fiction / Military / romance / science fiction

Book Bomb: Veteran’s Edition

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I was delighted to discover that of all my friends who served, and also write, two veterans had debut novels come out today. I’m fairly sure they both intended that, and even though I haven’t had a chance to read either book yet, on the basis of knowing both of the men who wrote the books, I can say they are worth buying. If for nothing else than to support veterans making a new life in a civilian world. This isn’t along the same lines as admiring a kindergartner’s drawing, both men are solid writers whom I trust to deliver a good book, or I wouldn’t be promoting them on my blog. Tough love, guys, but I know you’re up to it.

Two very different books.

The Galileo Syndrome by Stephen J Simmons (veteran submariner, USN) is a tale of multiple universes, and a boy who can travel between them. Ebook Link! 

Jaxson: Island Warriors book 1 is a romantic tale of a veteran who finds a woman, and then must fight for her, and to protect her. Written by a marine, it is published under the pseudonymous Kris Keldaran.

So here’s the idea with a book bomb. As many as we can, buy the books today (Galileo Syndrome is, as I type, not yet out in ebook. I will update with that link ASAP). This gives them better visibility to other buyers, and launches our budding authors in a grand fashion. Share the links once you’ve bought (either direct links, or to this blog) and help me promote these men. Surely, they who served are worth a few clicks of the mouse to give them a hand?

galileo syndrome jaxson

15 thoughts on “Book Bomb: Veteran’s Edition”

  1. Pingback: Nocturnal Lives » Book Bomb – Veteran’s Day Edition

  3. Reblogged this on carolkean and commented:
    Veteran’s Day, and two veterans have written novels that debut today:
    The Galileo Syndrome by Stephen J Simmons (veteran submariner, USN) is a tale of multiple universes, and a boy who can travel between them.

    Jaxson: Island Warriors book 1 is a romantic tale of a veteran who finds a woman, and then must fight for her, and to protect her. Written by a marine, it is published under the pseudonymous Kris Keldaran.

    Thanks, Cedar, for the “book bomb” blog in support of our veterans!

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  5. Kudos to the vets who are telling their stories. I’ve wanted to co-author a book with my Marine Corps hubby, with him writing about his experiences while I would write about what it’s been like to live with a man who has severe PTSD, resulting from his approximately 30 months on the battlegrounds of Viet Nam.

    He won’t talk about it. He won’t write about it. He just won’t. (And I’m not pressuring him.)

    I think there are two reasons why he won’t–well, maybe three.
    1) Some people vehemently rant that there is no such thing as PTSD–it’s all in their heads, or, they’re working the system. He doesn’t want to be counted as one of those.
    2) He is aware, from his three months in a PTSD program (VA psych ward) that some people DO fake it, in order to have a warm, dry place to sleep during the winter, and food to eat. He knows this because in listening to their stories, he knows they haven’t been where they say they have (because he HAS been there).
    3) He just doesn’t like to draw attention to himself.

    Again, I do appreciate those vets who are telling their stories . Most of us have not “been there, done that” and I think it is important for us to have some idea of what it was like, and to work at having a better understanding of what our servicemen and women have experienced.

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    • If he’s anything like my love, there may be a 4.) and 5.) there:

      4.) He doesn’t want to have to go through remembering it all over and over again, all the pain and emotions, in order to get it down.

      5.) He doesn’t want to put it out there, in front of people who cannot understand, and deal with their completely non-understanding reactions.

      Peter has sworn he’ll never write about African combat. But it comes out, a little at a time, here and there, in blog posts and in references pulled for his books set in star systems far away. And when it comes out, so do the nightmares, the combat-learned instincts so out of place here in suburbia, the emotions, and the feelings of isolation, of being an alien among civilians. I just love him through it, as best as a military brat knows how.

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  6. Cedar

    I realized, while washing dishes, that the comment I wrote on your “Veteran’s Edition,” is inappropriate because the two books you mention are fiction. Could you, can you, would you, remove my post? I appreciate that veterans are writing books–I wish Ron would. (Seems like, while washing dishes, or in the middle of the night, are the times the brain goes into overdrive.)

    Your mom says you might be out this way for Christmas. That’s great! But if you are wanting to take pictures of “Out West,” you’ll get mostly snowy ones. However, for the kind of books you write (well, some opf them anyway), you just MIGHT find something inside the Lava Caves. If you go to my MountAinsWest page on facebook, you will get an idea of what they’re like. For some reason, I can rarely get on facebook; other times it works perfectly. Any ideas?

    Guess I’d better get ready to go–your mom’s going to pick me up to go to a planning meeting for the Christmas sing-along, skits, basket raffle, etc.

    Love you–take care of yourself and don’t work too hard Grandma La Vaughn

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    • Ma’am, if it’s all the same to you, that comment isn’t inappropriate at all. I wrote that book (and all of it’s subsequent sequels which have yet to come forth), in tribute to and for my brothers who cannot speak. I have long had a gift for being a bard and a storyteller. I tell their stories, that the world might know they were good men, men of honor and courage.

      After I returned from deployment to Afghanistan, writing became a means of focusing my attention and frustrations. It’s the outlet that allows me to express what things I cannot say aloud without feeling rage and despair all at once. It’s actually something I address in this book- that if we mourn, we do so in private, because we cannot trust the world at large to understand or respect the depth and magnitude of our grieving.

      My best wishes to your husband, and tell him from one Marine to another “Happy Birthday brother, Semper Fi!”

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  7. Pingback: Heroes | Cedar Writes

  8. Kris, thank you for your kind answer. You have a way with words, and the ability to express a lot with few words! I’m looking forward to reading your book, and would be happy to write a review if you’d like.

    This may be a bit off the subject (way off,in fact)–I’ve not been in the military–but your second paragraph “hit me in the stomach,” reminding me of parts of the book I wrote (not yet published–had a few technical issues) about my years living in extremely primitive conditions in interior Alaska, in a poorly insulated cabin with temperatures that sometimes were more than 60 below zero (everything inside froze solid), and a husband (not the current one!) who spent more time doing free work for other homesteaders than looking for productive work or taking care of his family.

    The words you used–especially “frustrations,” “outlet that allows me to express what things I cannot say aloud without feeling rage and despair all at once,” “we cannot trust the world at large to understand or respect the depth and magnitude…” remind me of my despair, physical and mental fatigue, severe depression, and stomach ulcer that resulted from my living conditions.

    These were extremely difficult for me to write about, and I can’t help crying when reading parts of it to a group. (My book is “Alaska Bush Mother”).

    Again, thank you for writing your book. Although very different subjects, they were written for much the same reasons. I think that partly because of my experiences, I have a greater empathy for my husband’s feelings.

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