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It’s time for another Writer Wednesdays group blog, brought to you by a group of your friendly Firebirds!

 

We’re blogging on our own author sites for now, but we would love for you to stop by to see what we’re sharing and maybe share a comment of your own.

 

Here’s the list of this month’s participants with links to the different sites:

Historical romance writers – Wendy LaCapra | Sweet and Inspirational writers – Kristen Ethridge | Novels with Romantic Elements – Jean Willett – Natalie Meg Evans | Romantic Suspense – Carol Post – Sharon Wray | Paranormal writers – Kay Hudson – Pamela Kopfler | Contemporary romance writers – Kat Cantrell – Priscilla Kissinger

 

We hope to see you!

 

If the title didn’t give away the theme, then the art work for this month’s Writer Wednesday Blog  certainly does.

Yes, today we’re talking all about natural disasters we’ve experienced.

 

Growing up as a Navy brat, then later marrying an Air Force guy I’ve had the opportunity to live in various parts of the world.

From the Caribbean, to the Florida Keys and the Panhandle, to the tumbleweeds of Texas, to the shores of South Carolina, to the rising Mississippi River areas of southern Illinois, to northern California and across the Pacific Ocean to Okinawa. I’ve experienced tropical humidity, dry heat, cool northern breezes, and frigid Midwestern ice and snow. But no matter where I’ve been, I’ve experienced some sort of natural disaster.

 

I’ve waited out hurricanes in a shelter on a military base in the Keys. I’ve hunkered down at home while storm waters and high winds battered our home.

 

 

I’ve hightailed it to a basement storage area, praying a tornado wouldn’t level our house down upon us. Then later crawled out of our basement to find our home safe, yet my neighbors’ missing a roof or a front porch or worse. 

 

I’ve plugged my computer into a generator when icy power lines were knocked down for days. 

 

I’ve hit the closest grocery store, stocking up on food and supplies in preparation for a typhoon party with close friends in our base apartment complex while the military planes were evacuated from the base for safety. 

 

I’ve watched on the television as a beloved hometown was ravaged by nature. I’ve driven through a childhood neighborhood that Hurricane Andrew left as nothing more than street roads leading to grassy areas where homes had once stood. 

 

Even worse, my parents lost nearly everything in the Hurricane Wilma flood waters and finally decided they’d had enough of living in the Keys. It was time to make the move to central Florida. 

 

But through all these disasters and difficult situations, there’s one thing that has stood out in my memory—the way others stepped forward to help their neighbors, friends and family. Being a part of a neighborhood team helping those who hadn’t made it through the storm as well as my family had.

 

           

Dragging trees to the street corner, climbing on roofs to remove debris. Inviting neighbors over so their kids can plug in to the generator so their mom isn’t driven crazy by their boredom. Offering shelter to those forced to evacuate.

This beautiful side of humanity. The side that shows one person reaching out to help another. The face of perseverance and determination, of sorrow and fear, of compassion and hope…

 

These emotions are all found in the pages of romance novels.

 

We write stories of conflict and fear, of people facing challenges and hardship. Sometimes they lose; sometimes they win. But the heroes and heroines in our novels always grow and change. And in the end, they’re happier, healthier, a little more whole. And definitely ready to tackle whatever challenge the future might hold– together.

 

 

And speaking of romance novels…if you’re looking for a little escape this weekend, why not try these two books by my fellow Firebird sisters.

 

    

Hidden Identity

a Love Inspired Suspense by Carol J. Post

available on Amazon

After becoming caught in a web of blackmail and murder, Meagan Berry escapes by faking her death. She finds anonymity on Florida’s Cedar Key until, while out in her boat, she witnesses a small plane go down and rescues a state senator. Her face is plastered on the 6:00 news, and the nightmare begins anew.

Something tells Cedar Key police officer Hunter Kingston that Meagan is not who she claims to be. But the fear in her eyes and the vulnerability beneath that aloof exterior reach out to him. When he learns the truth, he is determined to protect her, whatever the cost. Because at least one person is trying to see to it that the next time Meagan “dies,” it’ll be for real.

