It started with the scanning of some old photos for safe keeping.

Kyle Lairamore was scanning photos onto his computer and was considering writing short blogs to go along with them. He wanted his children to see the photos and understand what was happening at that time.

One picture stood out. It was of his son Tyler sitting on an overlook at Devil’s Den State Park in Arkansas. That was the beginning of Lairamore’s journey to becoming a published author.

Lairamore, a detective with the Hinesville Police Department, is the author of “Razor’s Edge: The Beginning of a New Dawn.” It is the first book published in a series of five. The book hit the shelves April 21.

The cover is the actual photo that started it all.

“Originally, I was just looking at writing the first book for my wife and kids and the family, then passing it on to the four kids that we have and let them expand on it and write another book if they wanted to,” Lairamore said. “I finished writing the first book and kept going with it.”

It is a fiction novel set in the future. The president of the United States has ordered the military to take away guns from citizens and law enforcement. As a result, the second Civil War commences.

The main characters are based on Lairamore and his wife, and the story is set in his Arkansas hometown. Lairamore said the main title “Razor’s Edge” reflects the turmoil in the book and the chaos that splits the country in half.

He shared what inspired the book’s theme and plot.

“A lot of it, with the actions of the government, is actually some things going on right now with the way the government has done some things,” Lairamore said. “From my experience, watching the news, listening to the news and seeing what’s going on … it is my opinion on some of this, that if we don’t change what this country is doing, we will end up in a civil war.”

The military theme of the book also comes from Lairamore growing up in a military family. His father was in the military, and they traveled the world. Lairamore added that that there is some military structure to the police department, which influenced his work.

When he was still in school, the signs of a future book author were already present. Lairamore said he was part of a writing a contest in sixth grade, when his family was stationed in Germany. But the biggest indicator was what he did for his sons, Tyler and Cameron.

“I sat and wrote about a little squirrel for them, and I actually drew the pictures to go with the stories,” he said. “I’ve had interest in it in the past but never really thought I would do something like this. But my wife, Suzanne, encouraged me and stood behind me the whole time. I thank her for that.”

Lairamore went the self-publishing route. He submitted his book to a self-publishing company called iUniverse. The company gave Lairamore suggested changes for the book but gave him the final say in how it was presented.

He advises other aspiring writers to first finish their novel and get in at least a good rough draft. Lairamore also mentioned the high cost of self-publishing if one isn’t able to use a publisher.

Writing the book helped Lairamore take his mind off his police cases. He said it helped him release stress and improved his case-summary writing.

Other detectives play golf and do woodworking, and one even started a band to relax. But for Lairamore, it was writing a series of books.

What’s next?

Lairamore already has the rough drafts for the next three books in the “Razor’s Edge” series. The second book is called “Razor’s Edge: Wayward Travelers,” which will continue the events of the “The Beginning of a New Dawn.” He’s saving the titles of the third and fourth books as surprises.

 “The fifth one, I’m getting my thoughts together on how I want the book to go,” he said. “I already know how it’s going to end. I know a little bit here and there, but most of it is when I eventually sit down and start typing, it’ll come out. ”

“Razor’s Edge: The Beginning of Dawn” can be purchased online at Amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com and iUniverse.com for $13.95. The e-book version can be purchased for $3.99 at the same sites and through the Google Play Store on Android devices and the App Store on Apple devices.