My son the Marine was inspiration for my next release, Blown Away. Being an Army veteran I find the Marine mentality--interesting at times. Interesting enough to make a couple of them heroes in my novels.

What do I mean? Right after my son’s graduation from SOI, the School of Infantry, he mentioned to me that he was lost when the First Sergeant dismissed them for the day at 4:00pm. He asked his squad leader what to do. He’d just spent the last few months eating, sleeping, breathing whenever he was told and only when he was told.

To which his squad leader replied, “Whatever the f*** you want.”

I mentioned to him that the military is like a 9 to 5 job after Boot Camp and your MOS training. Well technically 6 to 5 and that’s when you’re not deployed or in the field. But I was trying to get across to him that he could have a life outside of the Marines, that there was a whole world beyond his barracks. A little something called fun. Ya know, beach time, dancing, hanging with friends.

He exclaimed quite indignantly “The Marines are not a 9 to 5 job. The Marines are a way of life.” Apparently he’d heard nothing past 9 to 5.

Ah, the semper fidelis mentality. “You’re such a Jarhead,” I said. I’m an Army vet, 10th Mountain Division, what can I say? I’m loyal to my tab and branch. Besides, he left the door wide open.

Anyway, there’s a certain type of person that becomes a Marine. You know what I’m talking about if you’ve ever met one or know one. They all have this deep loyalty and pride. I have to admit, the training is tough and they put the new recruits to the test more than any of the other services. When it’s all said and done, they’re Marines, in mind, body and soul and they take it very seriously. They’re Semper Fi and don’t argue with them about it. They don’t like it.

But there’s much more to this story. My son also mentioned he was considering EOD. If you know what EOD is, then you’re probably military or a veteran. If you haven’t a clue what I’m talking about, I’ll break it down. Explosive Ordnance Disposal. That’s right, the bomb squad. They serve a very vital role in keeping our men and women in uniform, as well as the civilian populations here in the United States and overseas, safe. It takes a lot more than guts to be EOD. It takes a very special person.

Thus started my research. I wanted to know everything about the EOD. I have to say I wasn’t too excited that my son might be disarming live bombs. Knowing more helped me to deal with his possible choice.

My belief is that fear is mostly spun from the unknown. It’s my opinion that the more you know about something the less you’ll fear it. After researching everything I could, I might not have been comfortable with it, but I had a better understanding and felt I could deal with whatever choice he made. I could also see why it might appeal to him, my son, the adrenaline junkie. Before he was nineteen, he’d white water rafted class 5, bordering on 6, rapids, jumped out of airplanes, took off and landed an aircraft and entered cage fighting competitions, and all before he went into the Marines.

As I researched I realized what a great story this would make if I took it to other worlds, into space and made it a romance. The result was a summer full of writing and a four novellas of which two will be in a book that’s to be released in November 2010 with Passion in Print, called Blown Away.

Oh and all the stress was over nothing. My son decided to stick with infantry and the SAW, squad assault weapon.

Hu-ah, or should I say oohrah?

Dawn