MWSA Author Interview with MWSA's 2024 Author of the Year, Kathleen Rodgers

This interview, our first recorded Zoom session, is with award-winning novelist and longtime MWSA member Kathleen M. Rodgers. Named MWSA’s 2024 Writer of the Year, Kathleen draws on her life as a military spouse to tell powerful, heartfelt stories about family, friendship, and resilience. She’s the author of five novels, including The Flying Cutterbucks and Johnnie Come Lately, and her next book, The Llano County Mermaid Club, will be out in 2025. Kathleen’s also been a big supporter of the MWSA community, always encouraging and lifting up fellow writers.

Announcing MWSA’s 2025 Writer of the Year – H. W. "Buzz" Bernard

We’re proud to announce that acclaimed author and veteran H. W. “Buzz” Bernard has been named as our 2025 Mike Mullins Memorial Writer of the Year Award Winner.

Buzz’s award-winning novels—including When Heroes Flew, Down a Dark Road, and When Dawn Comes Up Like Thunder—have captivated readers with their gripping authenticity, emotional depth, and vivid historical accuracy. They’ve also impressed every team of MWSA reviewers assigned to his books over the years—he’s got the medals to prove it. A former Air Force weather officer and respected voice in military fiction, Buzz exemplifies the spirit of storytelling that MWSA exists to celebrate.

“Buzz Bernard’s books are action-packed, authentic, and deeply respectful of those who serve. I’ve had the pleasure of reading several of his books myself, and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed each one.”
— John Cathcart, President of MWSA

The award will be officially presented during the 2025 MWSA Awards Banquet on September 27, 2025, in Kansas City, Missouri. We usually wait to announce each year’s Writer of the Year during our annual general membership conference and awards banquet. This year, we decided to break the news a little early. Speaking of the banquet and conference, there’s still time to make your reservations to join us. If you’re interested, visit the conference page on our website at the link below.

🎖️ RESERVE YOUR SPOT OR LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS PRESTIGIOUS AWARD:

We invite you to join us in congratulating Buzz and help share this exciting news with your readers, social media contacts, and friends.

Warm regards,
John Cathcart
President, Military Writers Society of America

Unlock Your Manuscript’s Potential: The Value of MWSA’s Beta Reader Program

For MWSA members preparing to launch their book into the world, participating in the Beta Reader Program through the members‑only forum on is a smart and strategic choice.

Purpose‑Driven Feedback

MWSA’s Beta Reader Forum connects authors with fellow member‑authors who can read and give feedback on manuscripts nearing completion. This feedback comes from peers who write and read, not just friends or family.

It brings fresh eyes to spot inconsistencies, pacing issues, character gaps, jargon problems, or confusion—elements that authors can easily overlook.

Honest Critique That Goes Beyond Praise

Working with fellow writers offers a level of objectivity and writing experience that personal readers often lack. That honesty matters, as it spotlights plot holes, clarity issues, tone mismatches—giving you a chance to improve your work before publication.

Improve Your Book’s Quality and Award Chances

MWSA strongly recommends using the Beta Reader Program if you’re submitting for the Review & Awards season (Jan 2–June 1 each year). Beta reading helps catch technical or storytelling flaws before official review, improving your manuscript’s evaluation scores and chances at recognition.

Build Community & Share the Journey

Participating as a beta reader isn’t just about receiving feedback—it’s about giving back. The program embodies MWSA’s “authors helping authors” spirit: offering feedback helps peers polish their manuscripts while you also learn as you evaluate others’ work.

Beta vs. Alpha Readers: Why It Matters

Alpha readers address big-picture structure early in the draft stage. Beta readers, however, test near-final drafts from a reader‑oriented perspective, helping clarify tone, pacing, and emotional impact for your intended audience. Although our program is called “Beta Readers,” both types of evaluations can occur depending on how far along you are in your writing process. MWSA’s beta readers are typically familiar with the genres and the community values, giving especially relevant insights.

✅ Summary: Why You Should Participate

Why It Matters

  • From fellow author‑readers who understand the writing craft

  • Pinpoint confusion, pacing issues, or character inconsistencies

  • Manuscripts polished via beta input typically perform better

  • Strengthen relationships and sharpen your editorial eye

Benefit

  • Constructive, candid feedback

  • Greater precision in storytelling

  • Improved award or review outcomes

  • Community connection & learning

How to Participate

Sign in to the MWSA Beta Reader Forum via the member‑only portal on the MWSA Dispatches site. Our program is a benefit offered to full members only, so you’ll need to be a member with an MWSA account.