 

 

The Millner’s Secret

by Natalie Meg Evans

available on Amazon  

June 1940. As Paris, the City of Light, approaches its darkest hour, a young woman treads the line between survival and collaboration.

Londoner Cora Masson has reinvented herself as Coralie de Lirac, using a false claim to aristocratic birth to launch herself as a fashionable milliner. When the Nazis invade, the influence of a high-ranking lover protects her business.

But the cruel demands of war – and of love – cannot be kept at bay forever. Soon Coralie must find the courage to do what’s necessary to protect her friends, her freedom and everything she believes in.

 

 

So now it’s your turn.

You know how it goes. One person shares a story and another usually has one to add. Have you been through any natural disasters? Enquiring minds want to know!

 

Also don’t forget to click over to the other Firebirds sharing their natural disaster stories as part of the Writer Wednesday blog. This month we’re featuring:

Jean Willett, Wendy LaCapra, Kat Cantrell, Kay Hudson, Natalie Meg Evans, Kristen Ethridge, and Carol J. Post

 

 

 

I grew up as a Navy brat, moving every two or three years to a new place. But in all the moves, there was one constant—summers in Puerto Rico  with my Abuela, nicknamed Gueli. 

 

 

Throughout my elementary and beginning junior high years, school would let out on Friday and by Sunday my older sister and I had arrived on our Island. We’d stay until days before school started in the fall, when we’d fly back home tanned, beached out, ready to see our parents again.

 

Let me pause for a moment here and flash forward to the years when I was raising my own daughters to say: Holy Toledo, my parents had the entire summer to themselves! Kid-free!!

 

 

Talk about a win-win!

My parents having the summer to be footloose and fancy-free.

My sister and me living it up on the beach ,

eating fresh mangos from Gueli’s tree ,

buying a bag of tart-sweet quenepas, 

swinging on the hammock in her marquecina (carport), filling our bellies with fried plantains, rice and beans and pernil (pork).

 

My fondest memories?

 

Sitting at the counter watching Gueli whipping up something to eat in her kitchen.

Waking up to the smell of her frying pastelillos  

and tiritas, the anticipation of licking the cinnamon sugar from my fingers. Feeling the tropical sun on my skin. Driving around the island to help her deliver the tasty food she made and sold.

Closing my eyes and laying my head on the pillow after a day of floating on a tube,   

still feeling the rise and fall of the waves lulling me to sleep, along with the chorus of the coquís

 serenading me through the screened window. Family gatherings with delicious food, good music and lots of dancing.

 

I can still taste the piraguas

from the piraguero  in Viejo San Juan.

See the rolling grassy field leading up to El Morro .

Feel the peck of the palomas on my hand as I bent down to feed them

in El Parque de las Palomas.

Picture the vibrant colors and friendly people. Feel the heat. The humidity. The ocean breeze.

 

But mostly, I remember Gueli. Her smiling face. Her welcoming hugs. Her shushing us during her novelas or laughing with us as we watched the antics of El Chapulin Colorado. Cheering for the players she knew on the Braves and our beloved Cubbies.

 

Really, what I remember and miss is my Gueli’s unconditional love. I’ve forgotten a lot of things in my life, but I can still remember her home phone number. And oh what I wouldn’t give to be able to pick up the phone and give her a call.

But those memories I have with her, those days of idyllic childhood summers and an abuela who still lives larger than life in my mind…I wouldn’t trade them for a million dolares. 

 

 

Wanna see how some of my fellow Writer Wednesday bloggers spent their childhood summer?  Check out the blogs listed below and join in the fun!

Contemporary Romance:  Jamie Wesley and Kat Cantrell

Paranormal Romance: Kay Hudson

Romantic Suspense: Sharon Wray and Carol J Post

Novel with Romantic Elements: Natalie Meg Evans

Sweet & Faith-based Romance: KD Fleming and Kristen Ethridge

Historical Romance: Kathleen Bittner Roth and Wendy LaCapra

 

And of course, I’d love to hear about your summer. Have a favorite memory or vacation spot? Enquiring minds wanna know!!

 

 

I am so excited to be a part of the cover reveal for one of my beloved Firebird sisters, Pintip Dunn!

