Several of the characters in these books are inspired by people I know. That wasn't really my intention when I started writing them, but that's how it turned out.
Jannette is mirrored after two people. One is my own Jannette. When she joined the army, she wanted to blow things up. (btw: that's not how it went.) When I was chatting with a friend, I was trying to describe this character. Then I paused... Wait! It's you! (my friend.)
She's a small woman with a huge personality. Jannette Caldwell is a blend of the two women. Bonfires, army, and weapons, my Jannette. Get in your face, my friend. I love them both.
Brooke is quiet. She's also a leader. Yes, I know someone very much like her. Only this woman was the commander of four small people. She used a lot of "Because I said so."
Aubree is a combination of two people in my life. Both have a pretty hot temper. Both have tragic pasts.
I do want to give a big shout out to my son. I've come to him with some of the most bizarre queries. The current book I'm writing (Souls United), included a lot of coffee and couch time. I'm always picking his brain about a man's perspective, as well as army stuff. Next book includes a sniper. After our conversation, I had to do a little bit of a rewrite.
Off the subject of Felidian Warriors... still on my son. He didn't even blink when I asked if there was a way to kill a man without him knowing it. lol Do your own research on that one.
So... I do have people who've been in the army to bounce ideas off. I may not always get it right, but I'm always willing to learn.