Overview

"""This poignant narrative sheds light on the complexities of returning home from war and the power of resilience."" -Melissa Melendez, California State Senator (Ret.), Navy Veteran I've not read a debut this confident in a long, long time.""-Tod Goldberg, New York Times Best-Selling Author of the Gangsterland Quartet First Sergeant John Randall ""Randy"" Andrews, a gutsy Army Ranger, is a hero among his brothers in arms. But the Purple Hearts and Silver Stars he earned came at a great personal cost. Now plagued by PTSD, Randy returns home after thirteen combat tours to an emotionally distant wife and their two sons-one of them a toddler he's never met. Struggling to piece his life together, Randy finds himself in handcuffs. And when the court-mandated VA counseling doesn't help, he embarks on a trip to Mexico, trying to escape his demons. There, during an unexpected encounter in a seedy tourist bar, he finds a possible road to redemption when he forms a connection with Matilda, a mountain lion kept in a cage as a tourist attraction. So begins his journey back from the brink as he rediscovers something he learned on the battlefield: that sometimes one must cross a line in order to save someone . . . perhaps even himself."

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"""Scars & Strife is a gripping portrayal of the challenges faced by soldiers like Randy Andrews, echoing the struggles of many who served in combat. Randy's journey through the shadows of PTSD, his quest for redemption, and his unlikely bond with Matilda, the mountain lion, is truly captivating. This poignant narrative sheds light on the complexities of returning home from war and the power of resilience. A must-read for anyone seeking insight into the human spirit's capacity for healing and transformation.""-Melissa Melendez, California State Senator (Ret.), Navy Veteran ""In Scars & Strife, M. E. Johnson has produced a novel as indelible as Ben Fountain's Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk and just as powerful, but with a surprising and touching bit of weirdness that transcends the form. This is a work of violence, of grace, of compassion, and of the nature of the human spirit. I've not read a debut this confident in a long, long time.""-Tod Goldberg, New York Times Best-Selling Author of the Gangsterland Quartet ""M. E. (Mark) Johnson and I are both career military field-grade officers with advanced degrees, command experience, and combat deployments. I had a feeling that with all that training, education, and military experience, Mark could probably write a compelling, believable book. Boy was I right!"" -John McBrearty, Author ""A story of hell, redemption, and raging peace written by a veteran who has experienced all three."" -Aaron ""the Hammer"" Grant, US Marine Corps, Staff NCO, Author of Taking Baghdad: Victory in Iraq with the US Marines, Teacher, Master of Military History ""Colonel M. E. (Mark) Johnson delivers a bang-up story with a strong statement about the fine line between heroic and crazy. Retired Army Ranger Randy Andrews is a scarred hero, physically and emotionally, who rejects conventional PTSD treatment, and ultimately, with the help of a not-too conventional therapy animal, finds his own peace. Johnson's frenetic pace and deft use of flashback enhance the sense of what Andrews experiences as his mind shifts between his violent past and his precarious present. Andrews is finally able to reconcile with his past, but his battle is never fully won. And neither are the battles of the far too many heroes that still carry their scars and have to fight every day."" -Brian Osterndorf, Colonel, US Army (Ret.), Author of Finnegan Begins Again"

Author Information

M. E. (Mark) Johnson is a retired colonel of the United States Army. An Iraq War veteran, he received the Bronze Star for his service in Baghdad and often writes of the trauma suffered by combat veterans. Mark also served as a superior court judge over a veterans treatment court for eight years, putting him on the front lines of the battle to heal the post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, addiction, and military sexual trauma from which so many veterans suffer.Now retired from the bench, Mark has earned a master's of fine arts in creative writing from the University of California, Riverside. In his spare time, he enjoys helping veterans, serving on the boards of veteran charities, rescuing dogs, and traveling with his family.

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