Tag: Books

The Contractor

Posted on by Jerry Barnes

He walked over…

to our table, late on Lakefest Day, handed me a $20 and said, “keep the change. Been meaning to come by, just haven’t had the time till now. How long have you been writing these combat survivor stories? “

“About three years. I’ve written around 70 stories, published the book you are holding, and am getting book number two ready for publishing. Books three and four are in my phone—recordings of more stories I will be transcribing, writing, and publishing in the future.  Am blessed to be involved in this work—and getting enough leads now to write for the rest of my life. There is a hunger out there among the veteran, active duty military, fire, rescue, and police communities to read these stories. That’s my target audience, about 20-30 million is my guess. It’s a good group, one totally committed to the veteran/veteran family sacrifice. If I may ask, what is the nature of your interest?”

“Funny you should ask. I am a contractor for Tunnel to Towers, which builds mortgage-free homes for disabled veterans and their families. You see their advertisements on TV quite a bit.”

“How about that? I imagine you may know some leads who may be willing to give me some stories?”

“With a wry smile, he wrote down his contact information, and slowly walked away, thumbing through the pages of my first book, When Heaven Visits.

It looks like the Good Lord has sent me a powerful lead for more interesting stories, perhaps enough for an entire book. 

Do you think–Number 5?

Better get busy writing, as I am 75, heading to 76. 

*******

If you enjoyed this blog, please like and share it with your friends on social media to help spread the word about Combat Survivor Heroes. A portion of all book proceeds is donated to local veteran causes. 

Jerry’s second book, So Help Me God is being reviewed and edited for a late fall publishing. His third book of combat stories is to be published in the late fall of 2022 and will be entitled:  Stories from the ‘Bone: B1B bomber. 

If you are interested in a signed copy of our first published book of combat survivor stories, When Heaven Visits: dramatic accounts of military heroes, you can click the link below. For a discount on your purchase, leave a review of the book on Amazon, take a screenshot of your review, and email it to combatsurvivorheroes@gmail.com.

 

contact me

               

Details of the two wonderful veteran causes we support can be found on the Resources page of the Combat Survivor Heroes website. 

 

Above: Logo for Tunnel to Towers

 

From Disappointment, Wonderful News

Posted on by Jerry Barnes

Lots of book news…

and a few “bumps” to share.

We finished book two and sent it to the publisher in early July. The work involved 1500 hours by yours truly, an additional 1500 hours or more from my dear wife Laura, and countless more from veterans who shared their stories. Writing books takes lots of research along with significant time from Andrea, our terrific editor in Tennessee. 

Laura mentioned, “Jerry, this is a lot of work! “

I responded, “I know, honey, but the veterans who protect and defend the US give their time, sweat, and sometimes, their blood. We spend our time listening to them recount their memories, often through tears. I owe it to them to reflect on the nature of their suffering, anxiety, fears, and sacrifice in this writing. So, let’s press on.”

We did and were able to press the send button on the manuscript of 30 stories, covering a book of over 200 pages, the third week of July. 

Three weeks later, our publisher emailed me with this alarming news. “Jerry, I will need to send the manuscript back to you. The material is just too graphic in spots for me (a dedicated Christian publisher) to bring to print. I am certainly not saying the book isn’t worth publishing. Quite the contrary. There are many publishers out there who will gladly publish this book. I can send you the names of two I know personally.”

When Laura and I got that news late on a Friday afternoon, I fluctuated between disappointment and sadness. After reflection and prayer over the weekend, I called my literary agent, Bob. 

“Sorry, you got that news, Jerry. It happened to another author I represent a few years back. After reflection, we decided to take another look at the manuscript,  re-worked the problematic areas, and re-submitted the manuscript to the publisher. The new manuscript was published.”, Bob recounted.

Armed with that terrific advice, I talked with my publisher on the following Tuesday morning, sharing the guidance of Bob, the literary agent. 

“That’s good advice, Jerry. If you are willing to take another pass through the book, soften the areas of intense suffering and gore, and reflect a bit more on the faith emphasis of the veterans while in combat, I believe I can publish it.”