  • Authors post a short description of their book (genre, summary, formats, deadlines).

  • Interested beta readers respond, and when ready, sign up to review the manuscript, provide honest feedback, and optionally appear in acknowledgments (with opt‑in consent).

Authors can also submit peer feedback via the “Buckeroo” credit form to recognize beta readers’ contributions.

Final Thought

MWSA’s Beta Reader Program offers a unique, accessible, and highly effective way to elevate your manuscript. You’ll gain honest feedback from fellow military‑affiliated writers, refine your storytelling, and strengthen your chances in MWSA’s awards process—all while contributing to a community that thrives on collaboration. Participating is a win‑win for your craft and your community.

However, let’s be honest. To be successful, we must have member volunteers on both sides of the equation. That means we need more of us to volunteer and help our fellow members. Please visit the Beta Reader page today, see what’s available, and step up to help!

Writers Education Event - Sun., Jul. 27th, 5:00 PM EST

Come join us at the upcoming Military Writers Society of America (MWSA) Writers Edcuation event with Bob Doerr, Past MWSA President and author of 27 books. Hear Bob's thoughts on the importance of Telling, Narration and Dialogue. Join your friends and colleagues at this link on July 27, 5:00 PM EST.

https://www.mwsadispatches.com/events/2025/telling-narration-and-dialogue-bob-doerr

The War Horse Writing Seminar for Black Veterans

We recently received an email from a like-minded organization called War Horse. Here’s their mission statement:

The War Horse is an award-winning nonprofit newsroom and the most trusted source for bulletproof reporting on the human impact of military service. Our team strengthens our democracy by holding power to account and improving the public’s understanding of the true cost of military service.

War Horse is seeking applications for an upcoming seminar, so we’re sharing this info with our members.

Writing Seminar Details

The War Horse, an award-winning news site, invites Black veterans to apply for its 2025 Writing Seminar.

 Despite centuries of courageous service, Black veterans have often been overlooked in the nation’s historical record and narratives about military life. Their voices deserve to be heard to set the record straight and enrich our collective understanding of war, sacrifice, resilience, and community.

The War Horse’s all-expenses-paid seminars offer new and seasoned writers a chance to find and hone their stories. Participants will meet with mentors, editors, and other veterans in a supportive environment allowing them to write, share, learn, and heal.

This year’s seminar will run from October 19-24th at Lucky Spur Ranch in Justin, Texas.

To learn more about the seminar, including how to apply, please visit: https://thewarhorse.org/writing-seminar-black-veterans/

Applications close on July 27, 2025.

The Military Writers Society of America 2025 Anthology is Now Available!

Military Writers Society of America’s (MWSA’s) 2025 anthology, Reflections: Service to our Country, has been published and is available for purchase.

Anthology Chair and Senior Editor Bob Doerr said, “Every few years, MWSA provides an opportunity for members to be published in one of our anthologies. Reflections: Service to our Country includes poems, articles, and stories. Some will make you laugh. Others you will find enlightening. You may even shed a tear.”

This was the first year MWSA published its anthology under its own publication entity with Military Writers Society of America as the publisher. MWSA thanks the 31 member contributors for sharing their words and our volunteer editors for giving their time. We’d also like to thank our layout and design professional, Andrea Reider of Reiderbooks.com, for her extraordinary efforts and patience in working with the MWSA team under this new process.

All 31 contributors will receive their paperback courtesy copies in the next few weeks.

We hope you enjoy our reflections in keeping with MWSA’s mission of “Saving History One Story at a Time.” You can purchase paperback and eBook copies here: 2025: Reflections, Service to our Country — Military Writers Society of America.

MWSA Writers Education Series, Write Your Story (Part 3) Video Available

Our latest Writers Education, Write Your Story Zoom Session, is available for viewing. To watch the video, click on the image below.

You can also view the video directly using one of the links below:

Click on the image to watch the video

🚀 Our New MWSA Store is Now Open – Shop and Celebrate with Us! 🎉

The moment we’ve been waiting for is here – our new merch store has launched and is officially open! 🎉

We’ve created a special place where you can shop for all our exclusive branded merchandise and some awesome products that show off what makes MWSA unique. It’s all here—designed with you in mind!

