When I have the opportunity meet with a devoted and
passionate writer, I almost never hesitate.
Recently, I met Thomas J. Ryan, author of Spies, Scouts, and Secrets in
the Gettysburg Campaign, and Essays on Delaware During the Civil War-A
Political, Military and Social Perspective.
Mr. Ryan has published numerous articles and book reviews on Civil War
subjects, many dealing with intelligence operations. He writes a bi-weekly
column called Civil War Profiles for Coastal Point, a Delaware newspaper. Thomas J. Ryan served three years in the
United States Army and more than three decades with the U.S. Department of
Defense.
Author, Thomas J. Ryan graciously volunteered to speak about
his writings at The Armed Forces Retirement Home, Washington, D.C. on June 9th. Mr. Ryan's brother-in-law is a resident of
AFRH, and this devoted author happens to be very fond of what the Armed Forces Retirement Home
represents. I was grateful to be able to
learn and listen from this accomplished writer.
Thomas Ryan and myself had some time to talk about why we
write. He was interested in my books and
the stories that sit both with and behind them.
We discussed how our very own lives can play such a significant role, in
regards to the messages that we want our readers to come to know from spending
time with our books. We also agreed how
laborious, exciting, and fun it is to "pull together" a manuscript.
As our conversation came to a close, Mr. Ryan asked that I
send him copies of my books. He
suggested
that he would share them with his family, friends, and his
colleagues.
I'll be spending time at The Armed Forces Home, Washington,
D.C. throughout this summer. Once an
idea comes into play for another book, it's difficult to resist the temptation!
Most grateful, Glenna (The Kind Kids Organization).