Monday, August 12, 2024

Book Tour: Weight of the Kiss by Derek W. Whaley


Weight of the Kiss
by
Derek W.  Whaley

Military Thriller
Publisher: MindStir Media
Publication Date: April 17, 2024
Page count: 179 pages

SYNOPSIS:

Bombs, bullets, and burnt-out vehicles are the order of the day in Kandahar, Afghanistan. War is afoot and everywhere you turn someone is hunting you. Follow Reaper-1, the leader of Reaper and Bang squads, as he takes a tour in Afghanistan. Learn about the military equipment, the soldiers, and the environment. Reaper-1 will show you plenty of shenanigans, struggle, and sadness. You will laugh when you read about all the characters and their stories, you will hurt as they are pinned down in combat, and you will cry when some of your favorite members are lost to war. Reaper-1 will walk you through struggles of friendship, combat, and post combat mental health. Reaper-1 will show you what it means to be alive and the pain of death. Come take a trip to Afghanistan, once the smoke clears, you'll be glad you did.

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READ AN EXCERPT:

CHAPTER ONE

Dirty-K 

Fwapp, fwapp, fwapp, fwapp, fwapp. The sound you are hearing is that of my neighbor, the 3-man of my four-member fireteam, masturbating. You see, the walls here in dirty-K are pop-star thin and your neighbors are millimeters away. I am currently trying to go back to sleep but will have to wait thirty seconds or so until things quiet down. I cannot explain to you how important sleep is when you are in a combat zone. Your head must always be on a swivel, as bullets, bombs, and mortar rounds can literally fly right next to your brainbox at any moment. If you are not mentally alert here, you are dead. Anyway, I don’t know why the hell I’m telling you these things. I need to get back to sleep. I have an awfully long day of bullshit tomorrow— much like every day here in the dirty-K.

Welcome to Kandahar, Afghanistan, known to us as dirty-K. Everything in Kandahar, including the soldiers, is dirty, broken, or so old that ninety percent of it is held together with good old duct tape. We recently got plumbing, but before that we were using a hole in the ground or a port-a-potty. I don’t want to complain about the hole in the ground too much because it is normal operations for Middle Eastern individuals, but it still sucked for me. You have to try to hover over a hole with your pants half down, aim your asshole, and then not shit on your feet—freaking difficult. No thank you, I prefer a normal American–style toilet. I feel like you need to understand just how great we have it now with fresh plumbing. When everything constantly smells like shit, it starts to wear on unit morale. That’s how our life was. Our building smelled like shit, our rooms smelled like shit, our uniforms smelled like shit, and we smelled like shit. People would move two or more tables away from us in the chow hall because of how we smelled—though that might be a perk. We recently got the showers fixed as well, but before that, you just held a water bottle over your head. If you had a really good friend, they may have dumped water on you so you could use both hands to wash faster. If you were a loner, you had to master the art of scrubbing and pouring water on yourself at the same time—a serious challenge for some. There were plenty of people who opted out of taking showers for days at a time due to the pain in the ass it was to accomplish such a trivial task. Staying clean is nearly impossible with all the sand and people crammed into such a small space. After all, thousands of soldiers live within just a couple city blocks. There is mud everywhere. I generally have no clue how there is mud everywhere because it never rains, but I digress. Sand is also everywhere … but then a sandstorm hits and sand really is EVERYWHERE. I have never been to an environment so harsh, to be honest, and this is my tenth deployment. The bottom line is that living in the dirty-K is, well, filthy, and trying to maintain some level of sanitation is a constant struggle.


REVIEW:

5 stars!

Absolutely riveting story of a unit’s military deployment in Kandahar, Afghanistan. 

Weight of the Kiss by Derek W. Whaley is the compelling tale of a man’s military service during a deployment to Kandahar, Afghanistan. While the story is fictional, it is based on actual events and real individuals. It is tough, raw, and eye-opening at times, and I experienced so many emotions while reading. This is a story that will stick with me for a long time to come. 

The story unfolds from the viewpoint of the unnamed Reaper and Bang units’ team leader. He describes daily life for his soldiers and the other service members deployed to a base outside of Kandahar, Afghanistan, in vivid and evocative detail. I got a much clearer image of the actual conditions, routines, and duties military personnel endure than ever before, and it is told with candor, humor, and seriousness. You can’t help but laugh with these young men at some of their antics and ways they pass the time, but in the back of your mind, you realize it’s not all fun and games; they are teetering on the edge of life and death supporting the mission. The bonds these men forge are unlike anything found outside the service, and many will face greater struggles with their mental health once out of the combat zone. I enjoyed their humor and was gutted when their mission went sideways. 

The author is a storyteller, and the unique voice of his main character drew me into his mesmerizing tale. I recommend WEIGHT OF THE KISS to readers of military fiction or non-fiction and stories of bravery, ultimate sacrifice, dedication to service, and love for your brothers.





ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Master Sargent, retired USAF, Derek Whaley hails from Twin Falls, Idaho. His life purpose are his two children. His son, 9 and his daughter, 15. Derek served 20 years in the United States Air Force, retiring under Honorable conditions in 2019. Derek transitioned to social work and earned his master’s degree from the University of New Hampshire. He interned with substance abuse disorders in Haverhill, Massachusetts and discovered a liking to the field and is now a Drug Court Therapist. If you’re ever looking for Derek, just find people struggling and Derek will be near to help.

 

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