​The contest:
Would you like the chance to have a portion of your writing published in the upcoming book, STARDUSK? If so, here's your chance.

Based on the cover image of STARDUSK describe her creatively as she returns from a scouting mission and is resting against a tree. This will be the opening for Chapter 1. The winning description will be included in the book...with your permission, of course.
Good luck!

In the past week, I have visited the Optometrist to have my eyes checked and the Audiologist to have my ears checked. The results? I will need a new pair of classes…for the fourth time within the past year since my left eye continues to blur due to cataracts and later this month I will return to the VA to pick up my first ever hearing aids due to hearing loss in both ears. Ah, the joys of turning 60 in 2018.

Coincidentally, this past week while reading my devotions, I read where Abram (the name he had before Abraham) took God’s promise, to him and his wife Sarai, into his own hands and married Hagar, Sarai’s slave. As a result, she conceived causing dissension in the home to the point where Sarai mistreated Hagar, causing her to run away.

Later, “The angel of the Lord” found her near a spring in the desert. The angel told her to go back and submit to Sarai and that she, Hagar, would have descendants that would be too numerous to count. He also told her that she would give birth to a son and she was to name him Ishmael, which means, God hears. The name was given because God heard of her misery.

Because of this encounter, Hagar gave the name to the Lord who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me” (Genesis 16:13). She also named the well, “Beer Lahai Roi”, which means, Well of the Living One who sees me (Genesis 16:14).

Throughout my life–even during my four tours of war to the Middle Eastern desert—when times were good or, like with Hagar, there were times of distress, I knew I could always count on the God who sees me and the God who hears me. He is one and the same…the Living God. In fact,  I thank him often for being the God who has seen and heard me wherever I have been…who sees and hears me wherever I am…and who will always see and hear me wherever I go.

Scott A. Meehan

​Hello everyone. I hope you enjoyed your day off...a day to commemorate Martin Luther King Jr.

Two of my favorite of many quotes came from MLK:

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that."

"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere"
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Now, to announce the winner of my first contest launched from my new Group page: "The Desert Rock Readers and Writers Cafe."

Congratulations goes to Brenda Hawks! She came the closest with her Synopsis: "One chance encounter, one decision that would forever change her life and the cause for American freedom. Stardusk- What was she running from? Her past? Her pain? What was she running to? A renewed faith? A war for independence? A chance for her own freedom?"
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The tagline, synopsis, and theme that I sent to Ravven to win the cover contest is below:

Tagline: During the French and Indian War of 1754, the young commander, George Washington, is most impressed by the best fighter he’s ever witnessed: a seventeen-year-old Iroquois girl.

Short synopsis: In 1754, before the Revolutionary War, the British America colonies fought New France in the French and Indian War. When the Virginia militiamen under the command of 22 year-old George Washington ambushed a French patrol in the Battle of Jumonville Glen, nobody fought with more skill than the seventeen-year-old daughter of an Iroquois chief, known only as STARDUSK.

Theme: Young commander, George Washington takes note of a highly skilled, yet very unusual warrior...a seventeen-year-old Iroquois girl.

Yes, today is the deadline to submit your guess as to what the theme, tagline, and short synopsis is based on the award winning cover for STARDUSK! Remember, the one who guesses (or closest to it) the information that I provided to Ravven to win the cover, will win a free STARDUSK, signed book upon release, along with an Amazon Gift Card for $20.00.

Since Ravven's contest required a character of diversity, I will make the winning announcement on Martin Luther King (MLK) Day. Be sure to stay tune for the announcement here on the PTSIO website and The Desert Rock Readers and Writers Cafe.

Driving home from Johnny’s Diner after an early morning breakfast, I mentioned to my wife Trena how the past several years have been a blur because we have lived in one place for more than twenty years. In the past, I was able to remember dates and events by associating them with the places I lived, which until 1998, changed every three years or less. For example, I could remember who won the Super Bowl and the World series in every year from 1966 to 2000 by linking the memory to where I was at the time. However, I now have difficulty recalling who won the Super Bowl and World Series from 2005 to the present.

This morning, I read a verse out of Genesis concerning God’s directive to Abram (later changed to Abraham). An abstract of the first two verses reads as: “Go…to the land I will show you…and I will bless you.” These words have been applicable to me and my household over the past twenty plus years.

