Rick DeStefanis

Rick’s Blog

  • Tallahatchie: Why Writers Research Fiction

    Whether its fiction that takes place in Vietnam or in Tallahatchie County, Mississippi, it must have Credibility.

    One of the primary goals of fiction is to reveal truth. Whether it is a fictional story about the Vietnam War, or one about the fictional town of Tallahatchie in the Mississippi Delta, the goal is to immerse the reader in such a way that it becomes what one of my reviewers described as: “Too real not to be true.” For that reason, I returned today to Tallahatchie County.

    Yes, I grew up and have lived in the South all my life. I’ve spent more time in the Mississippi Delta than I care to recount, but I went back again today just to ride and check things out. I drove down to Enid Lake, across the dam, down old Highway 51, then west on Highway 32 to Charleston and “The Free State of Tallahatchie,” also known as Tallahatchie County http://bit.ly/1TL3Ny6. From Charleston, I continued westward crossing the Tallahatchie River into Webb, then on to Sumner and through Tutwiler and up to Clarksdale. You see, my next novel is one that will take place for the most part in the Mississippi Delta, and driving through those old haunts brought back memories that will certainly add depth and texture to the story.

    One of Several Tallahatchie River Bridges
    One of Several Tallahatchie River Bridges

    Tallahatchie County has a mystique about it that many of the locals don’t recognize, the duck hunters don’t get and the rest of us marvel at the wayIMG_3328.CR2 (Small) one marvels at something exceptional that we don’t  quite understand—kind of like an exceptionally good bird dog or maybe, Jennifer Lopez. Me, I’d choose the bird dog over Jennifer, but then I’m married and it’s a matter of survival…you know?  So, anyway I drove down into the Delta today, took some photos and made some observations. The photos below include the main drag of the booming metropolis of Webb, The Tallahatchie River Bridge and the railroad that was once the old Illinois Central, now the CN.

    Meanwhile, if you’ve read any of my Vietnam Series of novels please sit down now and write a review about it. I don’t care what you write as long as you tell the truth and post it all over hell and back i.e. Amazon, Goodreads, Facebook and wherever. Reviews tell potential readers if my stuff is worth their time, but then only you are the judge of that.

    The Main Drag, Webb, Mississippi
    The Main Drag, Webb, Mississippi
    The Old Illinois Central Main Line, now the CN
    The Old Illinois Central Main Line, now the CN
    The Tallahatchie County Court House
    The Tallahatchie County Court House

     

    You may also enjoy: Tallahatchie and Road Trip to the Tennessee Overhill

  • Raeford’s MVP is Published

    Raeford’s MVP, a Novel about Love, War and Redemption

    Friends, fans and fellow writers, my latest novel, Raeford’s MVP is now available both in paperback and Kindle editions on Amazon. Here’s the direct link: http://amzn.to/1RMml1c. If you would like a signed copy you can contact me at rdestefanis@centurytel.net or if you live in the area, give me a call. The cost of the book is $16.95 and postage in the U.S. is around four bucks. The Kindle edition is $4.99. As always, your honest review posted on Goodreads at http://bit.ly/1n9oVRT and on Amazon will be very much appreciated. It also helps when you “share” this on your Facebook page along with your comments.

    Raeford's MVP
    A novel about love, war and redemption.

    Be forewarned: Raeford’s MVP is not a “thriller” like the first two novels. It’s actually classified as “literary.” I would characterize it more as mainstream general fiction, with elements of action and adventure. So, a book about a vet with post traumatic stress, that’s gotta be a real fun read, right? Well, I believe I made it work by giving the protagonist, Billy Coker, a sense of humor. He takes the reader back to his years in high school and his “misaligned” priorities with girls that landed his butt in Vietnam.

    While entertaining readers, I hope Raeford’s MVP will open some eyes to the reality that has been characterized over the years as “shell shock,” “battle fatigue,” and a variety of other names. The “Post Traumatic Stress” terminology wasn’t actually coined until around 1980, and the syndrome itself was little recognized by the U.S. Military during the Vietnam War.

    Lastly, I want to express my deepest appreciation to the “Tribe.” These are the Beta-Readers, Editors, Friends and Supporters who have given their precious time and efforts to help me spread the word about my novels and many who helped me get this particular novel into print. You know who you are, so I will not begin what would be a long list of names. Please send me your comments.

  • Vietnam Veterans of America Review

    Below you will find a review of the Vietnam War Novel, The Gomorrah Principle, by the Vietnam Veterans of America. 
    VVA LOGO

    Welcome to “Books in Review II,” an online feature that complements “Books in Review,” which runs in The VVA Veteran, the national magazine of Vietnam Veterans of America

    FEATURED

    Rick DeStefanis, a veteran of the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division, dedicates The Gomorrah Principle (CreateSpace, 432 pp., $17.95, paper; $5.99, Kindle) to all veterans, especially the paratroops of the 173rd Airborne Brigade and the 82nd Airborne and 101st Airborne Divisions. The book is described as a “non-stop literary thrill ride. Stand back, Bob Lee Swagger.”  I’ve read all of the Swagger books, also about a legendary (fictional) Army sniper, so I was eager to find this thriller in the same league with the Swagger books.

    The backwoods hero, Brady Nash, is notified that his boyhood friend, Duff Coleridge, has died in Vietnam under mysterious circumstances. Brady receives a letter that contains allegations that Duff was murdered and that a woman in South Vietnam, Lynn Dai Bouchet, knows how and why.

    Brady Nash, who is characterized as “dumb as a brick,” “Country dumb,” and a “stupid hillbilly” by the villain, Jack Maxon, manages to join the Army and become a Ranger. He gets sent to Vietnam to serve as a sniper, which led me to think that Nash was smarter than he looked.

    Nash becomes a part of a special operations study and observation group, whose purpose is to go after VC cadre. This program is also called Phung Hoang, aka the Phoenix Program. Traps are set for Nash by Jack Maxon, who complains that Nash, that “stupid hillbilly, stumbled out of every trap set for him.”

    When Nash arrives in Vietnam he gets orders for Headquarters Company, 173rd Airborne Brigade. He ends up at a firebase south of Ben Het in the Central Highlands near the Cambodian border where he serves from December 15, 1967, to January 28, 1968. Given than time frame, I figured that the book would show us Nash’s involvement in the Tet Offensive. I was not disappointed.

    Maxon tells Nash that if we don’t stop the VC in Vietnam, we’ll be fighting them in California—in Santa Monica, no doubt. I won’t give away the ending, but there is a possibility of a sequel.

    This thriller is well written and well plotted. It contains no clinkers or boring spots and it moves right along from start to finish.

    I recommend it to those who have not had enough of reading sniper thrillers or books dealing with the 1968 Tet Offensive.

    The author’s website is https://rickdestefanis.com

    —David Willson

    Learn More About Vietnam Veterans of America at https://vva.org/.