Editing

Civil: Life After the Foreign Legion
by Joel Adam Struthers

From the foreword
by Caroline du Plessis:

“…You can feel the stress of the environment like a tightly coiled spring, ready to explode. Those years of deployment to Iraq and Afghanistan seem a world away now but life was lived in a different ‘lane’ then, where death and destruction stalked your every hour. Joel brings this time into sharp focus, he cuts through the embellished, the fabricated and self-aggrandisement of so many accounts and captures the complex reality that existed.”

After his service in an elite commando unit, in the French Foreign Legion (2eREP), Joel Struthers flew helicopters in the Canadian Rockies and returned to warzones as a contractor, all while raising two kids.

His challenge as an author was to weave his many adventures together into one story. He hoped it would be a worthy follow-up to his first book, Appel: A Canadian in the French Foreign Legion, featured on Jocko Podcast. But his most ambitious goal was for his story to serve as a “post-military travel guide” to some of the places he worked.

I worked with Joel as a developmental editor and beta reader to provide feedback on his theme, tone, and structure. I helped him craft his impressive life story into a heartfelt page-turner that connected with military and civilian audiences alike.

The success of Civil was a boost to Joel’s other projects on and off the page.

From Lawyer to Warrior by Chris Pavlak

"I connected with Charlie to get 'rudder steers' (as we say in the Marine Corps) on a draft of my own book.

He has a keen perspective on writing and can identify themes in a work even the author may have overlooked.

He will help you in the organization and structure of your work according to the themes you've worked together to identify.

Finally, he'll be there with you 'in-the-trenches' to assist with the difficult, but necessary work of editing and revising; ensuring you're saying exactly what you want to say, in the best way you can say it.”

— Chris Pavlak,
Author of From Lawyer to Warrior

When Chris Pavlak’s dream of a stable and lucrative career in law didn’t pan out, he blazed a bold new path for himself. He became a Marine officer where he led rifle and sniper platoons.
By writing his memoir, he hoped to inspire readers who had faced a significant setback and were looking for what’s next.

Chris reached out for developmental edits and guidance through the publishing process. He already had a powerful manuscript. We worked together to bring his central theme into focus and help his distinct voice come through loud and clear.

From Lawyer to Warrior debuted as an Amazon Best Seller. Chris has been featured on CBS Eye on Veterans and a number of other podcasts and reading lists. Ironically, he is also a bestseller in “law school guides.”