2014
Title Time
Of all the aspects of writing a book, selecting a title is the one I least enjoy. The pressure to try and encapsulate everything the book is, exclude everything it isn't, and make the title memorable with some little twist or play on words is exhausting. And annoying. But that doesn't mean I can get out of doing it. Even if I don't self-publish this second book, I need to select a working title to use while shopping it around to agents and publishers. Nobody will consider a proposal titled "Book 2", as it is currently labeled on my computer. [...]
Transitioning Out? Some Things To Consider When Leaving Active Duty.
Somehow, while managing to finish a rough draft of my second book, get the kids to/from school, and catch some of the nice south swell hitting San Diego, I stole time away from my normal duties to write this article for ExpertBeacon.com. If you are getting out of the military and trying to figure out what to do next, this article has some good information for you. Leaving active duty is much more than a simple economic transition from one source of income to another. It is a life-transition that will impact your physical, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing. Do yourself [...]
How Not To Promote A Book
So, I've been doing a fair amount of research into the right way to promote an upcoming book. Turns out that my strategy of neglecting to write blog posts in favor of focusing solely on the manuscript is recommended by no one. Anywhere. Ever. As I am likely going to self-publish this second book, it falls squarely on my shoulders to promote and market it as well as to write it. While those things can take place in sequence it is generally considered best to do them all at the same time. To that end, I will begin sharing more [...]
How To Help Your Veteran
The challenges of returning to normal life after the intensity of combat often prevent veterans from enjoying the freedoms they so dearly earned. But it doesn't have to be this way. There are things that you, as a family member of a returning veteran, can do to help smooth their transition home. Here's the link to an article I wrote for ExpertBeacon.com that provides concrete suggestions for how to do this. Dan Sheehan on ExpertBeacon.com
Veteran’s Reactions To Iraq Crisis: NPR Interview
I had the pleasure of sharing the radio stage with Andrew Bacevich and Mike Zacchea today. We appeared on "Radio Times with Marty Moss-Coane" on WHYY Philadelphia to discuss the deteriorating situation in Iraq. My segment begins about 37 minutes into the interview, but Andrew's and Mike's segments are worth listening to as well. Here's a link to the interview: The Threatening Crisis In Iraq
Interview on “Interviewing Authors” with Tim Knox
Earlier this week I had the opportunity to be interviewed by Tim Knox of interviewingauthors.com. The interview runs about 25 minutes or so and Tim asked some very good questions about my experiences writing. I really enjoyed speaking with Tim and look forward to doing it again when I finally get this second book done... Here's a link to the interview. Thanks for taking a listen. Interviewing Authors: Dan Sheehan
Two Awards–And A Little Shout Out To Moms
This week I was extremely pleased to learn that After Action had won not one, but two awards in the 2014 Independent Publisher Book Awards. It took a Gold Medal in the "Memoir" category, and Bronze in the "Best Adult Non-Fiction Personal E-Book" category. In reading the "winner information" email I learned that medalists will not be allowed to speak at the awards ceremony to be held in New York City in late May. Thank god. Could you imagine over 400 authors getting up there and rambling on about everybody they owe their success to? It would make a filibuster [...]
The Great Blog Hop 2014
Blog Hop: Why Do I Write? Step One: Acknowledge the person & site that involved you in the blog tour I was invited to this blog-hop by David Hazard, director of Ascent. I’ve known David for five years now and used his company’s services for developmental editing, website design, marketing materials, and cover design of my first book, After Action. I’m working with him on my current project and his expertise and suggestions are just as valuable the second time as the first. David and his design team are on the forefront of the evolving world of publishing and can help [...]
Canned Tuna Fish and A New Project
I believe that most writers have an endless fountain of creativity. For them, ideas spring to mind and continue into their work without any effort. I imagine them sitting atop an almost unstoppable flow of well thought-out arguments, witty observations, and amazing fiction that covers a wide range of topics. That's not me. My creativity oozes out like molasses. Or maybe like the goo left behind a snail when it traverses the lawn. It's pretty useful stuff but there isn't a whole lot of it. In fact, my creativity oozes so slowly that if I divert the flow even a [...]
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