Charles Sheehan-Miles

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What Does it feel like to kill?
2007-04-05 04:07:00
What does it feel like to kill?For some reason, that question’s been on my mind a lot lately. With Chris going off into the Marine Corps later this year, it came up at my brother’s party last weekend. We were talking, and I said to him, “The one thing you have to be prepared for, is you may be put into a position where you have to kill someone.” But what does that mean?I’ve been asked the question, many times, starting just a couple of days after I got home from Iraq. It was three a.m., and I was sitting in a Waffle House in Macon, Georgia, with a girl I liked, and I had the misfortune to be wearing my uniform. Somebody had to ask: did I just get home from the war? Yeah. That led to the question, the big question, the one I didn't want to answer, even to myself."So what did it feel like to kill somebody?"None of your god damn business, and who the hell do you think you are to ask something like that anyway?I didn't actually respond ...
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Welcome home
2007-04-05 03:11:00
Ok, so I'm a sucker. I've got two kids who get all bent out of shape when I take a day or two trip out of town once or twice a month. Hardly a sacrifice when I consider that for something like a million families have been separated from their loved ones for a year or more in his war, sometimes multiple times. When I think about what the military families in this country sacrifice -- especially knowing my nephew will soon be in the Marines -- it breaks my heart glumbert.com - Welcome Home
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Wednesday Hero - Major William D. Chesarek, Jr.
2007-04-05 03:10:00
Maj. Will iam D. Chesarek, Jr. Royal Air Force's 847th Naval Air Squadron, Commando Helicopter Force Maj. William D. Chesarek, Jr. has done something no other U.S. service member has done since WWII. On March 21 of this year, Maj. Chesarek was awarded the British Distinguished Flying Cross, by Queen Elizabeth, for saving lives and in recognition for his bravery during combat operations in Iraq. Maj. Chesark was assigned as an exchange officer with the Royal Air Force's 847th Naval Air Squadron, Commando Helicopter Force in 2005 and was the pilot of the RAF?s Lynx Mk7 helicopter. On the evening of June 10, 2006, Chesarek was providing radio communication relay for British ground troops conducting a company-sized search operation near Amarah, Iraq. Listening to radio transmissions, he overheard that a vehicle involved in the operation had became disabled and a crowd of insurgents was firing small arms and rocket-propelled grenades at the company. According to his award citation...
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Chapter Five of Prayer at Rumayla Podcast now online
2007-04-03 02:05:00
Thanks for stopping by to check out chapter five. This is a long chapter and is split into three parts, with the first arriving this week. At the beginning of chapter five, we find Chet Brown fleeing Atlanta after his disastrous meeting with his ex-fiance Amy and her new boyfriend Paul. We also begin to learn more about Chet's experience during the war. Listen. Enjoy. If you like it, pass the word to a friend -- word of mouth makes the biggest difference in the world for any project of this kind. About Prayer at Rumayla:Nineteen year-old Chet Brown arrived home from the Gulf War in the spring of 1991 and found that, for him, the war was only beginning. Betrayed by his friends and lover, ignored by his family, Brown travels across the country in search of meaning behind the horrors of his war.?Bleak and disturbing... dead-on-target ...This first novel is a work of pure psychological conflict.? ? Pulitzer Prize winning reporter John Hanchette, Reno Gazette-Journal?Brutally hon...
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Prayer at Rumayla eBook Now Available for Free Download
2007-04-02 21:58:00
Hello friends. I've mentioned here before that one of my projects for this year is a complete re-write and edit of my first novel, Prayer at Rumayla: A Novel of the Gulf War. As I work through it, it's become a very different work -- very different. Because of that, I'm essentially saying goodbye to the original novel. It was important for me, but the hopelessness that the original story reflected really doesn't match how I look at things any more. The new book, completely re-written, is going to get a new cover and a new title, since it really is a different story. So, along with the podcast, I've decided to make the original available on the web for free.So, the book is now online, licensed under a Creative Common Non-Attribution, No Derivatives 2.5 license. What that means is that you are free to download and share it, but you can't change it, sell it or make derivative works. Will the original be in print ever again? I haven't decided. I may decide to make it avail...
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Another interesting bit from SWJ
2007-04-02 06:22:00
This is another interesting bit from Small Wars Journal: Beyond a doubt our current administration has lost credibility with the American people (in both red and blue states) based on its inept management of the war. First there were no WMD, then the premature claim to victory, then denial that there was an insurgency, then there was no civil war, not to mention not having a plan for phase IV, and the list goes on. The point is that even if we are now making progress, America's will is eroded, not so much by the enemy, but by our own executive branch. If there is a lesson in this that we obviously failed to learn in Vietnam, it is that we must be completely honest with the American people. They haven't lost patience, they lost faith. I think the President needs to replace several key leaders (the SECDEF was a good start, but not enough), and the new leaders in the administration must be allowed to maintain their credibility so the American people will give them the manueve...
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Marines in Ramadi
2007-04-01 16:58:00
First, a brief bit of news. My nephew Christopher has been accepted in the United States Mari ne Corps, and swears in Monday. He's not sure when he'll leave for bootcamp, probably in June after he graduates high school. Sometimes it's hard to get my mind around that -- he was a toddler when I got home from Iraq. With that in mind, I wanted to post a link to this interesting post on Small Wars Journal, an interview with a young Marine lieutenant on his experiences in Ramadi.This one should required reading for folks going over to Iraq today. There's a lot of discussion over there at SWJ that cuts through the political stuff (anti-war/pro-war) and focuses in directly on what many of us need to be directing our thinking to -- how to help Iraq become a stable country that doesn't pose a threat to its neighbors. Walking away and leaving a failed state isn't going to do that. I'll be posting more about this later, but I've been giving a lot of thought t...
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Wednesday Hero
2007-04-01 16:48:00
My Wednesday Hero posting this week is obviously late -- I've been travelling since early Wednesday morning, first to DC, then Atlanta, so hadn't had time to post anything. This Weeks Post Was Suggested By Kathi Billy Hodges, in the blue shirt, with a wounded soldier on a fishing tournament in Palacios, Texas Billy Hodges, who served in the U.S. Army and Texas National Guard between 1971-1979, is not only being profiled for his service, but also for what he's done since then. Mr. Hodges runs an organization based in El Campo, Tx called Hunts For Heroes. They also have chapter in South Carolina , Arkansas , Mississippi , and California and what they do is take soldiers who've been wounded in battle on hunting and fishing trips and other outdoor related activities. All free of charge.  These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero. We Sh...

Family blogging
2007-03-27 21:37:00
So, I've been writing and posting stuff here occasionally, but not consistently for a few years. Only recently did I start consistent "blogging," but it was today that it hit home just how many folks I know who are. My cousin Charlie (we went to high school together, he now plays in an orchestra in Sweden, writes Where's America. Down in Georgia, my brother and aunt keep blogs on different topics.What's a little odd about all this is that I don't see them very often. While we living in DC, I'd generally see my family once a year (or even every other year). It's a little more frequent now, since it's down to a 7 hour drive, but still not often enough. And the visits, when they happen, are fraught with stress and driving all over the place and trying to fit things in and keeping the kids from going complete bonkers, so there is little time to really connect anyway.Back when I was in the Army, I used to write dozens of letters every week, to a...
More About: Family , Blogging , Blog , Blogg

Prayer at Rumayla: Chapter Four now online
2007-03-24 18:34:00
Thanks for stopping by to check out chapter four. This chapter is 32 minutes, and follows Chet Brown as he struggles with his new platoon sergeant, then goes on leave and encounters his ex-fiance. That encounter is a major turning point in the book, but I won't get into how it turns out. Listen. Enjoy. If you like it, pass the word to a friend -- word of mouth makes the biggest difference in the world for any project of this kind. About Prayer at Ruma yla:Nineteen year-old Chet Brown arrived home from the Gulf War in the spring of 1991 and found that, for him, the war was only beginning. Betrayed by his friends and lover, ignored by his family, Brown travels across the country in search of meaning behind the horrors of his war.?Bleak and disturbing... dead-on-target ...This first novel is a work of pure psychological conflict.? ? Pulitzer Prize winning reporter John Hanchette, Reno Gazette-Journal?Brutally honest, direct, and meaningful, Prayer At Rumayla is a compelling novel...
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Kidzoids writing
2007-03-24 16:13:00
So, my daughter came out this morning and said, "Can I write a story on your computer?  PLEASE, PLEASE!!!"  I said yes, so here is her debut story. Hmm. Once  upon a time  there  was a   dad   that  was named Charles Sheehan-miles  he was  crazy  heDidn’t  know what  he  was  doing he cooked  worms and  we  never  ate  them  but he did and  he buys  a  Barbiedoll for  himself and  bratzdolls too .theEnd. 
More About: Writing

