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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.

Divided against Yourselves (Spell Weaver)

Divided against Yourselves (Spell Weaver)

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Description

<h2>Taliesin Weaver thought that he had saved himself and his friends when he defeated the witch Ceridwen. He was wrong.</h2><h3><i>He always thought of evil as embodied in external threats that he could overcome in combat. Soon he will discover that the worst evil has been inside of him all along....</i></h3><p>Tal’s girlfriend is in a coma for which he holds himself responsible. A close friend, suffering from a past-life memory trauma similar to Tal's, is getting worse, not better. Morgan Le Fay is still lurking around and has an agenda Tal can’t figure out. Supernatural interruptions in his life are becoming more frequent, not less so, despite his expectations. In fact, Tal learns that something about his unique nature amplifies otherworldly forces in ways he never imagined were possible, ways that place at risk everyone close to him.</p><p>Tal and his allies must face everything from dead armies to dragons. As soon as they overcome one menace, another one is waiting for them. More people are depending on Tal than ever; he carries burdens few adults could face, let alone a sixteen-year-old like himself. Yet somehow Tal at first manages to handle everything the universe throws at him.</p><p>What Tal can’t handle is the discovery that a best friend, almost a brother, betrayed him, damaging Tal’s life beyond repair. For the first time, Tal feels a darkness within him, a darkness which he can only barely control...assuming he wants to. He’s no longer sure. Maybe there is something to be said for revenge, and even more to be said for taking what he wants. After all, he has the power...</p><p> </p><h2><u>Can Tal stop himself before he destroys everyone he has sworn he will protect? Scroll up to buy a copy and find out!</u></h2>

Story Behind The Book

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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>