Author Q&A With James McDevitt

James McDevitt is a U.S. Army infantry officer, firefighter, and combat veteran with deployments to Iraq and Syria. He served with distinction as a commanding officer, leading troops in some of the most demanding environments of modern warfare. With 20 years of military service, James has also been a professional firefighter in Alabama for over a decade.

He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of South Alabama and has accrued over 200 credit hours of continuing education. As a certified leader in both uniform and life, James brings disciplined execution to everything he does—from public service to creative work. James is the author of A Walk Among Heroes, a historical fiction novel inspired by true events, generational sacrifice, and the quiet strength of men shaped by war and love. His work draws from personal experience and a lifetime of observing what makes people endure, serve, and matter. Meet James:

You are an author, but is it your day job? If not, what fills your days? I am a full-time firefighter. I work 24-hour shifts. I am also a member of the National Guard. I sauna and swim before and after my shifts. Then I go to jiu jitsu three to four times a week. I write and read when I can, and I am a husband and father the rest of the time—that and lawn work.

Did you always want to be an author? The first book I started writing was after watching Denzel Washington’s movie The Hurricane in the 6th grade. Nothing ever came of it, but I guess you can say that’s when the idea came to be. My biggest goal was always to play in the NFL.

What is your most recent book, and what inspired you to write it?

I had a goal to read 100 books in a year. I reached 73, and during that time, I decided to write my own. This was during my second deployment to Iraq, from 2009 to 2010, that inspired me to write A Walk Among Heroes. I think the book Snowleg was the inspiration.

How do you hope your book uplifts those who read it?

I hope it inspires them to love and live life to the fullest. I hope they can see the beauty in the world and realize that everything, both good and bad, makes us who we are. I also hope veterans who struggle know they are not alone and there is a life after war.

What are you most excited about with this book? What excites me most is that I finished a book. I get excited writing the scenes, and it feels like I get to hang out with my best friends again. A lot of the characters in the book are people I’ve deployed with over my 21-year career.

How did writing a book help your career take off? My only two careers have been the military and firefighting. I hope that this book will be a success, and then I can start another career in writing.

What advice would you give to someone wanting to succeed in your professional industry? My advice would be to go after your dreams and don’t let anyone deter you from them. I’ve found that helping others is the most rewarding thing I can do.

How do you handle setbacks and criticism? I thoroughly enjoy setbacks and criticism. That’s how we learn and become better at what we do. It may not be too enjoyable at the time, but in the end, we learn the most from failure.

Being an author today is like running a business. How do you manage all your publicity and social media while maintaining high reader engagement? I have no idea how to keep up or how it works, but I will try my best. I strive to be as genuine and authentic as possible.

How do you hold yourself accountable and achieve the goals that you set forth? Holding myself accountable is one of the hardest things to do because I have ADHD and I am constantly distracted. I tend to make it a point to stick to the few things I’ve always come back to throughout my life. Writing is one of them. Consistency is key.

How do you structure your day and make time for writing? I have little structure in my day for writing with a 5-month-old baby. I get to it when I can in very brief moments. The most writing I’ll get done is at the fire station in between calls. I’ve read several books on daily schedules, and I hope to settle into one of my own.

What do you find most fulfilling in the career that you’ve chosen? I find it most fulfilling to help others in their time of need and be that rock that they can rely on when they need someone the most. To be a calm presence so they feel safe and protected.

What book uplifts you? I love books on time. They keep me grounded and let me know how precious every day is. It doesn’t stop, and it’s profoundly beautiful.

Anything else you’d like to share with your readers? I want my readers to know how thankful I am that they’ve taken time out of their day to get lost in one of my stories. That’s the coolest thing to me, and I’m so appreciative, good or bad.

You can learn more about James and his book on his website.