What is your book all about? 

It’s the story of an ex-SASR soldier who is pretty battered and broken by his time in the military. He searches for a life of peace and quiet and finally finds it on a small West Coast  Settlement called Little Wanganui. He’s just going about living his normal life when a  Nuclear disaster sets off EMP’s across the globe and resets everything to a time pre technology.  

Because resources are now scarce, there are a group of people who are set on obtaining control of the area our hero calls home. Reluctantly he assembles a group of locals and trains them to be a militia capable of defending their home.  

In the beginning, Brad comes across as very strong and unaffected by his past, but as time wears on the cracks begin to show. He’s a very flawed character who is trying to do his best in a difficult situation.  

What inspired you to write the book? 

The book was initially a way for me to deal with the fallout I experienced after a friend of mine from the military took his own life. So many veterans I know struggle with mental  health pressures from their experiences, but this is largely invisible to the general population.  It’s second nature for military personnel not to show weakness and admitting that everything is not ok is still perceived as a weakness in our society, especially for men. Often, we only see the true extent of what someone has been dealing with when it’s too late.  

I see a lot of myself, and traits from my former military colleagues, in the main character,  he’s flawed and damaged underneath from his experiences, but he keeps going in the face of  adversity.  

What is your target audience for the book? 

This story, while fiction, will resonate with anyone who is military or ex-military. There’s a fair bit of swearing and the content describes battle situations which you’d expect by the title,  so it reflects real military life and experiences, in a setting of fictional context. People who have been to the West Coast of New Zealand will recognise the places described and there’s a very New Zealand flavour woven though the story. Alongside this, I’ve tried to capture some of the mental health challenges that face veterans when they leave the military and how they deal with them.  

What do you hope readers get out of the book? 

I want readers to enjoy a good story while also feeling challenged to think about what life is like for veterans, especially after they leave conflict situations. In New Zealand,  unlike the USA, UK, and Australia, there is very little in the way of specialised mental health  support for our veterans, The Veteran, Family, and Whānau Mental Health and Wellbeing Policy Framework. Raising awareness of the unique challenges that face this group of people is something I hope to achieve through this work.  

What are your future goals/plans for the book? 

The Battle for the Bluff is the first of The Settlement trilogy. Book two, Revolt, has just gone to the printers and I’m finalising the content of Revenge at the moment with a view to having that published in mid-late 2025. I’ve been talking to a lot of people about veterans’ mental health and to veterans themselves and I’m hoping that this will inspire others to think about writing as a coping strategy when things get tough, the importance of connecting with people and to increase awareness about Veteran mental health.  

Something more about yourself 

I enlisted and served with the Australian Army until I retired, moving to New Zealand and now split my time between Little Wanganui, and Nelson, writing in my local taverns there.  

I feel incredibly fortunate that my family and an amazing group of friends have supported me on this journey. My wife Gillian has been an absolute rock and I couldn’t have done it without her.  

An avid dog lover, I included my two dogs, Scooter and Olive, in the book.

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