Ghost Notes: Stories Outside the Lines
These aren’t outtakes. They’re echoes.
Ghost Notes is an ongoing companion to Ghost of Bosnia—a series of short stories that live between the chapters, before the book began and after the dust supposedly settled.
Here you’ll find fragments of past missions, personal reckonings, and the quiet revelations that never made it into official reports. Some hint at the conspiracy. Others are just what happens when the war follows you home.
One story at a time, the truth gets harder to ignore.
The Power of Miles and Water: How Movement Inspires My Stories
Some stories do not find me while I sit at my desk. They visit me in the water, where the sound is muffled and the only rhythm is the rhythm of my breathing. It is here, away from the blinding cursor and the expectant page, where the stories speak. I drive through the open highway, shedding the noise of daily life, and mile after mile, I hear the voices of men and women waiting for me. They come in bits of talk and recollection, like familiar acquaintances I have never met. That’s where the magic is. That’s where the stories begin.
Building the Perfect Cast for Ghost of Bosnia
When I set out to write *Ghost of Bosnia*, I knew I wasn’t crafting a typical military thriller. This character-driven novel delves into the complex emotions of PTSD, manipulation, and the cost of truth. Meet Matt Briggs, the haunted pilot whose silence is a scar, and Jerry “Vandal” Carter, the loyal wingman grappling with guilt. Each character embodies familiar archetypes, yet they breathe with humanity, revealing their flaws and struggles. In a world where battles rage both in the skies and within, these characters remind us that war stories are, at their core, human stories.
The Runner
A veteran’s morning ritual becomes a powerful act of remembrance and survival. In The Runner, a ten-mile flag-bearing journey through Pensacola explores the weight of memory, loss, and the quiet resilience of those still carrying the war long after it ends. This evocative reflection captures the rhythm of recovery and the silent nods of understanding between those who share a common bond. Perfect for readers drawn to personal essays, military life, and stories of endurance.
Miles and Manuscripts: Writing My First Novel is Like Racing Triathlons
What does training for an Ironman and writing a novel have in common? For me—everything. In this deeply personal post, I explore the emotional endurance of bringing my first novel to life, the fear of sharing my words, and the parallels between pounding the pavement and pushing through plot lines. Join me as I step into the world of publishing, one mile—and one manuscript—at a time.
Slammed Shut: Lauren Harper’s Attempt at the Truth
She stood outside the gates at NAS Oceana long after they told her to leave. The security guard had been polite, but firm—standard response for civilians without clearance, even ones with press credentials from Navy-approved publications.
Lauren Harper didn’t move. Not right away.
She hadn’t come as a reporter. She came because something had gone wrong overseas—and no one was willing to say what. Now, every unanswered call and redacted report pointed to the same thing: a mission that wasn’t what it seemed… and four names no one would talk about.
The Road to Silence
He left Virginia Beach before the sun came up, no note, no goodbye. The Ram coughed to life like it, too, wasn’t sure it wanted to make the trip.
In the rearview: a dark condo, an unopened ring box, and a life he could no longer occupy.
Matt Briggs drove north. Then west. Then north again. No map. No contact. Just a growing silence he couldn’t shake—and one mission he couldn’t outrun.
Four months after Bosnia, he wasn’t looking for peace.
He was looking for distance.
Because sometimes the only way to survive is to vanish.
And sometimes, even ghosts need a place to hide.