The Invisible Veteran: Rediscovering Identity, Purpose, and Connection After Service by Kevin Kidder

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Author's Synopsis

The world is better with you in it—and it’s time for you to believe that again. 

Military retirement may be a momentous and honorable occasion, but many veterans experience a loss of identity when they hang up the uniform. Their sense of purpose falls away, and the sudden lack of structure doesn’t feel freeing—it feels confining. As they delve into the civilian world, they often begin to feel lost. Disconnected. Invisible.

Author Kevin Kidder knows exactly how that feels. That’s why he created The Invisible Veteran—to help others like him emerge from the void, reclaim their sense of self, and navigate their new reality with clarity and courage.

When Kevin officially closed the military chapter of his life, he thought the future was wide open and brighter than ever. But instead, he was faced with a divorce, a tough job market, and a slow descent into drinking and depression.

But Kevin eventually cut through the noise to discover that he wasn’t a failure. He just had to recalibrate his mind, which had been conditioned to define silence as strength. Breaking through the isolation, self-doubt, and mental fog with the help of his loved ones and faith, he was able to maintain a loving relationship with his kids, establish a new career for himself, find new love, and pursue his true purpose in life.

Describing Kevin’s hard-earned lessons on everything from relationships to mental health to leadership, and with reflection questions and calls to action woven throughout, The Invisible Veteran is a critical guide for any veteran who has ever wondered whether their story still matters. (It does!)

Format(s) for review: Paper or Kindle
Review genre: Nonfiction—Memoir/Biography
Pages/Word count: 182 / 40,118

Reclaiming the Edge: Risk, Responsibility, and Modern Masculinity by Garrett Carr

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Author's Synopsis

Reclaiming the Edge is a book for men who sense that something essential has been dulled, buried, or quietly trained out of them, and who want to do the work of getting it back.

Written by a former Air Force Direct Support Operator with ten years in special operations support, the book is not a war memoir and not a motivational manifesto. It's a practical, hard-edged look at what happens to men when the external structure that once gave their lives shape, whether military service, high-pressure work, or clear consequence, is no longer there.

The book moves through the realities most men recognize but rarely name. The vanishing that happens when the career field, the unit, and the mission all stop on the same day. The way comfort, sold as a reward, becomes the threat that quietly dulls capable men. The drift that doesn't look like a crisis but slowly empties a life of meaning. Anxiety as a misrouted nervous system looking for a worthy target. Betrayal and divorce as forced confrontations with reality. Fatherhood as the rebirth of risk and responsibility. Discipline over motivation. Skill over bravado. Competence over comfort.

Drawn from military service, building businesses in real estate and construction, surviving betrayal, raising sons, and rebuilding alignment between capacity and responsibility, the book is written for the everyday man who is capable of more and willing to do the work to get there.

This is not a book about becoming dominant. It is not about reclaiming masculinity through aggression or nostalgia. It is about competence, responsibility, and learning to carry weight without collapsing or going numb. If you sense that something in you is underutilized, this book is written for you.

Format(s) for review: Paper or Kindle
Review genre: Nonfiction—Creative Nonfiction
Pages/Word count: 210 / 41,901

Inside Naval Aviation: A Memoir by David Maybury

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Author's Synopsis

This global adventure covers a twenty-year career in naval aviation.

Assignments included NASA, flying Intruder attack jets from aircraft carriers, Naval Test Pilot School, experimental flight test of the F/A-18 Super Hornet aircraft and overseas aircraft maintenance after 11 September 2001.

The memoir is an incredible journey that shares the excitement of military flying, focuses on the excellence of others and honors the memory of many friends lost to accidents along the way.

Format(s) for review: Paper or Kindle
Review genre: Nonfiction—Memoir/Biography
Pages/Word count: 371 / 106,982

Samson and the Charleston Spy by Paul A. Barra

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Author's Synopsis

The protagonist of SAMSON AND THE CHARLESTON SPY may be the definitive underrepresented voice in middle-grade fiction today: he's a boy and a Southerner, confronting the Civil War from the Confederate perspective.

