“Bravo! Author Martha LaGuardia-Kotite pulled me into this action-packed book by page 3. She balances her writing with perfect tension and suspense in these true missions, and her inside knowledge of how the Coast Guard is able to pull-off seemingly impossible rescues is refreshing. A great book!”

~ Michael J. Tougias, New York Times Bestselling author of In Deep Water, The Finest Hours, and many others

“Guardians at Sea tells an amazing, factual story of America's premier heroes who embody the Coast Guard's core value of ‘Devotion to Duty’ and understand what selfless service really means. Each chapter, by its own title, articulates the hard work and passion that Coast Guard women and men perform almost flawlessly and without fail. The author puts you, the reader, at the scene of each rescue as it happened.”

~ Vince Patton, the Eighth Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard

“LaGuardia-Kotite takes the reader as only an insider can into the high stakes world of helicopter rescue in death-defying environments: in the midst of a raging alpine wildfire, over mountainous seas and gale force winds, in a deadly and tragic Texas flood, and much more. Guardians at Sea’s jaw dropping, true stories shed light on the heroic aircrew of the U.S. Coast Guard as they live up to their Rescue Swimmers’ motto: ‘So Others May Live.’”

~ Captain Bruce Jones, U.S. Coast Guard (Retired, helicopter pilot) and “Aircrew of the Year”-award winner for rescues at sea

“There are informative books, interesting books, books with exciting stories. A rare few qualify as ‘unputdownable.’ Guardians at Sea is one of them. If you’d like to experience a virtual adrenaline rush, this is the book for you. But don’t dig into it before you go to bed or you’ll be up all night reading and then reliving the intense action sequences. The author’s meticulous research reveals incredible behind-the-scenes details of these stunning Coast Guard helicopter rescues that will leave you breathless. And the personal postscripts give the reader intimate insight into the later lives of the heroes who starred in the rescues, bringing the stories to a satisfying conclusion. You’ll come away from this book with a feeling of awe and pride in the U.S. Coast Guard and the aviators who pledge to put their lives on the line ‘so others may live.’”

~ Sandra L. Stosz, Vice Admiral, U.S. Coast Guard (ret.) and author of Breaking Ice and Breaking Glass: Leading in Uncharted Waters

“Highlighting the incredible feats of courageous men and women who routinely put their lives on the line to save others, this book brings readers fast-paced, harrowing tales of death-defying rescues.” 

~ Beau Bridges, film producer, director, actor, and U.S. Coast Guard reserve veteran

“Martha has done a superb job of putting the reader ‘in the cockpit and cabin.’ As a former aviator, it makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up!”

~ Admiral Charlie Ray, U.S. Coast Guard (ret.), helicopter pilot, 25th Ancient Albatross, and the longest serving aviator

Positioning Statement

A gripping, first-person account of the U.S. Coast Guard’s most elite aircrews—the rescue swimmers, pilots, and flight mechanics who fly into the worst conditions on earth to save complete strangers. At a time when 95% of Americans say they deeply admire military service members and first responders (Gallup, 2023), Guardians at Sea delivers the harrowing, human stories behind the uniform: the Bering Sea helicopter swamped by a rogue wave, the sinking fishing vessels, the capsized container ships, the rescuers who became the rescued. Written by a retired Coast Guard captain with a Harvard journalism degree and nearly three decades of service, this book is the definitive celebration of the 1,050 Coast Guard rescue swimmers—only 20% of candidates who attempt the program survive it—and the aircrews who back them up. A follow-up to the author’s award-winning So Others May Live, Guardians at Sea is essential reading for fans of military nonfiction, survival stories, and leadership under pressure.

Market

Market Opportunity and Audience:

Comparable titles with strong performance: Readers of New York Times bestselling author Sebastian Junger's books The Rescue Season and The Perfect Storm, the author's own previous title So Others May Live (LaGuardia-Kotite), Lone Survivor (Marcus Luttrell, 2 million+ copies), and Extreme Ownership (Willink & Babin, 1 million+ copies)—indicating a deep, proven market for military nonfiction and survival stories.