Editing
2007-03-24 05:17:00
For the past couple months I've been working closely with an editor who has been ripping my new novel to shreds. Tentatively titled Republic (it was called Murphy's War, but I've dispensed with that title), the book asks the question -- what would happen if, through fear of terrorism -- our country walked away from its heritage of freedom.It's been a good experience working with an editor, and the book is going to be a lot stronger because of it. That said, my original target publication date of August 2007 is probably going to be too optimistic. We've gone through several rounds of copyediting, but in the process my editor has identified a couple of major holes, and some minor ones, which have to be fixed.Unlike Prayer at Rumayla, which I really let go too soon before it was ready, this one I want as close to perfect as possible. Particularly because I'm already well into the process of working out a sequel.Related to this -- based on the timing, the pod...
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Wednesday Hero: Major Alan B. Rowe
2007-03-21 13:12:00
This Weeks Soldier Was Suggested By Jenn Capt. Alan B. Rowe 35 years old from Hagerman, Idaho 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center September 3, 2004  The Perfect Marine. That's how many describe Capt. Alan B. Rowe. Respected and dedicated to the Corps and still able to be a husband and father. Rowe, who was on his fourth deployment since joining the Corps in 1985, died with two other Marines, Lance Cpl. Nicholas Wilt, 23, of Tampa, Florida, and 1st Lt. Ronald Winchester, 25, of Rockville Center, N.Y., when a remote-controlled explosive device detonated as they returned to their vehicle after inspecting a bridge in Anbar province, near the Syrian border."He was a quiet, humble person and extremely polite," his widow, Dawn, recalled from their early days of dating. "He was a traditional type of gentleman. My mom was surprised to meet such a ... perfect-picture Marine.&...
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Hometown Baghdad
2007-03-20 12:57:00
A few days ago I mentioned that the Home town Baghdad project was coming along, with short films being produced about the lives of young Iraqis. The first set of films are now online. More than worth checking out. Sadly, even though we're five years into the war, most Americans know little about Iraq and Iraqis. We can hope that this project -- which is being distributed for free online -- will help bridge that gap. Check them out here.
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Chapter Three (part two) finished
2007-03-19 02:36:00
Thanks again for stopping by to check out chapter three. So far there have been several hundred downloads of the first two chapters, so I'd love to get some feedback from listeners. As I mentioned last time, I broke chapter three into two parts, because it came out to almost an hour. Part two is 24 minutes, and follows the arrival of a new platoon sergeant who shakes up Chet's platoon on his arrival. Listen. Enjoy. If you like it, pass the word to a friend -- word of mouth makes the biggest difference in the world for any project of this kind. One interesting note. Reading the book outloud has been quite an experience for me, especially as it's been years since I've read it. I'm catching far more errors than I expected, and I think before I finalize the next one, I'll be doing the same with it. Originally the working title was Murphy's War, but the title has been done, so to speak. I'm working on a new one, and I'm working with an excellent editor who is slapping me...
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Video trailer for Prayer at Rumayla
2007-03-15 21:50:00
So, lately a lot of publishers have been promoting their books with video trailers on YouTube. So, I thought I'd give it a try. Looking for your feedback here. Take a look, and please leave a comment! I may go through several iterations of this until it's right.
More About: Video , Trailer , Prayer , Rail , Ruma

