After spending 7 years on the USS Pennsylvania's Blue crew, I got out and began to pursue my dream of becoming a published writer. When I started writing my first book, I had trouble thinking up an interesting character, but the old advice to "write what you know" served me well.
Four years later, I am a newly published author. My first book,
72 Hours, is about two navy nuke veterans that are caught up in the search for a rebellious teenage girl. I took a huge amount of inspiration from the characters that I served with, the way nukes are trained to think and reason, and the type of individuals selected for the nuclear program, and created two characters that I'm quite proud of.
A big part of why I got the contract that I did was that I demonstrated a level of discipline and effort that most novelists don't have. It just goes to show you that even if you don't end up working at a civilian nuclear plant, the things you learned in the Navy will serve you well.
If you're interested in the book, you can find it here (
http://www.amazon.com/72-Hours-Dietrich-Stogner/dp/1466439238/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1320174481&sr=8-1). So far, I'm very pleased with the reviews, and the book is selling quite well!
