Unveil a World of Enchantment: Explore the Best Stories on TxtTale

They call it Magic Kingdom for a reason

For a stretch of about 13 years, I coached back-to-back sports at Marine Cityhigh school. A decision was made early in that span that our family would celebrate the end of the coaching cycle with a spring break vacation. Following the lead of some great friends and mentors (Mike and Karyn Alley) we decided to expose our kids to the Disney experience.Countless times I would hear of coaches getting out of the profession to “spend more time with their family.” Many times, that statement simply means that the wife is unhappy with the coaches work life balance. I was blessed with an incredibly supportive wife matched with very patient children. I wanted thes...

ECHOES OF VIETNAM: THE UNRELENTING SHADOWS OF PTSD

We obliterated the words forgiveness, redemption, and salvation from our language. We would never find deliverance from the things we did and witnessed in combat. The events were irredeemable and ours to carry for all time. The incidents occurring in the war would forever bring regret, remorse, and depression. It became an incurable illness that could not be out-run, out-trained, out-medicated, or outlived. The name was PTSD, but it did not adequately describe the mental and physical anguish it caused. We came to see the images in our dreams as night terrors. It brought anger at a moment’s notice. And it made us intolerant of others and of those we cared about. We turne...

VETERANS’ SECRETS: WHAT HISTORY WON’T TELL YOU ABOUT VIETNAM

Vietnam Uncensored offers a harrowing exposé of the Vietnam War, challenging the official narrative with a raw and unflinching look at the conflict's true cost. Through personal anecdotes and historical analysis, I reveal how the war was driven by deceit, broken promises, and moral corruption. This gripping account not only explores the devastating impact on soldiers and their families but also criticizes the indifference of politicians who escaped the war's horrors unscathed. Scheduled for release in early November, Vietnam Uncensored promises a stark, honest portrayal of a war that continues to shape the lives of veterans.Proceeds will support the Kaufman Fund, aiding veter...

THE TRUE FACE OF VALOR: WHAT HEROES LOOK LIKE

We all retain Hollywood imprints of what military heroes look like. We believe such individuals possess perfect bodies with strength, skill, and endurance. We see them race into danger, become wounded, and continue to victory. But these fictional heroes do not die. Instead, they claim victory against terrible odds and accomplish impossible feats. And yet, of all the medals won in Vietnam, the men and women who stood up to intense existential threats appeared no more than the boy or girl who sat next to us in high school or college. They represented average Americans taken from a typical life and thrust into the incredible carnage that became the Vietnam War—young men who car...

EMBRACING CHANGE: THE INDOMITABLE AMERICAN RESOLVE IN THE FACE OF ADVERSITY

We did not own the power to restrain combat's irrevocable effects on us. We did not see the changes to signify our former world no longer existed. Yet, we never became apologetic for serving our country. Those who served in that terrible war remained honored patriots until the end of all things. I love the U.S.A. and everything and everyone in its borders. Americans are complicated and strange, but we are a fantastic bunch. No other population yields open-minded, fast-thinking individuals who love a good joke, national holidays, and the best of the best the art and sports world can produce. We admire excellence in all its forms and care and typically stand up for the little gu...

FROM WAR ZONES TO HOME FRONTS: A VETERAN’S JOURNEY TO A SIMPLE DREAM

My buddies and I returned from Vietnam with little expectations of becoming rich men. After succumbing to the worst year of our lives, we all wanted to acquire the love of a good woman, becoming a father, a small house with a back lawn holding a swing set, a barbeque, and a few chairs around a table to have picnics. There would be a garage for a car, a driveway to hold a pick-up, and a front lawn with a flower bed. It didn’t seem like much to the shakers and movers, but it would forever represent enough. Unfortunately, our PTSD made it impossible to work for another, so I started a business. On one deal, the supplier offered the evening of an escort. ...

DAI LIN: THE HAUNTING BEAUTY OF A WAR-TORN MEMORY

There are women whose attraction takes the breath away. Dai Lin was such a person. Her complexion was neither black, brown, yellow, or tan. It appeared the same golden color as an Italian sunset at midday. Her face displayed delicate features fluctuating between Oriental, Black, and European lineage. The bovine eyes reflected your image in an emerald-green halo, captivating your attention. Under the embroidered satin Ao Dai gown, her body moved with the erotic movements of a jungle cat, her legs and buttocks outlined by the contours of her form pressing against the clinging fabric. Dai Lin hid her face in public under a cone straw hat and a drab shawl wrapped around her s...

