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Rick DeStefanis

Goodreads Author


Born
in Memphis, The United States
Website

Genre

Influences
Author: James Lee Burke, Raymond Carver, Lewis Caroll, Combat Veterans ...more

Member Since
November 2013



Rick DeStefanis is an award-winning American novelist whose work spans military historical fiction, Southern fiction, and Western historical fiction. A former paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne Division during the Vietnam era, DeStefanis brings uncommon authenticity, emotional depth, and lived experience to stories shaped by war, memory, loyalty, and the American South.

Born in Memphis and raised in the South, DeStefanis has worked a remarkable range of occupations throughout his life—including machinist, railroad conductor, construction worker, airline dispatcher, and business executive—experiences that lend his fiction a strong sense of realism and hard-earned humanity.

He is the author of multiple acclaimed novels, including the award-wi
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Popular Answered Questions

Rick DeStefanis My advice for aspiring writer’s is to avoid using the “ready, FIRE!.....aim,” approach. I’m talking about assuming you are a good writer and publishin…moreMy advice for aspiring writer’s is to avoid using the “ready, FIRE!.....aim,” approach. I’m talking about assuming you are a good writer and publishing an E-book just because it’s so easy and you can. Using only the first two steps of this approach is more than likely to cause the third to be much more difficult, because you’ve made your best shot with the first try. Grantland Rice said, “There is no substitute for hard work.” Okay, you may have an MFA in creative writing, but how many writers conferences have you attended? How many short stories have you crafted? You are a novel writer you say? Great. The building blocks of a novel are scenes i.e. short stories. I have read some truly talented writers who simply dove in with an E-book, giving no thought to attending writer’s conferences or the next big step, HIRING A PROFESSIONAL EDITOR.
You say, “My buddy who is an English Teacher at Tagewambaco Community College edited it for me.” Great! Now, take it to someone who is a truly professional editor with credentials, but be ready. The results won’t be pretty. They ain’t cheap, and they will lay waste to your writing foibles.
Self-publishing E-books has become incredibly easy and inexpensive, and the simple fact is that 90% of the books published in this manner aren’t near ready for prime time—and I’m being nice wording it in that manner. Frankly, there are a lot of aspiring writers out there who would better serve themselves by changing avocations.
BOTTOMLINE:
1st: READ, then read some more. Read the classics. Read current writers. Read the writers you wish to emulate. Keep reading while you are writing.
2nd: Work hard by writing constantly.
3rd: Attend some writers conferences (After you’ve been to five or six you probably have detected a recurring theme with your writing and its possible short-comings.)
4th: Join a local writers group and trade manuscripts. Tell them you want them to slice, dice and burn your writing because you want to improve.
5th: Absolutely NEVER publish a work without it being vetted by a professional editor.(less)
Rick DeStefanis In 1968 Buck Marino went to the war in Vietnam . He never forgot it.
-Valley of the Purple Hearts…more
In 1968 Buck Marino went to the war in Vietnam . He never forgot it.
-Valley of the Purple Hearts(less)
Average rating: 4.57 · 5,046 ratings · 235 reviews · 25 distinct works • Similar authors
Valley of the Purple Hearts...

4.60 avg rating — 773 ratings — 4 editions
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The Gomorrah Principle (The...

4.50 avg rating — 722 ratings — published 2011 — 8 editions
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The Ghost: Rumors From the ...

4.55 avg rating — 605 ratings — 3 editions
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The Birdhouse Man: A Vietna...

4.66 avg rating — 516 ratings — published 2020 — 3 editions
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Rawlins, No Longer Young (T...

4.53 avg rating — 475 ratings — 3 editions
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Melody Hill (The Vietnam Wa...

4.40 avg rating — 462 ratings — published 2015 — 6 editions
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Specter of Betrayal, The Gh...

4.72 avg rating — 347 ratings
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Raeford's MVP: A Vietnam Ve...

4.63 avg rating — 349 ratings — 3 editions
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Rawlins, Into Montana (The ...