 

 

 

                  

Pintip’s Entangled Teen novel Forget Tomorrow is set to release later this year–

                                        11/03/15 to be exact.

 

But just to whet your appetite a bit, here’s the catchy summary followed by the FABULOUS cover!!

 

Summary from Goodreads:

Imagine a world where your destiny has already been decided…by your future self. It’s Callie’s seventeenth birthday and, like everyone else, she’s eagerly awaiting her vision―a memory sent back in time to sculpt each citizen into the person they’re meant to be. A world-class swimmer. A renowned scientist. Or in Callie’s case, a criminal. In her vision, she sees herself murdering her beloved — and gifted — younger sister. Before she can process what it means, Callie is arrested, treated viciously, and placed in Limbo―a prison for those destined to break the law. With the help of her childhood crush, Logan, a boy she hasn’t spoken to in five years, she escapes this hellish prison. But on the run from her future, as well as the government, Callie sets in motion a chain of events that she hopes will change her fate. If not, she must figure out how to protect her sister from the biggest threat of all—Callie, herself.

 

 

Doesn’t this sound like a definite YA Keeper Shelf book?

And what does a YA Keeper Shelf book deserve?    Yep, a fabulous cover. 

 

 

Now, if this doesn’t make you wanna escape to your reading cave or hammock or couch… heck I don’t know what else will. Nothing like temptation to woo you.

Good news is, you can order this fab novel today, and it’ll be sent directly to you, like a surprise little gift, when it’s released.

                           Pre-Order Links: Amazon│Barnes & Noble

 

To find out more about Pintip and her upcoming novels, visit her at the following locations:

Website│Goodreads│Twitter│Facebook

 

Thank you to YA Bound Book Tours for helping to organize the book reveal tour!

 

In this month’s Writer Wednesday blog my fellow Firebirds and I are talking about our favorite item on our desk.

For me, picking one item wasn’t enough. And really, I wanted to share my entire office at my day job! It’s where I spend a significant chunk of time each day, so I’ve turned it into a place where I feel at home, where I’m comfortable, where I feel loved and supported, where I’m surrounded by the things that are important to me.

Being the writer that I am, I took the idea I was given—share your favorite item on your desk—and asked myself, “What if?”

As in, “What if I shared what makes my office so special?”

And…..voila!

A peek into my 9-5 sanctuary:

 

If you’ve checked out my website (soon to be updated and improved, but it’ll do for now), Twitter or Instagram accounts you already know I’m a huge Florida Gator and Chicago Cubs fan, so the picture collages shouldn’t be a surprise.

These collages are filled with candid shots of me with family and friends having fun and making cherished memories over the years.

 

It’s a wonder what a little spray paint and elbow grease, not to mention help from my fabulous mom and dad, will get you these days! And I must say, the initial idea came from my middle daughter’s creative genius, with me asking myself again that all-important question, “What if I…?”

In a nod to Vince Lombardi (a fellow sports fan and Hall of Fame coach) I took his famous quote and tweaked it for my own purposes to read: Faith, Family and the Florida Gators!

Yes, I’m that much of a sports fan.

 

Moving over to my desktop, a place that is rarely accused of being clutter-free, you’ll find two corners that speak to my heart.

On the left a little group with a surprise award I hadn’t expected that brought tears to my eyes. The work I did that made others feel I was deserving of the plaque was work I would have gladly done without any reward. Helping students, helping others, is as natural as breathing. It’s what I believe we should all do. So to receive the award was quite a humbling experience.

The postcard stands for my vision of what I hope my university and the world will one day truly become—a place where diversity, inclusion, acceptance and open-mindedness thrives. It’s a reminder to me of where I come from, where I am, and where I hope to help us all go.

The candy dish with Dove chocolate—well, that’s probably all I need to say about that.

Really, it’s for the days when I deserve a little treat. It’s also a test to my willpower—CAN I RESIST TAKING ONE?!? And it’s for the moments when I’m feeling like: What the hell, go for it!!

The candle, because it relaxes me. And we can all use a little pampering in our lives.

 

Move to the right corner and you’ll find the heart of what makes me tick:

Family, friends and faith!