FROM BATTLEFIELD TO HOMEFRONT: DISCOVER THE CHALLENGES IN VIETNAM UNCENSORED

It was hard to give up on our dreams of home and thoughts of what awaited us on our return. But we did not have an alternative.It became difficult to think about a future beyond the battlefield. Combat dulled the senses.Deep in our hearts, a spark remained of who we wanted to become after the war. But the longer we stayed in Vietnam, the harder it became to remember.How could we know the hardships that awaited when we finally returned? It never occurred we would no longer fit into our former lives. What we thought would appear the same had radically changed.Our dreams of homecoming would sink into the quicksand of PTSD that sabotaged our success. Yet, we did not recognize our transform...

Moonshine Mesa takes the Gold Medal!

Moonshine Mesa takes the Readers’ Favorite Gold Medal for environmental thriller! Criminal clients, a pollution mitigation scam, and a million-dollar double-cross make Moonshine Mesa a dangerous place for an aspiring lawyer, an intrepid deputy, and a moonshining hermit. Go to https://awbaldwin.com.

Kindergarten/Gradinita

I was born to my parents when they were in their earlier twenties, therefore very soon their focus switched back to their personal lives and career. My childcare was delegated to my grandparents, who were also busy with their own things and re-delegate it to my great-grandmother who was then in her early twenties.Unfortunately her health started rapidly declining - a consequence of the slavery in Germany and hunger during the second world war. She did her best to take care of me, but it wasn’t easy with an energetic and curious kid like me.One day my grandmother came from work earlier and saw me in the cold bath - tempering my body, while great-grandmother was having some rest in her bedro...

BATTLING THE UNSEEN: STORIES FROM VIETNAM AND THE COST OF WAR

There was no sense in thinking of what would happen on the next mission. It was useless to extrapolate the future even with advanced logistics. Nothing went as planned, and the enemy proved cunning, relentless, and elusive. We needed to quell the anxiety, plan as best we could, and step into the theater representing the Vietnam War. Were we successful? Ideally, the team would manage to complete our assignments and return uninjured. I’m sorry to say it was not the case. But our training, combat experience, and brotherhood made us into formidable adversaries. Unfortunately, more than 58,000 of my brothers and sisters perished in that war, and 150,000 returned wounded. Th...

THE VIETNAM WAR’S HORROR: FROM DRACULA TO NIXON

Authors bereft of finding material to fill modern-day horror stories need only to finger the pages explaining the Vietnam War. They will find enough terror, suspense, blood, gore, and insanity to fuel any account that will cause the reader to shiver at every page. Nothing happening in that terrible place ever made sense. The enemy appeared and disappeared as trolls and goblins in a mythical tale. They lived underground, climbed steep mountainous terrain lugging piecemeal artillery without the help of helicopters, and emerged again regardless of the numbers we decimated.It was as if the land was a voracious entity demanding to drink our blood. As strange as it now seems, the U...

Sample Chapter of Surviving the world

Jeanna fought to survive the world's end and the creatures with a taste for human flesh. She thought surviving was hard enough, but protecting her new love was even harder.

The Worst five years of my life

Andre had set me up.Bradley appeared from the shadows between the two buildings, pushing Andre out of the way. Andre tried to speak, as Bradley told him to shut up and he forced me into the passenger seat.As he drove away, yelling and screaming, “Are you sleeping with him? He was hitting his fist on the roof of the car.I begin to feel a panic in my chest. I started crying and he kept yelling and screaming, driving wildly. All these thoughts began to flood my mind as I started thinking of ways to escape this. Could I jump out of the car? No, it was moving. Could I fight him if it came to that? I do not know. As he was driving and yelling, his words became deafening and running together. I s...

The Stoat Hall Legacy Book Club

When W.C. Lumin, an author of best-selling bodice-busters, historical potboilers, romantic tear-jerkers, crime thrillers and fantasy fiction summons his family, literary agent and publisher to his remote Gothic mansion, they are shocked to hear that he is suffering from a terminal wasting disease. But as they rub their hands at the prospect of inheriting his fortune, he drops a bombshell – a dramatic advance in medical science offers the hope of a cure. However, despite his failing health, he must continue to publish novels to finance the operation. And so he makes his guests an offer they cannot refuse . . . each must write a short story as the basis of a new W.C. Lumin blockbuster. If th...

The sun is setting, casting a warm golden glow over the water. Her laptop and a cup of coffee sit on the porch railing, symbolizing her new life working remotely in the tranquil coastal town.

Waves of Love: A Coastal Romance of New Beginnings

Genre: Romance, Contemporary FictionShort SEO Overview: Discover the heartwarming coastal romance of Lila and Ethan, a story of unexpected love, shared dreams, and the beauty of the sea. This enchanting tale highlights how a chance encounter can lead to a lifelong connection. If you enjoy stories about love blossoming in unique settings, you might also like "Hashtag Love: An X Love Story of Romance and Adventure".Story: Waves of Love: A Coastal RomanceChapter 1: A New Beginning by the SeaIn search of a fresh start, Lila traded the hustle and bustle of city life for a peaceful existence in a quaint coastal town. With the freedom to work remotely, she settled into a charming cottage overlookin...

