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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 novelist.
description

Newspaper carrier, grocery store clerk, land surveyor, machinist (International Harvester), paratrooper (82nd Airborne Division), foundry worker, carpenter, brakeman and conductor (Illinois Central Railroad), deputy sheriff, business owner, house painter, dock worker, truck driver, airline ramp agent, operations manager (FedEx Express), Airline Flight Dispatcher, Area General Manager (General Electric), motorcyclist, skydiver, hunter, fisherman, wildlife photographer....Mississippi author Rick DeStefanis brings a lifetime of experiences to his writing. An avid outdoorsman and military veteran, DeStefanis brings several of these experiences to his books, both in his Vietnam War Series and his Sout ...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 · 4,927 ratings · 229 reviews · 20 distinct works • Similar authors

	Valley of the Purple Hearts (The Vietnam War #3) 4.60 avg rating — 763 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 — 711 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 — 593 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 — 509 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 — 454 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 — 339 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 — 344 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 — 246 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

Why fiction Instead of Non-fiction?

January 2026 Newsletter and Blog Post I’ve often been asked, “Why do I write fiction instead of non-fiction?” It’s an understandable question, especially since it most often comes from my most prolific readers: active military, military veterans, and those in military families. I believe their questions arise from reading novels that are little more than […]

The post Why fiction Instead of Non-fict

Series by Rick DeStefanis

The Vietnam War (6 books)
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Rick DeStefanis (Goodreads Author)

4.55 avg rating — 3,374 ratings

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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

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Lonely Planet Alaska (Travel Guide)

by Brendan Sainsbury

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Jan 19, 2021 05:24PM

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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 is now friends with Elna
Feb 15, 2026 11:34AM · 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">
Rick DeStefanis liked James's review of Specter of Betrayal, The Ghost II: A Vietnam War Story (A Soldier's Heart — Combat in Vietnam Book 5): "There are a million Stories of Vietnam, this is one of them. It’s been 55 years for me. Now an old man of 83, my memory is not the best but I still remember the War, the good, the bad and the ugly. Wars by definition are not pleasant. Many on both sid" Read more of this review »
May 27, 2024 07:20PM · see review
Rick DeStefanis is now following Robert Enzenauer's reviews
May 27, 2024 07:08PM · like

More of Rick's books…

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

1 likes

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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