About the Book

Book:  Healing Thru Service

Author: SGT Q

Genre:  Nonfiction

Release Date: April 22, 2020

In this new war, the battlefield of the mind, hope would become my new ammunition, and the mission field would be the centerpiece of my new battlefield.

A proud Marine since right out of high school, Aaron Quinonez (Sgt Q) was trained to fight the enemy and was prepared for war. When he volunteered for a combat tour in Iraq, little did he know his real battle would be fought in his mind. After eight years of military service, Sgt Q suffered from depression, anger, and panic attacks and was diagnosed with PTSD. He nearly ended his own life in the parking lot of a church, where later he was redeemed by Jesus Christ, who gave him a new life.

Sgt Q traded the battlefield for the mission field and found healing and purpose through building homes and churches, feeding children, and supplying precious hope to struggling communities worldwide. God then called him to form QMissions, a pathway for veterans—Sgt Q’s fellow warfighters—to replace the battle scars of their minds with the joy of serving. In Healing thru Service, you’ll find:

• personal recons—Sgt Q’s anecdotes and adventures
• scientific research on recovering from PTSD and using hope to create new, positive triggers
• the award-winning step-by-step process of healing through mission service, leading to a life of gratitude, fulfillment, and purpose

Although originally aimed at struggling veterans, this book also offers help for anyone in crisis and may be your ticket to a more fulfilled life.

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

Aaron Quinonez (Sgt Q) gave eight honorable years to the US Marine Corps. After volunteering for a combat tour in Iraq in 2003, he was diagnosed with PTSD and contemplated suicide, until Jesus Christ rescued him and gave him a new life and a new purpose. Today he heads QMissions (Qmissions.org), restoring hope and purpose to struggling veterans through mission service. In 2017 Sgt Q was named Seattle’s Hometown Hero. He’s married to Holly, who cofounded QMissions and serves as its director of development.

 

More from Sgt Q

I am excited to release my first book, Healing thru Service, a Warrior’s guidebook to overcoming trauma. My sincere hope is that this book will lead you on a path of healing and restoration. That the lessons within will help you to to lead a more fulfilled life free from your past. God has been so gracious with me as He led me through this process as I am sure He will be with you as well. Each chapter is structured so that I mentor you through the process building one concept on top of another until we get to the final chapter where you will be challenged to put the things you have learned into practice.

 

Author Interview:

What role does God play in your writing career?

I had never pictured myself as an author. And I originally didn’t even want to write this book. I had done a lot of writing, journaling, mostly Bible studies, things like that. I was discovering the things that God wanted to teach me and through those writings and studies, I create a pathway for myself to overcome PTSD. It was a small little Survival Guide that was created over many years of working on the mission field. So, when God called me to write this book I was a bit overwhelmed and reluctant to do so. I had a huge stack of journals from my time on the mission field, a study I had done in different small groups. God showed me that I had already done the writing; I just needed to put it all in order and present it to the people. I would say God plays a huge part in my writing – this book and the life lessons He taught me. Now I get to teach others how to overcome trauma; it’s a process of healing through serving others.

 

 

What has been your favorite book that you’ve written? Why?

I don’t have a favorite book that I’ve written because this is my first book. When I was young, I used to write a lot of short stories, fantasy tales of far off distant planets and things like that. I grew up pretty poor, so I spent a lot of my time in the library reading National Geographic magazines. I wrote a lot of short stories as a kid but as far as books, this is my first one.

 

 

What is the hardest aspect of writing?

The hardest aspect of writing for me would be stopping once I get started on a project. I can just bang away for hours on the keyboard and/or write in my journal or my notebook. I put on my headphones and turn on contemporary classical music like Lindsey Stirling or the piano boys and just get lost in my own thoughts and storytelling.

The hardest part for me is when someone interrupts me and I have to stop, to shut down all of those creative engines and shift my attention to what somebody else wants. It’s so distracting and irritating to me, so the hardest part of writing for me would be stopping.

 

 

Do you have a team or do you manage all aspects of writing by yourself? How do you balance writing, marketing, social media, etc.?

I don’t really have a team. Redemption Press has been great helping me edit the book and get it all printed. They are doing some promotion, but with this being my first book, a lot of the social media and push for it has been my own. Luckily for me I have a ministry which supports what I do and I have access to a lot of people I can share the book with. Now I’m been using it every single time I take a team to Mexico. I’ve been teaching these principles and now when I take people on mission trips to Mexico through Operation Restore Hope, I’ll be able to give this book and they will be able to take it with them when they go home and share with others. It’s really a great outlet to get this in front of a lot of people. Before this I had just a small little guide book, maybe less than a 100 pages that I put together to give people when they came on mission trips, but now I can provide the in-depth classes they can take home with them.

 

 

What do you enjoy most about writing?

For me what I enjoy most about writing is the storytelling. When I was a child, I grew up in a hippie commune. We didn’t have TV and internet had not been invented yet, so I grew up hearing stories, wild tales that the adults would tell about these fantasy realms. We would sit around a fire and tell stories as a kid. I can remember Mike Starkie. He was a mountain of a man. He and his brother had served in Vietnam together. His brother, Max, was a bit of a loner, but Mike was very social. He loved to have people over and he loved to tell stories. I can remember him sitting there with his long white beard on a tree stump in front of the fire spinning tales to all of us kids about dragons and wizards in the forest realms. He was actually the first person who introduced me to The Lord of the Rings series but back then it was the first one, The Hobbit. He would read this story to us as kids. It was far more terrifying than watching the cartoon version or even the movies that are out now. That was pretty much my earliest memory of storytelling. For me, my favorite part about writing is telling the story, being able to try and pull the reader into my own personal experience so they can have a glimpse inside and maybe feel those emotions, understand what a veteran is going through a little bit deeper.

 

Thanks for stopping and connecting here at Spoken from the Heart: If you want to subscribe to my email to receive the latest updated information or to just be encouraged, sign up here: www.cheriswalwell.com

As my way of saying thanks, you will receive a free eBook – Spoken from the Heart: Choosing Grace

Just sign up at: www.cheriswalwell.com

Don’t forget to check out the other blog spots listed below for your convenience.

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, August 7

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, August 8

Texas Book-aholic, August 9

Spoken from the Heart, August 10 (Author Interview)

Inklings and notions, August 11

For Him and My Family, August 12

deb’s Book Review, August 13

Through the Fire Blogs, August 14 (Author Interview)

Locks, Hooks and Books, August 15

Artistic Nobody, August 16 (Guest Review from Joni Truex)

Simple Harvest Reads, August 17 (Author Interview)

Captive Dreams Window, August 17

Ashley’s Bookshelf, August 18

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, August 19

Adventures of a Travelers Wife, August 20

 

Giveaway

To celebrate his tour, Sgt Q is giving away the grand prize package of a signed copy of the book. free access to the online curriculum, and an opportunity to join Q Missions on a mission in 2021!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/fe9e/healing-thru-service-celebration-tour-giveaway