A chaotic street in Neo-Victoria filled with mechanical monstrosities terrorizing the city, casting shadows in the neon-lit environment.

The Neon Nightmare: Unraveling the Mystery of the Spectral Mechanist in a Retro-Futuristic Neo-Victoria

The Neon Nightmare: A Retro-Futuristic Horror StoryChapter 1: The AwakeningIn the neon-lit city of Neo-Victoria, where Victorian elegance meets futuristic technology, Eleanor Grey awakes in her cramped apartment, plagued by nightmares. The city's skyline is a blend of towering skyscrapers and steam-powered contraptions, casting eerie shadows in the perpetual twilight. Eleanor, a journalist for the Neo-Victoria Times, senses a sinister presence lurking beneath the city's polished exterior.Chapter 2: The DisappearanceEleanor's investigation begins with the mysterious disappearance of prominent citizens. Each vanishing is marked by strange, glowing symbols left behind. As she delves deeper, she...

A female spy with a serious expression navigating a shadowy, labyrinthine cityscape, with the title "Shadows of the Mind: A Psychological Espionage Tale" displayed prominently.

Shadows of the Mind: A Psychological Espionage Tale

Story: Shadows of the MindChapter 1: The Whispering WallsIn the heart of Berlin, amidst the relics of Cold War espionage, lies the clandestine headquarters of a covert intelligence agency known as The Echelon. This secretive organization specializes in psychological espionage, where mind games and manipulation are the ultimate weapons.Agent Elena Hart, a seasoned operative with a mysterious past, is summoned by The Echelon's enigmatic director. Her mission: to infiltrate the mind of Viktor Drakov, a former Russian spy turned rogue, suspected of orchestrating a series of high-profile assassinations. Drakov, a master of psychological warfare, has evaded capture by manipulating the minds of tho...

BANDS OF BROTHERS

Having been blessed with two sisters, but no brothers, I take a whimsical look into the world of famous brothers. The picture of course is of the Fogerty brothers who formed the rock band, Credence Clearwater Revival, but don't let the picture make you think the story is all about rockers. I found interesting tales, some of them of a sad nature, of several bands of brothers. This story was fun to write and the words just fell on the pages.

SUMMER OF '69

Originally titles, LBJ and those Darn Mets, I changed it to Summer of '69 so as the title did not chase folks off for possible political reasons. Go back to the year 1969 with my cousin and I and get a humorous glimpse into the lives of two twelve-year-olds growing up in a small town. Most of the story is true, too.

A SPACE IN TIME

In this short story I delve into science fiction, using motor cycle gang members as the protagonists. While the story happens in Arizona, I used my own home town of Chebanse, in Illinois, and a specific bar and grill I used to frequent before it closed. Some of the characters are people I knew.

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Unveil a World of Enchantment: Explore the Best Stories on TxtTale

Categories

They call it Magic Kingdom for a reason

ECHOES OF VIETNAM: THE UNRELENTING SHADOWS OF PTSD

VETERANS’ SECRETS: WHAT HISTORY WON’T TELL YOU ABOUT VIETNAM

THE TRUE FACE OF VALOR: WHAT HEROES LOOK LIKE

EMBRACING CHANGE: THE INDOMITABLE AMERICAN RESOLVE IN THE FACE OF ADVERSITY

FROM WAR ZONES TO HOME FRONTS: A VETERAN’S JOURNEY TO A SIMPLE DREAM

DAI LIN: THE HAUNTING BEAUTY OF A WAR-TORN MEMORY

FROM BATTLEFIELD TO HOMEFRONT: DISCOVER THE CHALLENGES IN VIETNAM UNCENSORED

Moonshine Mesa takes the Gold Medal!

Kindergarten/Gradinita

BATTLING THE UNSEEN: STORIES FROM VIETNAM AND THE COST OF WAR

THE VIETNAM WAR’S HORROR: FROM DRACULA TO NIXON

Sample Chapter of Surviving the world

The Worst five years of my life

The Stoat Hall Legacy Book Club

Waves of Love: A Coastal Romance of New Beginnings

The Neon Nightmare: Unraveling the Mystery of the Spectral Mechanist in a Retro-Futuristic Neo-Victoria

Shadows of the Mind: A Psychological Espionage Tale

BANDS OF BROTHERS

SUMMER OF '69

A SPACE IN TIME