Poster for Moonlight, Missiles, and Moana

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Mustang Fever Dedication and Foreword

MUSTANG FEVER
RUN FREE WITH WILD MUSTANGS
DEDICATION AND FOREWORD

I begin by dedicating this story first to the passionately determined spirit of Cheyenne, the sweetly resilient spirit of Moana, and the indomitable spirit of all the wild American Mustangs—especially the wise and mature mares who lead the charge of every mustang herd as if they were all Teddy Roosevelts, who hold the herd together and keep them on course with bonding, nurturing, teaching, and protecting that only they can do. America proudly hosts the untamed spirit of the mustang--free and wild and beautiful.

With mustangs, the stallions drive the herd and assert their fierce and warlike spirit from the rear. It is the opposite with our military heroes and role models. They stand at the forefront. I conclude my dedication of this story to the following:

To my two beloved uncles, Edmund and Arnold Smith, who loved their country, who flew fighters and bombers against German and Japanese aggressors, who survived prison camps and round-the-clock bomber and fighter missions, who came back and built big families as carpenters and happy dads, who took me in and brought me home during troubled teen years.

To my revered father, Dr. Donald Gladish, who loved his country and traveled overseas in two World Wars, the first as a Marine warrior, crossing the Atlantic. In his mid-forties and with a thriving medical practice, he surprised all his patients by enlisting in the Navy: as Lieutenant Commander and Navy Doctor, he cared for other warriors in the far Pacific, gone for a long three years. Love of country goes a long way in our church and in our family.

To my grandfathers and great-grandfathers and their fathers, who loved their country and fought to preserve the Union during the Civil War, among them a Captain Jeremiah Gladish and a Private Wilfor Wallenberg, who spent over two-and-a-half years in the battlefields, and died on Sherman’s March to the Sea.

To all Native American grandfathers and great-grandfathers, who loved their country, and who fought to preserve their myriad ubiquitous tribal territories, who fought to preserve the Union of Native American heritages, who were defeated but never destroyed, who survived their reservation prison camp and round-the-clock bombardment of their precious lands and their harmony with nature. And to all Native American servicemen, warriors, and veterans, who have always fought--in disproportionately high numbers—to preserve and protect the United States, their father country.

To Grandfather, the Great Spirit and Father God who loved His country America, and showered His blessings upon us all, who used us, His warriors, to preserve and protect the union of this country against all aggressors, both foreign and domestic, who fought through us to gain and maintain our independence, who set tables before us in the presence of our enemies, who led us through the valley of the shadow of death, who always, always took us, His prodigal sons, in and brought us home.

To all our fellow Air Force warriors, Army soldiers, Navy sailors, Marines and Coast Guard servicemen, who love our country and who stand guard and fight every day to preserve our independence, our beloved union of fifty states, against all aggressors, both foreign and domestic.

To all Sixth Weather Squadron (Mobile) Weather warriors, who proved their military discipline and dedication for over fifty years to accomplish whatever isolated and far-off mission on which they were ordered to go. My fictional stories to the contrary—in which the characters take us wherever they want to go—there are countless documentations of Sixth Weather Squadron’s history and performance which confirm stellar round-the-clock accomplishments of teamwork and excellence with mainly off-base assignments in locations many might consider similar to combat areas.

To my two sons, of whom and for whom no father could be prouder or more grateful, currently on active duty in the Army National Guard, who have a passion to defend and protect their fatherland, who volunteer for the most dangerous and challenging missions, who model the seven Army elite values of loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity, and personal courage, and who, as officers and honor graduates of two Arizona universities, quietly live the Soldier’s Creed:
“I am an American soldier. I am a warrior and member of a team. I serve the people of the United States and the Army values. I will always place the union first. I will never accept defeat. I will never quit. I will never leave a fallen comrade. I am disciplined, physically and mentally tough…I stand ready to deploy, engage, and destroy the enemies of the United States of America in close combat. I am a guardian of freedom and the American way of life. I am an American soldier.”

To all the above, I dedicate this story of strength and character and purpose, full of family values, Native American cultural traditions, and the overall integrity of the military spirit—all of which serve as underpinnings to the unsung heroism of America’s far-flung and life-giving feminine champions and heroines, with their spirit radiantly reflected in our second-most honored national symbol—the wild and free American Mustang.

