I.M. Aiken is an award-winning novelist and short story author. She lives in Vermont. Please come find her on Substack where she is active (and search engines apparently do not go?!)

Awards\Recognition

• 2026 Next Generation Short Story Award – Inspirational Category for Kahlil’s Wall. A fictional short story about peace during war. In 2006, a queer military intelligence officer builds a wall in Tikrit, Iraq while exploring beloved poetry with her American and Iraqi crew.

• Vermont Studio Center (May 2026) – Fellowship/Artist in Residence

• Westport Writers Pitch & Publish Conference (March 2026) – panelist discussing building suspense in prose

Novels

Captain Henry: 2 ½ Insurrections, 2 Wars, 1 ¼ Centuries, and a Story of Love

A contemporary perspective of American warfare that reminds readers of Hellers’ Catch 22 and Hooker’s MASH.

Centuries and continents apart, two American soldiers deploy in the years after “mission accomplished”–only to discover a land far from peace.

In 1870, eighteen-year-old Henry McDonald enlists in the U.S. military and is sent south to the Reconstruction front, where his sharp shooting and sharper mind earn him the title “Private Trouble.” But Henry finds real trouble in rebellious Georgia, where local Ku Kluxers continue to lynch, loot, and terrorize.

In 2006, Lieutenant Sam Musgrave serves her second tour in Baghdad, Iraq. Stuck in a violent, unwinnable war, Sam seeks refuge in letters home to her partner Brighid–but discovery of their relationship could cost Sam her career. Meanwhile, in the dusty archives of Massachusetts, Brighid makes a discovery of her own: one that leads back to Private Trouble himself.

Based on real Reconstruction-era papers and the author’s own military journals, CAPTAIN HENRY follows the spirit of Catch-22 and MASH – literary fiction written by people who lived the reality of war.

Aiken had no idea that these facts would be controversial in the years that followed the drafting of the novel, a novel of personal passion.

Keywords

Spanish American War, Reconstruction, Civil War, U.S. Army, U.S. Military, U.S. History, Iraq War, Iran War, Posse Comitatus, Literature, Islam, Sunni, Shia, January 6th

Sales Points

• US military special interest/soldier POV
• Timely/educational—outlines the complicated American foreign policy in the Middle East as well as the history of racial violence in the US
• Civil war/Reconstruction era history special interest
• Political meets personal—a love story & a pertinent anti-war novel
• Queer love/Don’t Ask Don’t Tell/LGBTQ+ in the U.S. military

Author’s Notes

This book will not be (is not) what Aiken expected. It is the book she wrote following 20 years of experience and years of research on her family. The novel follows three main characters and three related themes. Themes and topics echoing loudly in 2026, in a way, her novel foreshadowed some of today’s events.

2026 Topics in Captain Henry:

• Posse Comitatus discussions in the news
• The arrest of Don Lemon under anti-KKK laws of the early 1870s
• The present U.S. War with Iran
• The vilification of American heroes and the pardoning of those who harmed/killed them
• Active and aggressive efforts to disenfranchise American voters (paralleling efforts from the 1870s)
• The return of discriminatory rules within the U.S. Department of Defense
• The dreadful experience of knowing that your long military career shall involve one, or two, or three forever wars. I still have one friend (of 30 years) stationed in the Middle East and I can’t help but feel part of me is with her now.

Aiken says she wrote a novel that she thought would be enjoyed by 3 history buffs and 5 genealogy types.

Deets

Publication Date	22 SEPT 2026
Publisher	Flare Press/Catalyst Press
Paperback Edition ISBN	9781963511703	$21.95
eBook ISBN	978-1-963511-796
Audiobook ISBN	978-1-963511-80-2

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Stolen Mountain

“Slow-burning crime drama” Kirkus Reviews

“A smart and insightful little mystery that leaves a big impact.” Kirkus Reviews

I.M. Aiken’s second novel, Stolen Mountain, a classic legal thriller with the fresh style, heart-wrenching twists, and sheer humanity that Aiken is becoming famous for. It is also available as an audio, read by the author.

