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Rick DeStefanis

Goodreads Author

Born

in Memphis, The United States

Website

http://rickdestefanis.com

Genre

Fiction, Historical Fiction, Thriller

Influences

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

Member Since

November 2013

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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 ...more

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Popular Answered Questions

What’s your advice for aspiring writers?

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)

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Can you tell us a two-sentence horror story?

Rick DeStefanis In 1968 Buck Marino went to the war in Vietnam . He never forgot it.
-Valley of the Purple Hearts…moreIn 1968 Buck Marino went to the war in Vietnam . He never forgot it.
-Valley of the Purple Hearts(less)

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Rick DeStefanis’s books

Average rating: 4.57 · 4,974 ratings · 232 reviews · 24 distinct works • Similar authors

	Valley of the Purple Hearts (The Vietnam War #3) 4.60 avg rating — 767 ratings — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Gomorrah Principle (The Vietnam War, #1) 4.50 avg rating — 721 ratings — published 2011 — 8 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Ghost: Rumors From the Central Highlands of Vietnam (The Vietnam War, #6) 4.55 avg rating — 599 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Birdhouse Man: A Vietnam War Veteran’s Story (The Vietnam War, #5) 4.66 avg rating — 515 ratings — published 2020 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Melody Hill (The Vietnam War, #2) 4.39 avg rating — 457 ratings — published 2015 — 6 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Rawlins, No Longer Young (The Rawlins Saga Book 1) 4.53 avg rating — 438 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Specter of Betrayal, The Ghost II: A Vietnam War Story (A Soldier's Heart — Combat in Vietnam Book 5) 4.72 avg rating — 344 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Raeford's MVP: A Vietnam Veteran's Story (The Vietnam War, #4) 4.63 avg rating — 348 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Rawlins, Into Montana (The Rawlins Trilogy Book 2) 4.53 avg rating — 323 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Rawlins, Last Ride to Montana (The Rawlins Saga Book 3) 4.71 avg rating — 247 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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Rick DeStefanis's Blog

JUNE 2026

The Vietnam War Memorial, the Next Book, and Squirrel Allergies Hey Y’all, betcha cain’t do this here! Just kidding. Birthday Greetings…I mean…mine…. So, here’s the latest from the world of the ungracefully ageing. That’s right. I’m going down kicking and screaming—none of that noble puffery about old soldiers fading away. Don’t get me wrong. I […]

The post JUNE 2026 appeared first on Rick DeStefan

Series by Rick DeStefanis

The Vietnam War (6 books)
by

Rick DeStefanis (Goodreads Author)

4.55 avg rating — 3,407 ratings

Rick is Currently Reading

Rick DeStefanis is currently reading

Save the Cat! Writes a Novel

by Jessica Brody (Goodreads Author)

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Feb 16, 2021 01:43PM

Rick DeStefanis is currently reading

Lonely Planet Alaska (Travel Guide)

by Brendan Sainsbury

bookshelves: currently-reading

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Jan 19, 2021 05:24PM

Rick DeStefanis is currently reading

The Journals of Lewis and Clark (Lewis & Clark Expedition)

by William Clark

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Nov 03, 2018 08:15PM

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Rick’s Recent Updates

Rick DeStefanis wrote a new blog post JUNE 2026 The Vietnam War Memorial, the Next Book, and Squirrel Allergies Hey Y’all, betcha cain’t do this here! Just kidding. Birthday Greetings…I mean…mine…. Read more of this blog post »
Jun 04, 2026 02:51AM · like
Rick DeStefanis has read Between Them: Remembering My Parents – An Exploration of Memory, Intimacy, and Parental Love by Richard Ford	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Sep 21, 2024 07:34PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Between Them by Richard Ford. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Between Them by Richard Ford <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">

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Quotes by Rick DeStefanis (?)

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

tags: falsehood, truth

10 likes

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

3 likes

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

tags: other-odds-ends, rick-destefanis

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Topics Mentioning This Author

topics	posts	views	last activity
Making Connections: 3042. - THE GOMORRAH PRINCIPLE: A Vietnam Sniper's Story by Rick DeStefanis	3	22	Apr 15, 2014 05:52AM
Making Connections: 3334. - THE GOMORRAH PRINCIPLE: A Vietnam Sniper's Story by Rick DeStefanis	1	7	Jul 26, 2014 06:21AM
Making Connections: 3931. MELODY HILL by Rick DeStefanis	1	15	Aug 11, 2015 12:45PM
Nothing But Readi...: Cleaning Out the TBR Closet 2018	550	951	Feb 04, 2019 01:28PM
2026 Reading Chal...: The TBR Jar Challenge - 2018	612	1860	May 31, 2019 07:44PM