When Samson Collier and three sixth-grade friends witness the bombardment of Ft Sumter offshore from their homes, they decide that the Yankee soldiers at the fort must have been forewarned about the attack, since no one was killed although the structure appeared to be wrecked. They set off to find the spy who told secrets.

During their escapades, they confront slavery (one of the four is the son of a freedman), nativism (another of them is the daughter of a prominent Catholic family), zealotry (a man forming a brigade to fight the North appropriates Sam's beloved horse) and evil (they are attacked by a highwayman in The Devil's Hole). Eventually, the children discover a shocking plan to undermine their homeland.

The book is an historically accurate and action-packed adventure/mystery.

Format(s) for review: Kindle Only
Review genre: Children & Young Adult—Middle Grade Chapter Book
Pages/Word count: 162 / 40,000

ISSUED, stories of service (vol 4) by editor, Rosemarie Dombrowski et al.

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Author's Synopsis

ISSUED: stories of service is an annual, anthology-style publication dedicated to showcasing the voices of veterans, active-duty, and family members through poetry, narrative, and interviews. From active duty to combat, reintegration to remembrance, ISSUED highlights the humanity of military-affiliated writers, and encourages reflection and healing within our military communities.
ISSUED is sponsored by the Office of Veteran and Military Academic Engagement at Arizona State University.

Format(s) for review: Paper or Kindle
Review genre: Other—Anthology/Collection
Pages/Word count: 128 / 28,188

It'll Buff Out: A Private’s Tales of War and Shenanigans with the 10th Mountain Division in Afghanistan: 2001-2005 by Daniel Pace

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Author's Synopsis

This is not a hero’s war story.

It’s the unfiltered, darkly funny, sometimes ugly account of what the Global War on Terror actually looked like from the bottom of the food chain—through the eyes of a sarcastic, twenty-something infantry private who had no idea what he was getting himself into.

Set in the chaotic early years of Afghanistan, It’ll Buff Out follows a 10th Mountain Division infantry soldier as he stumbles from college bars to basic training to real combat, learning—often the hard way—what it means to fight a war that nobody fully understands yet.

This book is vulgar because enlisted life is vulgar.
It’s funny because soldiers cope however they can.
And it’s honest because pretending otherwise would be a lie.

If you’ve read "The Things They Carried," "Jarhead", or "Generation Kill," this book lives in that same uncomfortable space—where boredom, terror, brotherhood, stupidity, and loss all coexist.

Format(s) for review: Paper or Kindle
Review genre: Nonfiction—Memoir/Biography
Pages/Word count: 419 / 156,000

Recollections of a Life Well-Lived by LeRoy Perry Ades and Leah Ades Cooper

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Author's Synopsis

LeRoy Perry Ades was a child of the Great Depression, spending four of his formative years in foster care. He fulfilled his life's ambition of attending the U.S. Army Military Academy at West Point, NY, graduating in 1953. His twenty-year Army career included two tours in Germany, two tours in Saudi Arabia, three tours at Fort Polk, LA, and a deployment to Vietnam. His stories in this book span his childhood and military career and are interwoven with commentary and photos provided by his older daughter, Leah Ades Cooper. They tell of trials that formed his character, experiences with royalty and with Army privates, foreign cultures, reflections on combat, and how he came to terms with his placement in a foster home. In short, they are "Recollections of A Life Well-Lived."

Format(s) for review: Paper Only
Review genre: Nonfiction—Memoir/Biography
Pages/Word count: 335 / 59,614

Led by Love of Country: Hard Reset by Charles V Sasser Jr

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Author's Synopsis

The Hook
When the digital gates of every federal prison in America swing open at once, it isn't a glitch—it’s a declaration of war.

The Story
On November 14, at 0200 hours, the "Great Release" begins. A sophisticated cyber-kinetic worm known as the "Hard Reset" strikes the nation's critical infrastructure, bypasses every security protocol, and weaponizes nearly two million incarcerated individuals against the state. This is the manifesto of Elias Thorne, a man who believes the only way to save the Republic is to burn its corrupt foundations to the ground.

