A paean to her soldier stepfather, Cutshall’s new book is a reminder of how much one person can mean to many others. When Jean Luc became her new parent, Cutshall was a diffident teen and not easily impressed, but as time passed, she came to hold JL, as she calls him, in great regard. A man of few words who showed his beliefs through action—and plenty of it—he gave pointers along the way, urging her to "take responsibility for the person you choose to be." When the retired Green Beret died suddenly of a heart attack, Cutshall considered the impact he had had, even saving some lives in combat, and started to collect materials for this book. Tall, muscled and handsome, JL looked like the "badass" he could be if tussled with, but he had a heart of gold.

Cutshall, who has previously written self-help material, shows here her skills as a sensitive, organized wordsmith, combining personal recollections with some pertinent historical data in this finely honed posthumous biography. Though necessarily poignant, her account is not without humor, a major example being JL's arrest while on US military duty in France for dodging the French draft, an occurrence that later led to his meeting with Cutshall’s mother who helped him with the necessary bureaucratic paperwork. The author visits West Point, talks to former comrades-in-arms, chronicles JL’s deployments in Sudan, Grenada, the Gulf War, and a secretive mission to the Middle East after 9/11, cites his many awards, and includes a few well-placed photos. The final segment of the book is a eulogy delivered by JL's grandson. Cutshall's book joins the ranks of accomplished tributes to the dedication of our American military personnel and will be appreciated as such.

Twenty percent of the net proceeds from this book is being donated to Disabled American Veterans. 

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