Post-Military Career Moves: Gulf War Veteran Emerges As Author To Be Reckoned With

After a series of conflicts in the Middle East, many U.S. soldiers end their military careers wondering what their next step is going to be. Some soldiers retire, some remain with the military, and some venture down career paths that are very different from their military service. Sometimes, veterans are able to couple their military experience with their own unique talents.

(PRWEB) January 22, 2006 -- After a series of conflicts in the Middle East, many U.S. soldiers end their military careers wondering what their next step is going to be. Some soldiers retire, some remain with the military, and some venture down career paths that are very different from their military service. Sometimes, veterans are able to couple their military experience with their own unique talents.

Following her 22-year military career, Charlie Hudson decided to channel her creativity and writing talent into a new career. Her path to becoming a writer has taken her all over the world. During her extensive military career, Hudson was deployed to Saudi Arabia for Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm and to Haiti in support of Operation Uphold Democracy.

During the course of her service, Hudson experienced a number of “firsts.” She was the first female to command the Leghorn Depot in Livorno, Italy, the first female ROTC instructor at Hardin-Simmons University in Texas, and the first female officer in the history of the 19th Maintenance Battalian in Geissen, Germany. Her pioneering spirit carries over into her work.

As a retired lieutenant colonel from the Army, Charlie Hudson is able to translate her military experience into a unique writing-style. Her military career enables her to create strong, realistic female characters. Coupled with her love of diving and the ocean, Hudson’s experience has allowed her to launch a new career as an independent author.

As Hudson points out, independent authors sometimes have a hard time getting noticed. “We are not backed by a large publishing house, but I like to compare us to non-chain restaurants,” she says. “You always know what you’ll get at a franchise restaurant, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have a great meal at an individually-owned place.” There is a special joy involved in discovering the work of an independent author. “Finding an independent author you enjoy is a lot like finding that special, little-known restaurant or shop.”

Hudson’s work has attracted a contingent of loyal fans who have discovered and greatly enjoy her work. They are passionate about her easy storytelling-style and her vibrant depictions of life in south Florida. Hudson and her husband live in south Florida and are both avid SCUBA divers. Fans enjoy that they can feel her love for the ocean and of the sport of SCUBA diving. Hudson encourages her fans to follow their ambitions in life. “It’s never too late to pursue a dream such as writing,” she says. “For me, it’s a dream come true to entertain people with my books.”

Her work has been described as a cross between Sue Grafton and John MacDonald. Her latest novel, Shades of Truth, draws you into a compelling tale of sex, power, lies, and death. Featuring a leggy police detective with an attitude, the book is set in Hudson’s beloved Florida Keys and is filled with realistic and memorable characters who could be your friends, neighbors, or enemies. This story of vengeance is resonating strongly with her fans and is just waiting to be discovered by the masses.

For a review copy of the book or to set up an interview with Charlie Hudson for a story, please contact Jay Wilke at 727-443-7115, ext. 223

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