Books by Phil Emmert

When a man kills and observes killing in war, he is indelibly changed, the trauma stamped upon his soul.Tommy Neal, a depression-area Hoosier farm boy, never dreamed his life would change so drastically or so quickly until that fateful day: December 7, 1941. President Roosevelt said it was a day that would "live in infamy," and indeed it was such a day for thousands of American and Japanese families.Tommy and his friends had been eager to sign up and fight for their country. What an honor it would be. In the end, however, his mind was troubled and his heart consumed with guilt.How could he ever be at peace with himself?Tommy finds his reprieve through a series of unexpected events and with the help of God, family, a professor, a woman, and a baby.

There shall be wars and rumors of wars . . . So goes a biblical prophecy.In America Rebooted, the country becomes a part of that prophecy when war hits with a sudden fury one summer day. Major cities are decimated. Known comforts and technologies are all but obliterated. However, the tenacity of the remaining men and women won't allow their nation to die.The story focuses on one family in particular-the Hunts from North Carolina, who were completing a Colorado vacation on that ill-fated day-and how their godliness and fortitude carry them through the devastation and confusion. This is a saga of bravery, ingenuity, and resolve. This is America rebooted.

Those outside our circle may not really know who we are-we assumefacades to disguise our worries or afflictions. We wear our masks and pretendto be fine, while on the inside, the monsters lurk, ever present. Ultimately,we will make decisions which change our course forever. We takethat proverbial fork in the road. Is it the broad highway that leads to destruction? Or is it the less-traveled path that leads to a fulfilling life? Time will tell; time always tells.We all face many demons in this life. These demons have many names:hardship, bitterness, boredom, misgivings, addictions, and hopelessness,to name a few. To take flight from life or to fight for it? These are ourchoices.In this book, which delivers two resonating Christian stories, we get toknow people who overcome their despair through faith in Christ. As youread these accounts and get acquainted with the players, you may suddenlyfind that you know these people . . . You may even catch a glimpse ofyourself in the reflection of these pages.The wonderful love about which Christ speaks in his word overcomesthese adversaries in a most magnificent way-not always as we had hopedand not always as we had anticipated. But always better than we could everimagine.

It was the era of the Baby Boom, new jobs, automobiles, and housing opportunities for American after WWII. William Henry faces his teenage years with the fervor of most kids that age, and all the joys, anxieties, and learning that come with them. When the first jet flies over his hometown in Indiana, he and his best friend Peanut are enthralled, a fitting introduction to the many changes their youthful eyes would soon witness in years to come. The Afterglow of War: Lessons Learned is the final book in a two-book series of short stories which give an accounting of these times. When War Was Heck, the first book, describes William Henry's view on life during the War. And now he, his family, and his friends-old and new-learn fresh lessons about life after the war. Some are typical experiences familiar to most kids, like driving a car, changing tires on the car, the woes and throes of puppy love, the language of golfing, and secretly sipping on whisky from the kitchen. But the greatest lesson for William Henry is realizing that opportunities are earned, and once earned, the most appreciated of gifts.

What was life like through the eyes of an all-American ten-year-old boy during WWII? Today, grown men have man caves in which to take refuge. William Henry had his thinking tree, where he could hide amongst the leaves on his special limb, spying on people in the street or talking to an unseen being about his hopes and dreams. It was wartime mid-1940s, and this tree served him well as his place of refuge. Occasionally, he allowed his friend Peanut to sit with him in his thinking tree. There, they would devise plans and plot against both real and imagined enemies. The years were filled with typical boyhood adventures: swimming, baseball, basketball, and snowball fights. Intermingled among the wreckage of war were narrow escapes from bullies and monsters on the home front. Boyhood war games were prompted by newsreels and Hollywood movies. In William and Peanut's war, the Allied Forces always won and wounds were never fatal. An entertaining history lesson? You'll find one in this clever tale-packed full of facts and humor . . . all from the unique perspective of a ten-year-old boy.