As the nation teeters on the brink of a second Civil War, the mission falls to a different kind of patriot. Sean—a former Tier One operator—must navigate a landscape of weaponized fear and industrial ruins. From the frozen, lawless streets of Detroit to the high-security corridors of Washington D.C., Sean is hunted by the FBI and betrayed by a corporate elite that seeks to monetize the chaos.

The Stakes
This is more than a story of survival; it is a tactical exploration of duty, the weight of the "Gray Man" lifestyle, and the thin line between revolution and ruin. In a world where the prison population has become an unconventional army, one question remains: When you burn down the world to save it, do you deserve to survive the fire?

The Authenticity
Written by a retired U.S. Army Command Sergeant Major and Airborne Ranger with 30 years of service, Led by Love of Country: Hard Reset delivers unparalleled technical realism. It features authentic tradecraft—from thermal lances and chemical precursors to the psychological reality of high-level command—making it a terrifyingly plausible look at the fragility of modern civilization.

Format(s) for review: Paper or Kindle
Review genre: Fiction—Mystery/Thriller/Crime
Pages/Word count: 258 / 77,412

The Soul-Sung by Daniel Sheley

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Author's Synopsis

Denny is a boy from the isolated settlement of Duskmere, known more for stargazing than accepting responsibility. When the sky splits and Draken fire falls on his home, Duskmere is erased in a single night. In the chaos, a dying Draken Watcher named Yverra finds him and entrusts an ancient world-song into his chest. The Song is the Veym’s ability to create change in the world. It is not meant for humans, and it does not settle gently. Denny survives the attack, but he wakes with something inside him that is trying to remake him from the inside out. Far from Duskmere,
Kaelari, a young leader among the Bloodstone people, is forced into authority as her own clan fractures under political pressure. A rival chieftain, Vaskor, pushes for dominance through brutality, while the ritualist Veridan works behind the scenes, seeking to control everyone. As scouts report unnatural fire, strange tremors in the Veym, and a “glowing survivor” moving through the wilds, both factions begin maneuvering to seize him. While an Ancient Draken Seeks to destroy him and the Song itself!

Format(s) for review: Paper or Kindle
Review genre: Fiction—Horror/Fantasy/Sci-Fi
Pages/Word count: 379 / 90,000

Oh Crap! It's Parkinson's, A Rebel's Guide to Taking Back Control of Your Life by Sara Whittingham, MD

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Author's Synopsis

Dr. Sara Whittingham, an Air Force veteran, physician, and endurance athlete, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease at age 46. Her response was immediate and intentional: learn, adapt, and keep moving forward.

Oh Crap! It’s Parkinson’s blends personal narrative with practical guidance to help readers navigate life after diagnosis with clarity and purpose. Drawing on her background in medicine and military service, Sara breaks down complex concepts into accessible insights and emphasizes the role of exercise, mindset, and daily habits in living well with Parkinson’s.

Through honest storytelling and hard-earned perspective, she explores the emotional impact of diagnosis, the challenge of identity shifts, and the importance of building a strong support system. Her approach is grounded, direct, and action-oriented, encouraging readers to take an active role in their health and their future.

Written for people living with Parkinson’s, care partners, clinicians, and advocates, this book offers a framework for approaching a life-changing diagnosis with resilience, discipline, and intention. It reflects the mindset of someone trained to face uncertainty head-on and find a path forward.

Oh Crap! It’s Parkinson’s provides readers with the tools to understand their diagnosis, make informed decisions, and move through the experience with strength and purpose.

Format(s) for review: Paper or Kindle
Review genre: Nonfiction—Memoir/Biography
Pages/Word count: 269 / 51,000

A Look Back in Time: Memoir of a Military Kid in the Sixties by Bernard N Lee Jr

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Author's Synopsis

A Look Back in Time: Memoir of a Military Kid in the Sixties, Vol. III, 1st Edition

A young adult. A military family. A rousing high school adventure.
You can relive those high school days with Bernard N. Lee, Jr., a determined military-teenager, as he navigates the challenges he faces on his job at The Club, and in his classes at the high school. In this third volume of A Look Back in Time:…. Lee invites readers to relive his experiences attending Lawton High School in the sixties. This son, of a career soldier in the army, finds himself torn between working to pull his weight as a young man, and yearning to fit into a social environment that is “just out of his reach.”

