Damascinus

Children’s author Damascinus came to writing kids novels via a unique route. A Counterterrorism expert, he began writing in between military missions in foreign hostile environments as a way of coping with insomnia, trauma, and keeping grounded in an extremely challenging environment of wartime operations. He gained confidence in his writing ability through college professors and peers who found his stories imaginative and engaging.

Damascinus was inspired to write his debut novel, Dante & the Magic Lomi Stick after suffering a near fatal medical incident which left him permanently disabled. During his lengthy recovery stay in the hospital, his contemplation of mortality gave him a renewed appreciation for life and motivation to pursue significant goals, and he began writing in earnest a story based on his young son, Dante. His novel, based in Hawai’i where his wife is from and where their son was born, reflects his military experiences and his time stationed on Oahu, bringing its rich culture and history onto the page after spending hundreds of hours of researching.

Having lived a storied and multilayered life, Damascinus’s experiences with poverty, homelessness, PTSD, abuse, trauma, and various setbacks have led him to use that to mentor and develop leaders in his professional life as a managing partner at his company. Damascinus believes a great book is one that allows the reader to see themselves as a character and relate to their experiences. He hopes his young readers, particularly those who are at-risk with shared experiences, come away from his story feeling a power of resilience, friendship, and principles that stay with them long after the book is closed.

Damascinus currently lives in Northern Virginia with his wife & son.