What's new with me, you ask? 

Well, read below and find out!😀

So, I’m going through a sort of transitional phase in my life. A little shy of two years ago I made the decision to step away from my career job so that I could gain more of my life back. My daughter was pregnant with our third grandchild, and I wanted to realign my work/life balance to actually include the life part. I took a position with another company that allowed me to work a much more reasonable schedule. It resulted in a more than serious bite into my income, but the tradeoff was having more time to spend with my family… especially my three adorable grandkids. 

 The money I gave up paled in comparison to the time I gained to be with family. A trade I’ll never regret making. The older I get, the more important having the quality time to enjoy what’s really important in my life has become to me. 

Recently, I decided to take another step forward in my journey towards my work/life balance goal. This fall, I’m about to move away from working my current full-time job in favor of a part time job. Scary? A little, but I’m in my sixties and really want to dedicate more of my work life to my writing career. But I'm also not willing to give up any of the family time I’ve already gained back when I started this whole career change thing a couple of years ago. I mean, if not now, when? Life is just too short to keep waiting for the perfect time. And besides, it’s time I bet on myself. I fully expect my creative writing output to increase tremendously with this upcoming change. 

 

All of that being said leads me to this – I enjoy writing. I enjoy writing about a somewhat arrogant, wise-cracking PI. There are three full-length novels in the Razzman Mystery Crime Files series and one collection of short stories. Sort of a Razzman Files Extra companion to the series. I am currently tightening up my next release, Top of the Third: A Trio of Tony Razzolito PI Short Stories. It's the second book in the short story collection companion series. It will include three crime/mysteries all with a baseball theme weaved throughout. Murder and mayhem should be expected 😉

 

I’ve also started book 4 in the Razzman Mystery Crime Files series. The working title is Dead Center: A Tony Razzolito, PI story. Not sure if the title will stay the same and there's no cover to share at this time. But I can't wait to share it with you when the time is right! 😀

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Meanwhile, if you want to dig into the series and follow along with Tony (The Razzman) and his team while they work to solve the mystery, you can click the link here to find access to the books: 👉 Welcome to The Razzman's world :)

As always, comments are welcomed and encouraged😎

Until next time... 

 

 

 

Guest Blog Post by Robert G. Williscroft

Fresh Ink Group

Contact: Gary@FreshInkGroup.com

My friends over at Fresh Ink Group have a new and exciting book being released soon! I hope you enjoy this introduction to a fascinating story that needs to be told - 

And I hope you'll all tune in on WEDNESDAY August 24th to the VOICE OF INDIE PODCAST where you can listen and interact with retired US Navy Lieutenant Commander Jerry Pait as he talks about his upcoming new book!

All the links you need to watch the trailer, join the podcast, and get your copy of this compelling book are included below! 

 

Welcome to guest blogger Robert G. Williscroft, submariner and author of multiple series including The MacMcDowell Missions, The Oort Chronicles, and The Daedalus Files. Robert compiled and edited the true-life adventures of retired US Navy Lt. Commander Jerry Pait in his new book, Sŭbmarine-Ër.

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Jerry Pait enlisted on September 15, 1964, was assigned to Fleet Sonar School, volunteered for subs, and ended up on USS Entemedor (SS-340). After Advanced Sonar School, he was transferred as an STS-2 to USS Von Steuben (SSBN 632B) in the Philly yards right after her collision off Cadiz, Spain. I was a newly minted Lt. j.g., fresh out of Poseidon Missile School, having come through the NESEP program and Univ. of Washington in marine and atmosphere physics. I guess the skipper made me Sonar Officer because I was a former sonar tech. Jerry and I served together until I left for the Man-in-the-Sea Program and ultimately Operation Ivy Bells, tapping into Soviet underwater communications cables in the Sea of Okhotsk.

Jerry went on to become COB on Von Steuben, served in a senior position in Sonar/Torpedoman School, and then was commissioned as an LDO Ensign. He returned briefly to Von Steuben and then served as a division officer on several sub tenders. After that, he was assigned to NOTU, supervising underwater ballistic missile launchings for several years, working closely with NASA. He rose to Lt. Cmdr., was selected for Cmdr. But was mustered out on retirement as part of Clinton’s force reduction efforts.

Jerry took a senior field position with the major defense contractor Brown & Root, but during his first year, he fell from 20 feet in a way that fractured his back and cracked his skull. He survived, received a significant settlement, and has struggled ever since to regain as much function as possible.

I was on Jerry’s emailing list. He began to send out periodic stories from his past. They were fascinating, and the response from his list was remarkable. I saw their potential and contacted Jerry—we hadn’t communicated directly with each other in decades. I suggested that I work with him to compile his stories into a coherent whole, and that we put out a book. He agreed, so we found a publisher who was willing to work with us on this strange project, and we completed the book last month.

Jerry’s book, Sŭbmarine-Ër: 30 Years of Hijinks & Keeping the Fleet Afloat, will be released on September 15, exactly 58 years after he enlisted. The book is on pre-publication sale right now as an ebook for only 99¢. The ebook price will rise to $3.99 on September 15. Each chapter has a color photo that illustrates the contents of that chapter. The trade paperback printed version has half-tone photos and will sell for $19.95 The hardbound, jacketed edition is in full color throughout and will sell for $36.95. Both will be available for pre-order within two or three days.

Why am I doing this? Jerry is our brother—and he’s a genuine American hero. His story deserves to be told far and wide. I’m not here selling books. I’m here asking you to help me preserve the memory of one of the best among us. By purchasing the ebook on pre-order (only 99¢), you will help boost his sales ranking, so that on September 15, the release date, his ranking will shoot up. If you want the trade paperback, or the really cool hardbound, jacketed, full color version, you can pre-order those as well from Amazon or any other online bookseller, or you can order it from your favorite brick and mortar store as well. Should you want an autographed copy, please use the Contact form at FreshInkGroup.com, and I will put you into direct contact with Jerry.

 

The Book Trailer!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PklESG3x-w

 

Live Interactive Podcast with Pait and Williscroft!

Call (516) 453-9902 or hashtag #FreshInkGroup in tweets during the show.

https://www.blogtalkradio.com/voiceofindie1/2022/08/25/voice-of-indie-episode-108

 

The Book Blurb!

Lieutenant Commander Jerry Pait’s semi-autobiographical collection of sixty stories recounts his thirty years in and around the U.S. Navy’s submarine fleet. Ranging from light-hearted to wrenching, all are poignant inside looks at naval operations rarely seen by outsiders. Topics include the real story behind the shuttle Challenger tragedy, risking his own life underwater, discovering a Soviet spy living across the street, surviving when a DELTA Rocket engine ignites, critical missions, and the everyday lives of men and women of the fleet. Dive into Sŭbmarine-Ër for hijinks and breathtaking adventure with this poignant memoir by a true American hero.

 

Order Yours!

Digital editions at 99 cents during pre-sale are available in all major ebook formats—Kindle, Nook, Kobo, GPlay, iBooks, and 200+ more—worldwide. Full-color jacketed hardcovers and softcovers are appearing at retailer sites over the next week.

Amazon:  Click here to get your copy