Natasha Wells: Author & Founder of Pluto Publishing and Media
From Small Town to Big Skies
Natasha Wells left her tiny Kentucky town in 2001 in search of adventure, and she found more than she could have imagined. Just two weeks after her high school graduation, she was on her way to begin her Air Force journey.
The day after graduating from basic training, she headed to technical school. That day was September 11, 2001, an event that forever changed our country and the military she had just joined. Following in her dad’s footsteps, Natasha began her career as an electrician on C5s and soon moved to California. While stationed on the West Coast, she re-enlisted twice and served on two deployments.
Along the way, she met her now-husband online (unheard of in those days!). This led to key life decisions that come with military life: would he move out to California and travel around with Natasha through her military career, or would they decide to pursue a different path? After some reflection, Natasha separated from her active-duty position and joined the Air National Guard (ANG), moving to North Carolina. While serving under the ANG as a logistics officer, she simultaneously built a successful corporate career.
A Creative Outlet and Pluto Publishing
In 2022, she retired from military service. Like so many veterans, she faced that looming question: what’s next? “The military had been my entire identity for so long,” and at 40 years old, raising a young child, Natasha felt it was time to choose something for herself. That Christmas break, she sat down and typed out an entire novel in one go. It was “a little bit of military, but a lot of scifi and futuristic ideas that I’ve had bouncing around forever! My debut novel was born!”
Natasha entered the world of self-publishing, founding Pluto Publishing and Media. Through this journey, she learned so much about the world of authoring and self-publishing. The thing she fell in love with? The creative process!
Technology came naturally to her, but creating a book from the ground up was something new, and it lit her up. She also enjoys sharing the behind-the-scenes of being a self-published author on her social media. “I love connecting with other authors, but honestly, I really love connecting with anyone who’s decided to start their own business.”
Since beginning her career as an author, Natasha has written two books: Flame In The Forgotten Garden (part one) and Icarus. She is currently working on another book (coming soon, so no spoilers here!). These books explore the cosmos, futuristic plots, and spicy romance. She describes her passion for storytelling as one that breaks boundaries; “these books don’t sit neatly on a genre shelf.”
People are often surprised when they meet author Natasha and discover her military background. The conversations usually go something like:
“Wait—you were in the Air Force? Now you write romance novels? And balance a full-time career and family?”
Her response?
“Women can do it all, and I literally love that so much.”
Natasha proves that you can find your own identity after service. The military was part of her foundation, but now she’s writing a new story, literally.
Resilience the Air Force Way (With a Twist)
When you ask her what her key to resilience is, she cheekily says, “Well, if you ask the Air Force what’s the key to AIRPOWER they’ll tell you is FLEXIBILITY.” A phrase Airmen have heard countless times.
“Resiliency to me is adjusting to change, our ability to operate under pressure. I feel like so much of my life has been about embracing that chaos.” Through multiple tours, years in emergency management, and now life as a mom, author, and entrepreneur, Natasha has learned that chaos can be the very thing that shapes us.
“If you want to shine like a diamond, you have to put yourself in high-pressure situations. It doesn’t happen all at once. Through each challenging situation, we come out better in the end.”
Natasha’s story serves as a reminder not only to withstand the pressure but to embrace it. That is where the transformation happens.
To learn more about Natasha and to check out her books, use the links below:
