Gold Star Mother Krista Keating-Joseph Shares Stories of Son's Life and Loss in 'Charlie, Don't be a Hero,' a Moving Biography Honoring Charles Keating IV
With the anniversary of 9/11 a few weeks away, the release Charles Keating IV's biography 'Charlie, Don't Be a Hero' is timely: it was that horrific attack on the United States that led him to join the service to become a Navy SEAL - a decision that eventually led to his death at the hands of Islamic State Militants in May 2016
JACKSONVILLE, Fla., Sept. 1, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- As National Gold Star Mother's Day approaches on Sept. 27, Gold Star Mom and award-winning author https://kristakeatingjoseph.com/, the mother of fallen Navy SEAL Charles Keating IV, has joined with Colonel Will G. Merrill, Jr. (retired) to release 'Charlie, Don't be a Hero.'
In the book, Keating-Joseph writes about the loss of her son Charles Keating IV, who was killed in action in Iraq on May 3, 2016 while fighting Islamic State Militants. While she shares the stories about his fun and adventurous childhood, she also details how her fun-loving, All-American boy became a warrior and the recipient of the Navy's highest military honor, the Navy Cross.
Keating-Joseph says her book writing has also helped her cope with the sudden, tragic loss of her son.
"These books have been therapeutic for me and our family in coping with that loss and creating something positive out of a tragedy," she said. "My main hope is that this book will provide help for parents coping with the loss of a child. I'm keeping my son's memory alive, but also want to honor all parents who have lost a child."
For more information about Krista Keating-Joseph and 'Charlie, Don't Be A Hero,' visit https://kristakeatingjoseph.com.
About Krista Keating-Joseph
Children's book author Krista Keating-Joseph is the mother of fallen Navy SEAL Charles Keating IV, who was killed while fighting ISIS in Iraq in May 2016. To cope with the tragedy, and to honor her son's memory, she resurrected a story she had started on her son years before and published Big-Hearted Charlie Runs the Mile in 2017. Illustrated by her mother, Phyllis Holmes, the book is based on the true story of how her son overcame his small size to compete against bigger boys in track – with the moral that hard work pays off. The daughter/mother team published Big-Hearted Charlie Never Gives Up later the same year, winning a Royal Palm Literary Award in the Children's Category. She released her first non-fiction book about her son, Charlie Don't be a Hero in 2020. She currently resides in Ponte Vedra, Florida with her husband Ron, and Charlie's sister, Ali. For more information, visit https://kristakeatingjoseph.com/.
About Col. (ret.) Will G. Merrill Jr.
Col. (ret.) Will Merrill Jr.'s first book, '9/11 Ordinary People: Extraordinary Heroes- NYC, The First Battle in the War Against Terror!' was based on 60 interviews of FDNY firefighters, NYC police, and civilians, including Mayor Rudy Giuliani and NYC Fire Commissioner Sal Cassano. The book was selected as Book of the Year in the Royal Palm Literary Award contest and also in the military_writers.com contest. His second book, 'Ordinary People: Extraordinary Heroes- Afghanistan and Iraq' won First Place, History in the Royal Palm Literary Award contest. He joined Krista Keating-Joseph to co-write the non-fiction book, 'Charlie Don't be a Hero.' Colonel Merrill is a West Point graduate and a 31-year Army veteran having served tours in Germany, Vietnam, Korea and Greece. He and his wife, Barbara, live in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.
SOURCE Krista Keating-Joseph
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