EMS Captain turned sleuth Brighid Doran trains her forensic eye on The Branston Club—a swanky ski lodge being built in her rural Vermont town.

While dodging danger and digging up dirt, Brighid and team draw the ire of small town politicians, crooked cops, and an ever-deepening chasm of deceptions, all the while struggling to cope with the constant deployment of her wife Major Sarah (Sam) Ann Musgrave.

With help from attorney Morgan Harmon and a hovering FBI, Brighid must determine the truth of a scheme with the potential of defrauding her friends and neighbors of millions… but at what cost to her own relationships and where she calls home?

Praise

Kirkus Reviews

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“What I’m enjoying about [Stolen Mountain] so much is the small town flavor and all the familiar nods to local places and peoples and happenings, but there is a very intriguing plot in the background that is clearly fiction. Think big money coming into Vermont, there’s the ski resort, the local police, there’s fraud, all these interesting characters. It’s really fun.” — Lisa Sullivan, owner of Bartleby’s Books in Wilmington, VT. Vermont Edition, Vermont Public Radio

Deets

Publication Date	23 October 2025
Publisher	Flare Press/Catalyst Press
Paperback Edition ISBN	9781963511284	$21.95
eBook ISBN	9781963511291	$10.99
Audiobook ISBN	9781963511574	$23.05

The Little Ambulance War of Winchester County

A fascinating and darkly funny novel giving readers front-row access to the world of EMS and other first responders — and the sticky, sweat, and sex that accompanies long days caring for others at their most vulnerable.

A fascinating and darkly funny novel giving readers front-row access to the world of EMS and other first responders — and the sticky, sweat, and sex that accompanies long days caring for others at their most vulnerable.

The Little Ambulance War of Winchester County opens readers’ eyes to the human beings and too-often troubled systems we rely on to rescue us. An important and unforgettable saga of the people who race toward danger to save strangers like you.

James Grady, creator of CONDOR and author of THE SMOKE IN OUR EYES

Following in the footsteps of her beloved Boston cop father, Alex Flynn trains as an EMT, and spends her days chasing emergencies in an ambulance. But the person Alex becomes is a far cry from the hero she signed up to be.

Over forty years in public safety, Alex encounters a changing America, where veterans are left to rot on streets, women are welcome in dangerous fields but abusers still walk free, and service providers are subjected to intense public scrutiny while being denied the resources they need. After moving from bustling Boston to small town Vermont, Alex discovers an escalating feud between emergency operators and must decide which to protect, legacy or community.

The first half of this book takes place in Cambridge, where Aiken worked, trained, goofed off, and others “stuff.” Stuff did include getting my head cracked with a boom while sailing, stepping on a rusty nail, finding trouble, and dating “stuff.” If in or near our fair city, please support any number of independent booksellers there.

Praise

“This gritty portrayal of emergency services in urban and rural settings sparked a lively discussion about what these services should encompass, the responsibilities of the community, and the definition of a ‘community.’”— Blu Stocking Lit Society

The novel offers readers front-row access to the challenging world of EMS and other first responders, vividly capturing the stink, sweat, and struggles—including the raw intensity of long days spent caring for people at their most vulnerable. Our group debated issues surrounding social and community services, particularly access to healthcare and emergency services. We delved into the systemic inequities and fraud that plague these systems and the tension between government-provided services and privatized ones—an issue many communities across the country are currently grappling with. For most of us, the ‘ambulance wars’ were a new, eye-opening concept, and this book heightened our awareness of the complexities involved.

We also discussed the main character’s journey—her evolution from an adrenaline junkie to someone seeking the respect her father once earned—and to become an advocate for those in need—was both compelling and inspiring. Her story highlighted the personal toll and profound impact of working in this field.

Author’s Hope for this novel

Aiken admits she’d love this book to be part of paramedic training programs.

