What do you think?
Rate this book
Scruffy
Having survived combat in Iraq, former Sergeant Joseph Mackey came home to war within himself, one that kept him in the desert even in his sleep. Like the enemy in Iraq, a victim of PTSD never knew when an attack might come and Mac’s symptoms had driven him to homelessness and self-medication.
Traveling west from shelters to the streets, his health in a steady decline, Mac sought a warmer winter to continue his struggle with thoughts of ending it all.
Now, his back to a wall and a knife at his throat, he was sure the choice was about to be made for him-until a savage growl came out of the darkness and changed everything.
Traveling west from shelters to the streets, his health in a steady decline, Mac sought a warmer winter to continue his struggle with thoughts of ending it all.
Now, his back to a wall and a knife at his throat, he was sure the choice was about to be made for him-until a savage growl came out of the darkness and changed everything.
148 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 17, 2018
3 people want to read
About the author
John E. Carson
22 books14 followersJohn E. Carson has been writing since the age of 14. One of ten children, he went to work at an early age to help his struggling parents.
After 40 years he finally realized his life's dream of becoming a published author at the National level and two years later his books were available in over 33 countries.
Beginning in 1999, with his song, Deep of the Night, recorded by singer/entertainer Charlie Roth, John has continued publishing poems and stories. He has reached an ever widening audience and and broke into national print in Ideals Books in 2005 with his poem, Painting in Thread, and in 2006 with his first published novel, Ramblin' Rose and the Internet Newsletter, published by Aspirations Media Inc. He has received two 5 star book reviews from Midwest Book Review for his works. A frequent contributor to the Old Huntsville magazine, John has been continuously published since March of 2016 and is scheduled until January of 2017 in the same publication, with his serial story, Scruffy-a novel about a homeless veteran suffering from PTSD and the equally homeless dog that befriends him. Scruffy will be released as a novel on March 15th, 2017 initially available on Amazon.com
John lives with his wife and co-author, Marlene Rose, who joined forces with him in 1973 and immediately began to encourage his writing. She became his inspiration, and her ideas and expertise proved to be a vital element in creating many of their published works. Now the author of eight published novels and many published poems, John writes for The American Legion from Post 237 in Huntsville, Alabama where he serves on the Honor Guard and teaches Creative Writing at the Huntsville-Madison Senior Center. Recently he has accepted the position of Chapter Director for a future Pets for Vets chapter to be established in Huntsville. He is also the Director of the Rescue Me! Volunteer Group-the event and fundraising arm for the same future Pets for Vets chapter.
Parents of two children, and grandparents of four, John and Marlene moved from Monticello, Minnesota and now live in Huntsville, Alabama with their ESA K9, Mr. Freckles.
After 40 years he finally realized his life's dream of becoming a published author at the National level and two years later his books were available in over 33 countries.
Beginning in 1999, with his song, Deep of the Night, recorded by singer/entertainer Charlie Roth, John has continued publishing poems and stories. He has reached an ever widening audience and and broke into national print in Ideals Books in 2005 with his poem, Painting in Thread, and in 2006 with his first published novel, Ramblin' Rose and the Internet Newsletter, published by Aspirations Media Inc. He has received two 5 star book reviews from Midwest Book Review for his works. A frequent contributor to the Old Huntsville magazine, John has been continuously published since March of 2016 and is scheduled until January of 2017 in the same publication, with his serial story, Scruffy-a novel about a homeless veteran suffering from PTSD and the equally homeless dog that befriends him. Scruffy will be released as a novel on March 15th, 2017 initially available on Amazon.com
John lives with his wife and co-author, Marlene Rose, who joined forces with him in 1973 and immediately began to encourage his writing. She became his inspiration, and her ideas and expertise proved to be a vital element in creating many of their published works. Now the author of eight published novels and many published poems, John writes for The American Legion from Post 237 in Huntsville, Alabama where he serves on the Honor Guard and teaches Creative Writing at the Huntsville-Madison Senior Center. Recently he has accepted the position of Chapter Director for a future Pets for Vets chapter to be established in Huntsville. He is also the Director of the Rescue Me! Volunteer Group-the event and fundraising arm for the same future Pets for Vets chapter.
Parents of two children, and grandparents of four, John and Marlene moved from Monticello, Minnesota and now live in Huntsville, Alabama with their ESA K9, Mr. Freckles.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
June 13, 2017
This is a wonderfully written book that tackles many hard subjects in a way that is both entertaining and touching. It's a quick read that will keep you engaged from cover to cover and will leave you with a possibly new understanding of many difficult subjects, including homelessness in our Veterans, PTSD, TBI, and how they fit into society today. But you won't leave this book with a sense of doom, but of hope. Please pick up a copy today and support a good cause, and recommend it to all of your friends. The cost and commitment is low, and you will be glad you did!
January 17, 2022
John E. Carson is a marvelous poet and novelist! "Scruffy," my favorite of his novels, proves it! The story is engrossing and carefully crafted. I could not put the book down until I finished it! The short chapters suggest scenes in a feature film and move the story forward at a pace that increases the suspense. The writing is economical, with no useless information, but with sufficient detailed descriptions for the reader to clearly visualize the various settings and characters. The imagery is original and memorable, like his poetry. The realistic flashbacks to combat scenes in Iraq bear testimony to the author's scrupulous research and mastery of his topic. Selecting tiny house construction as the work project for the homeless was a timely and clever choice. Mr. Carson's love for his characters and passion for his subject, the plight of homeless people, veterans like Mac who are dealing with P.T.S.D. and authority issues due to being treated unjustly, and their faithful K9 companions, like Scruffy, leave a powerful impression that will remain with readers long after the book ends.
September 20, 2018
Guardian Angel!!!
Loved this PTSD tale!!! Scruffy in an angel in disguise to give Mac the love and support he needed to battle his war demons. Thank you for writing and publishing this story. A tale to be read and reread for life inspiration.
Loved this PTSD tale!!! Scruffy in an angel in disguise to give Mac the love and support he needed to battle his war demons. Thank you for writing and publishing this story. A tale to be read and reread for life inspiration.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews