My first children’s book was more than a year in the making, and launch day was yesterday. Andy the Admiral and the USS Shipshape was released on September 1, 2026. Andy is the first book in The Shipshape Shipmates, a new children’s book series that introduces young readers to the people, traditions, and values of the U.S. Navy through colorful characters, rhyming stories, and adventures at sea. At its heart, Andy the Admiral is about character. Through a day aboard the USS Shipshape, Andy...

If you’ve followed along on this site, you know my journey with Lessons from the Admiral — from the first manuscript to the Frankfurt Book Fair, from 100 days to 200 days to a third printing and nearly 10,000 copies. That journey changed me, and it opened a door I didn’t expect. The seed for this book was planted over thirty years of naval service. As a retired U.S. Navy Captain and Naval Flight Officer, I flew in the back of the P-3 Orion — first as a Navigator and Communicator, then as a...

It's now been more than a year since Lessons from the Admiral, Naval Wisdom and Sea Stories was released. Last month, I approved the third printing, as I easily approached 10,000 copies across hardback, ebook, and audiobook formats. And Lessons from the Admiral has received the Book Excellence Award in Leadership! While I have started to work on my next leadership book, I have taken a slight detour to write and publish my first children's book, Andy the Admiral and the USS Shipshape. It will...