Thank you for joining my book list!

I hope you had a great Fourth and a wonderful weekend. Over the last few days, I have received over 150 emails. That's just incredible, so thank you!

I won't share your email address with anyone, but I will post here monthly about how my book is going and share some of the early insights into it and my publishing journey.

I started this process back in November 2022 with a different publisher. As some of you know, months after working with and paying that hybrid publisher, they closed and later went bankrupt last year. The CEO apparently was dipping into the corporate till quite extensively, and no one was aware of this.

I moved on to another national hybrid publisher, Amplify Publishing Group, in DC, and it is going very well. The photo on Facebook was me with the CEO of Amplify when I was in Detroit a few weeks ago. While there, I got to enjoy a beautiful summer evening of baseball as the Detroit Tigers played the Washington Nationals.

I spent this Sunday reading all 19 Chapters and 147 pages of my book out loud. That took quite a few hours, but it's excellent practice for the future audiobook and the best way to find any last-minute errors.

The last time I did that, I read it to my mom early last year. Mom passed away after a brutal battle with ALS one year ago, on July 1st. She is one of the reasons I am determined to finish this book.

Right now, I have opted to record the audiobook rather than pay a "voice talent" to do it. It costs about the same either way, but I want to be the one telling my story, and for those who like audiobooks, I want you to hear me do so.

I have probably printed and edited my book at least 50 times over the past two years. I have a large banker's box of the dated paper drafts in my closet. I am not sure why I am keeping them all, but they remind me of the hours, days, and months I have endured to get to where I am.

There are several phases in the book writing arc. Excitement and self-doubt at the initial stages. A period of exuberance once you get in the groove. Then pure drudgery. There's a period when you hate your book. Tired of it and tired of dealing with it. That's where most people quit.

For me, there was an added punch in the gut when my first publisher took my money and put me on an unsecured creditors list filed in the Texas Bankruptcy Court.

I got some wind in my sails with the new publisher and when I saw the cover jacket which embodies my vision and the initial book layout with a copyright date and a Library of Congress number. And now, a significant gust when I saw the final PDF layout of the Chapters, Conclusion, and Acknowledgments.

That's where I am now. It's starting to become real. So, thank you for helping me and for being that further gust of wind that provides me with forward momentum and pushes me across the finish line.

In the meantime, you can hear one of my favorite podcasts here. Listen to this episode of Georgetown's Law Professor Jonah Perlin's "How I Lawyer" podcast, and you can tell that I enjoy telling stories and providing advice that I hope others can use.

For an oldie, but goodie blog post, check out my post about handling cases years ago in South Carolina's Hampton County against my law school classmate, Alex Murdaugh here. It’s a classic and my most read post.

Finally, while the book has a targeted market, you don’t have to be a Navy veteran or lawyer to enjoy it. The lessons in it are timeless and apply across the board to all. I think you’ll get a chuckle out of some of my stories of the successes and failures of a young Navy lieutenant serving as an admiral’s aide.

I'm excited. There is still much work to do as I am hoping to grow this list. So, share the news and this post with friends and family. Let others know. They can still join the book list here.

I really appreciate your joining me as I sail to the finish line.

Thank you!