Veteran Empire with Timothy Lawson, USMC

We're back from the hiatus and going into full swing. This week brings Janine Spendlove, Marine Corps Major and fantasy author. She currently has a Kickstarter going for the third installment in her War of the Seasons series. She talks with us about her time in the Marine Corps, the story behind motivation to write, her book series, and Silence in the Library Publishing. Featured track is Push Harder by RSonic.

A lot of people have been waiting for this one. Fitness model, Alex Minsky, joins Lawdawg for a very cool interview. Alex talks to us about his recovery from alcohol, the accident that took his leg, rehab, physical therapy, fitness, being a model and how he approaches daily life. This is a great combination of insight and entertainment. Featured track is Footprints by Chadd Downing. www.veteranempire.com

Its not easy being in the military as a single mom while battling breast cancer.  So, we brought Mylee YC onto the podcast to talk to us about how she's doing it with such strength and courage.  Mylee talks to Lawdawg about her decision to join the military, her diagnosis, battling cancer and the response from her community.  Lawdawg chimes in with cancer stories of his own.  Featured track is When We Were Young by Tucci.  www.veteranempire.com

We're taking a different approach to "Veteran" this week as we bring on Matthew VanDyke who served with the National Liberation Army of Libya. Matthew talks to Lawdawg about his experiences in Libya, his motorcycle ride across Africa & Middle East, the situation in Syria, and his documentary "Not Anymore: A Story of a Revolution." Matthew has some amazing stories and you'll want to hear each one of them. Salute to him and his dedication to Syria's revolution. Check out the trailer to the short here:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_hwm5MSlIQ&feature=youtu.be

Philly stand up! We got Rec Raw on the show this week. He was recommended to me by Steve Sxaks of Marsten House. Rec and Law go into hip hop, Jay-Z's legacy, the vibe in Philly, our favorites and more. Check out his music at his bandcamp: recraw.bandcamp.com www.veteranempire.com

Cedric Terrell joins us this week. Cedric has a photography studio in Washington DC and services many cities around the globe. Cedric tells us how he got into photography, what he enjoys about it, working with clients and he even gets into a few of his opinions on the photography world. Also, for your listening pleasure, we bring on Max, the creator of Terminal Lance. Max joins us this week to talk about his Kickstarter project for his graphic novel and other projects that are included in its success. Featured track is The Anomaly by Bless the Mastermind.

Lawdawg brings a fellow podcast host on the show this week! Karl Morand, an Army vet, hosts Middle East Week, a podcast that discusses current events and high interest topics from the Middle East. Listen and learn how Karl got into podcasting, why he chose the subject matter and what he enjoys most about it. Featured track is Tecmo Superbowl by Spaceman, Spaceman.

Surprise! The tables are turned and Lawdawg is the interviewee on this week's show. Jovane Henry, of The Vet View, was nice enough to take the reigns and interview Tim for this special episode. Law shares stories from joining the Marine Corps, experiencing cancer, how he started doing podcasts, and more. He even drops the bomb on a "big name" guest he plans to have on later this year. Enjoy! www.veteranempire.com

We have another Army veteran joining us today. Carl Churchill founded Lock N Load Java. Lock N Load Java is a coffee company that is highly supportive of the military, as they donate a percentage of their proceeds to charity and have a program that allows consumers to buy coffee for troops down range. Carl and Lawdawg discuss enjoying coffee, the creativity behind making good coffee, the perception on a few "popular" veteran charities and more. If you like coffee, you'll want to check this one out. www.locknloadjava.com / www.veteranempire.com

Montgomery Granger is our special guest this week.  He's an Army veteran and wrote a book titled "SAVING GRACE AT GUANTANAMO BAY: A Memoir of a Citizen Warrior."  He has a lot of fascinating stories to tell and shares a few of them with us on the podcast.  Listen to Montgomery explain the hardships of serving at Guantanamo Bay, how CNN admitted to fake stories and how "secret squirrels" lied about the death of detainees.  All that and more on this edition of the VE Podcast.  Matt Dunn brings another featured track this week with Pop's Song (remastered).  www.mattdunnmusic.com / www.veteranempire.com / http://sbpra.com/MontgomeryJGranger/

We have another hot model on the show today (which makes me wish we did video podcasts).  Arys Daniela is a Marine veteran who now models and blogs about firearms.  Lawdawg talks to Arys about her modeling life, her experience with pageants, her developing skills with a firearm and much more.  Be sure to check out Arys' site:  www.arysdaniela.com

A special edition of the VE Podcast this week brings us two famous creators in the VE community.  Max, creator of Terminal Lance, and Paul, creator of The Duffel Blog, join Lawdawg on this week's show.  The three fellas go over a handful of topics.  Max and Paul both explain how they felt when they first started their projects, how social media has enhanced them, the impact of the fans and plenty, plenty more.  Stay through to the end to hear a song from Union Hill.

Veterans are very inspiring.  This week's guest is exactly that.  Melvin Kearney, an Army veteran, is excited to tell you his story.  Melvin passionately speaks on his experiences in the military, his work with Wounded Warriors and being a cast member on ABC's "Nashville."  Learn about his hardships in Iraq, losing his mother and sister, auditioning for his current role as Bo and how much he enjoys working with the rest of the cast.  If you like a good veteran story or simply love watching Nashville, you'll enjoy this interview.

Before you listen to this week's show, go to this link and watch a video of our guest: http://www.worldstarcandy.com/watch/55599 That sexy lady is Jacqueline Carrizosa, a Navy veteran and girl of all trades.  She's into fitness, skateboarding, shooting guns, modeling, motorcycles, and, most of all, marine mammals.  Our interview with her covers all of that and more.  Be sure to listen through to the end to check out another track from our man, Chadd Downing.  All inquiries for Jacqueline should be sent to Jacqueline.Carrizosa@gmail.com and be sure to check us out at www.veteranempire.com

VE has a new fitness ambassador.  We affectionately call her "Dream Catcher."  We're excited to have her involved in our community and part of our team.  We brought her on the show for a quick interview to discuss fitness, nutrition, and more.  If you're into fitness and love learning about inspiring veterans, you'll want to check out this show.  Featured track is "Get on the Mic" by Chadd Downing.  VE Salute!  www.veteranempire.com