My girls, the greatest blessings I’ve been given. My parents, who made me who I am and continue to support and love me. A beautiful crystal gifted to me by a dear, dear friend (Hi Kieran love ya!!). A love note my youngest stuck to my computer while I was away.

And tying it all together, a reminder of my faith—it’s what has kept me going in dark days, what comforts me in trying times, what lightens my mood when I’m doubtful, and what makes every celebration that much more a moment to be thankful.

 

Finally, when I sit in my desk and look toward the door, I see my To Do whiteboard, with a hand drawn pic from my niece and a couple of mantras to remember:

Don’t give up, don’t ever give up!—Thanks, Jimmy V!

The time to be awesome is now!– Amen, Kid President

You are worth it!!—Thanks, inner me talking to myself!

 

I also see another reminder of why I do what I do and why I am who I am: a pic of me with my girls, a beautiful sunset painting from Thailand (Thanks, G!), and a beautiful replica of Auguste Rodin’s piece “The Cathedral.”

The piece of two right hands speaks to me because it evokes strong emotion—in me and so many others—while the two hands just baaaaaaarely touch.

But that whisper of a touch shows how easily you can affect others. How a simple gesture can create love, hate, pleasure or pain.

In the romance novels I love to read and write, our characters experience all of those emotions and so much more. Yet in the end, they conquer the bad, move past the pain, and vanquish the hate so that love, compassion, pleasure and peace prevail.

That’s what happens in my fellow Firebird sister KD Fleming’s novel, Her Hometown Reporter.

Here’s a little blurb to whet your romance-reading appetite.

TOBY HENDRICKS HAS THE INSIDE SCOOP ON GINA LAWSON 

The reporter is looking for a story that’ll be his ticket out of his small Georgia town. With her political connections, legal assistant Gina Lawson could help Toby realize his aspirations. Their friendship is just an added bonus, but falling in love isn’t part of his five-year plan. 

Gina’s devoted to her family and community, and doesn’t plan to ever leave. Though she finds her favorite reporter maddeningly irresistible, she must guard her heart. But when a betrayal of trust threatens to shatter both their dreams, will Gina and Toby learn that they share the same values after all?

Check out KD’s book at Amazon, Barnes &  Noble, and HQN

 

But before you go, I’d love to hear what special something you have on your desk or in your work area. What motivates you? What makes you smile? What keeps you going when the day seems to NEVER end?

It’s always fun to get a peek into someone else’s office and see what’s special to them. I’d love to hear about yours!

And remember, there are many of us sharing our favorite desk items today, so hop on over to my fellow Firebird sisters’ sites and see what fun they’re cooking up, too!

Contemporary Romance: Tamra Baumann, Jamie Wesley, Kat Cantrell, Lauren Christopher

Paranormal Romance: Kay Hudson

Romantic Suspense: Sharon Wray

Novel with Romantic Elements: Natalie Meg Evans, Jean Willett

Sweet & Faith-based Romance: KD Fleming, Kristen Ethridge

Historical Romance: Kathleen Bittner Roth, Wendy LaCapra

 

Here’s what we have on tap for you in the coming year, hope we see you back here again!!

I’m excited to announce the launch of Writer Wednesdays!

Starting today, a group of Firebirds will begin blogging here on the Firebird site or on their own personal blogs (see the list at the bottom of this post). We have a variety of fun topics and questions we’ve posed each other—some relate to our books, others relate to our lives, and some are just for fun. Suffice it to say, we have a year’s worth of intriguing insight to share with you!

 

This month, in honor of Kat Cantrell’s upcoming release with a wedding theme titled:

From Fake to Forever 

 

and From Ex to Eternity

 

 

we’re talking about a wedding highlight we’ve experienced—maybe at a family member’s, a friend’s, or our own if we’ve tied the knot.

 

If you don’t know this about me already, by the end of our Writer Wednesday extravaganza a year from now, you’ll definitely know this about me by then… I’m an emotional kind of girl.

 

I cry at Hallmark commercials and movie trailers. I relish the chance to create memories with family and close friends. I hate goodbyes—much prefer “see you laters.”

 

Romance and flowers. Love languages. Tokens and signs of affection for one another.

