passed Nick slower than the previous until at last it stopped, blocking the crossing. It wouldn’t move for a half an hour and he couldn’t afford the delay.

But I made it!

“You’re crazy, Nick!” Tommy yelled from across the tracks.

“I’m going home. See you tomorrow … if you live!”

At the MacMillan Aviation hangar, Nick quietly leaned his bike against an outside wall. Warily he peered inside the open hangar.

Joe “Mac” MacMillan stood, hands on hips and glared at him. “Where’ve you been? You’re late again!”

Nick stepped into full view, wiped his brow and pushed his hair out of his eyes. “Sorry Mr. Mac. I got held up at the Aviation Club.” The hard ride had left him disheveled, winded and sweaty.

The irascible Mac was bald, pushing forty, and stood just over five feet tall. He also had a lousy temper. At sixteen, Nick towered a foot over him and this displeased Mac immensely.

“Grant, you’re supposed to be here on time. We’ve got work to do.”

Nick pulled on a pair of greasy mechanics overalls. “It won’t happen again, Mr. Mac.”

Mac answered with his customary, “Umph.” Then added, “Let’s get after that engine, or there’ll be hell to pay.”

Together they walked toward a sleek twin-engine airplane. The Lockheed L-10 Electra was a fast monoplane with retractable landing gear and 10 passenger seats. This Electra had been stripped of airline seats and carried extra fuel tanks instead.

At the plane, Nick stopped and gazed out the rear door toward the runway. In the gathering darkness, the bay fog had started its nightly advance. A Ford Tri-Motor caught his attention as it lumbered down Runway Two Seven. The plane gathered speed, bounced twice, then rose in the air.

That would be the daily Transcontinental and Western Airlines flight to Los Angeles.

He stood spellbound. How he wished he was on that TWA flight.

How I wish I was anywhere but here!

Mac’s gravelly voice broke the spell. “Hey, Nick! Are you listening to me? I said get after that engine!”

“Right, Mr. Mac.” Slowly, he climbed the ladder until he stood in front of the blackened mess of the Pratt & Whitney engine.

* * *

7:00 pm, Tuesday

March 26th, 1935

Alameda, California

The sound of an airplane circling the airport caught Nick’s attention. Somewhere up there a pilot searched for a break in the weather and a safe place to land.

Nick looked up from his work. Out the open hangar doors, the runways were slick from an earlier rain and the clouds hovered at 200 feet. With visibility down to a quarter of a mile, it was a bad night to be flying.

He looked down from his perch. “Mr. Mac, what type of plane do you think is up there?”

Mac craned his neck to look up at Nick. “There are two planes up there, Nick. But you just keep your mind on your work. I promised the Lockheed by week’s end. If it’s not ready, Rob Noone will have my ass.”

Nick yawned and returned to his task. They had to remove the jug-shaped cylinder from the badly damaged radial engine. Intense heat from the engine failure had welded the cylinder to the crankcase. He put his weight against a misshapen bolt.

“Ouch!” The big wrench had slipped in Nick’s greasy hands and skinned his knuckles. “Watch out, Mac!” Nick called as the big wrench tumbled toward the hangar floor.

Mac looked up just as the wrench hit his foot with a sickening crunch. “Damn it, Nick, that hurt!” He limped to a bench.

“Sorry, Mr. Mac, there’s oil everywhere up here.” Nick stuck his skinned knuckles into his mouth and sucked. He spat out the taste of old grease and oil, sucked again until he tasted blood. Satisfied the wound was clean, he returned to his task. “From the looks of this engine, I’m amazed that Amelia didn’t leave metal, bone and blood down the runway.”

Mac casually inspected his foot for damage, like someone accustomed to pain as part of everyday life. “That’s Miss Earhart to you. And I told you before, she runs the fuel mixture too lean. So lean that she blew that jug you can’t break free.”

“I’m trying Mr. Mac, I’m trying.”

Mac continued. “She’ll never win that cross-Pacific race if she blows an engine. In fact, she’ll probably drown.”

“Pratt & Whitney engines are tough but --” Nick stopped mid-sentence. Once again a circling plane intruded on his thoughts. “Which one is this one. Mr. Mac?”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

“You said there were two planes.”

“How the devil should I know?”

They peered out the doors and searched the dark sky without success. Then Mac hobbled over to the wall and flipped a switch. The runway lights came on and stretched away until they disappeared into the fog.

Mac returned to the stepladder and called up to Nick, “How long can you stay tonight, kid?” Nick glanced at the wall clock. “I was planning on staying until seven-thirty.”

“I’ll make you a deal. You stay till nine and I’ll drive you home. What do you say?”

“No way, Mr. Mac. Last time you said that I was here until midnight!”

“Come on, Nick.” Mac’s expression was hopeful, almost pleading. “This job’s important to me and I know your family can use the money.”

“Did my Mom tell you about the bank’s letter threatening us with foreclosure?”

“Yeah. She was near tears.” Mac wiped his hands on a rag and avoided eye contact. “She told me she hadn’t been able to pay the mortgage since your dad left to look for work.”

Guilt wracked Nick. “I know we need the money, but I’ve got to keep my grades up or I’ll never get that college scholarship. Sorry, Mr. Mac. I’ve got a calculus test tomorrow and I’ve got to study.”

Mac turned away, swearing under his breath. Nick couldn’t resist a playful tease. “I wonder what mother would say if she knew our boarder swore like a sailor.”

Mac stopped and turned. “Nick, you wouldn’t!”

“I might …” “And what? You think you’ll get another flying lesson?”

“Mr. Mac, you owed me those lessons! I traded work hours for them.”

“Yeah,” Mac agreed. “Hours I couldn’t pay for, except to give you flying lessons. This depression is hard on everyone.”