Can you imagine what it felt like to be halfway through high school and then have to move? For Bernard, it was his eighth move with his military dad. He wanted this move to be different. He yearned to belong. He needed a place where he could finally “make his mark.”

In these pages, Bernard reflects on the people, triumphs, and challenges that made this time in his life so memorable. He shares these stories with honesty, sincerity, and passion.
Join Bernard on a journey full of adventure, surprises, nostalgia, and life choices, including:
• Joyful moments – when you meet the new neighbors and swap stories from all over the world.
• Nervous moments – when you enter a classroom for the first time in a new school.
• Life changing orders – when your dad says you must get a job to prove you are a man.
• Gut wrenching moments – when you discover your new car is gone… stolen!
• Thrilling encounters – when you make the track team and race all over the southwest.
• Life altering choices – when you must balance working, studying, competing, and leaving home for good.

Whether you are a military brat, veteran, history lover, or someone who remembers your unforgettable time in high school, A Look Back in Time:.., Vol. III, will warm your heart and stir your soul.

Travel back in time. Experience those precious moments. Rediscover those pieces of your own story along the way.

Format(s) for review: Paper or Kindle
Review genre: Children & Young Adult—Young Adult (fiction or non-fiction)
Pages/Word count: 280 / 73,460

The Tilted Palace: Weeds of Misfortune by Paul Alenous Kluge

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Author's Synopsis

The story is one of solid history, a battle of minds and survivor's guilt more than it is firefights and napalm. Rudyard Kipling, the India-born British journalist and writer said it a century ago: "No one knows what the truth is until someone writes a story." The Tilted Palace is that story. The Vietnam War was the flashpoint for the 1960s and '70s. Civil rights, the draft, and "Don't trust anyone over thirty" was the times.

Jimmy Ray Crandall and his generation were the first to lose a war. That his nose is rubbed in that fact lives and breeds in his mind. They had not lost; just ask Jimmy Ray. He spouts the truth that America cannot hear. Tonight is 30 April, 1990, exactly fifteen years after the war ended. A stray dog interrupts the bottle of Jack Daniels and Jimmy Ray's intention with the .45 Cold, Model 1911, sitting and calling to him from the kitchen table. A preacher then gets into it. A woman.

Flashbacks portray teenage Viet Cong sappers and a nemesis Viet Minh or two from the previous Indochina war. Le Chang, a lowly charcoal burner cannot appease either side. Assassination is his response to a perverted South Vietnam government and a deadly Communist crowd, both corrupt and both using and taxing him. It is victimization for all.

Back in Vietnam after all this time, it finally comes together.

Format(s) for review: Paper or Kindle
Review genre: Fiction—Historical Fiction
Pages/Word count: 279 / 104,145

The Time Traveling Scoreboard by Robert P. Chappell, Jr.

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Author's Synopsis

What if one scoreboard could show you baseball's past and change the future? Step inside Wrigley Field, where an aging scoreboard hides a secret, no one was meant to discover. In The Time Traveling Scoreboard, a devoted baseball fan stumbles upon a mysterious portal hidden within Wrigley's iconic scoreboard; one that opens windows into pivotal moments in baseball history. What begins as curiosity quickly becomes something more dangerous when the past refuses to stay buried. Blending baseball nostalgia, historical intrigue, and a touch of the impossible, this novel explores legacy, sacrifice, and the moments that define us, on and off the field. Perfect for readers who love baseball history and Wrigley Field lore, Time-travel stories grounded in realism, fiction driven by heart, memory, and tradition. If you've ever wondered what it would be like to witness baseball history firsthand, this journey is for you.