In early 1998, the Spirit spoke to me during my devotional time with God, in similar fashion. On one  particular cool afternoon at MacGregor Range, near White Sands, I was sitting in the bleachers on OP5 (where we launched Patriot missiles during training). That day, I read the following: “I am sending an angel ahead of you to guard you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared.”

Later that year, my wife, two high-school kids, and I (along with some pets) moved to Orlando, Florida, where we have been blessed since. In this span of time, I was deployed to the Middle East three times, I retired from the Army, both my son and daughter graduated high school and college, they married wonderful people, we have five grandchildren, my son survived a terrible auto accident (2016), I survived a heart attack (2017), and we (Trena and I) celebrated our 37th Anniversary.
I can honestly say that as for me and my household, we have served the Lord and we are truly blessed!
 
Scott Allan Meehan
 SaM

​Cover Reveal!

Hello everyone, let's have some fun!

In 2018 the high-quality book cover artist, Ravven (https://ravven.com/) held a contest for a free book cover. She began this contest in 2016 and has awarded two free book covers per year. The criteria for winning a free high-quality book cover from 2016 through 2018 was for an author to provide information about their upcoming book. This information included a Title, Author Name, a Tagline, Genre, Short synopsis, and the Theme.

For last years contest (2018), Ravven sought a story which featured a diverse main character and wanted this diversity represented visually on the cover. Then, she asked for authors to send their ideas.

I am honored to announce that I was one of the chosen winners!
Based on the information I submitted to Ravven, she artistically designed the attached book cover for my upcoming 2019 release, "STARDUSK."

As you can see, her work is impeccable!

How can you participate and have fun? Based on the cover design and title, I am asking you to submit a tagline, short synopsis, and theme on what you think my upcoming book is all about. The one closest to matching the information that I provided to Ravven will win a free STARDUSK, signed book upon release, along with an Amazon Gift Card for $20.00.

So, make your submissions and the best of luck.

Hey y’all ~ Happy New Year! I don’t know about you, but my goal for the new year is to be victorious. Victorious in what, you might ask? How about everything I set out to do. It is a “Focus Forward” approach to anything I’ll face ahead. I think it is a good approach anyway, even if—well, no matter. A new year means a fresh start in my book. Oh, the Word has a few things to say about being victorious as well. Here are a few of them:

“For the LORD your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you the victory” (Deuteronomy 20:4).

“To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God” (Revelation 2:7).

“To the one who is victorious and does God’s will to the end, He will give authority over the nations. He will also give that one the morning star” (Revelation 2: 26, 28).

Ya know what’s cool? Besides being victorious I mean. Have you ever gone outside in the morning before the sun comes up and notice the morning star, which is Venus, by the way? I do on occasions, when I feel like dragging my bod out of bed. Hee hee, haa haa. Sometimes I’ll go jogging with my dad or share a cup of tea or hot chocolate with my mom...if I’m not too sleepy. Anyway, it is the brightest sparkle in the eastern sky. Look at it through a telescope…really cool!

So, to the new year…be victorious! Or at least try your best and don’t let anything get in your way…especially the bad.
​
‘Till the next time
Asha (One each)

Hey y'all ~ Asha here. Some weather we're having these days, huh? A lot of us anyway. Kinda messy...but hoping for a "White Christmas."

So what's new? Ummm, well, Major Scott is up here in our neck of the woods (Tennessee) for a few days to see his folks. He brought along his oldest grandson, Jaden (age 7) with him. They are unable to do too much outdoors because of the weather, however, they did grab some seafood last night and then went to the Bristol Motor Speedway for a Christmas Light display. This evening, they'll go to a Christmas party at the Sheriffs office and see Santa Claus. They hope to see snow too.

The major missed his youngest (Makenzie) granddaughter's 2nd birthday though, and...the birth of his newest grandson, Jaxon Bryant Meehan, who came to the world at 8 pounds, 8 ounces! The baby and his mother, Mary, are both doing fine! The proud father, Aaron, and one of the two grandmothers have already had their pictures taken with Jaxon.

Other than that, not much else happning...hee hee, ha ha. It's just a joyful time of year, especially when my dad is home and not deployed during the holidays. I'll close with a scripture verse, as usual, although it is not your typical Christmas verse.

"Everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God" (1 John 5:4-5).

