Surviving Son

In this special episode, I discuss my new book, Surviving Son, and how you can enter to win a free signed copy of the book.

Links & Resources

• Get Surviving Son on Amazon
• Get an autographed copy on SurvivingSonBook.com
• Enter the giveaway to get a signed copy of Surviving Son

Transcript

Welcome back to the Drive On Podcast. I’ve got a special episode today. It’s a solo episode, which I haven’t done in a while. Plus, this is the very first time I’ve released two episodes in a week. You know, if I’m posting two episodes, it has to be for a pretty important reason. So pay attention, you don’t want to miss this.

Last week I released my first book, titled Surviving Son, on Amazon, and it very quickly rose to the #1 New Release in the Military Families category. I was completely beside myself. All of the support I received from listeners, social media followers, friends, and family was absolutely amazing. I couldn’t believe how many people bought a copy of the book. I still can’t believe it!

So, if you haven’t already heard of my book, Surviving Son, I’m going to give you a little overview of it.

I was going to read the short description of the book, but it’s weird talking about myself in the third person. “Scott takes the reader on a journey…” blah, blah, blah. Plus, you can read that for yourself on the book’s website SurvivingSonBook.com.

So, the book is about my time fighting in Afghanistan as a combat infantryman and the loss of my younger brother, who was killed in action just miles away from where I was in Afghanistan.

In the book, I try to provide you with an understanding of what life was like in Afghanistan for the soldiers who fought there. Of course, it is just from my perspective, but I feel like the perspective of one soldier is important to understanding the overall picture. Part of why I wrote the book is because I realize that there were plenty of stories that came out of the early wars of our nation that never got told. It was incredibly expensive to write a book back in the Civil War or even in World War One or Two days, so many stories from back then either never got told or were only told verbally. Once when the soldier who fought in those wars died, their story lived only in the memories of those he told it to.

I don’t want that to happen with the post 9/11 era. I think we have many lessons learned from the Global War On Terror, and it would be a shame if no one ever put the words down on paper or in another format that will someday outlive the author. So, not only did I write this book to tell my story, but I also wrote it to encourage other veterans to put their stories out there. It doesn’t have to be in a book format either. There are many other ways of telling a story, but writing a book makes sure that the message isn’t open to interpretation as it would be in a piece of artwork or something else. Plus, it’s referenceable. Even years after the stories are told, the words we wrote will outlive us so the story can continue to be told.

And it is incredibly easy to publish a book these days. Well, it might be intimidating. I know it was for me at first, but once when you figure out how to do it, there’s no reason not to publish a book. With print-on-demand tools like Amazon offers, you can literally write a book and publish it with almost no money out of pocket. Of course, if you’re interested in getting the book into as many hands as possible and want a wider distribution, you’ll probably have to spend a little money, but it is nowhere near what it would have cost 50 years ago.

Just a side note here, if there are any prospective authors out there who are interested in writing a book but were too intimidated by the overall process, feel free to reach out. I’d be happy to help share the tools I used and some of the lessons I learned along the way. Maybe I’ll even do an episode about that in the future. 

Another reason why I wrote the book is largely the same reason why I have this podcast. I know veterans are stubborn and don’t like to ask for help. This may lead to some people feeling like all hope is lost for you. Trust me. It isn’t lost. But, when you isolate yourself from other people, get turned off by how the VA handles things, or just don’t trust them, you might find yourself feeling like you are running out of options. You always have options, no matter how bad things get. This podcast talks about the struggles other veterans have had and some of the options that are available to you. Some of those options are not quite as well known as others, which is why I talk about them here to let you know about some of these lesser-known options.

The book talks about my struggle with PTSD, the loss of my brother, and the unhealthy coping mechanisms I used to deal with them. And while those coping mechanisms temporarily covered the pain I was dealing with, they also eventually caused even more problems for me. Eventually, I figured out how to deal with this pain in a healthier way. It wasn’t an easy journey, but it was necessary for me to experience the lows so I could appreciate the highs.

I want you to know that if you are struggling with something, that you’re not alone. It’s OK to struggle. It’s human to struggle. But you have to keep working towards being better. That’s what I did. That’s what I’m still doing. You don’t give up, and you keep pushing forward.

 

Over the next few weeks, I am scheduled to be on a number of other podcasts, TV and radio shows, and possibly some other publications as well. I hope if you happen to catch me on any of those broadcasts, you’ll leave a comment and let me and the host know what you thought of the broadcast. Feedback like that helps the hosts book guests that fit what their audience is looking for.

If you’re interested in supporting me with this new book, I’d encourage you to head over to Amazon and search for Surviving Son. If you’ve already bought a copy on Amazon, thank you for your support! I would ask one little favor of you, though. Head on back to the Surviving Son page on Amazon and leave a review. Let me know what you thought of the book. Hopefully, you’ll want to give it a 5-star review because that helps get the book discovered by more people. 

If you would like an autographed copy, there are two ways you can do it. One is to buy your copy on SurvivingSonBook.com. Look for the link that says Get an Autographed Copy, and complete your purchase as soon as you do that, I’ll get a notification that you want the autograph, and I’ll get it signed and shipped to you as soon as possible. There is a place for you to add personalization notes, so if you want to buy it as a gift or want it to say something special, I’m happy to do that for you too. Right now, the first signed copies are scheduled to be shipped out to customers on September 20th. 

The other way you can get a signed copy is for people who have already bought a copy on Amazon. Reach out to me via email or message the podcast on social media. I’ll give you the steps to ship the book to me so I can sign it and send it back to you. It’s much easier to just buy it directly on SurvivingSonBook.com, though, but I’ll sign it either way.

Also, before I wrap up this episode, I want to let you know about a giveaway contest I’m holding. I’ll be picking 5 lucky winners to receive a signed copy of my book, Surviving Son. To enter, visit https://driveonpodcast.com/giveaway