I was born in Boston, but by age ten developed an independent streak that led me to boarding school in New York City, where I was classically trained as a boy chorister. I loved the singing…sitting through five church services a week, not so much. I kept singing in high school back in Massachusetts, and college as well, where I studied Military History and joined the Army ROTC program. That meant physical training at 6am three mornings a week, so while my dorm mates were out partying late into the night, I was…actually, right there with them. But I really regretted it a mile or so into the next morning’s run.
After graduation, I was commissioned as a cavalry officer, and assigned to the 1st Squadron, 4th U.S. Cavalry in Schweinfurt, Germany in 2003. We deployed to Iraq in 2004, where I was lucky enough to lead first a tank platoon, and then a scout platoon on combat patrols during our year-long deployment. That experience inspired me to write an absurdist memoir of my time “downrange” – but I took my sweet time working on it, first leaving the Army to pursue a career as a strategy consultant back in New York.
I shopped my manuscript around to several agents, got some nibbles, and some polite “no thank yous,” and then shelved it, disappointed. And then I heard about all the ways indie authors were successfully publishing their own work online, my independent streak slapped me upside the head a few times, I found a great cover designer, and published it online myself. Four months later it hit the New York Times bestseller list, and I realized that maybe I could make a career out of my dream job. So, when I’m not spending time with my lovely wife and daughter, I’m frantically working on my next book.
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I’m glad your “dream job” is working out so well! I just finished your “Rath series”.. Super stories!! Once I read the first one, I had to have the others. I enjoyed every one. Thank you for the great work!
And then to find out you’re from Boston… Why, you’re almost local:-)
Steve Colprit
Dover, NH
Thanks for the kind words, Steve! Appreciate the support. Stay tuned on my newsletter…more Rath books are in the works 😉
Loved the world’s and gadgets if Rath! Very imaginative and very consistent. Can’t wait until the next one.
Thanks, Ann! Book 4 is coming soon…writing as fast as I can!
Just started Rath’s Reckoning. As with the first two, very hard to put down (click off?). My 85 year old father-in-law recommended your books. And that’s saying something, as he’s read well over 200 ebooks in the last couple of years.
Your characters are well developed, the settings lend to a rich visualization by the reader, the plot proceeds at a good pace and the story line is refreshingly unusual.
And BTW, thanks for your service Lt Platt. I retired from the Air Force after 35 years, including a year in Vietnam. I look forward to more of your books and wish you the best in your quest as a full-time author.
LOL – “click off.” 🙂 Hope you enjoy the third book as much as you did the first two. Thank you for your service, and thank your father-in-law for spreading the word for me!
Your dream job — what is it they say? Find something you love, and you’ll never work a day in your life.
Bingo! That’s writing for me – rarely feels like work, and I can lose hours at a time when I get into the flow of a story.
Your Rath books are great. They rank right along with black jelly beans as the most addictive things on the planet. Can’t wait til the next series comes out.
I’ve always been a fan of dark chocolate, but I get what you’re going for! Thanks!
Piers, great to year your story! How did you get on the NYT to review your book? Ridiculosity – a Deployment to Afghanistan is my laugh-out-loud take on life in a war zone. It’s similar to yours and includes stories of my female team members – something mission from your Cav scout days. Good luck on your next book!
Hi Todd- the NYT didn’t review “Combat…” I just sold enough copies to make it onto their bestseller list. Separate thing from their review process. Good luck with your own book!
Piers, love reading your books–the stories just bring me in and I can’t put them down!
Question: if you sell enough copies to be on the NY Times Bestseller List, you must have agents and/or major publishers seeking you out (what a wonderful feeling that must be :-)!!) wouldn’t you want to still go with a major publisher now?? Wouldn’t you still make more with them than without them??
Hi James-
Believe it or not, making the NYT list doesn’t automatically lead to … much of anything! I’m definitely proud of having achieved it, but it didn’t have a huge impact on my writing career. That said, even if I did have agents and publishers banging on my door, I would probably turn them away. I like having full control over the work I create, how I sell it, etc. And my assessment of the publishing market points to the independent route being the more profitable one, unless you’re a mega-bestseller like King, Rowling, Patterson, et al. Thanks for reading!
Hey Piers,
I just recently found out about your “Janus Group” books and am currently on the third, binge reading my way through. They are awesome. I am USNR and started reading sci-fy on my first deployment and haven’t looked back. I am looking forward to reading your “absurdist memoir”. Keep up the good work, really get on the ball and write a lot!! (lol) Take Care
Thanks, Ken! I always liked you Navy guys, I don’t care what the Marines say. 😉 Thanks for reading.
Thanks to you for singlehandedly doubling the number of books my husband has actually enjoyed in his entire life! (To be fair, I’ve enjoyed them all too!) We can’t to see what’s next! Your stories are so easy to get into, making them a favorite for our teenage son as well! Thank you.
Thanks for the kind words, Kate! Going to have to change my motto: “Fun for the whole family” 😛
Well, unlike a lot of your comments I’m not a reader. So this is twofold. Thanks for creating such great characters and environment to bring them to life. Also thanks for getting James Fouhey’s audiobook production.
I don’t get a lot of time to read, but I do get a lot of time to listen. Can’t wait for your next offerings.
James is AWESOME! It’s always a little scary giving your work to someone else to interpret, but with James I always know he’s going to nail the characters, their personalities, emotions, etc. Thanks for listening, Kiaran!
I have just finished reading Viral which l enjoyed very much. I am a Kiwi and was particularly pleased that you got Darths’ speach correct, l wonder if you have a kiwi mate someplace slipping you intel. Anyway, l like your writing style and, as Viral reminded me of The Forever War, l shall now have to read more of your writing.
Thanks mate, keep up the good work eh.
Thanks, Grant! I don’t have any Kiwi friends keeping me honest, but I did backpack around NZ for a month in college – by far one of my favorite trips, such a great country. So happy to hear that I got it right, and comparing Viral to Forever War is an extremely high compliment. Hope you enjoy whatever you pick up next, and thanks for reading!
-P
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Thanks, Michael! Hope you enjoy reading some of the others, too.