Tallahatchie the Novel

Okay, my dear friends, according to all the book marketing gurus, this is where I was supposed to have a big online “cover reveal,” slowly peeling back slide-after-slide until you see the complete image of the cover for my upcoming new Southern fiction novel, Tallahatchie. Sorry. I put all the drama in my books. Here it is.

This is an actual rendering of a highway and railroad bridge over the Tallahatchie River. And for those of you so observant as to recognize that it’s not the one in Tallahatchie County bridge, don’t get too stressed. It’s actually the one crossing the Tallahatchie River in Lafayette County. Hopefully, you will forgive the artistic license that my cover designer, Todd Hebertson, www.bookcoverart.webs.com/ and I took. Besides, I like it.

So, anyway, with a little luck, I’ll have this novel ready for you to take to the beach, mountains or wherever you go on vacation this summer. It is a substantial departure from my military fiction. The first book of my Southern Fiction series, this story takes you on a journey to a part of the modern rural South that many of you may recognize. It takes place in the Mississippi Delta near Clarksdale, in the fictional town of Tallahatchie, Mississippi during the late 1990s.

As you many of you know, Tallahatchie County is well known and has a somewhat notorious reputation. Please understand that the novel does not delve into the dark past, but into the present and the lives of some who live there now.

If you want to know when the novel is actually published, you can go to my website at Rick DeStefanis – The Word Hunter and signup for the free flash fiction giveaways. This way I can let you know when the book is out. And, oh by the way, the first chapter of Tallahatchie is included with the free flash fiction giveaway.

Please send me your comments. Do you like the cover?

Is the guy who scores the winning touchdown a hero, or is it the Medal of Honor recipient?

Okay, friends, today I’m going to be a cranky old curmudgeon…..just saying. It has to do with the current use of the word “hero” to describe about half the people who get out of bed each day. The word “hero” has been marginalized to the point that our kids and grand-kids have difficulty truly understanding what a real hero actually is. The DeSoto Arts Council (http://www.desotoarts.com/) Kids Summer Camp committee met yesterday, and the theme this year is “Super Heroes.” Don’t get me wrong. This is not to say we can’t have fun with Super Man, Spider-Man or Wonder Woman. Heck, I grew up on superheroes, and Mighty Mouse was my favorite. He kicked some serious cat butt for the endangered mouse community. However, what truly made my day was when the arts council managing director, Margaret Yates, said, “We want to make certain the kids first know what real heroes are…” I believe by the end of that first day of summer camp these kids will know. It’s the rest of America that concerns me.

My problem stems from the now widespread practice of describing just about anyone who does something fairly exceptional as being a hero. I have met sports stars, yes, but never a sports “hero.” I don’t even believe someone who is in the military as I was, or who is in law enforcement or who is a firefighter is by definition a hero. My definition of a hero is one who puts his or her life at immediate risk for the benefit of another person or a noble cause—with “immediate” being the keyword. Yes, it’s a little more restrictive than Webster’s definition, but I simply have a problem grouping people who play ball well with Medal of Honor Winners. Want to read about some real heroes? Check out http://www.cmohs.org. And there are many more real heroes who pass us on the street every day, including an entire generation that came home after the Vietnam war and was never recognized. This has always been one of the primary motivations for my Vietnam War fiction as I try to depict ordinary men in extraordinary circumstances. The best war fiction doesn’t glorify the battle but the men who must fight it.

Am I tilting at windmills? Probably. Am I wasting my time? Probably. Will people stop referencing every Good Samaritan as a hero? It’s doubtful, but I had to say it. So, there, and now that I got that off my chest, we can move on…..or not. I’ll surely get lambasted for this one.

The featured photo this week is one I took a couple years ago near the Mississippi River not far from where I live. I was set up in a blind on the side of a slough waiting for a single buck or other critters to show up. It was late on a November afternoon and the rut was in full swing, but as I waited the sun began dropping lower and lower in the sky. It finally set behind the trees, and the light of day began rapidly receding.

Only then did I see this group of deer trotting through the Cypress, coming my way. I rapidly adjusted the camera for the decreasing light as a doe approached, followed by several suitors. In what is often the case with wildlife photography, I was blessed with a true stroke of luck when she stopped on the opposite bank to feed on the green grass growing beside the water. This resulted in the magnificent reflection. Note that a couple of the bucks have swollen necks and are about to face off. It was one of those rare moments in nature. Enjoy.

You may also enjoy: Rawlings: No Longer Young and The Nature of Things in Mississippi and Valley of the Purple Hearts

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.

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.