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West Point Determined my Career
Eddie
had received a small scholarship to the University of Washington and was
debating whether to go there or enlist into the army where he would apply
to a preparatory school, study for a year and then apply again for the
academy.
You would expect that Eddie Mitchell, West Point Graduate, award-winning
author, a RAND fellow who served in the U.S. Space Command before and
during Desert Shield was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. Quite
the contrary as Eddie actually lived through an abusive childhood, sent
to Juvenile Hall and later became a foster child living on welfare on
a dairy farm. And what does Eddie say about those times. "Juvenile
Hall has a bad rep, but sometimes it really does some good. It was the
best thing that happened to me at age 14."
"When I was living
in the foster home, I made up my mind that I didn't want to be poor and
that education was my only way out. I got the best grades I could and
learned that a military academy might be my best bet for a good college
education and it would be all paid for. When I was a sophomore in high
school, I began reading etiquette books and went out for track cross country
because in my research on being selected to the military academies, I
learned that being an athlete and how I conducted myself in different
social and/or academic events would be scrutinized." It took Eddie
three attempts to be accepted to West Point. Eddie had received a small
scholarship to the University of Washington and was debating whether to
go there or enlist into the army where he would apply to a preparatory
school, study for a year and then apply again for the academy. After Eddie
graduated from high school with honors, he enlisted and completed a year
at the Army preparatory school, improved his SAT score and came out third
in the State. An opening came up, he was accepted and graduated from West
Point as a 2nd Lieutenant.
Eddie went on to Airborne
and Ranger schools and received orders for an assignment in Alaska in
1972 and later served overseas in Korea. He graduated from the Defense
Department's Program Management School and worked within the "Star
Wars" Program. He retired as a Lt. Colonel after 21 1/2 years of
service.
He admits doors opened
up for him after graduating from West Point. He says that it made him
realize that he could "take what is given to me, maximize what I
could do with it and be happy." Eddie believes in giving back to
society and has been a guest speaker to "Kids at Risk" in Prunedale,
California.
Around 1980, Eddie
got an idea while sitting on a beach in Monterey, California "With
today's technology, what if there was a gold rush today?" Since he
was an amateur prospector, he drew on that experience to include it in
his first book. He also took a lot from his growing up years, military
and engineering experience as background for his characters. It took 14
years for him to feel satisfied that his book was worth publishing. When
he was into his book about 3 months, he realized his dialogue was bad
and completely rewrote it. "I'm in the country of Steinbeck,"
he told himself. "I'll stop when I can write as I remember how I
felt reading
'The Grapes of Wrath' when I was thirteen in the foster home. I need to
touch someone with my words, then I'll quit." It took 6 more years
before his book got published. Eddie recalls a number of author workshops
he attended, one especially that was an author retreat with
face to face editing. He got feedback on his words and sentences. One
of the "book doctors" told him to leave this first book and
count it as training and start another. But this wasn't an option for
Eddie, he was determined to get it published.
The Hardback edition
of Eddie's first novel was called "Gold Rush 2000." The paperback
edition is called "Gold Lust." Winner of the National Publishers
Freedom Award as the Best New Fiction in the USA and Canada, as well as
a Regional Award for best mystery by an independent publisher. This mystery
thriller was published by California Coast Publishing in Salinas, California.
Because Steinbeck
was an inspiration to Eddie as a youngster, it was especially moving and
thrilling to have the Steinbeck Museum in Salinas accept "Gold Lust"
as the first (other than Steinbeck) book into their resource center.
An exciting Epilogue
to this story is at the time of this interview, CW Productions and Creative
Artists Agency from the Paramount Lot in Hollywood had called Eddie and
relayed their interest in pursuing the possibility of purchasing film
and TV rights to his story.
Currently, Eddie is
working on the sequel and second of a trilogy called "Gold Raid"
that continues with his characters and ongoing adventures of a gold rush
in modern times.
His book can be purchased
online at www.booksbymitchell.com for $15.95. Check out his website for
more information on his books and if you have an interest in writing,
he is starting a newsletter that will be journalizing his own struggles
and highlights on the life of an author. END
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