LUZERNE COUNTY, Pa. — Michael Szklanny never thought he'd be holding up a book he not only wrote but self-published.
"It's nothing I ever really was planning on kind of sharing with the public or anything like that when I got back from my deployments, I was kind of trying to figure things out; I was spending a lot of sleepless nights and kind of found writing to be a little bit of a solace to help out with, with that kind of struggle," said Michael Szklanny, Nuangola.
Michael is a disabled Marine Corps veteran. He says having a routine, like he did during his two deployments to Afghanistan in 2011 and 2012, helps him get a lot accomplished.
So he added writing to his routine when he got home.
"You know, kind of finding those different outlets was extremely important to help me get back on my feet and get on the right path again," said Szklanny.
Two years ago, he took it to another level, developing an entire world and a three-part novel series. The first book in the series is called The Shadow Within.
"You know, the story is really about a kingdom in turmoil, and it really follows two main protagonists, Archer and Oliver, who were brothers after their father was killed and lost his throne," explained Szklanny.
Michael says he plays off of themes of brotherhood and the psychology involved with governing a kingdom, often inspired by fantasy novels he enjoyed as a child.
Combining that hobby with the discipline he learned in the military, he says, has been the key to his success, "I do think there's something to be said about consistency and routine. I absolutely love it in my life. And I don't know if that's just from being in the military and the constant routine we're always on or if it just keeps me mentally on track, but you know, every day, I try to do the same thing from the moment I wake up until the moment I go to bed, and it makes me feel like I'm able to get a lot accomplished."
To learn more about Michael's debut novel, click here.