 

Bring them ALL on!

 

So it’s really hard for me to pick just one specific highlight from the weddings I’ve attended over the years.

 

What I can say is that the one thing they all had in common was a sense of excitement, joy, love, hope and commitment.

 

Whether the ceremony was my sister and brother-in-law’s big family wedding, with relatives I hadn’t seen in years. Or a close friend’s intimate beachside affair. Or a cousin’s huge bash on a beautiful college campus with relatives from both sides mingling and dancing and having what some would say was too much fun.

 

For the record, I’m of the mind that there’s no such thing as too much fun.

 

From the moment the father walks the bride down the aisle to the moment her eye first meet the grooms. From the sharing of vows and exchanging of rings to the ahhh inducing “you-may-kiss-the-bride” and the presentation of the new “Mr. and Mrs.”—it’s one ginormous celebration of love triumphing!

 

So I guess you could say the highlight of a wedding for me, is the entire event itself. Or really, what it stands for:

 

It’s like the culmination of a romance novel come to life.

 

And as a romance writer, what more could I ask for than that?

 

So what about you? What’s a wedding highlight you’d like to share with us? You know me, I love a good story.

 

If you want to hear what my fellow Writer Wednesdays Firebirds have to say, check out their posts via the links below.

Historical

 Kathleen Bittner-Roth

Wendy LaCapra 

Inspirational

 Karen Fleming 

Kristen Ethridge 

Novels with Romantic Elements

 Natalie Meg Evans  

Jean Willett 

Romantic Suspense

Carol Post 
Sharon Wray

Paranormal

Kay Hudson 
Pamela Kopfler

Contemporary

Tammy Baumann 
Jamie Wesley  
Kat Cantrell  
Priscilla Kissinger
Lauren Christopher 

 

Come back here for the next two Wednesdays to see the wedding highlights Carol Post and Pamela Kopfler share. All three of us will be blogging on the Writer Wednesday topics on our Firebird blog—hope we see you here!

 

And because the good just keeps on coming… Next month, we’ll move on to something else equally as fun. Here’s our lineup for the next twelve months.

 

 

Happy Wednesday everyone! May it be a day full of love, laughter and joy!

 

Today is the launch party for our very own Tamra Baumann, winner of the Golden Heart Contemporary Series category 2012, whose debut novel, IT HAD TO BE HIM, comes out today! **Cue confetti**

Please take a glass of virtual champagne and join us in toasting Tamra with a few … well …personal questions about her protagonist, her hero, and her favorite scene to write in the book. …

First, let’s see that great cover:

 

 

Isn’t that flirty and romantic?

And here’s the blurb:

Even though Meg Anderson’s hell-raising days are over, coming home to Anderson Butte isn’t easy, especially when her impossible-to-please dad is the mayor and her do-gooder siblings run the place. But with another job lost and the gorgeous father of her daughter trying to make contact after disappearing three years ago, a break is definitely in order. Hopefully the little town filled with big, juicy secrets can help.

After being off the grid for years, Josh Granger, a man with his own secrets, wants Meg and his daughter back. But first he has to get past townspeople as protective as a pack of rottweilers. He’s not the man Meg thinks he is, but he can’t tell her why…not yet.

As Meg slowly warms to Josh, it’s clear the old spark is still there. But when his secret is exposed—along with Meg’s own shocking revelation—will it tear their family apart again, or bind them forever?

Okay, first of all, Tammy, we want to hear how you got The Call. What went through your head? Did you go flying off your treadmill desk?

Ha! I didn’t have my treadmill desk quite yet when I got the call. But after ten years of “no’s,” it was a little surreal to finally hear the word yes! And super exciting after it all sank in. I may or may not have done a little dance in my yoga pants! *Off to check You Tube to be sure there’s no actual proof.* ;0)  

Your secret’s safe with us. Now, this is the first in a series of books in the small town of Anderson Butte. What inspired you to write a small-town story?

My parents told stories of growing up in small towns—barely dots on the map in IOWA! And my sibs and I grew up all across the country as military brats, sometimes moving every six months. When we were “forced” to spend time on my parents’ family farms, the big attraction was finding ways to escape the boredom and walk the railroad tracks into town.

