Every Small Job, Every Low Rank, Was Critical to the Mission — Each and Every Day. And the Watch Continues.

It's that time of year again — a moment to reflect on our Nation's veterans who gave up so much of their youth, freedom, and time in service to something larger than themselves.

Some gave even more. Some gave everything.

And behind every veteran stands a family that carried the weight at home — keeping things running, holding life together while their loved ones were away. That includes the parents and siblings of the youngest who served straight out of high school — those who waited, worried, and hoped, but were also proud beyond words. Their service counts, too.

If you have a veteran or a family member of a veteran who loves to read - and are fans of Tom Clancy, John le Carré, Charles Stross, and others - consider Friendship Games and/or The Compass Room.

Friendship Games is a geopolitical thriller and a modern take on the USS Maine incident that sparked the Spanish-American War of 1898.  This time, it is a US aircraft carrier - the USS George W. Bush - that sinks in the Persian Gulf amid tensions with Iran and a changing global order. Friendship Games earned the prestigious Kirkus Star for literary excellence and kicks off The Wartmann Series.

The Compass Room is the sequel to Friendship Games and explores the consequences of Friendship Games: 

The war was over before it even started.

In the aftermath of disaster, Americans are stranded in hostile territory, and Washington reels from a conflict it never imagined losing. Across Europe, unrest spreads while America's allies falter, divided and indecisive — much like its own President. In contrast, Turkey moves boldly to expand its reach, while Russia and China seize the moment to press their advantage.

Vice President George "Daddy Longlegs" Wartmann now faces his greatest test: holding a fractured nation together as political polarization deepens, impeachment looms, unrest grows at home, markets crash, and enemies maneuver abroad. Every choice carries peril, and survival may depend on finding direction in a world turned upside down.

The war might have been over before it started… but one man refuses to accept defeat, and he knows the story is only beginning.

Both books are currently free on Kindle Unlimited.