Vinson sailor goes to Africa, comes back with novel
December 21st, 2009 | individual augmentees Shore duty The Middle East | Posted by Phil Ewing
Ships' libraries could add a novel by a Navy author, who wrote after hours during an IA stint this year in Djibouti // PH2 Kurtis Korwan / Navy
If serving ashore as an individual augmentee is going to stay a reality of sailor life for a long time to come — which is what service officials keep saying — here’s a good example of how to make the best of it: IT2 Angela Bryant, of the carrier Carl Vinson, was sent to Djibouti on an IA assignment this year. The multinational base there, Camp Lemonier, is one of the hottest and smelliest places in the world, but did that bother Bryant? No. She used her time on the Horn of Africa to write a book:
“I started writing when I was 15 for the fun of it,” said Bryant. “I wanted to become a writer to put more realistic books out there. There were variety of books I wanted to read out on bookshelves, and I didn’t see them out.”
As an IA, Bryant worked during the day and wrote four to five hours at night.
“You really don’t have the time, but I tried to allot a time,” said Bryant. “I love writing. It’s a passion and a hobby for me and to see my book published and on the shelves, it’s an accomplishment for me.”
Publishing the book was a long process for Bryant. She designed the cover, layout and pictures. Once the first draft was complete, she found a publishing company that bound and published the book, which is now available online.
You can check out Bryant’s self-published novel, “Love’s Triangle,” here, and even read an excerpt for free.