Merry Christmas everyone!
Asha (One each)

Hey wait! It's starting to snow! Yipeee!

Makenzie turned 2 on the 20th

Major (Ret.) Scott Meehan with grandson Jaden at airport.

Mrs. Trena Meehan with newborn (21 Dec.), Jaxon Bryant.

The following Blog is from Major (Retired) Scott A. Meehan, the author of published books, fictional characters, starring Asha Hawkins, an Army BRAT, and founder of PTSIO. (Asha gets a break this evening).

​ As a twenty-five year Army veteran who spent his last three years in the Middle East fighting the "War on Terror," I, like so many others, can look back and make a fair, "arm-chair quarterback" assessment. I came across an interesting article from a recent Defense News magazine. In it, General John Murray, the US Army Futures Command Chief, talks about how the new command will change the service. 

To summarize his key-points, in my view anyway, he stated two things that were solid hits: 1. - "Successful force modernization requires sound assessments of the future, clear strategy and close collaboration among all force modernization functions — e.g., concepts development, requirements determination, technology development and acquisition." 2. - "...by as early as 2030 our Army may be dramatically challenged by a convergence of factors, including advances in low-cost sensors, precision-strike technology, robotics, artificial intelligence, autonomy, directed energy, biology, quantum computing and information technologies that will fundamentally change how we fight. Meanwhile, geostrategic changes — including urbanization and demographic shifts — may change where and why we fight." I would, however, change the word, "may" to "will" be dramatically challenged.

Absent from this article, again from my perspective, is a sobering Lesson Learned from the past war on terror in Iraq and Afghanistan.  What am I referring to? The major hindrances that kept us and will keep us from rapidly moving forward. I am referring to the nuances involved in political differences at the highest levels...more specifically, the obstacles impeding progress via the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) guidelines and on Procurement Contracting.

Experiencing first hand one of the primary methods used to save thousands of lives during *OIF and *OEF was the effectiveness of Contingency Contracting. The procedures used, although legal, were often improvised, methods necessary to solicit, procure, test, and close on contractual deals that filled in the life-saving gaps caused by long drawn out FAR contractual bidding and negotiations. This of course prevented timely deliverance of appropriate life-saving equipment and supplies that were absent during the initial launch of battle.

Everyone remembers, or should remember, the lack of armor on transport vehicles ridden by so many of our men and women of the armed forces during the early stages. Another FAR hindrance worth mentioning, was the drawn-out process in procuring the Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle that was needed immediately for the warfighters but not delivered until it was too late for many. 

I believe that General Murray correctly identified  the future challenges facing our Defense. This can be attributed to good business forecasting on his part. However, I hope that collectively we can recognize the stagnating processes of becoming too "wrapped around the axle" or rather, too bogged down with what I would call, "Red-tape bureaucratic legalism". We could then take swift action forward via preventive Contingency Contracting measures (legal of course), prior to any emergency situation before it arises.

Scott A. Meehan
USA, MAJ (Ret.)

* Operation Iraqi Freedom
* Operation Enduring Freedom
​

​Hey everyone. Although it was two weeks ago, I hope your Thanksgiving was fabulous ~ as was mine. Too much food though. Hee hee, hah ha.

What a weekend for football, this past weekend. Our Titans beat the Jags last Thursday and the Army beat the Navy yesterday! GO ARMY! (More on that later). Exciting ending for the Dolphins-Patriots game today. But on a sour note, Major Scott’s team, the Ravens lost in OT to the Chiefs. Next week, Major!

Before the Army-Navy game, did you catch that prayer by the chaplain? Awesome! He quoted John 15:13, “And there is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for his friends,” because military men and women are willing to lay their life down to protect others. That’s what Major Scott did. It is what my dad does…and it is what I’m willing to do when I come of age. I want to be like my dad, and free the oppressed…become a “Green Beret”, maybe by then…even the first one! Why? Because Jesus died for us (Romans 5:8). With Jesus, the hopeless can find their hope.
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The radio stations are filled with Christmas music now. Don’t you just love it? I do! Seems every year I have a different favorite. This year? I particularly enjoy “Do you hear what I hear,” especially how it ends: “He will bring us goodness and light.” Do you have the light? If not, just remember, it shines on the darkest nights.
 
Well, bah for now,
Asha (One each)