She also suggested we change the book’s title to So Help Me God, after the last four words of the oath of enlistment. “With those changes, I will be able to publish the book.”, She said.

Isn’t life amazing? After four days of feeling sorry for myself, I received good news. But that is not the most exciting news. 

What she said after that news blew my 75-year-old mind. 

“Jerry, I was looking at your website: FBL4U.com.  I like what you are doing there. Let me take a look at some of the lessons. I may be interested in publishing them.”

So friends, in the middle of feeling sorry for myself, good news came. I encourage you to hang in there when you’re sick, tired, or sick and tired of being sick and tired. Keep working and clinging on to your dream. 

We are working to revise the vital areas of the manuscript for So Help Me God without losing any of the meaning and return the updated manuscript to the publisher. Our goal is to have it ready before Christmas. 

Stay tuned for the next update. 

God Bless!

*******

If you enjoyed this blog, please like and share it with your friends on social media to help spread the word about Combat Survivor Heroes. A portion of all book proceeds is donated to local veteran causes. 

Jerry’s second book, So Help Me God is being reviewed and edited for a late fall publishing. His third book of combat stories is to be published in the late fall of 2022 and will be entitled:  Stories from the ‘Bone: B1B bomber. 

If you are interested in a signed copy of our first published book of combat survivor stories, When Heaven Visits: dramatic accounts of military heroes, you can click the link below. For a discount on your purchase, leave a review of the book on Amazon, take a screenshot of your review, and email it to combatsurvivorheroes@gmail.com.

 

contact me

               

Details of the two wonderful veteran causes we support can be found on the Resources page of the Combat Survivor Heroes website. 

 

Above: Jerry Barnes, Author of upcoming book, So Help Me God.

 

Thelma Lou

Posted on by Jerry Barnes

Yes, I am writing about…

the actress who played Thelma Lou, Barney Fife’s girlfriend on the Andy Griffith show, also known as Mayberry, R.F.D. Still alive and in her 90s (ladies don’t want to give you their age), Thelma (Betty Lynn) now lives in Mount Airy, North Carolina, home of the Andy Griffith Museum.  Betty moved to this charming town in western NC, leaving her home in Los Angeles for the “peace and quiet” of the North Carolina town which prompted Andy Griffith to model the Mayberry show after. To say that Betty is the queen of Mount Airy is an understatement.

Still active, (age is classified), Betty appears at the Andy Griffith Museum on Fridays for a few hours to meet fans of the show and sign photographs.  A fan referred me to Betty who graciously chatted with me one Friday for about 30 minutes until “handlers” whisked her away for the autograph session. During our time together, Betty made one charming request: “Don’t show them a picture of me now, show them my young photograph”. She was and is charming and beautiful.

Betty broke into the entertainment business, in her home town of Kansas City, Missouri at the age of 17, singing in nightclubs of a family friend. USO representatives spotted her as an “entertainer of interest” and contracted her for East Coast/US hospitals to entertain troops wounded in WWII. When Betty turned 18, she joined a USO entertainment troop and entertained wounded troops for about six months. From there, her USO group began entertaining troops staging to be sent to the European War Zone.

Later, Betty and a guitar accompanist traveled to Burma to entertain troops in “safe areas”, where the British and US troops were driving out the Japanese.  It was here that Betty was given a fully loaded weapon to carry.

I’ve teased you enough. Betty’s story will appear in our next book, Angels on the Battlefield, expected to release in the fall of ’21.

*******

If you enjoyed this blog, please like and share it with your friends on social media to help spread the word about Combat Survivor Heroes. *A portion of all book profits is donated to local veteran causes. 

Be among the first 1,000 people to receive an advanced, signed copy of Angels on the Battlefield. You can contact me for details by clicking the button below.

If you are interested in a signed copy of our first published book of combat survivor stories, When Heaven Visits: dramatic accounts of military heroes, you can also click the link below. For a discount on your purchase, leave a review of the book on Amazon, take a screenshot of your review, and email it to combatsurvivorheroes@gmail.com.

 

contact me

               

*Details of the two wonderful veteran causes we support can be found under the Resources tab of the Combat Survivor Heroes website. 

