BRAT and the Kids of Warriors was honored to recieve the 2018 Beverly Hills Book Award for Young Adult Fiction.
Growing Up Military
Brat: Kids of Warriors is mainly about a bunch of kids growing up Army. So I thought you might like to hear from a bunch of real brats what it’s like for them growing up Army. This fabulous video was put together by Donna Musil.
read moreElmhurst resident discusses novel series about military brats
Suburban Life interviewed me, and published this article about Brat and the Kids of Warriors: Q&A: Elmhurst resident discusses novel series about military brats By MARY STROKA Michael Joseph Lyons, an Elmhurst resident of about 24 years, considers his hometown to be the U.S. Army. With a father who was a U.S. Army colonel, Lyons moved nine times, spent 12 years overseas and attended 11 schools by the time he graduated from Lyons Township High School in 1969. As an adult, he continued to serve in the U.S. Army, leaving with...
read moreExperience Matters interview with Author Michael Joseph Lyons
An interview with Drew Berquist, the show host of Experience Matters. “U.S. Army Veteran and author of “BRAT and the Kids of Warriors joins Michael Joseph Lyons joins the show to discuss his book.” If you would like to see more of the interview, or more episodes, simply paste CRTV.com/Experience into your social media accounts and a graphic will populate. That landing page will walk them through everything.
read morePraise For Brats By Brats
I have been so fortunate to have a fabulous group of advance readers for BRAT and the Kids of Warriors. Just look at their wonderful endorsements. “I absolutely love this book. Reading it made me feel like a kid again, right there in Germany. Jack McMasters is a true brat.” Michelle Miller, Army Brat Administrator for Facebook Group, “You’re...
read moreBRAT and the Kids of Warriors Launches at German American Friendship Week Celebration
BRAT and the Kids of Warriors Launches at German American Friendship Week Celebration Göppingen, Germany I wrote BRAT, in part, to make Cooke Barracks come alive again. The US Army base I called home in the fifties was decommissioned in 1992. Getting deeper into my story, I realized German American Friendship Week and the German-American bond was key to the plot. Two local German kids became essential friends and allies in this book . . . and especially the next. As I readied BRAT and the Kids of Warriors for press, I learned the Germans...
read moreRussia’s Military Drills Near NATO Border Raise Fears of Aggression
Russia’s Military Drills Near NATO Border Raise Fears of Aggression By MICHAEL R. GORDON and ERIC SCHMITT JULY 31, 2017 A Russian tank exercise CreditPool photo by Alexey Druginyn WASHINGTON — Russia is preparing to send as many as 100,000 troops to the eastern edge of NATO territory at the end of the summer, one of the biggest steps yet in the military buildup undertaken by President Vladimir V. Putin and an exercise in intimidation that recalls the most ominous days of the Cold War. The troops are conducting...
read moreBRAT and the Kids of Warriors – Book Trailer
This is an interview with Michael Joseph Lyons, the author of BRAT and the kids of warriors. In it he talks not only about the book, but also why he wrote the story.
read moreYou Do Judge a Book by its Cover
There simply is no substitute for a great book cover. Unfortunately, developing one is easier said than done. I have, in fact, had several artists propose covers for my upcoming novel, BRAT and the Kids of Warriors. But I simply didn’t think any of them got at what I was looking for. Now, I’m honored to tell you, I have just retained what has to be one of the truly exceptional design teams. First, I had the great good fortune to meet Greg Samata. Over the last couple decades, he designed the annual reports for over four hundred of the...
read moreBRAT Advance Reading Copy gets delivered
This writing a book is a rather consuming journey. But I’m excited to say, I just sent out the Advance Reading Copies of Brat: Kids of Warrior, my first in a series of adventure/spy novels about a bunch of military brats. The first book takes place in post-World War II Germany. The term Advance Reading Copy refers to a book which is pretty much finished, but, as in my case, may not yet be finalized, proofread, or have the official book cover. This early printing of the book is sent to influencers in hopes of getting both their...
read moreThe Gift of Grit
Orleans, France, 1961. In an old farmhouse, an eleven-year-old Army brat hunkered down on his bed so the lamplight would fall across the cover of his book. He studied it a long time before making himself open to page one. He was starved for entertainment and desperate to read the story. His family didn’t have a TV, but even if they had, French television was only on a few hours a day, and the shows weren’t meant for kids. He did like one show on the Armed Forces Radio Network, but “The Shadow” was only half an hour. Sure, he made...
read moreB-17’s dropping bombs over Germany during WWII
B-17’s dropping bombs over Germany during WWII
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I am a military brat—and I say that with great pride.