SEARCH and RESCUE
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Search and Rescue was a fun book for me to write. In fact, it almost wrote itself. I served in the U.S. Coast Guard for twenty-two years, so I have a unique insight into Coast Guard operations. Unfortunately, when I look back on my career, I get bored. I never saved a soul, which is why I joined in the first place. As an electronics technician and later a commissioned project manager, I supported the heroes behind the scenes. So, I created my alter-ego, and I'm living vicariously through him. Master Chief Garrett Thomas is a true hero, having saved hundreds of people over his twenty-eight years as a Boatswain Mate.
This story takes place after Garrett retires. The book is full of flashbacks to daring rescues that he performed over his career. His first eight years were served driving the motor surfboats through the deadly surf along the Pacific Northwest. He achieved the coveted qualification of Surfman, the most elite of the coxswains. Once promoted to Chief, he served the rest of his career aboard the larger ships, including two icebreakers. Over twenty-eight years, Garrett accrued just about every medal available in peace-time operations. But once he retired, Garrett felt empty and lonely, with no purpose in life anymore.
Garrett set out to reinvent himself, becoming a tugboat captain. But after a year he was temporarily laid off when his tug was decommissioned. With nothing but time on his hands before the tug is recommissioned, he set out to check off as many bucket list items as possible before he had to go back to work. The first item on his list, was to hike the entire Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine. Second would be to take a raft down the mighty Colorado River. And after that, he wanted to get a Jeep and do the most notorious Jeep trails in the country. And then there are also all the great National Parks to see. How much can he accomplish in two years? He purchases an RV with a Jeep as a tow car and sets off to find out.
Over twenty years ago, he went through a nasty divorce and became estranged to his beloved daughter. He had avoided relationships ever since. However, he met two women on the Appalachian Trail that changed his mind. They're not compatible, but at least he rediscovered the joy of estrogen again. One of them, Sierra, was an author and an editor. After listening to his tales, she urged him to write a book.
After completing the trail, Garrett settled down for the winter and learned to write. It's an arduous process. He was taught to write very concisely in the Coast Guard. His material is excellent, but the editing was tedious. Sierra insisted that he write the story himself rather than use her as a ghost writer. So, he struggled on, and with a lot of guidance, finally produced a book. Sierra did the final editing and got it accepted by a publisher. A few stars were in alignment, and the book was a hit. But now he had two more books in the trilogy to write. The second book was easier to write than the first. Garrett had learned a lot about creative writing on the first book. And it was also a hit, thanks to his earlier success.
Soon after completing the Appalachian Trail two years ago, Garrett had saved a woman at great risk to his own life. She and her daughter had fallen off a cliff. The daughter perished. Garrett scaled the cliff with his trauma kit and was able to stabilize the woman. Once she was brought up to the waiting EMTs, he thought he'd never see her again. But after a long recovery, she finally tracked him down to thank him. She was still suffering from severe depression and self-imposed starvation since she had no appetite. Garrett recognized that she could be a danger to herself and took her under his wing. It didn't take long for her grief over losing her daughter to finally come pouring out. Garrett helped her grieve, and she finally recovered her happiness and appetite.
The few days turned into a few weeks and finally they became a couple. She was the one that identified his purpose in life, and it had nothing to with writing books or driving tugboats.