Above: Betty Lynn (Thelma Lou) during her time serving in the USO

 

Two Hard Heads Meet!

Posted on by Jerry Barnes

Trigger, a baby goat…

greeted me as I walked in the door of the barber/ beauty shop.

“Don’t bother the customer, Trigger”, Helen said, while completing a lady’s blow-dry.  

As soon as I sat down, Trigger started butting my leg.

“Where did you get this critter, Helen?”

“Well, his mother had four of them, but only nursed two at a time. Trigger and his sister were not able to get enough milk to make it. We lost his sister and I got to Trigger just in time to rescue him”, Helen responded. “With me feeding him by bottle every couple of hours, it looks like he is going to survive.”

I picked Trigger up and started holding him.

“You want a goat, Jerry? I got three available”, Helen said.

“I can’t imagine what Laura might say if I walked in the door with a pet goat.  But I don’t think it would be that positive”.

My mind raced to a GI who picked up a stray puppy in Afghanistan and brought him back to base. Despite misgivings, the commander could see how the critter helped improve morale and gave a reluctant “OK” for the soldiers to keep him. Over time, the dog became the pet of the entire unit and did wonders to perk up the morale of young soldiers. The little guy reminded them of home, and diverted their minds from the horrors of war, if only temporarily. 

Then one day, the dog, traveling on patrol, was killed in a battle skirmish. There is no way to describe how this incident affected morale. Grown men were crying in the combat zone as if one of their best and closest friends had been lost.

In a measure of reflection, that is exactly what happened.

This story will appear in one of my future books.

*******

If you enjoyed this blog, please like and share it with your friends on social media to help spread the word about Combat Survivor Heroes. A portion of all book proceeds is donated to local veteran causes. 

Be among the first 1,000 people to receive an advanced, signed copy of Angels on the Battlefield. You can contact me for details by clicking the button below.

If you are interested in a signed copy of our first published book of combat survivor stories, When Heaven Visits: dramatic accounts of military heroes, you can also click the link below. For a discount on your purchase, leave a review of the book on Amazon, take a screenshot of your review, and email it to combatsurvivorheroes@gmail.com.

 

contact me

               

Details of the two wonderful veteran causes we support can be found on the Resources page of the Combat Survivor Heroes website. 

 

Above: Jerry nuzzles Trigger the goat.

 

A True Marine

Posted on by Jerry Barnes

Claude Saunders…

a gem to meet and listen to, this 93-year-old hero quietly shared his inspiring story of marine service in two combat zones.  First, Claude served at Iwo Jima, arriving near the end of this bloody conflict and remaining with most of his marine company (about a hundred men) to clean up.

In our time together he said, “Jerry, it took months and months to gather up the discarded Japanese and American arms, and equipment after this battle. The abandoned arms were so extensive, it filled an entire Landing Vessel, over two hundred feet in length, to full and overflowing. We later took the ship to the Chinese Nationalists, then unloaded her, under constant duress, as Chinese communists fired on us”.

“From there, the Marine Corps sent me to Korea where I later fought in battles in and around the Pusan Reservoir during the early stages of the Korean War”.  

Claude’s story will appear in our third book, to be published in 2022. For more information on future books, sign up for our Friends of the Author newsletter. We will be announcing some exciting contest giveaways and other promotions for the second book,  Angels on the Battlefield.

*******

If you enjoyed this blog, please like and share it with your friends on social media to help spread the word about Combat Survivor Heroes. A portion of all book proceeds is donated to local veteran causes. 

Be among the first 100 people to receive an advanced, signed copy of Angels on the Battlefield. You can contact me for details by clicking the button below.

If you are interested in a signed copy of our first published book of combat survivor stories, When Heaven Visits: dramatic accounts of military heroes*, you can also click the link below.

*For a discount on your purchase, leave a review of the book on Amazon, take a screenshot of your review, and email it to combatsurvivorheroes@gmail.com.

 

contact me

               

Details of the two wonderful veteran causes we support can be found under the Resources page of the Combat Survivor Heroes website. 

 

Above:  American hero, Claude Saunders