Teatime and Books: Blog Tour ~ Deadly Dunes - A Mac McClellan Mystery, Book 3 by E. Michael Helms

Deadly Dunes (A Mac McClellan Mystery Book 3)

E. Michael Helms

Blog Tour

April 25 – March 25

Hours after hiring Mac McClellan to investigate the supposed suicide of her archaeologist brother, single-mom Jessie dies in a car accident. Jessie had just showed Mac artifacts and a copy of a map Jake found, items that indicate Hernando de Soto and his explorers might have camped on Five Mile Island during the winter of 1539-1540. Studying the map, Mac determines the site lies in the middle of a planned resort, The Dunes. Declaring the area an historic site could shut the project down. Suspicions aroused, he forges ahead, even though he no longer has a paying client.

Everywhere Mac turns, greed abounds, and no one he interviews seems innocent, even Jessie's closest friends the Deckers, who have adopted her teenage daughter. Ron Decker's construction company is building the Dunes, and he is heavily invested in its success. Then there is the oily son and ex-stripper wife of an old curmudgeon who won't sell the one lot the project still needs to acquire. Jake's estranged wife Laurel had plenty to gain from his death, and as Mac continues to dig, he begins to wonder if Jessie herself had more at stake than he was led to believe.

No one is happy about Mac's persistence, and someone is unhappy enough to crash his truck and frame him for yet another murder. But Mac isn't giving up, no matter what the cost.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27400409-deadly-dunes?from_new_nav=true&ac=1&from_search=true

Amazon Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01CQ26XFU/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?ie=UTF8&btkr=1

Amazon Paperback: http://www.amazon.com/Deadly-Dunes-Mac-Mcclellan-Mystery/dp/1603813470/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

During our meeting at Panama Joe’s Jessie had mention that her brother found the artifacts near the bay overlooking what appeared to be a dead forest sticking out of the water. That had to be The Stumps, and most likely the location of the Spaniards’ winter fort, if it had existed. But there was no telling how far out into the bay the small forested peninsula had extended during de Soto’s time. My guess was the main part of the fort was now under several feet of water. From my front pocket I pulled the map Jessie had given me of what during the 16th century was a seven-mile-long peninsula. I took it out of the protective ziplock bag. After studying it a minute or so I slipped in back in the bag and back in my shorts pocket.

My plan was to start inland and work my way in a crisscross pattern toward the bay. Not being familiar with the metal detector, and knowing I was looking for iron objects as well as coins, I turned the discrimination knob low and the sensitivity setting to about midrange and pressed the “All Metal” display. With those settings I’d probably come across a lot of trash, but it was my best shot at finding something worthwhile.

Sweeping the coil back and forth, I almost immediately picked up several beeps of different tones. I pinpointed the object as best I could, then dropped to a knee and pulled the garden trowel I’d borrowed from Kate from my back pocket and dug into the sand. A few seconds later I flipped up the rim of an old drink can that predated all-aluminum cans.

The next ten or fifteen minutes produced nothing but pull tabs, rusted cans and other junk, and then the detector let out a beep different from the ones I’d been hearing. Digging down about four or five inches, I heard the trowel strike something solid and metallic. My adrenaline rushed as I lifted a coin with a trowel-full of sand. Brushing the coin clean, I saw it was an Indian Head penny in rough condition, dated either 1903 or 1908. It was no 16th century Spanish coin, but what the hell, I figured it had to be worth at least a few cents. The trip wasn’t a total loss.

The wind was picking up, and the thunder was getting louder by the minute. Deciding my chances would probably be better closer to the bay, I hurried in that direction. Jerry and I had to motor back to St. George, and I damn sure didn’t want to do it fighting a gale. About ten feet from the edge where the dunes began to slope downward to the bay the detector cut loose again. I dropped to both knees and began digging. I dug about a foot deep came up empty, so I passed the coil over the pile of sand I’d excavated to make sure I hadn’t missed anything. Nothing. I kept digging for another six or eight inches and then an object hit the pile and slid down a couple of inches. At first I thought it was an old bracelet someone had lost years ago, but on closer inspection I saw it was several small rusted oblong or circular loops linked tightly together, forming a patch-like object a couple of inches long and maybe an inch and a half wide. I had no idea what it was, but I slipped it into my pocket. You never know.