Military and veteran readership: 18.6 million U.S. veterans (U.S. Census Bureau, 2023), plus an estimated 37 million immediate family members who actively seek books honoring service and sacrifice. The Coast Guard alone has ~43,000 active duty members and 7,000 reservists (DHS, 2024).

Key calendar dates/commemorations in 2027: National Vet Girls Rock Day (February 19, 2027); International Women's Day (March 8, 2027); Women's History Month (March 2027)

Rescue & survival genre momentum: Survival nonfiction is a perennially strong category; Military History and True Adventure categories consistently rank among top-performing nonfiction genres in national book sales. True rescue stories have seen 30%+ growth on Goodreads' “Want to Read” shelves over the past three years.

Women in military readership: With only 6 women ever earning USCG rescue swimmer fins—out of 1,050 total graduates since 1985—the book speaks directly to a fast-growing audience: women now make up 15% of the U.S. military (DoD, 2023), and women’s military nonfiction is a high-growth segment.

Leadership and corporate training market: Books rooted in extreme leadership under pressure—a core theme of Guardians at Sea—drive strong sales in corporate, academic, and executive audiences. The global leadership development market is valued at $64 billion (LinkedIn Learning, 2023).

Aviation enthusiast community: Women in Aviation International has 14,000+ members; general aviation has 450,000+ active pilots in the U.S. (FAA, 2023). Search-and-rescue aviation is a niche but passionate segment.

Ocean/maritime readership: Over 100 million Americans engage in recreational boating and water activities annually (NMMA, 2023), many of whom have a personal stake in search-and-rescue stories.

Post-pandemic heroism hunger: Polling shows 88% of Americans say they are “very” or “somewhat” inspired by stories of everyday heroes (AP-NORC, 2022). Books about courage and service are outperforming the broader nonfiction market.

Educational and library market: Military history and first responder titles remain consistent performers with school and public libraries; ALA reports military history as a top-requested subject in adult nonfiction

Author Credentials

Martha LaGuardia-Kotite, Captain USCG (ret), is a 29-year Coast Guard veteran & author of five books, Harvard-trained journalist (M.S. Journalism, Harvard University), TEDx and keynote speaker, and coach for Fortune 100 and 500 companies.

One of the first female officers to serve aboard two Coast Guard cutters with all-male crews—a rare and compelling biographical hook for women’s media and military history outlets.

Her previous book, So Others May Live: Coast Guard Rescue Swimmers Saving Lives, Defying Death (Lyons Press), won awards and has established her as the leading civilian voice on USCG rescue swimming.

Regular television presence: Fox & Friends, FOX/CBS/ABC/NBC/CNN and affiliates—strong broadcast track record for publicity campaigns.

Active lecture circuit: speaks to companies, organizations, military audiences, and leadership conferences—each event is a direct sales and visibility opportunity.

Strong and growing social media presence: 5,000+ Instagram followers, 1,760+ LinkedIn followers, with deep connections to high-follower accounts in the military, Coast Guard, and nonfiction book communities.

Publicity

Print, Broadcast & Major Media:

Major trade reviewers: Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, Library Journal, Booklist, and Foreword Reviews among others

National newspapers: The New York Times (Sunday Book Review, veterans desk), USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, The Guardian, Stars and Stripes, Military Times

Military and defense media: Defense News, Task & Purpose, We Are the Mighty, The War Horse, Military.com, Proceedings (USNI), Air & Space Forces Magazine, Naval History Magazine

General interest/news magazines: TIME Magazine, Newsweek, Smithsonian Magazine, Popular Mechanics, Outside Magazine, Men’s Journal

Women’s and leadership media: Ms. Magazine, Forbes Women, Fast Company Magazine, Entrepreneur, Harvard Business Review (leadership angle)

Aviation and maritime: AOPA Pilot, Flying Magazine, Professional Pilot, WorkBoat, Mariner’s Weather Log (digital only)

Outdoor/adventure: Outside Magazine, Adventure Journal, Field & Stream (ocean survival angle)

NPR shows: Fresh Air, Weekend Edition, All Things Considered, Morning Edition, On Point, Snap Judgment (survival/adventure stories)