Once there, we’d tug open the diner’s door, complete with a bell that announced our presence, and then we’d hop up on barstools at the counter, hopeful for some forbidden ice cream cones before dinner. The whole idea of not needing money and running up our grandparents’ tab seemed pretty slick at the time.

Depending on who was behind the counter that day — the scary waitress with the big teased hair or the kind-hearted owner (who’d always had a crush on my mom growing up) — determined if we got ice cream or if we got sent home for dinner. It was the same in every store on main street. People who I could never recall meeting knew who we were the moment we walked through the door. It kinda freaked me out at first, but as I got older and wiser about ice cream sneaking methods, I became fascinated by what it’d be like to live in a place where everyone literally knew your name.

And voila, Anderson Butte, Colorado — a beautiful little lake town, filled with nosy folks who banded together to create a secret celebrity hideaway to save their town from extinction — was born.

Meg is the feisty heroine of this book. I just loved her and her spirit. What did you most like about writing Meg?

Meg is a reformed bad-girl with a heart of gold she fiercely protects. Her father can’t stand her and Meg never knew why (until I wrote this book for her so she could figure it all out), so I made her snarky yet vulnerable at the same time. Since I’m SUCH a stranger to snark, I had to do a TON of research on the subject, as I’m sure you can imagine :0)

So then I had to create a hero who sees through Meg’s defenses, and who could match her snark for snark. ;0) Their banter was my favorite part of writing this book.

Josh is the sexy hero of this book. Was he inspired in any part by your own loving hubby? What do you think are the most important aspects of a good romance hero?

I suppose my heroes must be influenced by my kind, funny, always-patient-with-my-antics husband. He works for homeland security and can’t talk about his work, so many people see him as the strong, silent type—unless he’s talking about football or 100-mile bike rides, then you can’t shut the man up! When people call him out for being quiet, he says it just appears that way because of his chatty wife. I’m still not sure if he’s joking when he says that…

I’m a lover of beta heroes who can be alpha when they need to be. Mostly because my heroines don’t want to be taken care of, rather they want a man who can match their wit, and strength, but at the end of the day will take her car to have the oil changed because she hates doing that.

RT Book Reviews gave this book four whopping stars (yayyyyy!!!) and called the characters “vividly drawn.” Who was your favorite secondary character to write?

My favorite secondary character to write was the heroine’s feisty grandmother, Ruth. This character is based loosely on my own grandmother, but I took a lot of liberties with her and made her a little more fun and a lot scarier, with her gun-toting ways. She’s a complex character that we’ll learn a little more about as each book progresses. Just a little hint: in book 2, It Had to Be Love, the reader finds out that at nineteen Ruth had been married to a notorious bank robber. (Unbeknownst to her until it was too late and the guy robbed her father’s bank!)

There are so many funny, quirky scenes in this book. What was your favorite scene to write?

Hmmm. That’s a tough question. It might be the scene where the townspeople— who have long memories of Meg’s antics as a kid— forget that for a moment and band together at the diner to shield her from Josh when he first comes to town. It’s like in those goofy old “B” westerns when the good guys bumble around, and then despite themselves, manage to run the bad guy out of town.

You have some really fun family antics going on in this story, too, with a crazy – but, ultimately, very loving – fam. Inquiring minds want to know: Does your own family resemble any of this?

Ha, absolutely! I have a HUGE family and with that comes lots of drama. I didn’t have to look far for character ideas. But then I had to tone some of them down for the book to make them realistic to the reader. Believe it or not, I’m considered one of the normal ones in my family! (I have some real doozies for relatives, but I wouldn’t trade them for the world!)

Tell us three quick things about you that would surprise people who think they know you:

I was a drummer in high school—first chair!
I wanted to be a professional tennis player until an ankle injury in high school ended my chances. (That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.)
I’m a writer who doesn’t know how to type! I missed typing while moving around the country as a kid.

Publisher’s Weekly (in a starred review! whoo-hoo!) called this book a “perfect balance of lighthearted humor and true emotion.” I have to say, I agree! Which part is easier for you to write, the humor or the emotion?

