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The Judas Goat Episode 3: A Bag of Swollen Plums
This is the last episode I can post in its entirety, but there are plenty more episodes available here: The Judas Goat on Amazon’s Kindle Vella Episode 3: A Bag of Swollen Plums The three friends dropped their charade the instant the Spanish ship’s gloomy interior hid them from Captain Wright’s view. “Dibs on the flask,” Trevor called, shoving Dave and Noah aside so he could enter the crew quarters first. Dave grunted as he hit the bulkhead. Trevor was built for blacksmithing, not narrow passageways, and had the temperament to boot. Every challenge he faced received the same application [...]
The Judas Goat Episode 2: Booze, Porn, and Eggs
Episode 2: Booze, Porn, and Eggs First Mate Cole, standing beside Captain Wright on the quarterdeck, regained his composure quickly after storming into the gun deck. A spectacular negligent discarge hadn’t been part of his plan, but he wasn’t one to look a gift horse in the mouth. Making certain the Captain was listening, he addressed the three-man boarding party as they came out on deck. “Alright boys, Bosun’s boarding party is down hard—something in last night’s stew has them heaving over the fo’c’s’le—so this is your chance. Get under cover amidships and stand by for my orders. We’ll take [...]
And Now For Something Completely Different…
Who goes from writing non-fiction about PTSD and combat trauma to adventure fantasy fiction about mushroom trips and testicle-biting goats? You guessed it; this guy (With the hat, not the tongue; that's Mike.) I've just published the first five episodes of my new serialized novel, The Judas Goat, on Kindle Vella. The program went live this week on Amazon.com, and offers a new way to read original content on a smart phone. The first three episodes are free. After that, readers use tokens purchased on Amazon to unlock and read follow on episodes. For those who spend tokens, Amazon allows [...]
Why I Envy the National Guard
Imagine being given an opportunity to confront racism, injustice, oppression, and inequality all in one moment? A moment that will be captured on images and beamed around the world in seconds, a moment that will demonstrate compassion in the face of hatred, and project strength in the form of tolerance? That’s the golden opportunity being given to the National Guard troops sent into American cities, and I envy them that opportunity. It’s not going to be easy, but nothing heroic ever is. We are at a turning point in this country. There will be change, one way or another, and [...]
New Direction, New Website
My Uncle Tim gave me some great advice when I got out of the Marine Corps: "You don't have to know what you're going to do forever. You only have to know what you're going to do next." I followed his advice, going from military to civilian pilot for a few years before staying home with the kids. That switch gave me the opportunity to discover something I might never have otherwise: I truly love writing. After two non-fiction books about the human costs of war, though, I was in the mood for a change. So, I've applied his advice [...]
Mmm, crow–yum.
A fellow Marine called me to the carpet about my last blog entry. Specifically, she confronted me--professionally and privately--about several assertions I made about the effectiveness of the #22KILL campaign in accomplishing its goal of raising awareness about veteran suicide. More than that, though, she pointed out that I'd denigrated a group that was trying to do its best to address a problem in order to promote my own work. Ouch. That stung. Mostly because it was true and I hadn't thought about it that way. Truth is, addressing veteran suicide is a daunting task that requires passionate people [...]
How to address veteran suicide–other than filming ourselves doing pushups, I mean.
I've done the 22 pushups-thing. Other than giving my giant mutt unfettered access to thoroughly tongue my ears, I can't say they accomplished much. That's not completely true--my ears are sparkly clean--but that wasn't the point. The short videos were supposed to help raise awareness that an alarming number of veterans are choosing to take their own lives. I don't know who started the whole campaign but I think it has, thankfully, run its course. Veteran suicide, on the other hand, hasn't gone away. Funny thing, that. Letting folks know about the problem is one thing. Addressing it [...]
Sharing The Pride
I grew up in the Marine Corps when homosexual slurs were commonplace. This was during "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" and anyone who challenged the use of such a slur automatically invited suspicion of being gay--a label that ended careers and worse. I used to wonder about "Gay Pride." What did it mean? Was it just an opportunity "Those People" took to dance proudly down the street sporting only a yellow codpiece (thanks Christopher Moore) and oversize plastic sunglasses? I suspected there was more to it than that--my knuckles have only recently stopped dragging behind me--but didn't feel inclined to investigate further. [...]
What I Never Told Detective John Hobbs
This has been percolating in my head and heart for a while, but sometimes you have to let things sit. This website is my professional face--it highlights my writing and efforts to assist veterans of all wars to find their way home--so I was hesitant to blur the line between personal and professional. But it's time. Det John Hobbs Detective John Hobbs was a devoted peace officer, a caring father, and a loving husband--among other things. He was my cousin's husband and father to their three great children. John spent his career in law enforcement with the Phoenix [...]
DD-214: End or Beginning?
Unless you plan on dying in uniform, eventually you're going to get out of the military. When you do leave, you'll walk out of Admin on your last day carrying several copies of your DD-214; the official record of everything you did (good or bad) in uniform. It will follow you everywhere you go for the rest of your life. The question is: Does a DD-214 signal the end of a journey, or the beginning? The answer to that depends greatly on why you joined the military in the first place. If you joined for educational or monetary purposes, then [...]
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