Hello all,

Welcome back! Let’s dive right in.

(OBLIGATORY SPOILER ALERT HERE:)

“Hello James,
I was reading about Radley in your book. As a veteran myself, I really connected with him. Your description of everything he went through and his reaction really rang true for many people I’ve known through the years. However, it seems like, despite everything he’s been through, he makes a very speedy recovery. Can you talk about that a little? Forgive me for saying this, but it seems a bit unrealistic to be able to kick alcoholism and PTSD in a year just like that.
Thanks,
Din”

Hi Din,

No need to apologize, I appreciate your candor in this manner. I find bluntness refreshing, mature adults shouldn’t need to be coddled. Don’t sugar coat things, just tell me what you disagree with or what I did wrong and let’s address it. I’ve been told that I’m a rare combination of blunt but approachable. So let’s dive in.

First, let’s address the easy one, Radley’s alcoholism. Quitting drinking cold turkey can be done. I’ve actually seen it be done. It’s… painful, and can be hard, but it’s not impossible. When it comes to Radley’s situation, he really didn’t have much choice. Finding a commodity in the Exclusion Zone like alcohol is near impossible. In essence, Radley quit cold turkey because… he really didn’t have any other choice. Even in areas that were still civilized and in the process of rebuilding, breweries, refineries, and wineries are scarce. So what booze Radley was able to get likely cost him most of his salary as a security officer. It would have been next to impossible to get any in the South-East American territory. Radley’s alcohol recovery is driven by pure necessity over his new situation.

Now… let’s talk about the one I’ve no doubt you’re more interested in; Radley’s PTSD. Note, I left Radley’s condition ambiguous. It wasn’t until later novels that I definitively stated that he suffered from PTSD. I agree that Radley’s recovery is quite astounding, but I don’t think he necessary completely recovered as much as just managed to get it under control. Keep in mind, things were considerably worse because he was an alcoholic and the withdrawal symptoms made things a lot worse.
Now, all that being said, keep in mind, Radley had an advantage; a dragon that loved him, cared for him, and helped take some of that pain away. Qira’s empathic prowess wasn’t all that advanced, but it was above average among dragonkind, which is why she became such a good negotiator and fit right in as a politician. Whenever Radley started having episodes or meltdowns, she’d hold him, press her head against his, and speak to him in a soothing tone. It looks like that was enough to help him, but that’s not all she was doing. I alluded to it in the story that she used her abilities to take some of his pain away, but she also was able to influence the chemical imbalances in his brain, thus make his episodes more manageable.

One could surmise that this symbiotic relationship is part of what led to Qira imprinting on Radley, but I’ll leave that up to the readers to theorize. I’m always fond of hearing fan theories, thus I encourage it. In any case, I hope that answers your questions. Yes, in conventional real-world standards, alcoholism and PTSD would not be so easily (if you can call it that based on what Qira actually went through), but we’re talking about supernatural circumstances. Thanks for the great question!!

Readers, if you liked the book, please take a moment and leave me a quick review or if you’re pressed for time, some simple stars will suffice!! I wouldn’t ask, but the more exposure my book gets, the more copies it sells. Word of mouth is everything in this business! Thanks so much, all! I greatly appreciate it!

https://a.co/d/fvwmK1H

Thanks, friends! I’ll catch you on the flip-side!

-Jim

Readers,

Do you have a question about writing, publishing, my stories, etc? Please feel free to post a comment or email me.

jhwriting@proton.me

I’ll use those comments to select my next blog post.

I have been writing for several years, have 4 published works, experience with publishing and independent work, so I can hopefully be of assistance.

Please note, I only do one of these a day and will do my best to respond to everyone, but it may take some time.

Also, feel free to check out my works of Fantasy and Historical Fiction, Available on Amazon and where ever books are sold. See the link below:

http://www.amazon.com/James-Harrington/e/B00P7FBXTU

Note:
If you have read my books, PLEASE log into Amazon and post a review. I really love to hear everyone’s thoughts and constructive criticisms. Reviews help get my book attention and word of mouth is everything in this business!

Thanks friends!

Catch you on the flip side!

-Jim