A few feet away the Bounty Hunter beeped again. Down and digging, I soon turned up a similar object, although this one was a little smaller in length. I dropped it in my pocket with the other one as a voice called out, “Hey, you!”

Oops! I turned and saw a tall lanky man with bushy hair approaching from about fifty yards away. He wore a tan shirt and trousers and a brown ball cap. It wasn’t a county sheriff’s uniform, but I had no intentions of hanging around long enough to find out who the guy worked for.

I scrambled to my feet and trotted toward the ledge as a shot rang out. The SOB was shooting at me, at least in my general direction! I hit the deck, cradling the detector in both arms and low crawled to the dune wall and went over head first. I spit out a mouthful of sand and tried to let loose a warning whistle to Jerry, but I doubt you could’ve heard it five feet away.

I turned feet-first and slid on down the slope and hit the beach running. Jerry had the boat waiting a few feet off the shoreline. I high-stepped through the shallows. Tossing the detector into the boat, I grabbed the bow and pushed for all I was worth. Jerry gunned the motor in reverse. I hung on until I managed to pull myself aboard and flop onto the deck.

“Turn this thing around and get the hell out of here!” I shouted, but Jerry was way ahead of the game. We were thirty or forty yards past the end of The Stumps when another shot rang out, barely discernable above the roar of the Merc 50. By then I was more pissed than scared, and if the Bounty Hunter was an M16 I would’ve had that chickenshit wannabe cop hugging Mother Earth for all he was worth.

* * *

Mac McClellan investigates a young archaeologist’s death whose recent discovery threatens to kill a planned multi-million dollar Florida waterfront resort.

Kami made sweet love to the pole, sliding, spiraling, grinding. It wouldn’t need polishing for a month.

She gathered the money and strutted offstage to wild applause, hips bouncing like a Victoria’s Secret Model.

E. Michael Helms grew up in Panama City, FL, on the beautiful coast of the Florida Panhandle. He played football and excelled in baseball as a catcher. Turning down a scholarship offer from the local Junior college, he joined the Marines after high school graduation. He served as a rifleman during some of the heaviest fighting of the Vietnam War until wounded three times in one day. Helms discounts it as "waking up on the wrong side of the foxhole."

His memoir of the war, The Proud Bastards, has been called “As powerful and compelling a battlefield memoir as any ever written ... a modern military classic,” and remains in print after 25 years.

The Private War of Corporal Henson, a semi-autobiographical fictional sequel to The Proud Bastards, was published in August 2014.

A long-time Civil War buff, he is also the author of the historical saga, Of Blood and Brothers.

Seeking a respite from writing about war, Helms decided to give mysteries a try. The first novel of his Mac McClellan Mystery series, Deadly Catch, was published in November 2013 and was named Library Journal's "Debut Mystery of the Month." The second Mac McClellan Mystery, Deadly Ruse, premiered in November 2014. It won the 2015 RONE Award for "Best Mystery." Deadly Dunes was published in March 2016 by Camel Press. Deadly Spirits is scheduled for release in January 2017.

With his wife, Karen, Helms now lives in the Upstate region of South Carolina in the shadow of the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains. He enjoys playing guitar, hiking, camping, fishing, canoeing, and is an avid birdwatcher. He continues to listen as Mac McClellan dictates his latest adventures in his mystery series.

Represented by Fred Tribuzzo, The Rudy agency.

Teatime and Books

Author Interview Questions

1. Describe a typical writing day. Are you a morning, afternoon, or night-owl writer?

A. No night owl here. I usually try to start work around 10 a.m. and generally finish between four or five in the afternoon. I’m a “panster” although I wish I could write a decent outline. It just doesn’t work for me. I do keep a running calendar on which I record the day’s major scene(s) and anything else of importance to the story. I also edit as I go. I’ll read the previous day’s work and edit as needed. I often go back many pages and edit when the plotline calls for it. I usually have a pretty clean manuscript when I type “The End.”

2. Can you tell us about your current work-in-progress?

A. That would be my fourth Mac McClellan Mystery, Deadly Spirits. Mac is drawn into the world of the paranormal when two mysterious deaths occur within a few days of each other. Mac is a natural skeptic. But will he be by book’s end?

3. What inspires you when you’re writing?

A. I’d say it’s more compulsion than inspiration. What is inspiring is when the characters take over and the story almost begins to write itself. Without the help of my characters I doubt I could finish a book. Strange, but true.

