“Why I Write”

Author/writer David L Horn Sr.

I came out of retirement to work with homeless military veterans who suffered from physical and/or mental illness.  I was very fortunate to be able to assist and guide them in their recovery process. 

I became a witness to their self-induced isolation, as a direct result of multiple decades of misdiagnosis or no diagnosis of their post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and/or Agent Orange exposure. They lacked self-esteem and were showing signs of escalating physical deterioration as they stood in the shadows rejected by our regular or normal society. 

These men and women inspired me to write and develop a storyline to explore a character who suffered from service connected illnesses  

To be a witness to these veterans struggle as they climbed out of the cesspool of homelessness and the loneliness of self-isolation to begin a new socially accepted lifestylewas an unbelievable experience.  

I was blessed to be intertwined with them as they sanctified the simplest of life’s necessities with gratuitous passion as they grew stronger in their recovery. 

Their success motivated me to write a fictional novel about how one Viet Nam veteran endured his burden trying to hide from the stigma associated with his affliction. Some say my character was the lucky one, because he did not become homeless, but his state of affairs was not one to admire.

Even though it is fiction, the story weaved in the stark reality many veterans faced with their own terrors and gave a valid introspective look at the main character’s mental illness as he progressed through his physical deterioration. 

The story line demonstrates a confused and warped perspective of the world.  It is quite revealing, especially to those veterans afflicted with PTSD and co-occurring mental disorders. 

I have had many Veterans from the Viet Nam Era, as well as, the Gulf, Iraq and Afghan Wars who have contacted me after reading my first novel to make sure I knew how they could see themselves in some, if not all of the main characters lifestyle changes, psychological confusion and delusions.

I have been touched by their appreciation and because these fellow veterans approved and confirmed my honest interpretation of this tragic tale, I am ecstatic and inspired to continue to write.  My characters are uniquely odd at best and are not the run of the mill inspiring kind.  My characters are called loners and some say losers as they isolate them selves from the normal society.  They are not openly communicative and loving, but reek with emotional baggage and most appear to be “normal” in every sense of the imagination, but have secrets and delusions to contend with.

I openly thank those fellow soldiers and veterans for their sincere comments and I feel am privileged to tell these narratives for them. 

I am new at being a publish author and not the most prolific or accomplish kind of writer, but I am awestruck from the attention I have received from the publishing team and my readers. 

Not only did my book get published, but the publishing team showed great and enthusiastic interest and honored all the promises they gave me, therefore giving me an awe inspiring experience and wonderment on what one can ultimately accomplish in retirement.

I will enthusiastically continue to write because of my publisher’s assistance and insistence. 

I have gained confidence in my ability to reflect my thoughts so the reader can understand my characters situational circumstances as they are balancing their fractured lives.

I am still developing the wisdom to improve my writing skills and hope to enhance my editing skills as I create my brand of mythology.

I have a strange and twisted world inside my head full of characters screaming to get out and if I am blessed and fortunate enough to put them on paper, I hope to gain the respect of my potential readership. 

I know the publishing team at PublishAmerica will have my back and I know I can reach out to others who would like to read something a little different with a twist evolving a provoking story line.

David L Horn Sr.