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Walt Shiel

Walt Shiel

About

Although born in Michigan, Walt Shiel was raised across the US and around the world as an Air Force “brat.” He started school on the Pacific Island of Guam during the Korean War and finished high school in France during the Vietnam War. Shortly after graduation, Charles DeGaulle kicked all American forces out of the country, but Walt swears it had nothing to do with him.

Subsequently, he earned a BSEE degree from Michigan State University, a commission and pilot wings from the Air Force, and the hand of a charming young woman named Kerrie. Walt spent 20 years as an Air Force pilot (including time in the Michigan Air National Guard) and logged 4,000 military and civilian flying hours.

As a civilian engineer, he worked at Northrop on the B-2 bomber program and at Lockheed Martin on the F-16, F-35, and F-22 fighter programs. He retired from Lockheed Martin in 2004. Walt is currently the publisher and managing partner at Slipdown Mountain Publications LLC.

Since 1990, Walt has written for magazines in the US, England, and Australia and authored five books -- military aviation history, historical fiction, and short stories.

He and Kerrie have two daughters and two grandchildren and live on a 40-acre Michigan farm populated with horses, cats, dogs, and an abundance of wildlife.

The Time That's Given

The Time That's Given

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<p><strong><em>Have you ever awoken from a vivid dream and wondered which side of waking was real?</em></strong></p><p>Burt Higgins' retirement is not going well. His children have grown, and his wife has gone off to earn a late-life degree, leaving him alone in his sprawling suburban home. With too much time on his hands, he broods on the state of the world, obsessively following the worst of cable news and the Internet. Increasingly angry at the state of affairs, he nurtures a fantasy that a dark lord from another realm has foisted these problems on humankind. If only he could transport to that world, he'd confront the demon and use the magic found there to defeat the beast and end despair forever.</p><p>On a particularly bad news day, while housebound in the midst of a snowstorm, he retreats to his study to shut out the world and immerse himself in his books. When, on a whim, he lights a candle purchased in an obscure Prague curiosity shop, a magical guide appears and offers to take him on whatever quest he chooses. When he asks to become a hero in a fantasy realm, he discovers a more complex world than he expected, and battling evil with magic turns out to be far from his greatest challenge.</p><p><strong>EVOLVED PUBLISHING PRESENTS</strong> a specualtive fantasy adventure sure not just to entertain you, but to make you consider your life, your dreams, your goals. [DRM-Free]</p><h2><strong>Books by David Litwack:</strong></h2><ul><li><em>Along the Watchtower</em></li><li><em>The Daughter of the Sea and the Sky</em></li><li><em>The Time That's Given</em></li><li><em>The Children of Darkness</em> (The Seekers - Book 1)</li><li><em>The Stuff of Stars</em> (The Seekers - Book 2)</li><li><em>The Light of Reason</em> (The Seekers - Book 3)</li></ul><h2><strong>More Great Fantasy Fiction from Evolved Publishing:</strong></h2><ul><li><em>The Awakening of David Rose</em> (David Rose #1) by Daryl Rothman</li><li><em>Shadow Swarm</em> by D. Robert Pease</li><li><em>Kingdom in Chains</em> by J.W. Zulauf</li><li>The &quot;Grims' Truth&quot; Series by Isu Yin &amp; Fae Yang</li></ul><p> </p>

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Reviews

&quot;Military aviation was first employed in the bloody European skies of World War I. <em>Once A Knight</em> by Walt Shiel is a work of deftly written fiction that brings riveted attention to the story of a young man by the name of Everett Ross who resigns from the Texas Rangers in 1916 to join England's Royal Flying Corp to engage in deadly duels with German aviators in the contested skies of the Western Front. Along the way Everett meets Genevieve, a young French girl with whom he falls in love. Author Walt Shiel creates authentic combat sequences drawing upon his own years of experience and expertise in combat aviation history, studying the journals and papers of the men and the machines that performed so well, so long ago. A superbly crafted historical novel of aerial combat and romance set against the backdrop of 'The War To End All Wars', <em>Once A Knight</em> is highly recommended reading and a welcome addition to personal and community library collections. Also very highly recommended is Walt Shiel's earlier historical novel <em>Devil In The North Woods: A Novel Based On The 1908 Metz, Michigan, Wildfire</em> (9780974655314)&quot; -Midwest Book Review<br /><br />&quot;Shiel quickly has the reader enthralled with detailed, yet fast-paced flying of a style unknown to most today. One comes away sensing they now understand aerial combat whether in a Nieuport or a Sopwith Camel in the days of silk scarves and leather helmets. The combat is uniquely balanced with a love story that feels like many other courtships in classic literature, without coming off like a cliché. By the end, it is easy to cheer for the hero and leaves the reader hoping for a sequel.<em> Once a Knight</em> is a great read that will fit well alongside <em>The Razor’s Edge</em> and <em>A Farewell to Arms</em>.&quot; -Stephen Phillips,<em>Military Writers Society of America<br /><br />&quot;</em>Author, Walt Shiel, himself a former Air Force pilot, gives the reader the excitement of the combat and enough information about flying without getting too technical. The aerial duels seem very real and you as a reader are in the cockpit with Ross as he goes on missions. The story moves quickly and Shiel does well to combine the action and the romance. You are definitely rooting for Ross as he finds himself behind enemy lines looking for Genevieve. How does he get himself out of this mess? You will have to read <em>Once a Knight</em> to find out. This book is part of The Dawn of Aviation Series and I look forward to reading more from Shiel who as a historian and pilot himself gives a personal touch to his stories.&quot; -Janice Hidey,<em>ReviewTheBook.com</em>