New military book series underway

Petty Officer Second Class (Retired) Tina Renaud and Lieutenant-Commander (Retired) David R. Lewis

Peter Mallett, 
Staff Writer

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A pair of military veterans has launched a publishing company to share the stories of the military community, first responders, and their families.

“Battle Rattle Press wants to celebrate the service, the sacrifice and the diversity of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) and first responder community, and how each author incorporates a connection into a larger mission,” said Lieutenant-Commander (Retired) David R. Lewis, co-owner of Battle Rattle Press.

A former Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) Public Affairs Officer, Lewis formed Battle Rattle Press in May together with Petty Officer Second Class (Retired) Tina Renaud, his long-time friend-turned-business partner. The pair is currently working on a series of 12 books containing short stories of people who have experiences within the CAF, first responder, and military family communities.

“This series intends to spotlight the uniqueness of each individual within the commonality of a desire for service,” Lewis said.

Lewis expects most of the contributors have found ways to integrate their identities into their careers. This, he says, is something Battle Rattle Press wants to celebrate.

Passion through experience

Lewis served 13 years as a Public Affairs Officer at CFB Esquimalt, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and Ceremonial Guard on Parliament Hill, and was also deployed to Afghanistan.

Tina Renaud served eight years in the regular force as a Finance Clerk, and then 14 years as a full-time Class B Reservist, working in human resources, before her medical release.

“Tina and I have both worked with every race, faith, gender, and sexual orientation, and people of all walks of life in the military during our service,” Lewis said. “We really want to convey the message of what an honour it is to work with, share, and learn from a diverse spectrum of people.”

A tool for healing

Renaud thinks writing will help some of Battle Rattle’s contributors in healing and recovery.

“Telling your story to the world will help get it off your chest, but may also help the next person,” Renaud said. “The story or problem you share could be a little blip on your radar but could be something that keeps someone else afloat.”

For more information, visit the Battle Rattle Press website
www.battlerattlepress.com.