4.54 avg rating — 327 ratings — 3 editions
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Rawlins, Last Ride to Monta...

4.71 avg rating — 249 ratings — 3 editions
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More books by Rick DeStefanis…

Scooter Red and the Spirits of The Dead

If there’s a way to say something positive, I am going to do it. Life is good. How’s that? I mean this old age gig is a little rough—okay, the pain has no gain—but it beats not feeling anything. Let’s get back on the positive side. I just finished the first draft of my next […]

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Published on September 23, 2026 18:02
The Gomorrah Principle Melody Hill Valley of the Purple Hearts Raeford's MVP: A Vietnam Ve... The Birdhouse Man: A Vietna... The Ghost: Rumors From the ...
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Rick’s Recent Updates

Rick DeStefanis wrote a new blog post

Scooter Red and the Spirits of The Dead

If there’s a way to say something positive, I am going to do it. Life is good. How’s that? I mean this old age gig is a little rough—okay, the pain ha Read more of this blog post »
Rick DeStefanis rated a book it was amazing
Space Spy by Jay Klages
Space Spy: Libertad
by Jay Klages (Goodreads Author)
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I received the privilege of Beta-reading this story for author Jay Klages. I am one who feels the heart of any good book besides the author's writing skills is a good story well told. Klages does this and I am proof. When I can read a story all the w ...more
Measure of Danger by Jay Klages
"I am so glad that this author was recommended to me by a fellow veteran-author Rick Stefanis. I am old enough that I still like a book in my hands, so I ordered the paperback edition. Klages is an expert story-teller and this author’s experience as a" Read more of this review »
Rick DeStefanis rated a book it was amazing
Space Spy by Jay Klages
Space Spy: Libertad
by Jay Klages (Goodreads Author)
Rate this book
Clear rating
I received the privilege of Beta-reading this story for author Jay Klages. I am one who feels the heart of any good book besides the author's writing skills is a good story well told. Klages does this and I am proof. When I can read a story all the w ...more
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Quotes by Rick DeStefanis  (?)
Quotes are added by the Goodreads community and are not verified by Goodreads. (Learn more)

“Truth has a resonance to it that fills the cracks where falsehoods lie.”
― Rick DeStefanis

“Never wish a veteran "Happy" Memorial Day.”
― Rick DeStefanis

“I'd rather live long in obscurity than die young with fame.”
― Rick DeStefanis

“Truth has a resonance to it that fills the cracks where falsehoods lie.”
― Rick DeStefanis

“Mississippi begins in the lobby of a Memphis, Tennessee, hotel and extends south to the Gulf of Mexico.”
― William Faulkner

“Most people live and die with their music still unplayed. They never dare to try.”
― Mary Kay Ash

“Never wish a veteran "Happy" Memorial Day.”
― Rick DeStefanis

“I'd rather live long in obscurity than die young with fame.”
― Rick DeStefanis

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This is a group for authors to discuss their craft, as well as publishing and book marketing.
18788 The Rough South — 563 members — last activity Jun 30, 2023 03:12AM
If you started as a fan of William Faulkner and Flannery O'Connor and then found your way to Harry Crews, Barry Hannah, Larry Brown, Melinda Haynes, D ...more
29041 SSG: Spy/Spec-Ops Group — 1383 members — last activity Sep 30, 2026 05:30PM
Dedicated to those who love spy, spec-ops, and clandestine books from Tom Clancy, Vince Flynn, David Morrell, Barry Eisler, Brad Thor...Ludlum, S ...more
25x33 Military/CIA/Spy/Sniper Thrillers — 25 members — last activity Feb 07, 2015 12:01PM
This is a group for authors to make us aware of their work and for readers to discover new works and interact with writers.
4968 Fans of Southern Literature — 551 members — last activity Aug 30, 2025 04:35AM
This is a group that discusses Southern authors and literature. We as a group have people who come together and talk about the great southern books we ...more
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