Author Cecilia A. Garcia

When I first set out to write the Always Forward series, I wrote it for myself. I didn’t anticipate that, when I published it, I would have to talk about the series, which would mean sharing my own experiences in war. And more than that, I never considered how many people would be willing to open up to me. Over the last five years, I’ve had the privilege of meeting so many amazing and interesting readers at events. And I’m always honored when someone decides to share a person

Disclaimer: The following content is solely my point of view. I do not speak for any other Veteran or Veterans Organizations. I have a love/hate relationship with the Fourth of July. I know as an American I should be proud to celebrate our Nation’s Independence Day; however, as a Veteran who has found her moral compass, it’s a very complex day to celebrate. Most Americans honor this day with fireworks. Setting off big, colorful ones and loud, booming cannon-like ones. But fir

I saw a blue jay today and thought of you. Stella and I were walking one of your favorite routes to the cemetery. We were at the last house before the entrance, you know the one. In the front yard, there is an old oak tree stump that now serves as a bird feeder for squirrels and a few birds. Stella saw you first. A bright blue flame between two well-fed black squirrels. I smiled and thought of you. You finally made it. All those years of chasing squirrels, and now you get to

As I reflect on the last twelve months, I can’t help but think that if there was ever a year for my mantra to be "Always Forward," it was this year, 2025. This year was the year of the colossal rollercoaster ride. And just like one does when riding such a ride, all you can do is buckle up and hold on for the highs and the lows. My year began full of excitement and energy as I accepted a new role in my day-to-day profession and prepared for the release of The Burdens We Carry,

Over the last few years, I have been fighting with my inner demons when it comes to being a Veteran. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve never stopped being proud of my service and who I served with during my eight years. But I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about our mission and if all the death and destruction was worth it. The best way to explain it, and the way I explained it to my therapist, is that it feels like my moral compass has been recalibrated. I’ve officially been out of

Earlier this year, my family had to say goodbye to two of our three beloved dogs in 30 days. If you follow my social media, then you may recall our 23-year-old min-pin poodle mix, Nappy. Nappy was my CFO for my book business, but if I'm being honest, she was the CEO of our home. She lived an outstanding life, and although it was challenging to decide to say goodbye, as a family, we knew it was the right choice to make for her. It gets to a point with senior dogs where one has

Happy Indie Author Month! Yes, that’s right, April is the month of indie authors. Indie authors may have a variety of reasons for why they decide not to take the road more traveled, but no matter what the reason, I can say without a doubt it takes a lot of grit and determination. When I chose not to seek an agent and skipped the traditional publishing route, I was terrified. If it wasn’t for my dear friend and author mentor, Author A.A. Lewis, I’m not sure I would have ever t

I published Always Forward on September 25, 2021. Seventeen years after the concept for "Always Forward" came to me while deployed in Iraq, I finally released the first novella in the series. What started as a three-part series quickly evolved into a five-part series. The journey Always Forward has taken me on has been complicated but beautiful.

Every year, in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., we see countless social media posts and news sources citing famous quotes from the late Dr. King Jr. I know posting these quotes comes from a place of good intentions; however, I always wonder how many people have taken the time to read the entire speech from which the quote is posted.

Resilience is a word I have heard quite a bit over the past six weeks. From family, friends, and former colleagues to even my therapist, I keep being told- “You are so resilient. No matter what happens to you, you always bounce back.”

I love doors. I have been obsessed with them since I was a young girl. Whenever I travel, I love to take photos of interesting ones. It’s funny because as I look through my collection of pictures of doors, they are always closed.

It occurred to me over the weekend that I have not written a new blog in a while. I argued with myself, saying- “No, I definitely have written a blog this year.” So, because I am a true Virgo, I looked up my blog history and sure enough, I haven’t written a blog since December of last year.

For the last several years, I have reflected on the year and established what I want for the year ahead. I used to fall into the same pattern many others have of setting resolutions for the year ahead. Lose weight, run a marathon, do this, and do that. Sometimes I achieved my resolutions; other times, I did not. I realized that halfway through the year, I often lost my focus.

This past weekend, I was honored to be one of many authors to attend the Louisville Book Festival. This year was the first in-person event after having the festival virtual in 2020 and 2021. Having a virtual book festival allowed the authors to get to know each other, but nothing could beat being in person and meeting new readers.

When I learned the news of the overturning of Roe vs. Wade, like millions of Americans, I was in shock and disbelief. It has taken me over a week to process my emotions about this sensitive issue that impacts every single woman in America.

But today, I want to share something a bit more personal. This week, I lost someone who played a pivotal role in my finance career and has been there for me for most of my time since leaving the Army. When I first started my banking career, I was grateful to have several extraordinary female leaders to teach me the ways of banking. One of these women pushed me to be a better leader and better human.

The following commentary is strictly my perspective around the holidays while being deployed. I do not speak for members of the military. Like many of my previous blogs, this is my point of view only. When you are celebrating holidays while on deployment, it can be difficult. You miss your family, you want to know what everyone is doing for the holidays, but then you also want to shut everyone out and block out anything related to Santa, gifts, and everything else that comes

My eight years of service in the Army shaped me into the woman I am today. I was seventeen years old when I left home, flying for the first time to basic training. While my friends partied before leaving for college, I was in South Carolina, being called Pizza and stripped down and built back up into a fighting soldier.

Like countless Americans, I remember exactly what I was doing when the first plane crashed into the World Trade Center Towers on September 11th, 2001. Both my spouse and I had the day off since it was our one-year wedding anniversary and we planned to relax and spend time with our daughter, who was seven months old at the time. We woke up to the phone ringing and my mother-in-law told us we needed to turn on the news right away. All she knew was that a plane had crashed into

I will be forever grateful for my mentor!