4. What’s your favorite item on your writing desk?

A. The huge stacks of books, hands-down. I have a few reference books, but most are novels waiting to be read. I’ve read a few and keep them around for inspiration (hey, I suppose we can add that statement to question #3). I love books and tend to collect them. I have hundreds (probably thousands) and unfortunately won’t live long enough to get to half of them. Books have excited me since I was knee-high to a cypress stump. I was always athletic and would play until dark when I could, but at night I was a voracious reader.

5. What’s your favorite genre and why?

A. Right now, mysteries sit atop my favorite genre totem pole. They say “write what you know,” and as a combat veteran I began writing about war. My first book was a memoir of my time with the Marine Corps in Vietnam. After that I wrote a few novels about war and its aftermath. Having real-life experiences to draw from, there was plenty in the well. However, it was gut-wrenching work to draw bucketful after bucketful from that source. I finally knew I needed a break. I’d loved reading the Hardy Boys mysteries as a kid, so I thought I’d give mysteries a shot. Luckily, my first effort paid off with a contract. I did, however, make my protagonist, Mac McClellan, a retired Marine with combat experience. That helped me get inside his head and learn what made him “tick.” Some things, it seems, you just can’t get away from entirely.

6. Any advice you have for a blossoming author?

A. Read! That’s the best education a prospective writer can get, and it’s free if you have a library card. Read the best authors in the genre(s) you want to write about. Pay attention to how the authors handle setting, characterization, how they propel the plotline, and especially, dialogue. There is nothing worse than stilted or poorly written dialogue to bring a book to a screeching halt. Make sure you study punctuation, especially how it’s used in dialogue. I can’t emphasize this enough. A book I highly recommend on the subject of dialogue is “SHUT UP!” He Explained, by William Noble. I have the old 1987 edition, but it’s been updated. You can find a good used copy at Amazon.com for a penny plus shipping. Or, you can be kind to the author and buy a new copy!

7. When you’re not writing, how do you spend your time?

A. I’m a big fan of the Atlanta Braves and try to catch all their games I can. I also enjoy college football and NASCAR racing. I generally record movies on TV to watch later. I love the old mystery noir flicks. And (don’t tell anybody!) I’m a sucker for those sappy Hallmark Channel movies. Oh, and of course I read whenever I can. I live on a small semi-private lake and the fishing’s good. I like to canoe and I’m a long-time bird watcher. It’s a juggling act.

8. What or who inspired you to become a writer?

A. As I mentioned before I’ve been an avid reader as long as I can remember. Going on all those vicarious adventures around the world was a big influence. My wartime experience was also significant. I felt compelled to get it out of me, tell the story many of my friends never had the opportunity to tell. As far as authors, Mark Twain was huge. I also enjoy Erich Maria Remarque, Sloan Wilson, Raymond Chandler, and Ross Macdonald among many others.

9. How long have you been writing? How long as a published writer?

A. I started freelancing magazine articles in my early twenties with modest success. In my thirties I began sending articles to a New York based Vietnam War magazine. I eventually had a featured cover story published there. That was a big confidence-builder. Around the same time I began group therapy with other combat veterans for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. One of our assignments was to keep a journal to express our thoughts, feelings, etc. Mine soon began to take book form. I sent a few chapters to the same New York editor I mentioned above, hoping he might like to publish a couple as stand-alone articles. He told me to keep writing and to send him the entire manuscript when I was finished. I didn’t know it at the time, but he also worked as a literary agent. He became my first agent and sold my Vietnam memoir to Kensington/Zebra. The book was published in 1990 and remains in print today. Simon & Schuster/Pocket bought the rights and it’s been with them since 2004.

10. Anything else you’d like to share with your readers?

A. Yes. Authors thrive on book reviews. Writing is very hard work and takes a toll mentally and physically. Hemingway said, “There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.” He pretty much nailed it. Whenever I see a new review for one of my books, it’s like a pat on the back, or a huge “thank you!” It makes the bleeding worthwhile. You don’t have to write a lengthy, in-depth review. Two or three sentences are fine. Believe me, you’ll make the author’s day by posting a review at Amazon.com or Goodreads.com, or wherever you choose.

