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• Archived Blog Post

  Date / Time: 8/1/2008 4:45 PM UTC

  Story of the Sand by author Mark B. Pickering
  

  RENEE’S BOOK TALK

  August 7^th, 2008 9:00 PM EDT

  Mark B. Pickering Author of Story of the Sand

  http://www.blogtalkradio.com/yolandarenee

  (347) 215-9536

   

  Join me Thursday night on Blog Talk Radio for Renee’s Book Talk and a discussion with Mark B. Pickering about his novel Story of the Sand.

  As a way of introduction the following is taken directly from his bio – Mark B Pickering developed an interest in writing at an early age, first writing stories as a child, then pursuing songwriting as a musician during his teens and 20’s.  An avid conversationalist, Pickering often engages the interesting people he meets in discussions about their lives. It was through many of these dialogues that Pickering was first inspired to write his new novel, Story of the Sand (iUniverse, 2008) which describes the struggles veterans face when attempting to return to normalcy in American society after facing the horrors of war.

  Story of the Sand is based on many in-depth interviews Pickering conducted with American war veterans ranging from WWII, Vietnam, the Gulf War and newly-returned soldiers from the current conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq. These veterans confided in Pickering about the battles awaiting them once they returned home from war, including struggles with post traumatic stress disorder, homelessness, addiction and problems they had relating to their families and loved ones.

  “In my many interviews with American veterans, I learned so much the news media couldn’t impart,” says Pickering. “It is abundantly clear to me now why 75 percent of veterans come home with mental problems and why 25 percent end up homeless. Life is not the same for soldiers after battle.”

  Story of the Sand follows Sampson Roy, an Iraq war veteran who returns home to Georgia only to find that he is unable to cope with society or interact with his family and loved ones. While his injuries are not physical, Roy’s psychological wounds from his time spent in the Middle East have a much deeper impact on his life. He struggles with alcohol dependence, homelessness and suffers from mental breakdown. While Roy eventually works to conquer his demons and return to the life he once knew, the ghost of a fellow soldier observes and struggles with his own need to let go of the past.

  “Supporting our troops takes more than putting a bumper sticker on your car,” Pickering says. “Once soldiers return home, once they’re veterans of war, they need an even greater level of support and understanding from those around them to deal with their experiences during combat and to ease them back into civilian life. They may not be the same person anymore.”

  Please join us for a discussion on:

  ·         The hidden casualties of war

  ·        Is the government doing enough for our veterans?

  ·        Tips for communicating with soldiers returning from war

  ·        Ways to discourage the epidemic of homelessness in U.S. veterans

  ·        Collateral damage: The effect of war on military families

   

   

  How to reach Renée

   

  Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/yolandarenee

  BTR: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/yolandarenee

  Website: http://www.yolandarenee.com

  E-mail: yolandarenee@hotmail.com

  Favorite Charity: http://www.booksforboots.org 

  • Tags:
  • war
  • soldiers
  • Iraq
  • books
  • publishing
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