Michael Tougias and Adam Gamble had good lives: married with two children each, nice homes in the suburbs, jobs that paid the bills, and frequent fishing trips out on the ocean. But those comfortable lives had cracks in them and soon they found themselves hit by a rogue wave of divorce, financial hardship, addiction and career upheaval. What kept them going - and helped them navigate the rough waters of middle age - was fishing and friendship. Alone on the ocean they not only learned some of the successful secrets of striped bass fishing but they were also brutally honest in their advice for each other. They began to see their time spent on Adam's boat, the Scout, as a way to explore new ways of thinking and dreaming big. The two not only discovered ways forward but achieved goals far beyond what they thought possible.
Michael Tougias writes about maritime, travel, and adventure topics. He is a N.Y. Times Bestselling author of thirty books for adults, and eight for young readers in his "True Rescue Series." Some of his books include There's a Porcupine in My Outhouse (Winner of the Independent Publishers "Best Nature Book of the Year"), A Storm Too Soon, Extreme Survival, and The Finest Hours (inspiration for a 2016 Disney movie of the same name). Tougias is a frequent guest on NPR programs, The Weather Channel, Fox & Friends, 20/20, and national talk shows. He lives in Massachusetts and Florida. Adam Gamble conceived of, wrote or cowrote, and supervised the production of 300 titles in the Good Night Books series for preschoolers. The series has 8 million copies sold since it was launched in 2005 and currently sells three quarters a million copies per year. The series has played a significant role in transforming boardbook publishing in the US and is widely known in popular culture. The series is distributed by Penguin Random House (PRH), www.goodnightbooks.com. Gamble is also the author of In the Footsteps of Thoreau: 25 Historic and Nature Walks on Cape Cod, published in 1997 by On Cape Publications, selling 20,000 copies to-date, many at the countless public speaking events held to promote the book. He is coauthor with Professor Takesato Watanabe of A Public Betrayed: An Inside Look at Japanese Media Atrocities (2004), Published by Regnery Press, which also sold more than 20,000 copies. In promoting that book, the coauthors appeared on more than 100 radio and television shows. Gamble is president of Good Night Books, LLC, a three-million dollar per year company which he founded in 2006, currently with five employees.
"A blockbuster account of tragedy at sea...gives a 'you-are-there' feel." --The Providence Journal "Already a maven of maritime books with Overboard! and Fatal Forecast, Tougias cinches that title here. Working in the present tense Tougias lets the story tell itself, and what a story! Any one reading (A Storm Too Soon) will laud Tougias' success." --Providence Journal "An incredible tale of heroism and sacrifice." --Nathaniel Philbrick, National Book Award Winner "Ernie Hazard's experiences, as related by Tougias, deserve a place as a classic of sea survival history."--The Boston Globe "Overboard is a beautiful story deserving of a good cry." --Gatehouse News Service "The riveting, meticulously researched "A Storm Too Soon" tells the true-life tale of an incredible rescue" --New York Post "Tougias deftly switches from heart-pounding details of the rescue to the personal stories of the boat's crew and those of the rescue team. The result is a well-researched and suspenseful read." --Publishers Weekly "Tougias has a knack for weaving thoroughly absorbing stories - adventure fans need this one! --Booklist "Tougias spins a dramatic saga. . . . (He) has written eighteen books and this is among his most gripping." --National Geographic Adventure Magazine "Tougias spins a marvelous and terrifying yarn....this is a breathtaking book." --Los Angeles Times "Tougias's terrifying tale will stun you...leaving you breathless, exhilarated, and finally amazed." --The Providence Journal "What a story! Tougias' research and writing make the reader feel as if they are onboard the Can Do during the Blizzard of '78." --Governor Michael Dukakis A Storm Too Soon "By depicting the event from the perspective of both the rescued and the rescuers and focusing only on key moments and details, Tougias creates a suspenseful, tautly rendered story that leaves readers breathless but well-satisfied. Heart-pounding action for the avid armchair adventurer." --Kirkus Reviews Fatal Forecast: An Incredible True Tale of Disaster and Survival at Sea "A passionately recounted peril-at-sea adventure...described with excruciating intensity. A blustery seafarer's delight, rendered with gusto." --Kirkus Reviews Overboard! A True Bluewater Odyssey of Disaster and Survival "A heart-pounding account of the storm that tore apart a forty-five-foot sailboat. Author Michael Tougias is the master of the weather-related disaster book." --The Boston Globe Ten Hours Until Dawn "The best story of peril at sea since Sebastian Junger's Perfect Storm. Superb!" --Booklist The Finest Hours: The True Story of the U.S. Coast Guard's Most Daring Sea Rescue (co-authored with Casey Sherman) "A gripping read!" --James Bradley, author of Flags of Our Fathers
