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Friday, September 13, 2013

Guest Post from Boomer Lit Author Jeanette Vaughan


A Boomer reflects on giving peace a chance

As writers, we hold a power. The power of the spoken word. What a gift!

You have the power to transmit the reader to a world, which may or may not exist. Within the genre of historical fiction, especially Boomer Lit, you have the ability to recreate historical experiences and events seen through a new lens. Now that is power.

By virtue of that power, you as a writer, can craft works that bring out learning lessons, challenging journeys, heroic feats, and humbling demises. One can learn from controversy. Educated debate is what fuels the souls of the gifted. Those with political klout fuel huge paradigm shifts of the masses, with the written word. Just take a look at Oprah Winfrey. Small town abused girl come multi-million megastar. With one recommendation from her, a book goes viral. What bliss that her intentions are genuine. Writers bring messages which can change the way we look at life.

Yes, indeed, as the writer you hold the power of the pen. The written word far outlasts what is spoken. It is printed and published for eternity to read. Copied. Archived and saved for generations to come.

As a nation, we face a controversial decision in our world. Confronting the atrocities in Syria, we are a nation polarized. Do we as a free nation champion the injustice of chemical warfare against women and children? Or. . . do we follow suit with the cautious hesitance to enter a dangerous war - another winless battle against evil. Do we risk losing our sons and daughters? The resounding answer for most is NO!

When I wrote FLYING SOLO and its sequel SOLO VIETNAM, both books elicited the memories I had as a child growing up hearing about Vietnam. I can distinctly remember wearing my POW bracelet. I still have it. In our daily existence as Boomers, many of us lived an idyllic nuclear lifestyle within Middle class America. We were buffered from much of the truth. Yet political unrest abounded. Our soldiers faced atrocities far too grim for a nation to view in public.

Older Boomers remember war protests and sit ins. At Woodstock, we cried out for peace. In the initial aftermath, Vietnam Vets were shunned, some spat on as they came home. They were told not to wear their uniforms. The actions compounded their post-traumatic stress disorder. As such, most books about Vietnam didn’t come out until twenty years after the war.

There have already been books written about the Gulf War, the Iraq war and Afghanistan. Some of you might have already seen the movies. The Syrian debacle too, will be illustrated. But unlike in previous decades, the books will appear soon. Debates have already lit up social media. Our president was listening. He quoted the letters, texts and tweets he received.

Our Congress must listen too. Hear the voice of the people. Remember Boomers, the power is in your hands. As a population demographic, we are powerful in numbers. Blog it. Write it. Live it. Make your voice heard! In the words of John Lennon, "Give PEACE a chance."

[Opinions expressed in this post are that of the author. You are invited to express your opinion in the comments below.]


About the Author

Jeanette Vaughan is an award-winning writer and story teller. Not only is she published in the periodicals and professional journals of nursing, but also in the genre of fiction. Out on her sheep farm, she has written several novels and scripts. Her screenplay "Angel of Mercy" won the outstanding nursing research award from Texas Tech University Health Science Center. In addition, she was named Distinguished Alumni for the school of nursing in 2001 for her written work and volunteerism for the Sydney Olympic Games. Her debut novel FLYING SOLO was a winner in the Reader’s Favorite Book Awards for Southern Fiction and finalist in the Beverly Hills Book Awards. SOLO VIETNAM is a finalist in historical fiction in for the Military Writer’s Society of America. Jeanette has practiced nursing in the fields of critical care and trauma. She is the mother of four children, including two Navy pilots. She lives in a Victorian farmhouse out in the pastures of northeast Texas with her sheep, chickens, donkeys and sheep dogs.

Connect with Jeanette

2 comments:

  1. Thank you, Jeanette, for a thought-provoking post.

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  2. Great post Jeanette. I find myself torn between wanting to protect the innocent and not wanting to get involved in yet another Middle East war. Our nation cannot afford more lives lost, more financial loss, and an endless commitment to policing the world, yet how do we turn our backs on the innocent who are crying out for someone, anyone to help them.
    No good answers, just more questions.
    Thank you for reminding us of the issues and events we've gone through as a nation. We best learn from our past successes and failures.

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