Rick DeStefanis

Tag: The Rawlins Saga

  • JUNE 2026

    The Vietnam War Memorial, the Next Book, and Squirrel Allergies

    Hey Y’all, betcha cain’t do this here! Just kidding. Birthday Greetings…I mean…mine….

    So, here’s the latest from the world of the ungracefully ageing. That’s right. I’m going down kicking and screaming—none of that noble puffery about old soldiers fading away. Don’t get me wrong. I still stand by my axiom that “Fame is for fools,” but I’ll take it only for whatever ancillary monetary benefit that its fleeting dopamine rush leaves behind. I treasure your friendship, more so than a thousand clicks. Anyway, back to the point at hand: I turned 76 and I want to share some observations with anyone who cares to listen.

    Birthdays, I have noticed, are no longer like automatic subscription renewals. When one comes around, it’s now become somewhat of a more mindful event. Each one has the effect of the subtle rumble of distant thunder—not in a bad or ominous way—but a gentle reminder from on high that I need to get stuff done. So, here’s a quick summary of my author world.

    The 5th Rawlins book, A Winchester Reckoning, is out and available wherever books are sold. If you want to read a summary of the story, here’s an internal link to see it on this website. BUT wait! Not now! Come back to it after you finish reading the post…please….?

    Silhouette of 5 men on horseback against the background of a sun and a foreground of prairie grass on fire

    ( https://rickdestefanis.com/rawlins-a-winchester-reckoning/

    If you think you want to read the story, click the cover after you click the link and it will take you to Amazon, or you can use the link below to take you to other bookseller sites.

    https://books2read.com/Rawlins5 )

    Meanwhile, back at the ranch….check this out. Other writing news: The next book in the Vietnam A Soldier’s Heart Series is targeted for publication next spring. Scooter Red and The Spirits of The Dead is a continuation of my focus on the spiritual beliefs of the Vietnamese people and their counterparts in the American army—in this case an American Creole/Cajun soldier who finds himself in Vietnam.

    Scooter Red grew up in Yazoo City, Mississippi, but spent most of his summers with his Uncle Gautreaux down in the Louisianna Bayou County where he learned the ways of the Acadian Catholics, the Cajuns, and the Creole spirits made famous by Madam Laveau…and of course, his outlaw uncle. Yes, it’s another of my “Ghost” stories that takes place in the jungles of Southeast Asia, but one that tells with meticulous detail and unrelenting realism the experience of jungle combat in Nam.

    While I am at it, I want to thank those of you who purchase my books by reminding you that 10% of the profits earned through your royalties go to veteran charities. There are only a select few that I have chosen based on their rankings on Charity Navigator. My mailbox is packed most every day with mail from various other charities, and sometimes they test my resolve at not being smart-alecky, but it’s hard when I get these wonderful color brochures begging for funds for such diverse recipients as blind dogs and one supporting aging donkeys—really. As a matter of fact, I am contemplating starting my own charity. I think I will call it Donations for Squirrels with Nut Allergies. Send your hard-earned cash before another squirrel suffers. 

    Here’s a special salute to some of my dear veteran buddies: Lee Thomas, Buddy Klein, Recon Walker, Orie Illie, Eric Barnhardt, Doc Enzenauer, Nite Train Hoskins, Full Throttle Antis, Top Spencer, Jay Klages, and all of you in the Warriors Lunch Group.

    And one last reminder: the Traveling Vietnam Wall comes to Olive Branch, Mississippi tomorrow 6/4 with a 300 motorcycle veteran escort. The opening ceremony will be Friday at 10:00 a.m.

    Next month…or maybe August, I’ll talk about what in the world made me think I had to be a paratrooper. Stay tuned, by subscribing here on the website: https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/702640/106123997749445740/share

     

  • New knees, Books, etc.

     

    June Newsletter

    Greetings to my faithful readers, fellow veterans, and anyone willing to share a few minutes of their time with me. This newsletter/blog post will update you on my writing efforts and other matters relating to my books. I apologize for not writing sooner or more often, but another knee replacement (the glory of too many impacts with the ground while with the 82nd Airborne) has slowed me somewhat. Yes, an eighteen-year-old will do some crazy things.

    First, I wish to provide a clarification on the Rawlins Saga. Several reviewers have referred to it as a “spin-off of the Yellowstone 1883 Series.” That’s quite understandable. After all, two of the primary characters in Taylor Sheridan’s 1883 story are a Confederate Civil War veteran and his wife who lead a wagon train of immigrants westward. Sound familiar? There are other striking similarities, but it’s incorrect to say the Rawlins Saga is a spin-off of that series, because while Yellowstone 1883 was first shown in 2021, Rawlins books #1 and #2 were published in 2018 and 2019 respectively. I like to think if there was a spin-off, it was Yellowstone 1883. But enough of that business. If that’s the case, I’m glad I could help them out.

    Some of you may have noticed a shuffling (so to speak) of my books into three newly named series. First The Rawlins Trilogy, since it is now four books with a fifth planned, is now The Rawlins Saga. The Vietnam War Series has been divided into two series. The first, (A Soldier’s Heart—Combat in Vietnam) includes the five books whose stories are told as they occurred during the war. The second series (Rising from the Ashes—Battles Beyond Vietnam) are those mostly told from a veteran’s post-war perspective and include Raeford’s MVP, The Birdhouse Man, and Miss Molly’s Final Mission. My Southern novel, Tallahatchie, remains out there by itself.

    And lastly, several readers have asked about the next book. The one I previously mentioned was to be in the Soldier’s Heart Series, but that plan has been dropped due to complications beyond my control. The next book will be in the Rawlins Saga, and I will write more about it in the next newsletter.
    Thanks for reading and writing your reviews of my books. I truly appreciate your comments and enjoy reading them. They keep me wanting to write. I’ll try to get the next newsletter out a little sooner, and until next time if you recieved this update via email and want to see a complete list of all my available books, click the button below, and it will take you to the website.
    Best Wishes,

    Rick