“Rescued” by Panama school graduate, Andy Vistrand, has recently been awarded a bronze medal from the Military Writers Society of America.
Even after his passing, Andy Vistrand’s beloved dog, Dozer, is still making an impact on his life.
This time, Dozer helped Vistrand win a bronze medal from the Military Writers Society of America for Vistrand’s book “Rescued”
Vistrand graduated from Panama Central School in 2003, and published his book “Rescued” in 2023. He also served in the Marines, and was honorably separated after serving for five years. “Rescued” focuses on Vistrand’s real life story of how he met Dozer following his time in the Marines and struggles with work after being laid off. Vistrand and Dozer met in 2009 and Dozer passed in late 2022, which is when Vistrand decided to write his book.
Vistrand submitted “Rescued” to the Military Writers Society of America competition in early 2024.
“It was no surprise that I would be hearing back from the Military Writers Society of America because I had submitted ‘Rescued’ for consideration for the annual award banquet,” Vistrand said. “However, I was absolutely shocked to receive the email where I learned that it had won an award. The MWSA did not share what specific award it had won; that was left as a surprise.”
Pictured is Andy Vistrand and his book, “Recued,” which focuses on the story of his life with his dog, Dozer.
Submitted photo
Vistrand said it was understood that the award had the possibility of being a gold, silver or bronze medal from the beginning of the competition, if it won anything at all. He added that while he felt personally that he had a quality product, he did not expect his very first book ever to win any kind of honor or medal.
Winning the bronze medal for his book is something that Vistrand said means a lot to him.
“It means the world to me to be recognized amongst an organization of my peers,” Vistrand said. “You see, those associated with the MWSA, are not just authors, but they are military veterans. They all have individual stories to tell themselves. Some of these folks have stared death in the face, made the best of hardship, and have seen and endured the ugly side of war. The subject matter of my book may have also been a relatable topic with that audience making it well received but that’s not what wins the honor. The MWSA does not evaluate on the subject matter but they do evaluate the book on technical and visual acuities.”
Books are specifically evaluated on four areas including content, style, visual appeal and technical mechanics of writing, Vistrand said. Additionally, he said military members and veterans are held to a higher standard with this, just like with anything else, and that this award is not just any award but one of distinction.
“I can now add ‘National Award Winning Author’ to my official writing resume,” Vistrand said.
As far as sales of the book go, “Rescued” has earned Vistrand the distinction of being the third highest selling author in his publishing group in the first quarter, and the top spot of the group in the second. He has attended several local book signings and author talks across West Tennessee and received praise for having the courage to share his story, including about how at the time when he met Dozer he was in a bad place and not OK.
“I have also learned just how serious people are about their pets,” Vistrand said. “In some cases, I guess meeting with folks about the book can be considered a therapy session because they begin talking about their animals and they always have the biggest smiles on their faces. The amount of joy from just talking to people about dogs puts them at ease. People tend to open up more and share their personal experiences more freely. On a number of occasions, I have met people that have experienced similar happenings and agree that an animal’s company has been the one thing to help their broken soul to heal over a period of time.”
Vistrand has also met military family members who have reported that his story resonates a lot with them and that they had experienced similar low points in their life. He said he hopes that if he accomplishes anything with his book it would be reaching someone in need of a remedy to pull them back from the darkness that he once endured.
Future books will be a part of Vistrand’s future, specifically two books that he is already working on. The first project, which is a little further along than the other, is non-fiction and focuses on a true story that he was asked to write by a very good friend.
“This person, who wishes to remain anonymous, was the Chaplain for the Tennessee Law Enforcement Training Academy’s Basic Class #1700, of which, both of us were members in 2013,” Vistrand said. “The story is about his struggles with the perplexities of life, the job, and his relationships and how that affected his daily outlook.”
The second book is also non-fiction, focusing on the stories of at least two local West Tennessee Veterans that Vistrand said he holds in high regard, and who both are very well respected Marines with intense stories to share about their experiences in Vietnam and returning home.
“Rescued” has been submitted to the Best Indie Book Award contest as well, which is an international honor that Vistrand said he hopes to hear back from next year. Besides writing, Vistrand said he has “a lot of irons in the fire”, working a full-time job, having a family and kids that are involved in sports that he loves to watch, along with being a Marine veteran affiliated with veteran organizations that keep him busy.
“Writing, as much as I love to do it, is a part time job for me,” Vistrand said. “I do the best I can to juggle my priorities and my interests.”
Vistrand thanked everyone that has supported his writing efforts over the years, especially with the writing of “Rescued”, specifically thanking Bob Lingle of Good Neighbor Bookstore in Lakewood where the book is currently on the shelves, and the Post-Journal for sharing his story.
“To be a National Award Winning Author with the debut book and to represent Western New York and West Tennessee is an incredible feat and one that I am incredibly proud of,” Vistrand said. “I hope it provides lasting encouragement to anyone pursuing their dreams. Semper fi.”
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Publish date : 2024-11-01 18:31:00
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