Meet the Authors - Christopher S. Nelson and John De Herrera

Christopher S. Nelson Christopher S. Nelson's contribution to In the Trenches is a short story titled "Snap TCP!" The story is a tension-shot of soldiers returned from an Operation Iraqi Freedom deployment and their inability to reintegrate into society. It's about military interpreters and the hardships their families face from both sides of a prejudicial war. Finally, it's about the lasting impact of war and the changes it causes. SNAP TCP! is based loosely on actual events near Fort Hood, TX (his personal experience as a platoon sergeant) and Fort Lewis, WA.

CS Nelson serves as US Army Cavalry Scout and former Tanker, with multiple deployments to the Republic of Korea, Kuwait, and Iraq. He is a Bronze Star recipient for actions performed during Operation Iraqi Freedom 07-09 while serving as a Scout Platoon Sergeant in Mosul, Iraq. Currently, Sergeant First Class Nelson trains Scout and Infantry Recon Platoons at the National Training Center in Fort Irwin. He lives with his wife, son, and Queensland Heeler;  and spends his free time adventuring as far from the Mojave with his family as possible. His second craft is music and when not hiking or exploring, can be found in his library, playing guitar. His only other interest at this time is raising scorpions and tarantulas, though he is currently on orders for Alaska and this arachnid rescue fixation is now on hold. As a writer, CS Nelson has works published in US and Canadian presses. He also edits for Booktrope’s Forsaken Imprint and enjoys working with writers on projects in an editorial and plot-to-destroy-the-world capacity. You can find a list of many of his works on his website, www.nelsoncs.com. In addition to the works listed there he has had three stories published in anthologies by J. Ellington Ashton Press - "Bloat" ( Axes of Evil II: Rise of the Metal Gods), "Plug" (Chunks: A Barfzarro Anthology), and "Markets" (Suburban Secrets: A Neighborhood of Nightmares). You can also find him on Twitter at csnelson_ext849. 
John De Herrera's contribution to In the Trenches is a prose poem, "Untitled Prose Poem." Untitled Prose Poem is a mashup of translated lines from Hamlet where the subject is humanity itself and its battle to conquer the current status quo. 

John is a writer/artist/activist who lives and works in Santa Barbara, California. He is the author of The Kingsnake in the Sun, Hamlet/Macbeth: Translations, and is currently working on his second novel.