Just for fun:

11. Do you have any pets?

A. Yep. One tabby cat who adopted us, named Tom. And one dog, a female Goldendoodle. Zoey was seven weeks old when we got her, and very small. She’s eleven months now, and not so small.

12. Who’s your favorite musician/band?

A. That’s a tough question. I was a teenager in the 1960s and got caught up in the Beatles craze. I still think they’re the most talented group, especially songwriting, ever. I can do without a lot of their later weird stuff, but at their prime they were great. I’m also a big fan of the early blues, just a man and his/her acoustic guitar and maybe harmonica. I’ve played guitar since I was fifteen (self-taught), and the early or “country” blues has fascinated me for the past decade. Mississippi John Hurt and Son House stand out, but there are many others I enjoy.

13. What’s your favorite vacation spot?

A. I grew up and lived most of my adult life in or near Panama City, FL, on the panhandle coast. The town’s motto used to be “The world’s most beautiful beaches!” It was arguably true back in the day, and was a vacation magnet. The sand was white as sugar or fresh-fallen snow, and the tall dunes and beautiful water lived up to the name. Alas, with construction comes destruction. The beaches are so built-up now with condos and hotels it’s hard to catch a glimpse of the sand or water while driving along Highway 98. Most of the dunes were leveled, a hard lesson learned too late. Now they pump sand from the Gulf of Mexico to build a dune line, but man can never duplicate nature’s work. With every storm, it begins all over again.

Oops, I’ve gotten off-subject. I used to love traveling the West in my VW van I converted into a camper, and visiting the National Parks. Yellowstone is a wonderland everyone should try to visit at least once. Hint: go during the off-season to beat the crowds. Glacier NP is stunning. One of my favorites was Big Bend NP in West Texas. It’s situated along the Rio Grande River. Within its borders you have huge sheer-walled canyons, desert (beautiful in its own way), and the Chisos Mountains which reach heights of 7,825 feet. It’s an amazing place. Unfortunately, it has become increasingly dangerous with illegals and drug smugglers crossing its vast and isolated expanse. Several areas have been closed or restricted. I doubt I’ll ever see it again.

14. Do you like coffee or tea?

A. Coffee, hot and black. I do like iced tea with fresh lemon, no sugar or artificial sweeteners. I know, as a born and bred Southerner I’m supposed to love sweet tea. For me, sweet ruins the flavor.

15. Did you go to college? If so, what was your major?

A. I attended college on the G.I. Bill for about two semesters, and then dropped out. I was twenty-two but felt so much older than the other students. I didn’t fit in. That was most likely a holdover from Vietnam. I enjoyed history, geography, and geology. I was also taking creative writing courses and doing very well. I hadn’t declared a major, but probably would’ve gone for a journalism or related degree.

16. Are you a full-time writer or do you also work in another field? If so, what field?

A. Fortunately, I’m a full-timer and have been for a many years. I began as a freelancer, and later wrote for and edited a couple of area tabloid-style newspapers. The books followed. I’ve been able to scrape by, rich by no means, but comfortable.

Thanks for having me, Janet, I’ve enjoyed it!

Blog Posts:

Editing a Manuscript to Death

By E. Michael Helms

A year or so ago I was seeking a new publisher for my Mac McClellan Mystery series. Despite very good reviews the previous publisher decided to cut-back their “private eye” series to focus more on legal, medical, and international thrillers (or so I was informed). With a couple of new books in the McClellan series already completed, my agent and I set out to find a new home for the retired Marine sleuth before an extended absence caused readers of the first two books to forget about Mac and crew.

While my agent beat the bigger bushes, I began querying small and mid-size houses in hopes of finding that gem in the haystack of the publishing world. Within a few days a small press (who shall remain nameless for obvious reasons) contacted me, requesting the full manuscript which I promptly sent. Fast forward a couple of weeks:

“We love good mysteries, and this is a very good mystery! But . . . (ellipsis mine)—

What followed was a list of major “problems” with the manuscript, and the editor’s ideas of how to fix this, that, and the other. Ultimately, his suggestions amounted to an entire overhaul/rewrite of the manuscript.

My answer? Not going to happen! My reasons were sound. Without going into endless detail, trust me when I say I wondered if the guy had read the same book I’d written. Every issue he had, be it the plot or otherwise, I came back with a logical explanation. I’ll give a few examples and leave it at that:

(Editor): The bad guy is brought in way too late. You’re not playing fair with your readers. Have him show up early.

