Vincent H. O'Neil's Blog: Blogs from Exile

On April 3, 1986 I graduated from the Army's grueling Ranger Course s part of Class 5-86. It was the toughest school I attended in the Army, but it was also a tremendous growth experience. I wore my Ranger tab tee shirt to the gym this morning to mark the 40th anniversary of our graduation.

In the Ranger course, you don't get much sleep or food and you're constantly on the go, patrolling in rough terrain with heavy rucksacks. You're frequently harassed by the Ranger Instructor (RI) graders. When I went through, the school started at Fort Benning, Georgia and then went to the mountains of northern Georgie before shifting to the frozen wasteland of Dugway, Utah and finishing up in the swamps of Eglin AFB, Florida.

You're out in the elements most of the time, and our class was in winter time. You get chosen at random to lead patrols, and your pass-fail record decides if you complete individual phases of the course. If you don't do well enough, they offer you the choice of quitting or doing that phase over again. It's called recycle, and many Ranger students get recycled more than once.

I walked, starved, and shivered every step of the way with Class 4-86 and came out of the swamps believing I'd completed the course. That night I learned my pass-fail percentage was exactly 50-50, which meant I would not graduate with my class. I was offered recycle and took it without hesitation, going back into the swamps with Class 5-86 and coming back out with them on Easter Sunday, 1986. Resurrection Day.

Everyone who's been through this course has a different take on why it's so tough, so I'll skip that and just say I learned more about myself in that school than at any other time of my life. As rough as it was, I wouldn't trade it for anything.

I'm a novelist now, writing everything from mystery to horror to science fiction. In the first book of my military science fiction Sim War series, Glory Main, I wanted to write a book that was based on my Ranger experience. So I took four people from different backgrounds and marooned them on a planet that's much like Dugway, Utah. They have no food, no weapons, and no idea where they are. They have to walk many miles, footsore and hungry, dodging the predators that exist on the the planet. They have to come together as a team, or die as individuals.

Glory Main is the first book in a complete five-novel series, and I hope you like it.

Rangers Lead the Way.

https://www.amazon.com/Glory-Main-Sim...Glory Main

I'm thrilled to see my new short story The Little Visitor on The Dread Literary review site.

It tells the story of what happens if you let the wrong cat in the door.

WARNING: This isn't a cuddly-kitten story. It's horror.

Read it here:

https://the-dread-literary-review.gho...

Professor Feiff's Trans-Dimensional Travelogue

I'm pleased to announce that my dimension-shifting sci-fi short story "Me and Mine" was just released as part of the "Professor Feiff's Trans-Dimensional Travelogue" anthology from JayHenge Publications.

"Me and Mine" features an unwilling traveler sent to a world that's almost identical to ours--except there are no people. Expected to return as soon as he can, the reluctant visitor decides instead that he likes the world where he's the only occupant. Remembering the mad scienitst "friend" who sent him there, the main character becomes worried that he might not be alone much longer.

This is a big anthology, with writing from both newcomers and award-winning sc-fi authors. It's only available on Amazon, but you can get it in hardcover, paperback, or ebook.

It makes a great gift, so pick one up.

https://www.amazon.com/Professor-Tran...

My supernatural crime short story "Door Number Two" follows an adrenaline-addicted hit man through an eventful night where he encounters an adversary that may not even be human.

It's part of the now Anthology from The Writers Cache, Lucky Penny: Short Tales of Magical Realism, which is available on Amazon in ebook and paperback.

An excellent collection, and not a bad gift either.

www.vincenthoneil.com

My short story about betrayal, friendship, and long-delayed justice, Prodigals' Night, was just published in the most recent edition of Dirty Magick Magazine.

This one's special to me, because while I was recovering from an emergency appendectomy a few years ago I read a history of the Borgia family. The description of Renaissance festivals, the ever-present threat of sudden violence, and the rules of society that were followed only by a few, inspired this tale.

Check it out.

https://dirtymagickmagazine.com/issue...

Acclaimed British science fiction magazine Parsec has published my short story "Point of Contact", about an office worker who fears his memories are being accessed by an unseen entity.

Get it here:

https://pspublishing.co.uk/parsec-dig...

Read my short story "Marjorie's Last Run" in The Saturday Evening Post. It's 1500 words long, and tells the tale of an art restoration expert who turns her talents to our nation's currency.

https://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/....

I'm thrilled and honored to announce my sci-fi horror story "They Don't Need the Light" is in the latest issue of the fantastic Andromeda Spaceways Magazine. I've submitted one or two other stories to ASM before, so it's a special occasion for me to have this accepted.

To quote the story description, "Find out what volcanoes, meteorites, and cyberbullying have to do with the end of the world." Check it out at:

https://andromedaspaceways.com/produc...

The suggestion, "Be the change you want to see in the world", urges us to act to improve our surroundings. In another sense, though, it tells us to represent our values and what we consider progress. In this excerpt from my self-improvement book The Unused Path: Skills for Living an Authentic Life, I talk about the importance of being mindful of the example we set in the world.

Respect the power of example

While we shouldn't do things so that others will see them, we should still remember that people watch what we do.

We never know when our actions are being observed by someone who may be influenced by our behavior. Has anyone ever told you that you inspired them at some point in the past and you didn't know it at the time? Ever hear someone remark that a chance encounter with a stranger who demonstrated selflessness or kindness changed their attitude for the better? That's the power of good example.

One of the reasons good example is so effective is that it leaves no room for hypocrisy. You're not telling anyone how they should behave—your actions are inspiring them. Deeds not words.

It's important to remember the power of bad example too. We sometimes don't know who looks up to us, or who believes we have better answers than they do. If we do something wrong, or demonstrate selfishness or a lack of caring, we may be suggesting to that individual that our bad behavior is acceptable.

Setting the example

Have you ever been impressed by someone else's actions to the extent that you decided to imitate them?

Ever watched a stranger pick up some stray litter that was blowing around and toss it in a waste receptacle?

Been impressed by a coworker's meticulous attention to detail?

Heard a manager who was being praised for a great job say it was someone else's work, and that the author of that work should receive the accolades?

If you did, this was the power of good example in action. The people you observed all demonstrated a commitment to positive standards of behavior without saying a word about it. Setting the example might not have been their motivation, but they accomplished it just the same.

When we act in accordance with our values and standards, we can inspire others. There's a fine line between setting the example and doing something to attract attention, but if we do the same thing whether someone else is watching or not, it will be genuine.

The Unused Path is currently FREE as an ebook from Barnes & Noble and on sale for 99 cents on Amazon. It's also available in both spots in paperback for six dollars. I hope you like it.

Congrats to the entire team who created the indie thriller The Inflection Scheme. We just received our official selection at the prestigious FilmQuest Film Festival in Provo Utah, to be held this October.

The story is about a crypto trader who makes a $10M bet at a nefarious crypto exchange and has to deal with a protege from his past. It's based on a story I wrote, but all the credit goes to the director, writers, crew, and amazing cast.

This is an especially gratifying moment for me because I've submitted screenplays to FilmQuest in the past and consider it one of the top up-and-coming film festivals.

Congratulations to everyone involved in the making of this film, best of luck in Provo, and looking forward to hearing of more selections at other festivals.

Watch the trailer at:

https://www.theinflectionscheme.com