From The Ashes...

I've been out of the loop on a LOT of things this past year. This transition out of the military has been tough for me, and needless to say my writing career was put on hold. But I'm attempting a comeback. Please bear with me as I find my way again. I offer my sincerest apologies to all of you who have stuck by me and supported me from the beginning. This PTSD has been kicking my tail! With your continued support, I am confident that things for me will return to normal. Thank you for reading, and God bless!

By the way, please be sure to check out my newest book, "My Daddy Has PTSD." I wrote it for my son, but I figure that other folks could benefit from it, too. (I'll post more about that later.) Thanks! :)

Casey Sean Harmon
SGT, USA (RET.)
Bestselling Author

Craving fresh, exciting works of fiction by some of today's most talented authors? Read the "EPIC! ANTHOLOGY"

Good news! My newest short story is out! You will find it in "Epic!", the newest and most anticipated anthology (collection of short stories) to hit the market. Pick up your paperback or Kindle copy today! All proceeds will go to support The Lili Claire Foundation. You'll also find exciting new stories from authors C.L. Foster, E.R. Rada, Ian Cai Mercer, Gillian Joy, Robert Warr, Ema Volf, Melanie Corona, Domri Stevens, Jyotsna Ramani, and others! Check it out today!

Paperback: https://www.createspace.com/5047914
Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00OLBCQ9C

Children's "PTSD Book" Cover Reveal!

AVAILABLE WHEREVER BOOKS/AUDIO BOOKS/E-BOOKS ARE SOLD CHRISTMAS 2014!

U.S. Army, Retired

Today I signed my DD-214. Start terminal leave this Monday (26 May). I will miss many things about the Army, but I'm excited to begin this next phase in my life. Next picture I upload will be of me fishing with a full beard! :) On a serious note, I would like to say to all of my battle buddies that it has been a true pleasure serving with you. I have made many memories over the years--some good, some not so good. But I am confident that I am a better man today because of the decision I made over seven years ago to serve my country. I have no regrets, only that I wish I could have served longer. But like the chaplain says, everything happens for a reason. I love my country, and I love the Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, and Airmen that I got to serve beside. I will miss you all. To my battle buddies who made the ultimate sacrifice, I will never forget, and I will honor you until my grave. Last but not least, I would like to thank my loving family. Behind every good Soldier is an even better spouse. I know first-hand that this is true. As one door closes and another one opens, I am filled with excitement for what the future holds. Thanks for celebrating this day with me. :) Happy Memorial Day weekend!

HOOAH!
Casey S. Harmon 
SGT (ret), U.S. Army

Kickstarter Campaign Raised $3,305.00 for Children's Book about PTSD

I know this is a little late, but the Kickstarter campaign to raise funds for my upcoming book, titled, "My Daddy Has PTSD" was a HUGE success! Here's the breakdown:

   48 backers!
   707 Facebook shares!
   $2,105.00 raised online (through Kickstarter) plus another $1,200.00 raised offline (through anonymous donation)= a total of $3,305.00!

   All proceeds from this campaign will go directly toward production and marketing costs. I will be conducting a book tour after the book is released to the public sometime around Christmas 2014. (Follow my Facebook page to track the progress of the tour.)

   I would like to extend a special "Thank You" to those of you who continue to support me and my writing career. Every day I am amazed at how far I have come in just a few short years, and I am truly humbled by the number of fans and supporters who turn out to support my projects. I can't wait to see what happens next!

   God bless!

  

 

Happy Readings,

Casey Sean Harmon

www.caseyseanharmon.com

  

Many military veterans deal with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. This book will help children understand & cope with PTSD.

Good day everyone! Thanks for stopping by to read my blog. Today I would like to tell you about my Kickstarter campaign for my upcoming book, titled, My Daddy Has PTSD.

But first, please take a few minutes to look over the campaign just to get an idea of what I'm talking about.

   Why did I write this book?

I wrote My Daddy Has PTSD for my son shortly after I was diagnosed with PTSD. It became apparent to me that PTSD is a subject many people try to avoid because so few people understand what it is. That is the wrong answer. People need to understand, and it needs to start with our children.

During my seven year tour on a Unit Ministry Team in the U.S. Army I witnessed things that few people can imagine—things that will last in my memory forever. From having to bury a battle buddy who committed suicide in front of his wife and kids, to witnessing the last breath of two of my battle buddies following a tragic vehicle accident. And yet as traumatic as these things were, the hardest part was providing support to the family members and battle buddies who were left behind. Over the years I have dealt with (or helped to deal with) hundreds of cases pertaining to suicide, combat deaths, PTSD, equal opportunity, low morale, and well being counseling--for Soldiers, veterans and family members. So when I was diagnosed with PTSD, I knew exactly what I was dealing with. I also knew that my loving family would have to suffer right alongside me. 

