Category: Military
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Blasters and Blades
In the run-up to publishing the anthology, Blasters and Blades was kind enough to interview Christopher DiNote and Me (h/t Ted for correcting my pre-coffee grammar) about our stories, the anthology idea, and our personal backgrounds in SFF as well as military connections (mine: MiL brat, spouse of former infantryman. Chris: active duty USAF Col.…
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Veterans and Families
I realized today that I don’t have any photos of my Dad in uniform. I don’t have a lot of family photos, period. Too many moves, too much time passed, so little foresight of the future when I was just a girl. Really, though, it’s too many moves. When you move something like 19 times…
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Memorial Day’s Meaning
Written by Sanford Begley We’re going to stand on a sidewalk and watch the parade, today. And we will remember. A lone snare drum slowly tapping, tapping The flags on the graves snapping, snapping The children run around and play Too innocent to feel this day While others know and softly weep A widow feels…
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Top 100 Military Science Fiction Books
I realized that although I have made many lists of books, I have never done a list for military science fiction, one of my favorite sub-genres to read. An online friend asked about recommendations, so I did what I usually do, and crowdsourced the list-making. Over 300 comments later… No, not all of them were…
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Memorial Day in Photos
The First Reader and I went to a local cemetery (Middletown, Ohio) yesterday and took pictures. They may be gone, but as you will see, never forgotten. It was a peaceful, contemplative time to walk among the fallen lying under the green grass and bright flags. Some were taken too soon, fallen in battles that…
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Review: Proof of Our Resolve
I became aware of Chris Hernandez last week through an excellent article on the dumbing-down of the word trauma. You can find links and my commentary here. As is my usual procedure, while I was looking at his blog and bio, I discovered that he has written a few books. Now, I see this a…
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Review: Duty from Ashes
I had been looking forward to this book, had pre-ordered it as soon as I could, and then on the day it downloaded to my Kindle I was too busy to be able to read it. I did manage to find time over Thanksgiving Break to take it in, and was rewarded for my time.…
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Heroes
This week I have largely been focused on the men and women who have served their country, whether under fire, or in times when war threatened but did not fall. There is some sentiment that veterans are not heroes, which is nothing new, but it rears its vile head about this time every year, and…
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After, the reaction sets in.
I had a situation arise yesterday. It took, at most, thirty minutes out of my life, and it certainly didn’t do anything other than make it clear I need some mental re-adjustments about how to answer the door, but… It made me think. I’m getting ready for class (CJS 101, the irony of which will…
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Book Bomb: Veteran’s Edition
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…
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Military Science Fiction and Females
I’m a huge Mil-SF (military science fiction) fan. I have been since I discovered Drake and Ringo and I haven’t looked back. I find I’m much more partial to the books by those two authors: epic, ground battles, and the struggle of the common soldier. The grand sweeping space battles tend to leave me cold.…