Get Lost in a Unique and Inspiring Military Romance

Today, I'm delighted to welcome award-winning author Heather Ashby to Get Lost In A Story. There seemed no better day to highlight her latest military romance, Never Forget, than on the anniversary of the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center. (I must admit, when I first read this blurb it gave me goose bumps.)

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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 the USS New York, she’s the only person who sees 9/11 spirits roaming the decks. The daughter of a famous Welsh psychic, Gwyn learns the spirits 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 has his own issues. But when he discovers that the British officer sees ghosts aboard their ship, he becomes her confidant—and her lover. Passions rise to fever pitch when the New York rushes to liberate British and American hostages in North Africa before al-Qaeda’s deadline. 
    Can the spirits gather the right intelligence to help the Marines 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?

Meet Heather

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. Her debut novel, FORGIVE & FORGET was named a “Best of 2013” book by Suspense Magazine. FORGET ME NOT was a 2012 Golden Heart® Finalist and is a 2014 Military Writers Society of America finalist. NEVER FORGET was released by amberhousebooks.com, under the direction of  editor, Teresa Medeiros. Heather lives in Atlantic Beach, Florida with her husband and two rescue cats.

E.E.: Wow, Heather, what an amazing concept for a book. How did you come up with it?

Heather: Since my stories take place at Naval Station Mayport (FL), I researched the amphibious assault ships we would be receiving in 2014. I broke out in goose bumps when I read about the USS New York being built from salvaged steel from the World Trade Center. I shunned the idea of adding the spirits at first, feeling it would be disrespectful to write about ghosts aboard this sacred ship. But then it came to me: If I don’t write this book, somebody else will. And how can I guarantee they will do it as respectfully as I can. As a Marine Corps daughter, Navy veteran, Navy wife, and mother of an Army infantryman who fought in the War on Terror, I decided I was qualified to write it. I figured if I could empower the spirits with some control over the ship, the crisis, and their destiny, it would allow them to move from victim to victor. By the way, I’ve worked on this book for two years and I still get goose bumps. 

My husband and I entertained some Royal Navy officers several years ago. One Sub-Lieutenant said the following: (You have to read the following with a British accent) “I know. For your next novel, you’re going to write about an officer exchange program between the U.S. and Royal Navies. The British officer will go to the American ship and fall in love. And the American will go to the British ship and fall in love. See? Two love stories.” So Never Forget tells the love stories of two officers who exchange jobs. The British officer, Gwyn Pritchard, is in for a bigger surprise than just falling in love however, when she reports aboard the USS New York and sees 9/11 spirits.

E.E.: What drew you to write military romance?

Heather: For starters, I’m a Navy vet who loves to read romance. So setting my romance novels in the military comes naturally. I fell in love with Suzanne Brockmann and Merline Lovelace’s military romances in the early part of this century when my Army son was deployed.

E.E.: Can you tell us about a real-life hero that you’ve met?

Heather: That would be my son. He had some troubles in his younger years, culminating in being “asked to leave college.” So, he joined the Army, but since this was pre-9/11, he had no idea he would be searching caves for Taliban on his 21^st birthday—or helping to take Baghdad on his 22^nd. Praise God, he survived 18 months of combat and came home a heroic and mature man. He went on to graduate with honors not only from college, but also from graduate school. Today he continues to serve his country as a civil servant in Washington D.C. In thanksgiving for his safe return, I donate half my royalties to Fisher House Foundation in support of wounded warriors and their families. My (handsome) son showed his support for that by posing for the “Love in the Fleet” book covers

E.E.: What is easier for you, writing or storytelling?

Heather: Storytelling. I’m a former elementary school teacher. One of the things I miss most is storytelling. I’m a drama queen, so I love to climb inside the characters and use their voices and mannerisms. I have to work hard to convey that emotion and voice into words on the page.

E.E.: If you couldn’t be a writer anymore, what profession would you take up?