Everything You Need!

With a wide variety of stylish apparel, we’ve got something for everyone. Show off your organizational pride!

How to Get Started

  1. Visit the store here: https://yourmpstore.com/mwsa or navigate your way to the last item on our MWSA Resources page

  2. Create an account using your [email address] and [password]

  3. Start exploring and enjoy shopping!

Get Involved

We’d love to hear what you think about the store! After you’ve checked it out, feel free to share your feedback with us at vp@mwsa.co. Is there something you’d like to see? Anything we can improve? Your input will help us make the store even better.

Thank you again for all your support. We’re excited to share this with you and can’t wait to see you wearing our gear. As a bonus, our supplier is a veteran owned business!

Veteran Owned Business image with medal

Let’s celebrate the launch and show off our MWSA camaraderie together! 💥

MWSA News Blast -- May 5, 2025

Registration for our 2025 General Membership Conference and Awards Banquet is now open!

After many weeks of planning and negotiating, we're finally ready to start taking reservations for this year's conference in Kansas City, September 25-28.

For this year, we have three registration options:

  • Full conference–$275

  • Half conference–$205

  • Awards banquet only–$145

Rates for non-members are $25 higher than the prices listed above. However, as an added incentive to join MWSA as a full member, those registering for full or half conference attendance will become full members (a 50% discount on the regular cost of a one-year membership).

To learn more about this year’s conference or to register for both the conference and the hotel, visit the conference page on our website:

https://www.mwsadispatches.com/events/2025-conference 

In addition to asking everyone to put the conference dates on their calendars, we are looking for members who would like to be a presenter or a panel member. If you've been to prior conferences, you know they are easy-going affairs. We also need volunteers to help work the registration table, to be timekeepers, and so on. If you would like to volunteer as a mentor, you can let us know via the volunteer form on our conference page (link above). 

If you’ve never joined us for a conference in the past and would like to get a feel for what you can expect, you might want to have a look at our past conferences. On each conference’s page, you’ll find photos of the "action" and the agenda of activities during each of our prior member get-togethers. Here’s a link to our past conferences page:

https://www.mwsadispatches.com/events-past-and-future#conferences 

We're looking forward to another successful and enjoyable conference this year. If you have any questions, please email our conference organizers at events@mwsa.co.

See you in Kansas City!

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Friendly Reminder

MWSA Writers Education Series

MWSA will host the third installment of our Writing Your Story educational webinars on Sunday, May 18, 2025, at 5:00 PM Eastern, 4:00 PM Central, 3:00 PM Mountain, and 2:00 PM Pacific.

This edition will be presented by Jack Woodville London and is titled: Starting Your Story/Characters.

Visit our Writers Education page to see more details, get the Zoom link to join our session, watch our prior two sessions, and/or see what’s on tap for future episodes:

https://www.mwsadispatches.com/writers-education#wys 

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Benefit Spotlight

Author Interviews

Another unique benefit of MWSA membership is our author interview program. All dues-paying members can submit an interview form, which we’ll publish online (on our website and various social media outlets) and in our Dispatches magazine. Use our interview program to spread the word about your latest writing adventures and to let your existing readers know about any ongoing or future writing projects. If you’re a new author, introduce yourself to future readers and put in a plug for your new book.

Under our system, you have complete control over the interview: you tell us which questions to ask and provide your answers. It’s easy, it’s free, and it’s just another benefit of being an MWSA member.

To learn more, read other authors’ interviews, or submit your interview to us, visit our author interview page:

https://www.mwsadispatches.com/author-interviews 

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Last, but not Least

Is There a Lawyer in the House?

Last year, the MWSA Board of Directors conducted a thorough bylaws review to ensure our bylaws continue to reflect the purpose and direction of the organization. We made administrative updates and are not looking to make major changes. However, as a board, we believe it is in the best interest of our members to have a legal review of our bylaws. In the past, we have had member lawyers do this review for us pro bono.

If we have a member out there who would be willing to review our bylaws during     2025, please let our Vice President, Val Ormond, know by emailing VP@mwsa.co.

Next Generation Indie Book Awards

MWSA received the following notification regarding an upcoming book awards program, which we pass along to members. This does not imply official endorsement.