(Me): Um, the bad guy strikes in Chapter Two. His/her identity isn’t revealed then, but he/she does make an offstage appearance by murdering his/her first victim in Chapter Two. He/she strikes again and again later in the story just to stay in the picture before he/she is finally revealed. Is Chapter Two really “way too late?”

(Editor): Your backstory is overwhelming.

And—

(Editor): I realize this is a series and you can’t retell the whole backstory on that but give us enough to explain why the character and the relationship is important.

(Me): Huh?

(Editor): You have a huge amount of clichés in here; get rid of all of them.

(Me): I counted eight of what could be considered true clichés. Eight. My protagonist, Mac McClellan, has a sense of humor, and he will occasionally use a “dreaded” cliché in conversation or to make a point. People use clichés in real life. I choose not to ban all clichés. Don’t fill up your manuscript with them (unless it’s a book about clichés), but don’t treat them as anathema, either.

(Editor): Semi-colons and ellipses should be cut. (I love them, too, and when I write, I keep them all in until the last edit and cut them out.)

(Me): Since when should all semi-colons and ellipses be cut? Who made that rule? Instead of an ellipsis to indicate a pause in conversation, should I use (beat) instead? Okay, don’t overdue either, but sometimes compound sentences are called for, and what the heck is wrong with an occasional ellipsis? That’s my opinion and I’m sticking to it.

(Editor): Get rid of all the bad words that are nothing but busy noise (just, very, pretty, really, still, some, perhaps, maybe, which, since, etc.)

(Me): Are you kidding me? Wow, talk about dry, boring dialogue, especially if your book or characters are located in the South. Okay, per the usual unspoken writing rule, don’t overuse these words and others so that they jump off the page at you, or every character says these words over and over. But get rid of all of them? Really? I think not.

Here is the shocking conclusion to this semi writing rant: I told this editor and his publishing house “No thanks.” And a short time later my agent landed a new home for the next four books in the Mac McClellan Mystery series. The lesson? You are the writer; (oops, semi-colon, sorry!) you know your characters, you know where your book is going, and you are not averse to listening to sound advice from a competent editor. But watch out for wolves in sheep’s clothing (oops, cliché!) that lurk out there in the publishing world. Don’t destroy your book at another’s whim. After all, it’s your baby, not theirs.

End

Character Interview

Interview with Mac McClellan

Today we’re pleased to welcome retired U.S. Marine-turned-private investigator Mac McClellan to Teatime and Books. Mac retired from the Marines a few years ago after a twenty-four year career. He has graciously agreed to answer a few questions that might be of interest to the readers of Teatime and Books and his Mac McClellan Mystery series.

Janet: Welcome to Teatime and Books, Mac.

Mac: Thanks for having me. Good to be here.

Janet: Tell us a little about your background. When and where you were born, your education, military service, what brought you to the Florida panhandle after your retirement, etc.

Mac: I was born and raised in Brevard, North Carolina. I played baseball and football, and loved to camp and hike in the nearby mountains. After graduating high school I joined the Marine Corps on my 18^th birthday, August 8, 1990. My training ended just in time for me to participate as a rifleman in Operation Desert Storm. My unit was involved in taking the airfield at Kuwait City in late February of ’91. The Iraqis put up a good fight and it took us several hours to secure the area. I took a round through and through the left thigh during the battle and earned my first purple heart. Nothing bad, just a lot of blood.

After the First Gulf War I did a two-year stint with Division Recon until I blew out a knee during a training op. After rehab I transferred back to a rifle company. By the time President Bush Two decided to invade Iraq, I was a staff NCO. I served as platoon sergeant on my first deployment. Later I was promoted to Gunnery Sergeant and served as company gunny during my next two deployments. My second deployment to Iraq was in 2004. It included the Second Battle of Fallujah in November. Fallujah was a bitch. Enough said.

What brought me to the panhandle? A good buddy of mine used to brag about the area all the time. We made plans for a fishing trip when our deployment was up, but he was KIA at Fallujah. My last deployment to Iraq was extended because of Bush Two’s troop surge. When I got home my wife told me she was tired of playing both father and mother, and wanted out of the marriage. I knew she was seeing someone, but we agreed to stay together a couple of more years until our twins, Mike and Megan, finished high school. Shortly after I retired, they left for college. Jill wasted no time presenting me with the divorce papers. We signed before a judge, I bought a camper, and headed for Florida.