Broadcast television: Fox & Friends (established relationship), NBC Today Show, CBS Mornings, ABC Good Morning America; PBS NewsHour; CBS 60 Minutes; C-SPAN Book TV; American Heroes Channel (AHC)

Documentary/long-form potential: Discovery Channel, National Geographic, Smithsonian Channel, History Channel—the Bering Sea helicopter-swamped-by-a-wave story alone has documentary-level drama

Op-ed and essay strategy: Bylined pieces in national outlets on: women in combat roles; leadership under extreme pressure; the 80% washout rate of rescue swimmer school; Coast Guard underfunding vs. mission demands

Podcasts

Military, Veteran & First Responder: Against the Odds, Real Survival Stories, EMS 20/20, Heroes Behind the Headlines, 1 Mile 1Veteran, 1001 Heroes Legends Histories & Mysteries, Veteran Voices, The SitRep

History & Adventure: American History Tellers, Throughline (NPR), BackStory, You’re Wrong About, Revisionist History (Malcolm Gladwell), American Scandal

Survival & True Rescue: Jason Quinn’s The Real ResQ podcast (14,500+ Instagram followers), Survival Dispatch, Survival, Last Podcast on the Left (True Crime/Survival crossover audience)

Leadership & Business: The Tim Ferriss Show, Extreme Ownership podcast (Jocko Willink), How I Built This, The Dr. Gabrielle Lyon Show (838,000+ Instagram followers), Dare to Lead with Brené Brown, The Knowledge Project

Women’s Empowerment & Military Women: WAR QUEENS (hosted by Emily and Jon Jordan, featuring Game of Thrones star Nathalie Emmanuel), In Our Time, Siren’s Call, Women of the Military, She Vets It

General Nonfiction & Storytelling: This American Life, RADIOLAB, Stuff You Missed in History Class, No Dumb Questions

Speaking & Event Strategy

Author is active on the lecture circuit and available for book talks at companies, organizations, conferences, and book festivals—each engagement directly serving to drive sales.

Other potential conference targets (pending author's schedule grid): Women in Aviation International annual conference (14,000+ member organization), Association of the U.S. Army (AUSA) Annual Meeting (~30,000 attendees), Surface Navy Association Symposium, Coast Guard Foundation events, Society of American Military Engineers (SAME).

Social Media & Digital Marketing

Author Platform & Built-in Demand:

Martha LaGuardia-Kotite, our author: Instagram (5,000+ followers), LinkedIn (1,760+ followers), Facebook and YouTube—active content creator promoting books, speaking, and Coast Guard stories.

Go Coast Guard: 150,000+ Instagram followers—official USCG recruitment and community account; natural partner for organic posts, Reels featuring rescue footage, and story coverage.

Vice Admiral Sandy Stosz, USCG (ret): Author and leader; blog Leading with Character—ideal for women’s leadership and military audiences; established credibility and crossover readership.

Kevin Lacz, New York Times Bestselling Author: 50,000+ Instagram followers; former Navy SEAL medic; strong crossover military-nonfiction audience.

Seabourn Cruise: 128,000+ Instagram followers; maritime/ocean-loving audience; partnership potential for promoted posts and giveaways.

Van-Anh Nguyen: 38,000+ Instagram followers; lifestyle and inspiration audience.

General Gregg Martin, USA (ret), author of Bipolar General: 6,000+ Instagram followers; military author community crossover.

McKenzie Lee Burleigh, Publisher of EC Magazine: 4,000+ Instagram followers; women’s media and leadership angle.

International Thriller Writers (ITW): 4,000+ Instagram followers; thriller and adventure fiction readers who also consume nonfiction in the genre.

Summary Strategy

This is a top-tier work of maritime-focused narrative non-fiction, from an author who knows her subject from all angles.

In addition to its appeal for military enthusiasts and those interested in survival tales at sea, here is a work of inspiration that will lift up readers (just as these U.S. Coast Guard swimmers/divers and aircrew members lift survivors out of the ocean).

The goal is to position Guardians at Sea as both a worthwhile read and a squarely aimed lens on all manner of heroism and discipline among the U.S. Coast Guard.