After graduating from high school in St. Augustine, Florida, Jack Martin enlisted in the United States Army. He served 15 years, rising to the rank of Master Sergeant.
The many ribbons on his uniform, some for heroism and leadership, show his dedicated service.
Now a civilian in his mid-thirties, he witnessed atrocities while serving several tours of duty in Middle East hot spots. A vehicle he was driving with fellow service members struck an IED. (Improvised Explosive Device) 
Following another incident, Jack comforted a 20 year-old soldier who bled out in his arms. But Jack has been in kill or be killed situations and he had prevailed.
His girlfriend Rosa is tough enough for him, but tender enough too. She comforts him when he awakens from nightmares about his troops being ambushed and blood on his hands.
In addition to being a tall, handsome much-decorated veteran, Jack is a motorcycle enthusiast, a hard worker and the fiercely protective father of a teenage daughter. He can fix or build just about anything.
I told these things to veterans at a VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars) post, while going about my job as a newspaper reporter, gathering information for a story.
"We want to meet him," the VFW members said "Tell him to come here. We can help him with his (PTSD) Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. We understand."
My eyes widened in surprise. Without intending to do so, I had convinced them Jack is a living, breathing person. But he only exists in the pages of my "Castle in the Sun" romantic-suspense book series. He is one of four central characters. Others are his girlfriend, Rosa, his brother Carlos and Carlos' fiance, Elizabeth. (Liz)
My eyes widened in surprise. Without intending to do so, I had convinced them Jack is a living, breathing person. But he only exists in the pages of my "Castle in the Sun" romantic-suspense book series. He is one of four central characters. Others are his girlfriend, Rosa, his brother Carlos and Carlos' fiance, Elizabeth. (Liz)
At the VFW, my husband/photographer, Dan, shook his head. "You talk about your characters like they're real," he groaned.
But in a sense, Jack is real. We can see him in the faces of 540,000-plus veterans whom Wounded Warrior Homes states have been diagnosed with PTSD.
"Post Traumatic Stress Disorder can be described as a mental health condition that's triggered by a trauma, whether experiencing or seeing it. The symptoms include flashbacks, nightmares, severe anxiety, depression and confusion," the organization states on their website.
Find out more:
The soldiers at the VFW wanted to meet Jack and I hope you will too—and the other characters too, in the pages of the Castle in the Sun romantic-suspense series published by MillerWords.
But in a sense, Jack is real. We can see him in the faces of 540,000-plus veterans whom Wounded Warrior Homes states have been diagnosed with PTSD.
"Post Traumatic Stress Disorder can be described as a mental health condition that's triggered by a trauma, whether experiencing or seeing it. The symptoms include flashbacks, nightmares, severe anxiety, depression and confusion," the organization states on their website.
Find out more:
Wounded Warrior Homes: http://www.woundedwarriorhomes.org/
Veterans PTSD Crisis Hotline: 866-382-2287
The soldiers at the VFW wanted to meet Jack and I hope you will too—and the other characters too, in the pages of the Castle in the Sun romantic-suspense series published by MillerWords.
Book 1 FREE for a limited time.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0785FWH5P/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_U_x_WKI3EbXY53
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