Mac looked up at Nick. “You know I’d help your family more if I had the cash, don’t you?” Nick nodded. “So,” Mac continued, “except for teaching you everything I know about planes, flying included, that’s about the only way I can help out …unless you want to know about women?”

They looked at each other and laughed. “I think I’ll stick with your flying expertise. Just one more solo and I’ll have my license! When will that be?”

“I’d say as soon as this Lockheed is flyable.”

The roar of a low flying plane filled the hangar. Mac and Nick rushed out into the damp air and looked up in horror. The plane had barely missed the roof! It banked hard right, lined up with the runway and gently touched down.

“Lordy, I thought he was going to hit the building!” Mac shook his fist at the retreating airplane. “You idiot!” Then he let loose a string of obscenities, some of which Nick hadn’t heard before. Mac’s anger abated and he turned to Nick, “So Mr. Pilot Wannabe, what type of plane nearly sliced off the top of my hangar?”

“A Lockheed Sirius, Mr. Mac. Tail number ... NR ... two ... looked like eleven.”

“Right you are kid. And somehow I don’t think you’re getting out of here by seven-thirty, neither.”

“Why’s that?”

There were maybe twelve Sirius aircraft in the world. The red and black tail dragger stopped 200 yards down the runway, turned around and taxied towards them. Nick suddenly remembered the one man in the world who had a tail number ending in 211. Eyes wide, he looked over at Mr. Mac who wore a huge grin.

Praise for Flying Boats & Spies, a Nick Grant Adventure

by Jamie Dodson

Dodson pulls the reader in during the first sentence and never lets go. This is the first book in a three-part series, and while Flying Boats & Spies is written as an adventure novel for young boys, it is suitable and enjoyable for older children and adults. Nick Grant, a tall, bright sixteen-year-old, wants to become a pilot during the Great Depression. He works at his local airport trading hours for flying lessons. His life is forever changed when Charles and Ann Morrow Lindbergh land at the airport where he works and Ann Lindbergh gives him a package to deliver. He finds himself catapulted into a world of adventure. This enterprising young man masquerades as a high school graduate and joins the crew of a tramp steamer, only to find himself sailing from the West Coast across the Pacific, preparing the way building landing areas for the Pan Am Clipper to open the Pacific to shipping and air travel. All through the book, the foreshadowing events prior to World War II happen all around him. Dodson meticulously researched this masterpiece and delivers a novel most writers would give their eye teeth to write. This book is highly recommended, especially for readers interested in learning more about the time period.

2011 ERIC HOFFER Award for Legacy Fiction

****

“Flying Boats and Spies is a marvelous tale of the men and women who pioneered the sky during an adventurous era. Dodson takes his readers back to those great, old days when aviation was young and nothing seemed impossible. Reading Flying Boats and Spies made me feel like a boy all over again.”

Homer Hickam, author of Rocket Boys/October Sky and The Ambassador’s Son

****

“In Nick Grant, the reader gets a taste of Mickey Spillane, a young Chuck Yeager, and Charlie Chan, all rolled into one. But a gripping climax reveals the true Nick--a memorable hero in his own right. A fun read for lovers of adventure and international intrigue!”

Susan Rosson Spain, author of The Deep Cut, a 2006 Marshall Cavendish Award Winner, www.susanspain.com

****

“Flying Boats and Spies nails it! I have sailed those waters, lived some of Nick Grant’s adventures, and shared the very skies he flew. Jamie Dodson got it all right with a page-turning story that took me back to my youth and Pacific adventures that others only dream about. Grab this book before someone else does. And bring shark repellent… you’ll forget it’s not you in the book.”

Austin Boyd, Navy pilot and submarine hunter, award-winning novelist, and author of the Mars Hill Classified trilogy

****

“Flying Boats & Spies is a terrific read! It is a compelling story with engaging fictional and historical characters who take us into the emerging Pacific war. Japanese spies challenge American’s vital interests as Nick Grant’s adventures plunge the reader into the world of international espionage. Dodson’s use of the historical Pan American Clipper setting provides exceptional realism.”

Annie Laura Smith, author of The Legacy of Bletchley Park, Will Paris Burn? and Saving da Vinci, a World War II trilogy for middle grades and up.

****

“Flying Boats & Spies is a fast-paced, edge-of-your-seat read. Dodson’s knowledge of aviation technology is undeniable, but presented in a way that even a novice can understand. The mystery and espionage are thrilling. Nick Grant is the quintessential all-American boy. Guys will want to be Nick Grant, and girls will fall in love with him.”

C. M. Fleming, author of Finder’s Magic

****

“In Flying Boats & Spies, Dodson has achieved the three greats in a mystery: suspense, intriguing settings, and a witty main character. A great read for all ages.”

Mary Ann Taylor author of the Spies, Traitors, and Heroes, all Gander’s Cove mysteries

****

“Flying Boats & Spies is well-written and packed with adventure. Jamie Dodson combined world history, skullduggery, and espionage seamlessly. The intended audience is young adult, but older readers may find the book hard to put down. The story has a thread of morality that weaves its way throughout the adventure with a subtle lesson for all. The reader yearns for the next Nick Grant adventure.”

Rev. Evan G. Butterbrodt, Renowned Flying Boat Pilot, MS Flight Sim, Minister, author, and newspaper columnist, from Horseshoe Bend, Arkansas

*****

“Flying Boats and Spies is a rollicking good story. With startling clarity, Dodson portrays the indomitable spirit of youthful American visionaries. Despite the great depression, they made American entrepreneurs the envy of the world.

Louis Stannard, author of China Diaries and retired Pan American Clipper Pilot, www.chinadiaries.com.