I would like to take this moment to personally thank you for your interest in my book “Doctor’s Orders”.  I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I have enjoyed writing it.  While you are reading it, I would like to ask you a favor.  Please read it for the story and not the grammar.  Allow me to explain.

 

          I’m not your normal author.  I’m a high school educated, U.S. Army veteran.  I’m also a husband, a proud father and a son to a strong (and stubborn) southern woman.  My character, humor, emotional side and stern side come from all of my past and present interactions with my family and friends that I cherish and hold dear to my heart.  Without them in my life, I would just be a shell of a man.

 

          I’m also lacking when it comes to proper grammar and spelling.  I only have a high school diploma with a military background and I drive a trash truck for a living.  So when it comes to proper grammar, I ain't that great at it.  (Pun completely intended)  For years, I have been trying to bring my first two books to the world and my ultimate dream is to have them made into movies.  That was actually my plan all along.  I never intended to be an author.  My dream was to write movie scripts.  I actually started “Doctor’s Orders” back in 1993, while living in a trailer in Walthourville, Georgia while stationed at Ft. Stewart.  I finished it in 1995 in Lebanon, Pennsylvania after getting out of the Army.  Then it sat in my desk drawer until 1999.  I was working for a garage door company and broke my hand which gave me eight weeks off of work.  So in that time, ebooks was up and coming so I dug it out, tweaked it up and submitted it to an independent ebook company and landed a deal.

 

          It wasn’t very lucrative but at the time I was just excited to get a deal.  I was so motivated, I started writing my second book and finished it in four months with another book deal with the same company soon after.  A couple of years later, I went with a vanity publisher for “Doctor’s Orders”, which to my surprise, was very professional and they did a lot to help me.  Of course they would, I was paying them to promote my writing.  A few years later, I landed a book deal for both of my books with a small traditional publishing company.  Things seemed to be heading in the right direction, but shortly after my release of both books, they were bought out by a vanity publisher that was not very professional.  In fact, they were horrible.  I actually paid them to edit both of my books and they barely changed anything.

 

          So my next step was to seek a literary agent.  What a joy that was.  Not one agent was interested in someone with no college credits, no writing credits and one agent actually told me that I had made a big mistake by joining the Army instead of going to college if I wanted to be a writer.  I politely told him that he was welcome for his freedom due to soldiers like myself and told him to enjoy his day and that one day, he will hear of me again.

 

          Once again I found myself slowly slipping into a failed depression of my dream.  So before I fell into the depths of darkness, I did what every Army Veteran is capable of doing.  I took two shots of whiskey and drove on.

 

          I had several great friends offer to help so I took them up on it.  I handed out copies of “Doctor’s Orders” and many friends said they would help me to edit it.  A couple of my buddies who are great artists offered to help me turn it into a graphic novel which I’m still excited to attempt to do.  But that was a few years ago and to this day, nothing was done.  Don’t get the wrong impression.  I am in no way upset at my friends.  I understand that life happens and they are extremely busy people.  I get it and still love them to this day.

 

          So this had brought me to a crossroads.  Here I was, 19 years later from my first publication (26 years after I started writing my first book) and what was I going to do?  Give up?  This was my thought, but I had dreams I still wanted to accomplish.  So I had come to the conclusion that it was going to be up to me and me alone to make this happen.  I will still accept any help from my family and friends, but ultimately, it was going to be up to me.

 

          So, here it is.  This is the fifth rewrite of “Doctor’s Orders”.  I’ve edited it the best I can and I’ve added new chapters and have tweaked the storyline to fit today's events.  I’ve gone with Amazon self-publishing in ebook format and paperback on demand for the sole purpose to (hopefully) attract an authentic publishing house or, more importantly, attract a movie deal.  Then I could die happy.

 

          So that being said, if you all would please read my book for the story and not the grammar, you will hopefully vision the story as a movie being played out in your mind because that is how I write my stories.  I’ve put my heart and soul into it and I’m not done yet.  I’ve had over a thousand people read my first two books and I have received great reviews on the stories but have received a little backlash on the grammar.

 

          Those of you who have followed me this far, I thank you from the very depths of my heart and soul and you haven’t seen anything yet!  For those of you who are reading my work for the first time, welcome!  I hope to entertain you for years to come!

 

          Now if you all will excuse me, I have 2 shots of whiskey waiting on me and the next chapter of my life to write.

 

Thank you all again!