Will Ottinger

Will Ottinger is a voracious and eclectic reader, his favorite authors including Pat Conroy, Ernest Hemingway, James Salter, Ray Bradbury, Frederic Busch, John Cheever, and Arturo Perez Reverte to name only the top of his list. One of his many lifelong interests has been the day-to-day lives of World War One flyers. In pursuing his interest, he collected over 1,000 books, letters, orginal documents, and photos covering the period. These formed the research basis for his new novel, "A Season for Ravens," his primary goal being to create more than "just another war novel." Instead of dime novel stereotypes, he wanted to show the lives of those who endured the immense personal pressures of air combat, reflecting a world where pilots' average lifespan on the Western Front was three weeks.

Born in Georgia, Ottinger earned a BA degree in History from Emory University, and a graduate degree from Northwestern University. He spent most of his corporate career in the financiai arena, living in Georgia, Florida, Illinois, Missouri, and Texas. He now owns a Wealth Management consulting and sales training firm, and lives in Houston, Texas, with his wife. When not writing, he is an avid painter of military miniatures, and holds the title of Grand Master Painter, writing a book on the subject that was published by Windrow & Greene in Great Britain. Currently, he is working on his next novel set in Savannah, Georgia, during the 1830's. Release is planned for late 2015.