Wartooth Writer

It's been a while since I wrote. I've been tied up a bit. There is this war, my kids, lawyers, and a ton of stuff that would bore you to death.  Right now, let's talk about my SOCOM pals who have had enough. 8 years ago, it was 5-800 of them in Jordan, and 2-300 in Iran, mostly on the Kurdish/Iraq border.  They all knew what they were getting into.  That's what they'd all say about me if our positions were reversed. Sole Survivor in some encounters.  Their wives and families might feel different but it's of no consequence. How many grieving widows did you see on the news or MTV during the big popular wars?  Not many. Definitely not our widows. Our wars, the small, silent, and angry ones were very personal. There were no fleets of fighter jets or any kind of cover.  Most of our missions required preparation for suicide. No US marked anything. No ID, no Hanes socks, no whatever might make you American.  But enough of that. How does this link to the title...

 A modest proposal for the prevention of mass shootings, protection and expansion of responsible gun owner rights, strengthening local civil defense, and fostering good citizenship. How can we do all of these things at once? 1)       A simple licensing scheme, similar to that system used for fishing or hunting licenses, arguably also constitutionally protected rightful activities (fishing & hunting in the pursuit of life). 2)       Establishment of an all-volunteer militia at the community/county or other small municipal entity level. Membership is required to obtain a license to keep arms. 3)       Simple requirements to ensure those purchasing & keeping guns are responsible, safe, and proficient in their arms, with the ability to (verifiably) keep their weapons secure. The license would have a training period beginning at 18 years of age (though informal training can start earlier). The p...

 Hello, everyone! It's almost Halloween, my favorite holiday, so here is an appropriate tale for 'round the campfire. Actually, it's my contribution to the Gettysburg Writers Brigade annual anthology project for charity. The book will feature a number of our authors including some of our stars with multiple titles to their names besides Jim R. The book, to be called 'For the Love of Gettysburg' will also feature works by artists from last year, Jim R and I included. There will also be a handful of others to go along with new voices and some first-time short story writers. I do hope you can find it on amazon after our launch, we can't set up a pre-order but I'll let everyone know when it's available by updating this post with a link. For now, enjoy my contribution (one of two submissions), 'The Restless Dead of Gettysburg'!    The Restless Dead of Gettysburg  Another Gettysburg battle reunion. I’ve lost count of how many, but I’ve been to most of ...

 https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCZdgmKhiWTan6o_qP40fS0w We're doing videos because they're fun, kinda interactive, and my friends and family can easily access the content even if they aren't readers. I want to document our adventure so everyone can see it. If I just wrote about it, nobody would care. 

I've manage to book a trip to Ocean City Maryland in he next few weeks. This trip falls on the most expensive week you can book a hotel there. Why would I do this? Sometimes these things are beyond your control.  I'm traveling with my significant other and we've timed our trip to have a slight overlap with her family's plan. Their travel plans are tied to when they could get a booking between other events; summer day camps and workload surges. The trip involves the extended family, a gramma, kids (x2, 10 and under) plus other relatives. So, my SO was invited but the craziness of that many people crammed into a 2 bedroom timeshare was too much (understandably, I have three kids of my own).   So what to do when you have an obligation to travel, to a place not your own (I've never seen the appeal of OC), with people you barely know? Smile, accept you're going to pay a premium and do your best to enjoy it. There are smart things you can do. For example, my SO choose...

 Hi all, just real quick - some recent media coverage feature the GWB and myself as we continue to do our educational outreach and charity works: Writerly Things, a local media piece about our mission, first launch, coming sequel and showcasing some of my best pals from the GWB: http://celebrategettysburg.com/gburg-writers/  A quick media blurb and photo (see if you can find me!) of the GWB presenting our proceeds to charity: https://www.gettysburgtimes.com/news/local/image_e7d50765-3e58-5a0c-90a8-d14a3f33e073.html and  Our first press piece about the GWB I can remember where I was mad I looked fat https://www.gettysburgtimes.com/news/local/article_6acd2ac0-c1a7-5915-99fd-ef8d5aeba6dd.html Have a great day everyone, keep reading! 

 Sometimes we get away from our core focus and skills. This blog is about the craft, but I'm not the expert or master, I'm still learning. I enjoy my work with the Gettysburg Writers Brigade (hereafter GWB) and I am an active contributor. My primary focus needs to be on my voice and my writing and my fans. Today at GWB we focused on branding. I think I write from a place of great hurt. My brand is dark, suspicious, subversive, angry, but it's also hopeful, healing, and even loving. My heroes overcome with great sacrifice, they succeed because of their hurt, they're limitations. Certain important ideals I hold dear shine through.  One of my compatriots in the GWB, lets call him Tumbleweed, said after reading Salem that the best part was the afterword (he enjoyed the story too). The message about my own hurt and experience with healing, the resources listed and my offer to help anyone who asks, anyone that finds them in those haunted places near death where that story cam...