Tony Soika spent three decades in the Army, enduring three combat deployments that left him with a massive concussion and a medical retirement in 2019. Now 56 and splitting his time between St. Augustine and Key West, the Minnesota native has found an unexpected outlet for his experiences: writing thrillers that blend military expertise with his passion for animal rescue.
His debut novel, "Pit Bulls in Paradise: The Dog Fighter's Funeral," follows John Tuttle, a fictional version of Soika himself—a retired military officer who discovers a brutal dog fighting ring in Key West connected to the Russian mafia. When local authorities fail to act on his reports, Tuttle takes matters into his own hands, using his tactical training to deliver justice outside the law.
When Personal Experience Fuels Fiction
The story draws directly from Soika's own life. During his military career, he volunteered nearly 500 hours at animal shelters and rescue organizations across the country, earning a Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal. That dedication to animal welfare became the moral core of his protagonist's mission.
The parallel between Soika and his character extends beyond volunteer work. Both struggle with PTSD from combat, both sought refuge in Florida's sun-soaked communities, and both channel their training and sense of duty into protecting the vulnerable—even when it means operating outside conventional systems.
The vigilante justice thriller taps into a specific niche: readers who want high-stakes action combined with a cause they can root for. Soika's book is finding its audience among veterans who understand the difficulty of transitioning to civilian life, dog lovers drawn to the rescue themes, and readers who enjoy stories about flawed heroes taking a stand.
Building a Series From Island Crime
Early sales suggest Soika hit on a formula that works. Independent bookstores and coffee shops throughout the Florida Keys are stocking the novel alongside its Amazon availability. The response has been strong enough that Soika is planning to make this his ongoing work, aiming to write two or more books annually.
He envisions "Pit Bulls in Paradise" as the first entry in a series of related military thrillers set in Florida, building on the foundation he's established with John Tuttle's character. The Key West setting provides fertile ground—a place where tropical paradise and criminal underworld collide, where tight-knit communities can quickly turn claustrophobic when danger arrives.
For veterans struggling to find purpose after service, Soika's transition offers one possible path forward. He's taken the discipline and structure from military life and applied it to a creative pursuit, transforming his experiences—both the trauma and the values—into stories that resonate with readers looking for action-driven fiction with moral weight.
At 56, Soika is building a second career that honors both his service and his convictions, one book at a time.