Securing the borders ... with kindness
2007-03-15 13:35:00
Not too long ago, I was chatting with a neighbor and the subject of illegal immigration came up. He went into a bit of a rant, as many Americans do, about "illegals" coming into the United States, taking jobs, costing social services and worse. It's a familiar refrain, and many of the issues are very real. Not to mention the fact that so many of those immigrants end up exploited in the worst possible ways, with some trapped in sex-slavery rings and other things best left in the nineteenth century. The irony, of course, is that a few months later my neighbor had some major work done on his house. He got a really good deal, paid in cash to an unlicensed contractor with a crew of non-English speaking workers. Now, I wasn't in a position to determine their immigration status, but it did raise some questions, less about the workers than about the sincerity of my neighbor's convictions. The bottom line, however, is that it is a problem, and a serious one. Rig...
More About: With , Ring , Kindness , Ness , Borders

Hometown Baghdad
2007-03-14 18:04:00
Understanding what life is really like for Iraqis is critical. That's why I was so impressed when I found out about Home town Baghdad , a short film series that is following the lives of a number of Iraqi 20-somethings. You can check out a preview here. Go see it.
More About: Town

Wednesday Hero
2007-03-14 10:52:00
A couple weeks ago, I ran across something I really liked. A group of bloggers who featured, every Wednesday , a member of the Armed Forces as that week's Wednesday Hero . I've joined up with the Wednesday Hero blogroll and will be posting here each week. It's interesting, because looking over the blogroll, I've got little in common with the beliefs of many of the bloggers on the roll. Hardcore conservatives, most of them, some with some pretty strange (to me anyway) ideas about global warming and other topics. But common ground is the desire to honor those who serve our country. So here is this week's Wednesday hero. This week's is a little unusual, because it doesn't feature a specific soldier:Almost a month ago, the Wednesday Hero Blogroll received an email from a reader named Mike Gardner that contained something he had written in honor of this country's heroes. He asked that it be considered for a future post. It took almost a month, but here i...

Chapter Three (part one) of Prayer at Rumayla now online
2007-03-13 15:51:00
Thanks for stopping by to check out chapter three. So far there have been several hundred downloads of the first two chapters, so I'd love to get some feedback from listeners. I've broken up chapter three into two parts, because it came out to almost an hour. Part one is 32 minutes, and follows Chet Brown as he returns to Fort Stewart and has to deal with the reality of a rapidly changing peacetime military. Listen. Leave a comment. Tell a friend. That's all I ask. And I hope you enjoy it. About Prayer at Rumayla:Nineteen year-old Chet Brown arrived home from the Gulf War in the spring of 1991 and found that, for him, the war was only beginning. Betrayed by his friends and lover, ignored by his family, Brown travels across the country in search of meaning behind the horrors of his war.?Bleak and disturbing... dead-on-target ...This first novel is a work of pure psychological conflict.? ? Pulitzer Prize winning reporter John Hanchette, Reno Gazette-Journal?Brutally honest, d...
More About: Online , Line , Three