Deets

Publication Date	10 September 2024
Publisher	Flare Press/Catalyst Press
Paperback Edition ISBN	9781963511024	$21.95
eBook ISBN	9781963511291	$10.99
Audiobook ISBN	9781963511574	$23.05

Upcoming Works

There are numerous projects slated for 2027 and 2028 including two completed novella that are in the production process with the publisher at Catalyst Press. Additionally, we are releasing a collection of short stories called Trowbridge Dispatch Vol. 1 in 2027. This audio/ebook/print book will provide access to two years of short stories presently available on Substack.

There is a full-length adventure novel underway for 2028.

Bio

Aiken have worked on ambulances off and on since the 1980s starting in the Boston where she was born and raised. After school and the required lost-period that followed, she landed in Alaska. Between sailing and skiing, she worked with the US Public Health Service before slipping into the post-9/11 world of government agencies. Which then triggered a letter from Uncle inviting Aiken on yet-another adventure. Thus, as a civilian she spent about 18 months as a member of a unit of the 4th Infantry Division of the U.S. Army. Texas for training, Kuwait, Iraq, then finally home to New England.

Aiken lives in Vermont on the side of a hill spending part of the year bound by snow, then trapped by mud.

Aiken on Writing

I write novels and short stories with classical music playing, listening to the same station my parents listen to when I was growing up. The music flows through my work. My work has been described as having musical qualities that include rhythm and mood. I think about sentences and word options giving my prose a measured and reflective nature.

When working with my wonderful editors, I am constantly reminded that I am writing scripts for myself that I will narrate aloud to an audio recording. I think about that audio performance while crafting each phrase, each paragraph. As a dyslexic writer, most of my “books” are read to me by other narrators. I desire a good performance in others and wish to provide that to my audience. If I get ornate with my language on the page, I stumble on the tape.

When folk state that they occasionally hear ragtime or a concerto or a folk song in my writing I feel warm and pleased.

New England

I am a native New Englander and as proud of that as anyone can be of their home. New England is no better, no worse, than any other dot on a map. This place just happens to be my dot. I was born in Boston (at Boston Lying Inn, a name you can still find in a mosaic tile at a still famous hospital). My brother was born in Vermont. I call both places home. The terrain, flora, fauna are elements of my writing that help me tell an emotional story and emphasize conflicts.

Someone wrote “[Aiken’s] imagery—especially involving nature, weather, or decaying structures—often carries symbolic weight. However, the symbolism is understated rather than overtly allegorical.” I’ll accept that. Cool.

Noting a pattern with the TV game show Jeopardy!, I often heard the phrase “southern writer”. When hearing that on Jeopardy!, think first “Faulkner” then finish the clue refining your answer. America celebrates western writers and southern writers. And yet, New England writers often fall into the landscape of American writers as the “default”. You don’t have to look far for authors in Vermont or Massachusetts. It is possible that Vermont with its half-million residents has more authors per capita than any other state.

Waking up to clear air snow many winter mornings is wonderful (unless: March).

I had an editor point out that I keep saying: “mud season” and that I ought to call it “the rainy season” on “monsoon season” occasionally. Then I understood that folks don’t know that our mud season is not the result of rains, but the physics of dirt roads thawing from the top down. As frost recedes, mud forms on top because the liquid water can’t drain to the aquifer below. There is a massive layer of ice just below the surface trapping water. Thus, we get vernal pools in the forest, and mud on roads that swallows small cars.

Hundreds of miles east of the Great Lakes, we get “Lake Effect Snow” (unless Erie freezes). My town is one of several towns in Vermont and New York that get bonus snow by living on the leeward side of the mountains. A snow alpine valley.

I miss our dying accents (even mine).

Every place is special. Every place has idiosyncrasies. My keyboard and office are in Vermont.

Characters

I read last night that story require “flawed characters.” I don’t refute that, but wish some authors to dial the emphasis down a bit. Write me wonderfully rich, full, complete characters. The flaws shall reveal themselves if your characters ring true. Flaws are strengths. Strengths are flaws.

Having held jobs that require integrity and authority, I love exploring the burdens one gains through a life in public service. I have spent decades walking into horrible disastrous messes. I take command. I bring the calm. I trigger the right resources, and yet, these characteristics fail me in the wrong context. Yay for me.