The Next Generation Indie Book Awards, currently in its nineteenth year, is the largest international awards program for indie authors and independent publishers. The Indie Book Awards is now accepting entries from independent publishers and authors worldwide who have a book written in English and released in 2024, 2025, 2026 or with 2024, 2025, or 2026 copyright date. For the 2026 awards program, the Indie Book Awards offers 80+ categories. The entry fee is $80 for the first category and $65 for every additional category entered for the same title. The entry deadline for the 2026 year is Thursday, February 12, 2026.

Winners and Finalists will be announced in mid-May. Winners in each of the 80+ categories are given $100 cash prizes, gold medals, complimentary stickers, social media coverage, possible representation by a leading literary agent, and recognition as one of the top independently published books of the year. Three Grand Prize Winners will be selected from all entries received and will be awarded cash prizes of $1500, $750 and $500 based on their order of win. All Winners and Finalists are invited to attend the Indie Book Awards gala ceremony. Enter today at http://www.indiebookawards.com.

MWSA Writers Education Series Next Event Featuring Jack Woodville London

Please join our first Writers Education Series of the year on May 18, 2025, when MWSA award-winning author Jack Woodville London will present “The Character, the Conflict, and the First Sentence – Setting up your Reader to Turn the Pages.” All webinars this year will be held on Sunday afternoons at 5:00 PM Eastern, 4:00 PM Central, 3:00 PM Mountain, and 2:00 PM Pacific. You'll also find these webinars listed on our website's Events page.

This event will include a presentation, discussions, and questions and answers.

Please use the following link to join the meeting:

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/2245629439?pwd=AH6c5VaddDONn88i6dXU2aZKm1RLcB.1

If anyone has any questions, contact Jim Tritten at jimtritten@comcast.net.

Opportunity for Authors in the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia (DMV) Area

The Kensington Day of the Book Festival is a family friendly street festival, held rain or shine, spanning three blocks of Howard Avenue in the heart of historic Kensington, MD. In its 18th year, the event will take place Sunday, April 27, 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM.

MWSA member Dick Epstein said, “It's that time again. The last Sunday in April is the Day of the Book Festival in Kensington, MD. I have the pleasure of hosting an open mic event at the Veterans Tent where writers, poets, singers, songwriters, and standup comics, can have a time slot at the mic to show or tell a welcoming audience about your recent work or activity. Please let me know if you are interested in participating and help get the word out to your followers. Let me know by return email at dick_epstein@hotmail.com if you want to participate. If you have any questions, call me at any time at 301-996-3016.”

For additional information about the festival, please visit https://www.dayofthebook.com/.

MWSA Goes for the Gold

Congratulations to the Military Writers Society of America (MWSA) for earning its Gold Seal of Transparency with @CandidDotOrg! For updates on MWSA’s impact through its #NonprofitProfile, please see the MWSA Candid Link.

From Candid - Nonprofit Profiles and Seals of Transparency

Candid offers a common online profile that can be updated, for free, by any tax-exempt organization. When an organization claims its profile and earns a Seal of Transparency, it becomes more visible not just on Candid's site, but also on more than 200 partner platforms including Facebook, Network for Good, and donor advised funds. Organizations earn Seals of Transparency by contributing information about their mission, staff and leadership, programs, goals, and more.

Free Books!

click to sign up for your free copy

Don’t pass up a chance for a free book! Visit our book giveaway page to sign up.

Here are the available books as of today:

  • The Road to War: Duty & Drill, Courage & Capture by Steven Burgauer

  • SAMS and NIGHT CARRIER LANDINGS by Roland McLean

  • Sparks in the Ether; A True Story about a Pioneer Radioman by Valarie J Anderson

  • Circle of Service: Secretary of the Air Force Michael W. Wynne and the Family Business by Rick Bessette

Available to MWSA members only.

Next Generation Short Story Awards

MWSA received the following notification regarding an upcoming short story awards program, which we pass along to members. This does not imply official endorsement.

The Next Generation Short Story Awards, currently in its second year, is a not-for-profit international awards program for authors of short stories. We are a Canadian company and host our awards program annually. The Short Story Awards is now accepting entries, i.e. short stories and poems in English (5000 words or less) for the 2025 awards program in 30+ categories.