Oh, the humor by far! Being a goofball is easy, but being serious and digging deep takes major work for me. I added a few characters as tools to help remind me to add true emotional depth to what otherwise would have been just a silly romp. Ten-year-old Eric, an orphan, Charlie, a beloved old horse, and even a few puppies and a momma dog who are the only ones who love Eric until the hero and heroine save them all. ;0) 

What more can we expect from Anderson Butte? What’s coming up next from you?

I just turned in book 2, It Had to Be Love—The quiet sheriff of picturesque Anderson Butte unexpectedly falls for the beautiful new dentist who’s hiding a dangerous secret that could cost her life if she can’t overcome her past and learn to trust him. It releases September 8th.

And I’m just starting the third book, about Casey, the oldest sister, and a bad-boy rock star she wants nothing to do with at first, until she unearths his deeply buried secrets. (Can you sense a secrets theme here?)

Oooh, this is going to be such a fun series to own ALL of the books! Okay, tell us where we can buy them:

IT HAD TO BE HIM: 

Amazon.com   

IT HAD TO BE LOVE (preorders): 

Amazon.com  

 

And now … Giveaway Time! Tammy would like to give away a $20 Amazon gift card to a randomly selected commenter below, answering the question: Have you ever lived in a small town? If so, thumbs up or down?

 

Hello, readers.  Welcome to Heather Ashby’s interview about Never Forget, the third installment in her “Love in the Fleet” series. Here’s a photo of the USS New York and a little something about Never Forget:

                                                    

With 7.5 tons of World Trade Center steel melted into her bow, what if there are more souls aboard the USS New York than the sailors and Marines stationed there? And what if those souls can help the troops defeat al-Qaeda this time?

When Royal Navy officer Gwyn Pritchard reports for exchange duty aboard New York, she’s the only person who sees 9/11 spirits roaming the decks. The daughter of a famous Welsh psychic, she learns the ghosts must complete a mission in order to pass to the other side. The sole survivor of an IED blast in Afghanistan, Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant Adam Connor is wrestling with his own issues, but when he learns Gwyn is seeing ghosts aboard their ship, he becomes her confidant…and her lover.

Passions rise to fever pitch when the New York rushes to liberate hostages in North Africa. Can the spirits provide the right intelligence for the Marines to save the prisoners? Can Gwyn help the ghosts move on to the light? And can Adam and Gwyn find the love they’ve searched the world over for?

Hi, Heather.  Thanks for joining us today.  How excited are you about the release of your third book?

I’m beyond excited to release Never Forget—which happens to be the motto of the USS New York. This is a 9/11-related story, so I’m thrilled that Amber House Books was able to launch the book on September 9. Never Forget is about healing—both for troops who’ve fought in the War on Terror and for victims of 9/11. I figured that by empowering the spirit characters with some control over the ship, the crisis, and their destiny, it would allow them to move from victim to victor. Just so you know, I’ve worked on this book for two years and I still get goose bumps.

                                               

Tell me, is that a firebird I see rising on the New York‘s crest?

 It certainly is, Catherine. It’s a Phoenix rising from the ashes, just as New York “rose from the ashes” of the World Trade Center. There is an amazing amount of symbolism in the crest, which includes the Twin Towers, the three departments that lost first responders, the state of New York, and Navy and Marine Corps swords, since amphibious assault ships transport Marines. The ship’s full motto is “Strength Forged Through Sacrifice. Never Forget.” By the way, there are two other 9/11 tribute ships. The USS Arlington was built from salvaged material from the Pentagon crash site in Arlington County, Virginia. The same goes for the USS Somerset, named for Somerset County, Pennsylvania, the crash site of Flight 93. This banner that hangs in the hangar bay aboard New York contains all the names of those lost that day.

 

                                     

 

This must feel like you’ve come full circle.

It really does, Catherine. On the morning of September 11, 2001 I had just dropped my 5th graders off at Music class when I was pulled into the front office and told about Flight 11 hitting the North Tower of the World Trade Center. Although shocked, it was not clear this was an act of terrorism until Flight 175 hit the South Tower at 9:03.

At 9:05 it hit me that my son would be going to war.

