THE LAST HERO: How Escapist Imagination and Real Life Led to Nathaniel Dane's First Novel

Anyone who writes fiction---actually, anyone in the arts---will relate to the essay from today's guest, Nathaniel Danes. He shares how the world he created for his first military science fiction novel, The Last Hero, grew in his mind and gained importance in his life until he just couldn't keep it off the page.

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The Last Hero -- I had to write it

by Nathaniel Danes

I never thought I'd write a book. Heck, for most of my life, getting beyond page three of any school writing project felt like a Herculean task. I think the difference between now and then, is my writing doesn't feel forced, like the story is there, I just need to get it out. Maybe that's the difference between writing what you want as opposed to what you have to.

Thinking about it now, it almost feels as if The Last Hero grew itself organically rather than having been written. My over-active imagination, love for military history, science fiction addiction, blindness, failed military career, daughter, and more were filtered through my fingers onto the page. It's a nexus where several pieces of my life came together. Believe me, that sounds far easier than it was.

I've always used my imagination as an escape hatch from life. As far back as I can remember I'd bolt from mundane situations in my mind, transporting myself to excitement and adventure. I'm sure most kids do this, but for me, I've never stopped. Today, I do this as a coping mechanism. I'm losing my sight to a genetic disorder, the reason for my failed military career, and I find it relaxing to drift off into worlds where I don't have that limitation.

These fantasies were always content to live inside my head until I read The Forever War. That classic sparked something inside me. Science fiction has always been my preferred genre for TV and movies, but as far as books go, I used to only read military history. After stumbling upon The Forever War everything changed. I couldn't read enough military science fiction and those stories in my head started to become restless.

I also can't overstate the importance of my daughter's birth in helping to shape the story in my first novel. There are a select few things I truly love in his world, my wife for one, so the feeling isn't foreign to me. However, I honestly wasn't prepared for the body blow of raw emotion, of pure unconditional love, I felt the second I held my baby girl for the first time. From then on, I couldn't imagine a universe that she wasn't a part of, where that incredible connection didn't exist. Her presence in my life enriched and brought depth to my fantasy worlds. She brought meaning and purpose to them.

Literally bursting at the seams, I had to get the stories out. So, I started to write and write, then I rewrote and rewrote. Before I knew it, a few years had past and I'd written four books. Finally, I decided to try and get one published. Fortunately, Solstice Publishing saw fit to give me a chance and agreed to release the The Last Hero.

If you read my book, I hope you enjoy it and can feel the passion that went into its creation. It will be the first of many. I don't have a choice, the stories have to come out.

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Learn more about Nathaniel Danes on his website.

Purchase The Last Hero on Amazon.

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Angela Kay Austin Finds Romance in Life's Difficulties

I admire writers who weave serious social issues into their fiction. Angela Kay Austin is one such writer. She shares with us her motivations for writing Derailed, which deals with the challenges of life after military service.

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Anne, thank you for inviting me to visit with you!  I’m excited to share a little about my short story, Derailed.

Derailed is the second release in my tribute to military servicemen and women and their families.  Within my own family, there is Navy and Army.  Members of my family served in Vietnam and the Gulf War.  But, neither Derailed nor Scarlet’s Tears deal with the act of war.  They each deal with what I call the aftershocks of war.

Scarlet’s Tears dealt with how the loss of a husband affected an expecting mother.  Derailed looks at war through the eyes of a single woman who because of a medical discharge finds herself living out of her car and jobless.

Although I was a member of JROTC, I never served in the military.  But, as a woman, I guess I was always intrigued by the heroic handsome military man, think “An Officer and a Gentleman.”  I don’t remember seeing the female equivalent of that movie, if you don’t include “Private Benjamin.”

A newscast about men and women serving in the military and after caught my attention.  The broadcast discussed how often they face similar issues: alcoholism, drug addiction, joblessness, and more.  But, something I’d never thought before was the why behind it.  People will argue whether or not women have been in “combat” zones, but most of the issues facing men were attributed to “combat.” For women, because they weren’t technically in “combat” zones, their conditions were treated the same as men who had been in combat zones, but that wasn’t the cause of their problems.  Women faced many of the same problems, but due to issues like: rape while on tour, or caring for children when they returned. 

Watching the report, listening to the women’s stories, honestly, made me feel as if we may not be holding up our end of the bargain.  We ask people to serve, and then when they return, we don’t take care of them.  

We don’t provide the services they need.  Why?  We hold parades and rallies for Olympians, why don’t we do the same for servicemen and women?  I’ve never been an Olympian nor served in the military, and I believe both should receive respect for their hard work and dedication.  But, even though we can’t offer each veteran a million dollar contract to sell cereal, can’t we at least help them find a home, a job, and adequate medical care?

Derailed is my imagination of a homeless woman veteran who never gives up, and through her spirit she inspires others to not give up. 

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You can learn more about Angela Kay Austin at her website.

You can purchase Derailed on Amazon.