PUYB Blog Tour Guest Post: Looking For A Role Model by Malcolm Petteway

It’s my pleasure to host Malcolm Petteway today with a guest post! Welcome to Reviews By Molly, Malcolm! Please take it away……

Looking for a Role Model

In life we all need role models, someone that shines the light of inspiration to fuel our aspirations. The entertainment media, like books, usually provide that inspiration through strong characters doing the right thing during difficult situations.

However, I’ve witnessed a disturbing trend of late. The popularity of the anti-hero characters in the entertainment media is insidiously becoming more and more popular. Gangsters, mobsters, and other criminals, including crooked cops and politicians are becoming the protagonists, invoking sympathy and encouragement from the audience. This emotional rollercoaster was once reserved for true heroes, but not anymore. Now, more than ever, the good guy or girl doesn’t always win the day.

In books, fiction authors believe this is more pragmatic and brings realism to their books. I agree, in life the one who supports the moral high road and tries to do what is right, accepts responsibilities and tries to fix the situation, does not always succeed. I agree, bad things happen to good people and good things happen to bad people. That is life. But we don’t always have to embrace it as the perpetual truth; especially as artists. Entertainment should not be our only goal as fiction authors. I believe inspiration needs to be a key ingredient to really be able to entertain. As a fiction novelist, I believe our audience should finish our books feeling thoroughly exhausted from the rollercoaster ride they just read, but gleefully inspired by a powerful and positive protagonist—a role model.

I am using science fiction to inject positive protagonist into an entertainment media that is bombarded with negative characters that somehow have become role models. I wrote the military science fiction series, Osguards: Guardians of the Universe with this goal in mind. Osguards: Guardians of the Universe is a gripping ride through time and space, detailing the horrors of antebellum south, the strife of the post reconstruction era, the grit of U.S. urban life at the turn of the century and ultimately the terror of an escalating war played out in the heavens above present day unsuspecting Earth–all surrounded by complex military and political stratagems for power. Osguards is a detailed military science fiction series, framed in American History, peppered with intrigue, filled with adventure and coated with technical wizardry. The series is written in the same fashion as Star Trek, Star Wars and Stargate; with protagonist like Captain James Kirk, Han Solo and Colonel Jack O’neil

Homecoming, my first book in the series establishes the Osguards as a strong family tied together by honor and duty. Michael Genesis is the First Osguard and the leader. When I invented him years ago, I think he was the man I wanted to grow up to be most like. He is caring, decisive, intelligent, faithful, honest, loyal, strong and most of all good-looking. I put him in stressing and nearly impossible situations, testing his character. Somehow, he turns despair into victory. It may not be the 100% victory, but it is a victory he can accept.

Revelations, my second book in the series, introduces Juanita Genesis-Clark. She is an Osguard that is called to duty to save the organization even though she is grieving the loss of a loved one, for the second time. She is strong, somewhat ill-tempered, loyal and dedicated. A quiet battle rages in her that no one else is aware is taking place. Her actions decide the fate of millions.

Armageddon, my third book in the series, centers on Jarod Stone, another Osguard, who must fight his inner prejudices in order to defeat the enemy. He is funny and outwardly lovable, but confused, and sometimes overwhelmed by the responsibilities of being an Osguard.

Revenge, my fourth book in the series, brings us back to Michael. In this book, we see Michael’s persona is just a shield for his own perceived inadequacies. He loses his confidence and doubt creeps in his soul. For the first time in his life, he must rely on others to save him.

The Osguards are the kind of characters that should be prominent in the majority of fiction books. I believe protagonists in fiction can be mentally, emotionally or spiritually flawed and immature at times, but they should show growth, healing and depth in order to achieve the likability factor, which keeps a reader interested. I also believe, in order to make a fiction book work; the antagonist must be either likable or despicable–I chose despicable. Conversely, if they are likable, they should never outshine the protagonist.

Face it, in a world with so much negativity thrown at us, fiction authors should not glorify the bad, but uplift the good. I pledge that my books will do just that—uplift the good. We all need role models. Tell the truth; growing up, how many men wanted to be like Captain Kirk and women wanted to be like Xena?

Malcolm Dylan Petteway is a senior military analyst, a retired military officer and a twenty-year veteran of the United States Air Force. He flew B-52’s as an Electronic Warfare Officer and has 3,000 flight hours and 300 combat hours. In his distinguished career, Malcolm has used his knowledge in the art of war, military weapons and combat defenses in planning over 400 combat sorties.  Besides his Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters and numerous other awards, Malcolm is the recipient of the U.S. Air Force Air Medal and the U.S. Air Force Air Achievement Medal for his actions during Operation Enduring Freedom. Malcolm Petteway is a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy and California State University.

His latest book is Homecoming – Osguards: Guardians of the Universe (Book 1).

You can visit Malcolm at https://www.ragebooks.net.