Janet: So, your Marine Corps friend and your divorce brought you to the panhandle; why did you decide to stay?

Mac: It’s complicated. The Corps had been my home for twenty-four years. I was newly divorced. My wife was living in “our” dream retirement home with her Navy chopper-pilot boyfriend. The kids had flown the nest. I came to the panhandle to fish, relax, and think about what I wanted to do with the rest of my life.

One morning I snagged a badly decomposed body while fishing near Five Mile Island. It turned out to be a popular young local woman who was supposed to be honeymooning with her husband in the mountains of Georgia or North Carolina. She also happened to be the niece of the local sheriff. We butted heads and I was warned not to leave Dodge. Then a baggie of marijuana was found stashed aboard my rental boat. Just so happens a bale of the same strain of pot had washed ashore near where I discovered the body. I knew then somebody was setting me up to take the fall. One thing led to another and I was able to solve the murder and bust up a connected drug-smuggling ring. Oh, and Kate Bell had a little something to do with my staying. She works at the local marina. We hit it off right away. She was a big help in solving the case.

Janet: Interesting. So you enjoyed the “thrill of the hunt” so much that you decided to take it up as a vocation and become a licensed private investigator?

Mac: (Laughs.) Not exactly. You can thank Kate and her “Uncle” Frank for that. I’m an old movie buff. One night Kate and I were coming out of the theater when she got a quick look at who she claimed was her former boyfriend. Problem was, the guy had been dead for twelve years. I tried to get her to listen to reason, but she kept insisting it was the same person. I went with Kate to see Frank Hightower. Frank’s a very close friend of the Bells, a retired cop who now runs his own private investigative company in Destin, Kate’s hometown. Kate had kept Frank informed about the murder and drug case I’d solved. Frank thought I had the makings of a decent PI. Together they conspired to get me to snoop into Kate’s old circle of friends and find out if there was anything to the boyfriend’s reappearance or not. In exchange for my time, Frank offered to pay all fees while I worked on becoming a bona fide investigator and Kate’s case. Voila—Mac McClellan, PI.

Janet: What makes Mac McClellan “tick?”

Mac: I’d say a strong sense of duty, dependability, and responsibility.

Janet: Those are certainly admirable traits. Any faults?

Mac: (Laughs again; pauses … thinking.) I’ve put on a few pounds. I need to drop about ten to get back to my fighting weight. And Kate thinks I drink too much. I guess she’s right. Maybe.

Janet: Moving along, are you a religious person?

Mac: No, not really. I went with my parents to church and Sunday school when I was a kid. I don’t think it did me much good. I’ve seen too much crap to believe in a loving and benevolent God. How many times have you seen coverage of some natural disaster on TV, like a tornado? They interview some guy standing outside his demolished house and he’s saying, “The good Lord was really watching out for us today.” And down the street a mother and her two young kids were crushed to death or sucked out of the house and killed. Where was the “good Lord” when that was happening? Life is a crapshoot. Call me agnostic. I’m not saying there isn’t a god, but if he/she/it exists, he/she/it doesn’t give a damn about the human race.

Janet: What does combat-hardened, former Marine Mac McClellan fear most?

Mac: Letting someone down.

Janet: Short and to the point. I like that. Favorite food?

Mac: Steak and shrimp. And BLTs.

Janet: Drink?

Mac: You buying? (Laughs.) Scotch, beer, ice tea—lemon,no sugar—and water.

*Pours him a cup of hot tea and hands him the cream and sugar*

Janet: Tell me the first word that comes to mind when I say: women.

Mac: Pedestal.

Janet: War.

Mac: Peace.

Janet: Surrender.

Mac: No.

Janet: Very good. What are you especially proud of in your life?

Mac: My kids. They’re both good people. Kate Bell. I’m a better man for knowing her. And I like to think I’ve done my best, or given my all when it comes to interacting with people in general. The Marine Corps had a lot to do with molding me into who I am today.

Janet: A commendable answer. One last question: is there a code or creed that you live by?

Mac: Absolutely—Semper Fidelis. Always faithful. To me, that says it all.

Janet: Thanks for being with us today, Mac. It’s been a pleasure having you.

Mac: Thank you. It was a pleasure being had. (Laughs.)