The entry deadline for the 2025 year is Thursday, February 27, 2025. Winners and Finalists will be announced in mid-May. Winners in each of the 30+ categories are given $75 cash prizes, gold medals, complimentary digital promotional stickers, social media coverage, literary exposure with their stories published in an Anthology of Winners, and a complimentary copy of the Anthology of Winners.

The entry fee is $25 for the first category and $20 for every additional category entered for the same story. Three Grand Prize Winners will be selected from all entries received and will be awarded cash prizes of $500, $300, and $200 based on their order of win. They will also be invited to attend the Indie Book Awards gala ceremony.

For additional information, please see http://shortstoryawards.com/.

MWSA News Blast -- January 31, 2025

Benefit Spotlight

New: Book Giveaways

MWSA is happy to announce another new member benefit: book giveaways. There are similar programs out there–Goodreads immediately comes to mind–offering a way to get free copies out to your readers. As you know, book giveaways are a good way to generate buzz about a new book premiere or to rekindle interest in a book you published a while ago.

Unlike our review swap program, there is no requirement to write a review after receiving a free copy. Of course, it’s always a welcome result when any author gets a new review. To learn more or to start giving away copies of one of your books, see this page on our website: https://www.mwsadispatches.com/book-giveaway

Friendly Reminders

Call for Anthology Submissions

MWSA is still seeking submissions for its 2025 anthology. Prior guidance has been provided and can be reviewed again at https://www.mwsadispatches.com/anthology-submissions.

We recommend taking advantage of this opportunity, especially if you are a new author. Having something published in an anthology can only enhance your “resume.” Please make sure your dues are up to date and get writing!

Questions are always welcome and should be submitted to anthology@mwsa.co.

MWSA Writers Education Series

MWSA hosted the first of five Writers Education Series educational webinars on January 19. If you haven’t seen that presentation, you’ll find a video of Jim’s Zoom presentation here.

The series will continue on Sunday afternoons at 5:00 PM Eastern, 4:00 PM Central, 3:00 PM Mountain, and 2:00 PM Pacific as follows:

  • March 16, 2025, Setting – Nancy Arbuthnot

  • May 18, 2025, Starting Your Story/Characters – Jack Woodville London

  • July 27, 2025, Telling – Narration and Dialogue – Bob Doerr

  • August 17, 2025,  Plot and Story Arc – Jim Tritten

Mike Mullins MWSA Writer of the Year Award

If you would like to nominate a fellow MWSA writer for our Writer of the Year award, you can nominate someone using the form on this page: https://www.mwsadispatches.com/mike-mullins-woy

 The page also has details associated with the award and a list of past winners. Please submit your candidate by June 15.

Membership Sale Continues - 50% Off

Thanks to a generous donation from longtime MWSA member and prolific author Joe Badal, we’re offering reduced-price memberships for new members and six-month dues expiration extensions for existing members.

Who qualifies for the discount, and how do I get it?

  • Recruit a new member–the newly recruited person can join with a 50% discount, while the recruiting MWSA member gets a six-month dues extension.

  • Attend a Write Your Story seminar.

  • Contribute to our Dispatches magazine or 2025 anthology.

  • For a limited time, existing associate members can upgrade to a full member at a 50% discount.

Visit our website for more details or to apply for this exciting new membership deal: https://www.mwsadispatches.com/membership-discounts.

New News

Dates Set for 2025 MWSA Annual General Membership Conference

We will soon be opening registration for our MWSA Annual General Membership Conference to be held in Kansas City, MO, Sep. 25 – 27, 2025. A big thank you to MWSA board member Rob Lofthouse, who volunteered to be our MWSA 2025 Conference Chair. Stay tuned!

MWSA's "My Year in Books" on Goodreads

97 books and 26,597 words—what a surprise!

After posting the latest book submitted to MWSA for our 2025 season on Goodreads, I discovered a page I’d never seen before: My Year in Books.

This new (for me) feature includes many interesting tidbits and is worth a quick perusal.

Click on the image to the right, or visit this link:

https://www.goodreads.com/user/year_in_books/2024/69843339

After that, have a look at our Tips and Tricks section for another recommended article covering Goodreads’ “Tips for Authors.”

Remember, Goodreads is a great way to market your books. Learn as much as you can, and start selling those books!

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