Fighting Fear Winning the War at Home

by Edie Melson

Edie Melson has a new book, released just yesterday, November 7, for families of deployed military.   Edie has allowed us to see a bit into her personal life in this book. She was gracious enough to answer a few questions for us in the following interview.  

Q: So, why did you write this book Edie?
A: Our oldest son, Jimmy, decided to bypass college and go straight from graduation to the Marine Corps bootcamp, then to Iraq. I struggled with fear during his time in the military – especially during the deployments. I looked for resources for families and only found things written for military wives. I decided that if I survived his time in the military I’d write about how God had kept me sane.

Q: What do you hope the readers get from this book?
A: I want them to realize they are part of a community. They aren’t alone. So many of those families struggling with deployment don’t live on a military base. That can cut them off from a group of people who understand the experience. I want this book to be a resource and to point loved ones to the ultimate help, God.

Q: What held you together during his times of deployment?

A: I have to give all the credit to God. He surrounded me with family, friends and an amazing church, to give me the support I needed.

Q: How can other families dealing with this issue find help?

A: I have a great community blog with tips and encouragement from others who are and have experienced the deployment of a loved one. It’s also important to let those around you know what you’re dealing with. Our church family was a great resource for prayer support during Jimmy’s deployments.

My website is www.WinningTheWarAtHome. I'm a member of a national organization, Blue Star  Mothers of America.  This group has local chapters all over the country.  I'm active in  our local groups.  It's a group made up of mothers who have children who are either active duty military or those who have been honorably discharged.  It's been a lifesaver for me personally and I highly recommend it!  The group's  motto says it all--Supporting our troops and each other.

Q: Is there anything that would help people in another area of the country find support in person?

A: I would start on the Blue Star Mothers website--www.bluestarmothers.org.  Even if you're not a mom, this group is usually aware of other groups in the community who support the family and friends of those in the military.  

Q: Jimmy was in the Marines.  Is Blue Star Mothers for mothers of soldiers in the other branches of the service as well?

A: Blue Star Mothers is for all branches of the military: Marine Corps, Army, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard.

Q: Speaking of Jimmy, is he out? How is he doing?

He does have some disability from the time he served, but he’s doing really well. He and his wife live about three and a half hours from us and he’s in college full-time right now. He wants to go into teaching – but I suspect he may turn out to be in denial about his own writing abilities.

Q: Back to your book. How can someone get your book?

A: They can order it online from Amazon or Barnes and Noble or they can have their local bookstore order it. It’s available as an eBook or a traditional print book.

If you want an autographed copy, I’ll be happy to arrange that through either my writers website: www.TheWriteConversation.blogspot.com . Or the book’s website: www.WinningTheWarAtHome.com

Q: We also want to let readers know Fighting Fear: Winning the War at Home isn’t your first book.

A: I do have another book out, Social Media Marketing for Writers. It actually hit #1 in its category on Amazon this past summer. It’s available on Amazon or Barnes and Noble as an eBook.

Well, there you have it folks. As someone who's come through it herself, Edie's a got first-hand knowledge in this and knows what it's like. Sounds like a good resource for families and friends of those deployed in the military. Thanks for the interview Edie.  I'm sure the book will be a great asset for your readers.