Mustang Fever Update

MUSTANG FEVER:
RUN FREE WITH WILD MUSTANGS

THIS SEQUEL TO MOONLIGHT, MISSILES, AND MOANA DUE TO SEND TO PUBLISHAMERICA IN AUGUST, 2005

TENTATIVELY AVAILABLE IN PRINT BY APRIL, 2006

335 PAGES: 83,337 WORDS

Moonlight, Missiles, and Moana newly published

“We arrived home to find my ship came in. Opportunity knocked and I finally answered it.
I opened the container and saw the light inside. Promise peeped out. I thought I heard a little cry.
My dear wife waited breathlessly nearby.
I lifted off the wrapping, and picked up the strapping first edition. It’s a girl! And she’s beautiful!
Six inches wide and nine inches tall—big for her size and easy to hold.
After years of hard work my baby had been born, delivered, and finally arrived--fresh from heaven, or PublishAmerica, whichever came first….
Look for her name: Moonlight, Missiles, and Moana…..
There she was. Printed, bound, covered, and complete—my first real-life creation, a full length novel.
I looked inside, and there were four more just like the first. Quintuplets! And they’re all ours!
I just got five copies yesterday on July 15th: they are gorgeous!
They came on July 8th while we white-water rafted on the Nationally Preserved Wild and Scenic Rogue River up in Oregon.
I took all afternoon and signed them all away to my dear family.
I ordered more. You might want to take a peek for yourselves.

Check www.amazon.com or www.publishamerica.com or www.bookmanmarketing.com

Type in my pen name, Stephen B. Gladish,
Or the name of the novel, Moonlight, Missiles, and Moana, and you will find the little darlin’.
The sequel, Mustang Fever, is finished and at the proofreader’s and will be ready to go within the month, should I decide to go for a larger family right away, now that we’ve got the hang of it….
However, comma, I’ve got to take some time to send out announcements on the firstborn.
And I may bide my time.

Happy Days are here!

Stephen B. Gladish

Father Love

Father Love

The Hummingbird Part 3

Hopi Legend: In a time of famine, a young girl and boy were left alone while their parents searched for food. The boy made a toy hummingbird, the girl threw it into the air, and it came to life. Each day the hummingbird provided for the children by bringing them an ear of corn. Soon the hummingbird flew to the center of the earth where it pleaded with the god of fertility to restore the land. The rains came and green plants grew and then the children’s parents returned.

The Hummingbird Part 2

Hopi and Zuni Legends: Hummingbirds intervened on behalf of humans, convincing the gods to bring rain. Because of this people from those tribes paint hummingbirds on their water jars.

Pima Legend: A hummingbird acted like Noah’s dove in the Bible story of The Flood, by bringing back a flower as proof the great flood was subsiding.

The Hummingbird Part 1

Only in the Western Hemisphere do hummingbirds exist.

Mayan Legend has it the hummingbird is actually the sun in disguise trying to court a beautiful woman who is the moon. Mojave Legend tells of a primordial time when people lived in an underground world (similar to Plato's Analogy of the Cave). They sent a hummingbird up to look for light. Following a twisted path, the hummingbird found an upper world of light and introduced the people to a whole new world.

Navajo Legend: A hummingbird was sent up to see what lay above the blue sky. It turns out to be absolutely nothing.

Cherokee Legend: A medicine man turned himself into a hummingbird to retrieve lost plants of medicinal value.

Sample excerpt from Mustang Fever

“Ghost Clouds and Wild Mustangs.” Stephen B. Gladish.
Synopsis of sample fiction chapter, “Ghost Clouds and Wild Mustangs,”
written during Air Force underground nuclear testing duty in Nevada in 1962.
It is a stand alone story, but excerpted from the book, Mustang Fever: Saving Wild Mustangs on the Nevada Test Site.

Totem Animals

Do you have a totem animal?
An animal or bird may mysteriously come into your life and consciousness. The image of that totem animal becomes associated with your sense of who you are and from whom your values may have come. Totem animals with powerful influences include the wolf, the eagle, the raven, the bear, the coyote, the jaguar, and the hummingbird.

Publishing Update

Hoping to have first novel, Moonlight, Missiles, and Moana, out in time to celebrate Spring.

I'm waiting for the galley proofs from the publisher. 'Talking about the publisher and my final revision.

Working on revisions for completed second novel, Mustang Fever, out in time to celebrate Summer.

Food for Thought

Believe nothing,
no matter where you read it
or who has said it,
not even if I have said it,
unless it agrees with your
own reason and
your own common sense

-Budda

First Official Post

This is the first of many postings to the News section of the Stephen B Gladish website.