My great-uncle Nicky was the second-to-the-youngest of my grandfather’s five brothers. He was missing most of his right index finger.

During WWII, while my grandfather turned out copper ship hulls as a foreman at the Revere Copper and Brass rolling mill, Nicky and four other brothers were GIs. I think Nicky was the only one to see combat.

What’s ANZIO?

“Uncle Nicky was at Anzio,” my mother confided. “And the South Pacific.”

As a child, I had no real idea what she was talking about, although Anzio was a cool and somehow romantic word. I used to say it to myself as I waited to fall asleep. Anzio, Anzio. I pictured Uncle Nicky as a fierce soldier dressed like my cousin’s GI Joe action figure, with a gun that blew up, taking his trigger finger with it.

It was only much later that I found Anzio on a map and learned about the bloody and pivotal battle that took place there in the first six months of 1944. Uncle Nicky saw hell in Italy, then was sent to help mop up the Japanese. As if this wasn’t enough for him to handle, Nicky’s young wife died shortly after the war.

Despite his experiences, when I knew him, Uncle Nicky was a lively, wiry, and good-natured man who occasionally visited my grandparents. It was many years later that I learned that he hadn’t been wounded in the war but lost his finger as a kid in a kitchen accident.

VETERANS and WARRIORS

Uncle Nicky may have encouraged my love of history and geography but many veterans have impacted my life. When my parents met, my father was an Air Force meteorologist at a Strategic Air Command base.. My uncle served in Vietnam as a Navy chaplain. A good friend parachuted into the first Iraq War and later taught my son how to be an altar server. A close friend’s husband served in Afghanistan. He survived multiple IED attacks only to face an indifferent and inefficient VA system.

The courage and strength of our vets have moved me, especially when I see wounded warriors rebuild their lives and go beyond what most of us could do. If like me, you are a fan of Dancing With The Stars, you saw double amputee Noah Galloway compete a few seasons ago. His resilience and determination resonated with millions.The same with BT Urruela, a combat wounded amputee, purple heart recipient, contemporary author and veteran activist. Photographs of BT by photographer Michael Stokes captured the character of veteran and amputee Joe Birnam in the thriller  AWAKENING MACBETH.

BT Urella by Michael Stokes

Indeed, I pay tribute to our veterans in the character of Joe Birnam in the thriller AWAKENING MACBETH. In the story, Joe is a Marine Corps vet who lost a leg in Iraq. When we meet him, he has retired from the military and rebuilt his life. Almost.

THE PRIZE

Not to give the plot of AWAKENING MACBETH away, but a centuries old game is being played every night as we sleep in which the devil steals souls that wander in search of answers.

In history professor Brodie Macbeth’s nightmares, Joe’s soul is the prize.

Why this particular soul?

The would-be thief—call him evil or a demon or what you will—knows that a warrior’s soul is special. Hence he answer.

“After all, the soul of a warrior is the biggest prize in the game. Warriors’ souls get insulated by pride and patriotism and discipline. Dedication to duty. They’re hard to come by.”

But can your soul truly be stolen? Read AWAKENING MACBETH and find out . . .

Awakening Macbeth

Find AWAKENING MACBETH on Amazon. #FREE for Kindle Unlimited readers!

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CARMEN AMATO

Mystery and thriller author. Retired Central Intelligence Agency intel officer. Dog mom to Hazel and Dutch. Recovering Italian handbag addict.

 

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