Format(s) for review: Paper or Kindle
Review genre: Fiction—Horror/Fantasy/Sci-Fi
Pages/Word count: 184 / 80,000

Red One: A Platoon Leader's Memoir From the Second Combine War by Troy Gordon

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Author's Synopsis

Everyone remembers where they were when Luna was attacked. I was a cadet, months away from graduating and commissioning in the Army, and knew what those burning shipyards on Luna meant for my future.

The SOL Alliance went to war, but its virtually unchecked hunt for the extremists responsible for the attacks quickly floundered. Desperate for an expedient victory, our chancellor redirected the military to seize Lohtua, the origin system and heart of the Bothic faith, deep in Combine space.

I was there.

Written by a GWOT combat veteran, Red One is a story of leadership and survival as an unprepared military commits to an aimless war against an enemy it never understood.

Format(s) for review: Paper or Kindle
Review genre: Fiction—Horror/Fantasy/Sci-Fi
Pages/Word count: 576 / 160,520

Mind of a Soldier: 34 Laws for the War After the War by Taamir Ransome

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Author's Synopsis

Mind of a Soldier: 34 Laws for the War After the War is a field manual for the battle no one trains you for — coming home.
Written by a retired U.S. Army Special Operations EOD Sergeant Major, this book confronts the hard truth that military transition is not a process. It is a war. A war fought without a mission brief, without a chain of command, and without the brotherhood that kept you alive. Most veterans lose this war not because they are weak, but because no one told them the rules had changed.
The 34 Laws inside this book are not motivational platitudes. They are operational doctrine — distilled from decades of service, loss, reinvention, and survival. Each law is a hard-won lesson on identity, purpose, mental resilience, financial discipline, relationships, and the long work of rebuilding a life on your own terms.
This is not a book about what the military took from you. It is a manual for what you can build with what it left behind.
For veterans, service members approaching separation, military spouses, families navigating this transition alongside them, civilian employers, and the policy makers who shape veteran programs — Mind of a Soldier delivers the clarity, the candor, and the mission framework that no transition assistance program ever will.

Format(s) for review: Paper or Kindle
Review genre: Nonfiction—How to/Business
Pages/Word count: 318 / 98,276

Platonic Surrealism: The Front Porch Dialogues by Kevin Cann

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Author's Synopsis

Learn to Feel Free and Content with Who You Really Are

Jeb is tired. Not just "long day at work" tired, but "soul-bruised and white-knuckling through life" tired. He’s spent years bracing for impact, scanning the horizon for catastrophes that never arrive, and losing the war with the "Internal Raccoons" in his head.

He isn’t broken—he’s just compressed by a world that feels too loud and a past that won't stop whispering.

Enter Kev.
A retired Navy nuclear engineer, Kev prefers his back porch to a pulpit and "emotional support pie" to spiritual clichés. What follows is not a series of mystical lectures, but a sequence of real, gritty, and often hilarious conversations over coffee and sunlit grass.

“Inspiration: 1/3 Douglas Adams' wit, 1/3 Richard Bach’s soul-searching, and 1/3 Plato’s timeless wisdom.”

Through the "Joyous Fiction" of Jeb and Kev, you will witness a functional demonstration of Platonic Surrealism (PS)—a framework that treats reality not as a cold machine, but as a symbolic, co-authored conversation.

Format(s) for review: Kindle or Paper
Review genre: Fiction—Literary Fiction
Pages/Word count: 140 / 24,586

Paddy and the Banshee: A Mythical Memoir Unlike Any Other by Marty Martin

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Author's Synopsis

The story began as a fantasy based on a childhood memory about a Banshee in Ireland. As repressed memories surfaced, the story evolved into a memoir unlike any other. The story blends imagination with the true story about six-year-old Paddy in the 1960s and his life in New York City, to rural Kilkenny County in Ireland, and back to New York, and how he learned that Banshees are real while also managing to navigate and survive a broken home and a variety of other early-life challenges. The boy’s name may not really be Paddy, but to tell this story, a hint of Irishness and anonymity may be necessary.

Format(s) for review: Paper or Kindle
Review genre: Nonfiction—Memoir/Biography
Pages/Word count: 196 / 35,992