So I wrote this book as a tool to help explain to my son (and future children) exactly what it is that daddy is dealing with. I believe that plenty of other daddies (and mommies, too) can also use this book to help explain their symptoms to their children.

The subject of PTSD is very near and dear to my heart. I have seen the problems that trauma-caused anxiety, depression, stress and fear can create with Soldiers and their family members. I have heard the cries and witnessed the destruction. This disorder is very real, and more common than you may think.

   About the book:

My Daddy Has PTSD is a simple story presented through the eyes of a young child, and includes the confusion, as well as the coming of understanding, many military children today face. It asks the question, "What is wrong with daddy?" and politely answers by saying, "Daddy is going through some things, but here's how we can help..." Children of all ages will learn about some of the symptoms of PTSD, and how the family as a whole can cope with the issues. But most importantly, the book teaches children that what daddy or mommy is going through is not the fault of the children, and that PTSD should be looked at as a sign of strength and not weakness.

My Daddy Has PTSD has been accepted and will be released to bookstores everywhere by Tate Publishing. We recently entered the production stage, which could take up to 5 to 10 months. The estimated release date is between August 2014 and January 2015. The finished product will include at least ten beautiful full-color illustrations. It will be a quick and easy read, meant to be something that can be read and enjoyed over and over again and passed down through the family. The book is recommended for children ages 3 and up.

I have done my research. You will not find another book for children that covers such a delicate and misunderstood topic--especially one written by a Soldier who deals with and understands PTSD.
 

    In Conclusion...

I hope to accomplish two things with this campaign: To rally enough support through various military and civilian communities to ensure that My Daddy Has PTSD makes it into as many hands as possible, and to raise enough funds to cover a nation-wide book tour.

Please join me as I take on this project. Whether you are a Soldier, family member, supporter of Soldiers, or simply someone who wants to help troops, by supporting this project you will be reaching out to the millions of families across America who could use a book like this. I can't do this without YOUR support. If you know someone who could benefit from My Daddy Has PTSD, please be sure to direct them to this site. Also, be sure to share this event on Facebook, Twitter, your blog, and any other means. The key to success is word of mouth...so let's start talking!

   Thank you in advance for your support!

CLICK HERE TO VISIT THE KICKSTARTER CAMPAIGN.

Blessings,
Casey Sean Harmon
SGT, USA

My Papa's Waltz - What Does It Mean?

 

 

My Papa's Waltz

By Theodore Roethke

The whiskey on your breath
Could make a small boy dizzy;
But I hung on like death:
Such waltzing was not easy.

We romped until the pans
Slid from the kitchen shelf;
My mother's countenance
Could not unfrown itself.

The hand that held my wrist
Was battered on one knuckle;
At every step you missed
My right ear scraped a buckle.

You beat time on my head
With a palm caked hard by dirt,
Then waltzed me off to bed
Still clinging to your shirt.

Theodore Roethke, “My Papa’s Waltz” from Collected Poems of Theodore Roethke. Copyright 1942 by Hearst Magazines, Inc 

What I Think:

I just want to say that I found Theodore Roethke's My Papa's Waltz to be a very well-written and strangely beautiful piece of poetry. The work conveys very deep and complicated emotions which can only be fully understood by someone who can relate to the author’s words. We know immediately that the speaker is a “small boy.” The poem’s title tells us that the boy and his father are dancing a waltz. We know that the title is not a metaphor for something else (such as child abuse) because at line 11 the boy says, “At every step you missed,” indicating that this is indeed a dance, and that the father keeps messing up his moves. If we backtrack to the very first line, we see that the father is drunk, which is expressed by “The whiskey on your breath.” He was in fact very drunk, as lines five and six say that they were dancing so wildly that the “pans slid from the kitchen shelf.” The boy’s naive behavior in continuing to dance with his drunken father even while he “beats time on [his] head” and makes it to where his “mother’s countenance could not unfrown itself” tells us that the boy loves his father. Furthermore, we see the boy’s deep love for his father as he “clings on to his shirt” while he waltzes him off to bed.

   The speaker’s usual stance suggests that waltzing with his drunken father before bed time is a common occurrence; in fact, to go so far as to appoint his father his very own waltz further suggests that his father may have been drunk more often than he was sober. The boy has no clue that what his beloved father is doing is wrong.

Happy Readings,

CSH