Author Cecilia A. Garcia

Change is not always easy. In fact, more often than not, change is extremely difficult and can be uncomfortable. Everyone at some point in their lives has to go through change. Whether it be changing schools as a child, going off to college, changing careers as an adult, or changes in family dynamics.

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

Memorial Day is always a solemn day for me, but this year, it has an even deeper meaning, as it’s the 22nd anniversary of my Alive Day. As I pay my respects to all my fallen brothers and sisters, I also take a moment to reflect on what I have learned about my own journey of surviving war and a roadside bomb attack. If I could go back to the afternoon of May 25, 2004, and face my blood-soaked self, these are the 22 things I would tell her: 1. The person you were before today i

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

When I published Always Forward in September of 2021 with a cliff hanger, I knew readers would want, no, demand Chasing Ghosts as soon as possible! Fortunately, I was one step ahead and had Chasing Ghosts ready to publish by February 2022. Having written a total of five novellas, sometimes Chasing Ghosts gets lost in the mix when I talk about the series. In some ways, Chasing Ghosts is the middle child of the Always Forward family. Sandwiched between the intensity and rawness

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

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.

For days leading up to May 25, I have been trying to think of something meaningful to write. With the impending 20th anniversary of the explosion, I felt I should have a well-written, thoughtful statement to share with the world.

May 25, 2004, is a date that has permanent residence in my brain. Throughout the years, I have tried hiding from the events of this day, I have tried out running the traumas, I have spoken out about them, and finally, I have faced those memories.

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.

As I sit here and reflect, I give gratitude for another year of circling the sun. It's hard to believe that just one year ago, I was in the final stages of publishing Always Forward, and now, I'm in the final stages of publishing book three- Carry On. It may have taken me seventeen years to get Always Forward out of my head and onto paper, but now it seems I may never stop writing!

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.

Last night, I went through photos from my time in Iraq, trying to gain some inspiration for a blog post. If you haven’t noticed, I have been a little behind with my writing and figured a stroll down memory lane might be good for the creative brain.

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.

By definition, surrender means to cease resistance to an enemy or opponent and submit to their authority. Now, in terms of the military, a soldier never wants to surrender. It’s drilled in our brains from the moment we start our training, never to surrender. It’s ingrained in us that if you surrender, you are weak.

I grew up surrounded by men in my family who had served in combat and in peacetime. From my grandfather in WWII to my uncles and Dad in the Korean War to more uncles and cousins in the Vietnam War. I knew from a young age the true meaning of patriotism and service above one’s self. But I did not grow up dreaming of joining the military.

When I first came home from my deployment to Iraq, I would dream about Iraq almost every single night. Some nights it was that we were engaged in small arms fire, and some nights it was another IED (improvised explosive device) blowing up around me. For those first few months, I didn’t know how to cope with what was happening when I was asleep. I didn’t share with anyone, not even my partner, that I was having these dreams.