When the alien Gardener invaded the agricultural world of Vasquez, only that planet was in immediate danger. Now humanity must be warned of possible attack and retired Marine Lieutenant General Colby Edson is the only man for the job. With his dog Duke, he jury rigs an alien ship and traverses the wormhole to New Mars, only to become trapped while more of the Gardener's soldiers invade and attempt to strip away all trace of humanity from the planet. But are the invaders intent on destruction and conquest, or are humans simply weeds in their garden? In a battle of wills and strength, who will irradicate whom?Former psychology professor Lawrence M. Schoen and retired Marine Colonel Jonathan P. Brazee join forces in this second volume of the SEEDS OF WAR trilogy, pitting Marine against Gardener, with the fate of all of humanity hanging in the balance.

Scorched Earth - Seeds of War

Noah Lindt heard the call of duty after the tragic events of 9/11. Despite a hampering medical condition that kept him on the outskirts of his high school class, he was accepted into the Marines where he found out he had a singular skill. He could outshoot almost anyone. Marksmanship alone is not enough to be a successful scout sniper. Teamwork and mental discipline are paramount, and the self-professed loner has problems adjusting to his spotter as well as the rest of his platoon when they deploy to Ramadi, "the most dangerous city on earth." As a HOG, a "Hunter of Gunmen, " Corporal Lindt has to break through his personal barriers and become not only a marksman, but an NCO of Marines if his team will make it through numerous engagements with an enemy who has put a bounty on all American snipers.

Sniper

Zachary Cannon joined the Navy to get trained as a radiology tech, a skill he could use to get a job and support his family after his enlistment. But the needs of the Navy take priority, and much to his surprise, he was given orders to the Fleet Marine Force as a corpsman to an infantry battalion deploying to Iraq. As part of a rifle squad in Ramadi, Zach joins the Marines on patrol, in assaults, and on security duty, facing the same dangers and hardships. Ramadi is a hotbed of insurgent activity in 2006, and Zach's medical skills are put to the test as he witnesses death and injuries. Faced with snipers, full insurgent attacks, IEDs, rockets and mortars, and the never-ending heat, he cannot be a simple observer, there to treat his Marines. Navy or not, he quickly realizes that he is expected to be a full member of his squad, a combat corpsman.

Combat Corpsman

Staff Sergeant Gracie Medicine Crow is quickly becoming the most noted sniper in the United Federation Marine Corps if not in all human space. She's the go-to Marine for the most difficult missions. Not all of these missions are against human targets, and some missions require more than sniper skills. Gracie is tasked with a "material denial" target, in this case, a BOLO ("Be On The Lookout"). However, the circumstances are such that she will need support getting to the firing point and then exfiltrating, all on a friendly planet. Instead of having a squad of Marines as she would have wished, the powers-that-be decide she needs a SEAL team, the Federation's ultimate clandestine operators. SEALs are not overly fond of Marines, however, and they resent simply being in a support mode and having a Marine sniper assigned to them take the shot. Gracie isn't overly pleased with the situation either, but the mission comes first, and she'll do her best to accomplish it.

Bolo Mission

Staff Sergeant Gracie Medicine Crow, United Federation Marine Corps, is training snipers in the Galeland militia when Intel discovers a High-Value Target is scheduled for a clandestine meeting in the planet's badlands. Pulled from training, Gracie is given the mission: take out the HVT--permanently. High-Value Target is a short story about Gracie, the protagonist of Sniper, Volume 2 of the Women of the United Federation Marines.

High Value Target:  A Staff Sergeant Gracie Medicine Crow, United Federation Marine Corps, Short Story

In the near future, the Marines have been brought to full status after budget cuts had relegated them to guarding embassies and the White House.  Newly commissioned 2dLt Anthony Niimoto, a hero of the embassy takeover in New Delhi, is with the first Marine battalion to get back into the deployment cycle.  Assigned to anti-piracy, this is supposed to be a dull deployment.  But when a US ship is seized by Somali pirates, it's First Platoon, K 3/6 at the tip of the spear.  With SSgt Davidson, an ex-Ranger who returns to his Marine roots, the two of them must lead their platoon into harm's way, ever conscious of Black Hawk Down, the Battle of Mogadishu. Was Tony Niimoto a one-shot wonder in New Delhi, or does he really have what it takes to be a leader of Marines? (Although a stand-alone book in its own right, this is Book 2 of The Return of the Marines series.)(Note:  there is a glossary of military acronyms at the end of the book for those not familiar with them)

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