Troops getting screwed again
2007-03-12 13:06:00
If you don't read Mark Benjamin at Salon.com, you need to start.  Today.  For background, Mark is a former UPI reporter who has spent most of the last decade reporting on issues involving the troops and veterans.  He's been a tireless supporter of the right thing, and originally wrote about the terrible conditions at Walter Reed more than two years before the Washington Post suddenly "broke" the story.Over the weekend, Mark did it again.  In this story, headlined "The Army is ordering injured troops back to Iraq," he broke the story on a huge problem.  Combat brigades (in this case 3rd brigade, 3rd ID) which have now served multiple tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, are sending some injured troops back into combat, even though they aren't eligible for deployment due to physical disabilities.Couple of major problems here.  First and foremost, it puts other troops at risk.  If you've got someone in your squad or on yo...
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America at the mall
2007-03-10 16:02:00
Enough said. Found this over at SwacGirl
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Questions remain after overturn of DC gun ban
2007-03-10 15:54:00
In a decision that for the first time uphelp the rights of individuals to keep and bear arms, a federal appeals court yesterday overturned the District of Columbia's gun ban. Despite my generally liberal leanings politically, I'm a firm believer in the right to own guns, and believe this was the correct decision. But it exposes a lot of unresolved questions for the District to solve.My wife and I lived in the District from 95 until 2000, and in a neighborhood that was best described as "transitional." Twelve blocks from the U.S. Capitol, the house we bought was the last abandoned house on our block before an upturn in real-estate values began restoring the neighborhood. Crime was not uncommon -- our car was broken into more than once, and on one occasion someone broke into our house while we upstairs sleeping. When Veronica heard someone moving around downstairs, she let out a scream and I went charging down the stairs (unarmed, mind you, which was probably not...
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And another one
2007-03-07 14:35:03
Another one....
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Another possible cover, not quite as martial
2007-03-07 14:35:03
Yet another possible cover design. As always, feedback is appreciated!
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Cover draft number 5
2007-03-07 14:35:03
This is another draft cover .... the photo is public domain, from Army public affairs. The theme is obvious.
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Fundraising, relationships and trust
2007-03-07 14:35:03
    The thing to know about fundraising is that it’s all about relationships and trust.  Before you can successfully raise funds for a nonprofit organization, you have to develop the relationship with your constituents, and consistently prove that you will deliver on your commitments.    Consistent communication is key. If you are operating primarily on the internet, that means a regular newsletter that goes to your subscribers on a predictable basis and keeps them primed for your topic.    Fun damentally, donors are your partner in this enterprise.  Most people who fully believe in your mission don’t have the time or resources to commit the time and effort you are to this effort.  That does not mean they are not as fully committed – it simply means that they will give of their own resource in a different way.    That, however, is not one way street.  Whether major donors or small ones, ...
More About: Relationships , Relationship , Fundraising , Raisin

Self-publishing primer in 12 steps
2007-03-07 14:35:03
If you are into that sort of thing (and, of course, I obviously am), Lillie Ammann has posted a self-publishing primer over at A Writer's Words. If you are thinking about self-publishing, it is worth a read -- she breaks down both the options and the drawbacks in considerable detail over the course of about twelve posts.Of course, my plan with Cincinnatus Press is not to solely self-publish, but actually to build a micro-publishing company focused primarily on internet sales (through Amazon, BN and others). That's why one of the first titles I'm putting out is the original telling of the Bonus March by W.W. Waters. This book was published originally in 1932, and went out of print in 1969. It's an excellent account of how the Bonus Army came about, and the rout of the veterans from Capitol Hill at the hands of the Army. If you haven't read much about the Bonus March, or just want to know more, check back here soon -- I hope to have this title ready to ship by su...
More About: Self , Publishing , Publish , Step , Shin

Podiobooks -- authors distributing novels in podcasts
2007-03-07 14:35:03
This morning a post by M.J. Rose caught my eye -- a nice write-up in the New York Times about the growing phenomena of authors distributing their work in free podcasts.Now this is interesting. I'm intrigued more than just a little by many of the new ways information technology is changing the landscape of publishing. While self-published authors are never going to compete one-on-one with the big baddies in New York, the fact is that increasing numbers of authors are actually making a living publishing and promoting their own work -- especially given the ability to launch a publishing company, print cheaply and quickly through Lightning Source, and get distribution through Ingram as a result. It means that the initial cost of launching into publishing is practically free, with the usual caveats (which I learned all too well from my first effort) of not putting your work out there without a good editor.So there it is. My first thought on seeing this was to seriously considerin...
More About: Pod , Books , Podcasts , Novels , Podcast

Title Woes
2007-03-07 14:35:03
One thing I've been putting off for more than three years is a decision about the title for "Murphy's War." I mean, obviously it has a title. But that's not the title I'm going to use for the final published form, because somebody beat me to it. Two somebodies, actually. The first, which I couldn't reasonably be expected to know about, is a 1971 book and movie starring Peter O'Toole. Given that I was born the same year it came out, well, who cares?More recently, a 2006 novel from Publish America used the same title.So, in short, sometime in the next few weeks I have to come up with a new title. I'm stumped. Absolutely stumped. This is what I get for moving so slow -- I wrote the first couple chapters (actually the last ones) almost exactly ten years ago. Before I had the plot or most of the characters or really any idea what the book was going to be about, I had the title. it just first. Apparently it fit so well that it's quite a p...
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