So, I am in the process of being medically retired from my job of the last nineteen years. It took me a long time to admit I was not able to function effectively as a paramedic any longer, even though the Department listed me unfit for fieldwork even before the spinal surgery. And man, that pissed me off.
This was something I worked my ass off to be as good as I can be for a long time. I loved the high speed medicine, the danger , the adrenaline. Helping people in times of crisis and emergency is just something I was good at and I never thought I would stop doing that.
I ignored any promotional tests, opting for more training in the field. DPU, Haz-Tac, active shooter, you name it and I wanted to be trained it. Just to better at my chosen profession, to be better at helping people. When seconds count, we were always minutes away, making our job tougher and the patient's chances smaller, but we busted our asses night after night, back to back double shifts just to make sure someone was there to answer the call.
So when all that was ripped away from me by a stupid accident, I was angry. Very angry and I didn't like who I was becoming.
I realized I needed to do something to make a change. My spine is as good as its gonna get, before it starts to get worse again so I can either wallow in self pity and stay an angry asshole or I can try to find a way back to who I was. Who I want to be again.
That's when I started writing seriously. It gave me an outlet, a place to vent some thoughts and in some cases live vicariously through the characters. I began to be myself again.
Despite racking up enough rejection letters from publishers and agents to wall paper most of a mid-sized house, I started to find who I am again.
The acceptance of my first short story in an anthology was a much needed confidence boost, but the big break came from Aethon Books. They took a chance on me and soon, my first book will be out there in the wild to face criticisms and derision. But also, the chance of some one enjoying what I have to write. Maybe something in there, mixed into the words and chapters, will help someone out there in some small way.
I'm not used to being the rookie anymore. I've paid my dues in my blood and the blood of others for many years, but sometimes, you just got to swallow your pride and start over. Who knows, if things had be different a few years ago, I may have been a writer as my first career.
Enjoy the books and stay safe out there.