You mean, besides full-time Grandma? J I would be an artist. I taught myself to draw in one day at the age of 48. (I went from stick figures to this painting by reading Betty Edward’s Drawing From the Right Side of the Brain.) Then I ventured into painting: watercolors, acrylics, pastels, and oils. Since I’m ADHD, I gave away all my paints until my books are done, so I wouldn’t be distracted by dabbling. Once I finish writing books, the next chapter of my life will be to fill my house with my own paintings (when not playing Grandma.) My goal is to paint thick, vivid, color-filled paintings similar to Matisse and the other Fauves. 

E.E.: Boy I love that painting. You're a natural artist. What would you say is your most interesting quirk?

Heather: My dad was a musician and dancer, so I grew up marinated in music. All kinds of music. You name it, we played it. And we danced to it. Today, music is my number one addiction. When I take a break from writing, I slip into the world of music. 5:00 every evening has me plugging in my IPod and running on the beach. (Hubby refers to it as “Heather pounding sand.”) I don’t care who sees me lip-syncing to the songs, dancing my way down the beach, or even playing a bit of air guitar now and then. Since my current book is about the Royal Navy, I am accompanied most afternoons by Mick Jagger, Paul McCartney, and all the boys as we galumph our way down the shore. When I have the right music playing in my ears, the endorphins kick in and my soul goes into the zone. And, as my British characters would say, it’s a brilliant and bl**dy marvelous break from writing all day long.

E.E.: What dreams have you realized as a result of your writing?

Heather: Um…for starters, did you see the author quote on the cover of Never Forget? Suzanne Brockmann was one of the authors who inspired me to write military romance. To receive her endorsement on this book is beyond my wildest dreams.

But truly, my original dream was realized when I received the following email from a female service member: “I am a Navy surgeon stationed in Afghanistan. I wanted to thank you for writing Forgive and Forget. Reading romance novels keep me sane.” It was accompanied by a photograph of her reading my book, while sitting in a field of brown rocks—with nothing but more rocks and a high compound wall covered in concertina wire in the background. This woman’s job is to put our Marines back together! She was exactly who I had in mind when I started writing my books: to offer a brief escape to our women down range and at sea. And to portray our women in uniform as heroines—which they most definitely are. I love hearing from my military readers that I have “taken them away from it all—if only for a while.” And a surprise was hearing from civilian readers that they felt as if they’d vicariously joined the Navy! 

E.E.: From what do you draw inspiration?

Heather: My day starts with prayer, because a day hemmed in prayer is less likely to unravel. I close this way: “Send me where you need me. Show me what you need me to do.” And then I go where I’m sent and I do what I’m asked to do. I was a pretty darn creative and successful elementary school teacher for 18 years and then suddenly I found myself retiring early and writing the book of my heart (Forgive and Forget.) I had no idea the path I would take from there—that I’d be raising money for Fisher House in thanksgiving for my son. Or that I’d be writing about healing—first a Navy pilot with survivor guilt (Forget Me Not), then a Marine with combat PTSD—along with offering a healing story about 9/11 (Never Forget.) What inspires me the most though, is when I meet people who tell me how they’ve healed their hurts; how they’ve turned negative forces into positive results. (Kind of like USS New York rising from the ashes like the Phoenix on the ship’s crest.) And if I can play any part in that…if I can reach one person who reads my books and seeks healing, or guides someone close to them to seek healing, then I know I am exactly where I need to be, doing exactly what I was asked to do.

You can find Heather here:

www.heatherashby.com

Twitter: @HAshbyAuthor

Facebook: Heather Ashby Author

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/1rWC0wr

Never Forget http://amzn.to/1lFC9Ua

Amazon Author: http://amzn.to/WuQy9Y

Heather, thank you so much for joining us on such a fitting date. You have truly inspired me and I can't wait to read your book. 

Heather and her publisher, Amber House, are giving away a $25 Amazon Gift Card and a copy of Never Forget for one lucky commenter. The question she would like to leave for our readers:

What inspires YOU daily? Or, feel free to share a healing story – either here or privately at heatherashbyauthor@gmail.com. 

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