He had recently joined the Army because college hadn’t worked out for him. Did he know there was an impending war? No. Did he know he’d be sent to Afghanistan to search caves for Taliban? No. Did he know he’d help take Baghdad a year later? No. Did the five scariest years of my life begin on 9/11? Yes. So, yes, I have come full circle to not only write books in thanksgiving for his safe return, but to write one with a positive and healing 9/11 story line. The icing on the cake is the cover art for this series.

I love your cover.  Your first two books are also available with new covers now.  Can you tell us something about that?

When I changed publishers this past June, I was able to take everything for the first two books except for the cover art. It was imperative that Never Forget have an ultra-respectful cover due to the story, so my editor and I agreed on military uniforms. I asked her, if I could get all the players to cooperate, could I shoot the cover photos for the series? Here’s how it went down: My Marine Corps advisor, Christopher Bergeron, just happens to be a semi-professional photographer with studio equipment. My son – the one I’m thankful for his return from combat – just happens to be extremely fit – and okay, handsome…and he agreed to pose for the covers.

This left Chris and me scrambling around Jacksonville, Florida collecting all the correct uniform pieces for the photo shoot. Chris and I giggled our way through the Navy base uniform shop and thrift shop, grabbing the various items we would need, and lo and behold, all the puzzle pieces came together. The photos were shot in my dining room, and with my editor’s brilliant touch at Photoshop, the new covers emerged. What is very special is that the uniforms—including ribbons (a.k.a. “fruit salad”) and other accruements are accurate for the service, age, experience, and expertise of the hero in each book.

Well, you guys did an amazing job!  So, what three words best describe Never Forget?

Hot, Harrowing, and Healing. Funny, I said the same thing about Forget Me Not. Am I sensing a theme here?

It’s a great theme :-) Do we see any of the characters from the first two books?

Absolutely. Although Never Forget is a stand-alone novel, it’s fun to have read the first two books in the series so you know the other players. Philip and Sky’s third buddy from the Naval Academy, “Nick” Nikolopoulus makes his debut in Never Forget. Needing to leave town before his ex-fiancée arrives for duty, he applies for an officer exchange program with the Royal Navy. Leaving his position aboard the USS New York, Nick heads to the HMS Atlantic in Plymouth, England where he falls in love with his assistant engineer – a no-no.

Meanwhile, Royal Navy Lieutenant Gwyn Pritchard takes Nick’s place aboard the New York. (Poor thing has no idea that spirits await her.) Philip has been cleared for sea duty after his brush with the bad guys in Forgive and Forget and lo and behold – he’s the new Chief Engineer aboard New York. So what could be more perfect than to have Sky and Mikey fly their Seahawk helicopter on board to deploy with him! An interesting fact is that Nick and his brother, Mikey, decided to join the Navy after their favorite uncle – a New York City firefighter – was killed on 9/11. What are the odds that “Uncle Frank” might be one of the spirits aboard New York?

So, between two hot love stories, a spirit-filled subplot, a consulate take-over by terrorists in Tangiers—which will draw both the USS New York and the HMS Atlantic—along with Philip’s calm reassurance, Sky’s brand of humor, and Mikey setting up his own love story for Book #4, I think there’s plenty in Never Forget to keep the reader occupied.

Thanks for a great interview, Heather! 

Thank you for letting me share my story, Catherine. I’ll be spending 9/11 with a box of tissues and a notepad as I watch footage of that dreadful day. This helps me understand my characters better. It helps me celebrate the heroes of that day. And it helps me to remember the families left behind.

 I’d like to ask the readers if there is some special way they honor 9/11 or perhaps they’d like to share where they were and how they reacted on September 11, 2001.

Just remember, never forget.

 

BIO:

Heather Ashby is a Navy veteran who taught school and raised a family while accompanying her Navy husband around the United States, Japan, and the Middle East. In gratitude for her Army son’s safe return from Afghanistan and Iraq, she now writes military romance novels, donating half her royalties to benefit wounded warriors and their families. Heather lives in Atlantic Beach, Florida with her husband and two rescue cats. Never Forget is Heather’s third novel in the “Love in the Fleet” series. See heatherashby.com for more information.