There exists ambiguity between right and wrong which one of my characters captures by saying: “Follow the law, follow the rules, and if all else fails, do the right thing.” I love that interplay.

And because I have often found myself isolated within community, I place my characters in similar moral places.

Tension

I read one author state that stories must have “tension.” When I compare my writing to the works of others, I recognize the tension I create is understated centering on my characters internal struggles, regrets, memories, and the responsibilities that they carry.

On American television, we must resolve plots and get characters into their reset position in a 42 minute hour. I keep asking: what if this doesn’t happen? What if our heroes don’t rise up each week and return to the same baseline.

I have responded to over 10,000 emergency calls as an EMT, paramedic, and firefighter. I have deployed into hurricanes and spent a year in Iraq (2006) during a burgeoning civil war. I’ve been up to my elbows in death and horror. The impact of these decades is that I get bored with classic (and literal) cliff hangers. Therefore, I ask myself, ‘can I create tension in the space between?’

Can tension be interstitial?

Last year, I made a social media post asking

• Is it possible to write a thriller without a McGuffin?
• Is it possible to write a mystery without a dead body?
• Is it possible to write a romance with only one character?
• Is it possible to write fantasy without magic?

Maybe impressionist painters asked a related question: Can I paint an image without a line?

“Other”

Our use of the word “other” in the 2020s fills a gap long recognized in literature. I found myself in Camus’ “The Stranger” and in the settings of so many stories. “Other” is a modern twice on our existential crisis.

My characters are almost always “other” because I am and have been all of my life. I write from this “other” space. But then as I write my characters, I rarely describe their other-ness as a characteristic (benefit, superpower, or flaw). I use prose, setting, and events to allow readers to understand “other-ness” in context.

My sistah-by-another-mistah said of my character Alex Flynn, “Alex’s gender is the least interesting and least important thing about Alex.” I wrote Alex into three novels and never once touched this topic, but let the reader feel the Alex’s isolation, moral conflicts, discrimination based on Alex’s own integrity, skills, ambitions, and decision making.

Values

My team and I often submit short stories and novels to organizations who recognize authors with awards. I am happy to grab them. In submission, I am frequently required to espouse specific values. I have often fallen short. I’ve been denied due to my use of Anglo-Saxon phrasing–I strive to write the way people talk. Sorry/not-sorry. In response to Craft Literary and others, I affirm that: I do not discriminate on the basis of age, ancestry, disability, family status, gender identity or expression, national origin, race, religion, sex or sexual orientation.

Yet, I get very stuck on the requirement that I do not discriminate “for any other reason.” I am judgy as shit. I offer hate to haters. I call out folks to swear an oath to the U.S. Constitution then foment insurrection, kill humans, and persecute others in violation of that oath, I offer contempt. Please also know that I regard the use of generative artificial intelligence as simple theft of intellectual property. I reserve the right to call you a thief, a disparaging term.

Catalyst Press

I am proud of my affiliation with Catalyst Press, the team there, and the stable of writers connected by the bounds of paper & glue (books?).

Substack

Apparently modern search engines don’t love Substack but I like Substack and tend to be active there.

Trowbridge Dispatch (https://TrowbridgeDispatch.IamAiken.com) is a series of short stories that revolve around the characters of my novels. Thus, I answer the question, what do characters do while waiting on the next novel to appear. I try to write with humor, irony, internal conflict, and expose a bit of myself (and my characters) to you, my readers. These stories tend to revolve around public service, public safety, fire service, emergency medical services, military folks and the land/culture of New England. I narrated these myself. Please don’t hit the AI-driven reader knob (ouch).

Free Thoughts of a Writer Writing (about Writing) Freely (https://www.IamAiken.org/) is a free subscription where I get to explore (and rant) about aspects of publishing, writing, and aspects of my life that impact my writing. I was in hospital for 11 days with bilateral fractured wrists during the publication of novel #2 (Stolen Mountain). Being a dyslexic author who loves to write. And 2026, exploring censorship in our industry.