Get Lost With Our Veterans!

Hi, folks! Veterans Day is here and it's always had a special place in my heart. From my days in high school (a looooooooong time ago), I've read about, learned about, and worked for our soldiers. When I was in college, I spent every Veterans Day in Washington, DC participating in activities to honor our soldiers. I originally wanted to write military heroes until I realized how many details I could easily screw up. So I left that work to those who are so much better, the ladies I'm showcasing below.

In my own book, Dance Away, Danger, the hero used to be in the Army. Since I don't know the specifics about Army life, I did the next best thing. I made Matt a former soldier, which helps with the suspense angle of the story.   AMAZON
  
BLURB:  Sensible dance instructor Tessa Gage likes her life organized, risk-free and on her own terms. When her cop brother goes missing, his crooked partner tries to kill her, and a handsome stranger claims he’s come to protect her, she’s forced to leave her comfort zone. With more dance and business sense than survival skills and no idea who to trust, Tessa has no choice but to rely on this man who’d rather be anywhere but by her side.

When carefree carpenter Matt Rylan gets a late night call from an Army buddy who once saved his life, he finds himself where he never again wanted to be—responsible for someone else. Honor demands Matt cooperate, but he never expects his simple babysitting job to test the limits of his self-control. Nor does he expect it to explode into a race against time for his very freedom.

As Tessa and Matt get closer to the truth, and to each other, Tessa learns to step outside the safety of her world to help set the wheels of justice in motion. For Matt, supporting this courageous woman suddenly becomes everything to him.  Yet, his biggest challenge remains sharing his closed-off heart with her before the danger silences them both forever.

AND NOW......
SILVER JAMES likes walks on the wild side and coffee. Okay. She LOVES coffee. Warning: Her Muse, Iffy, runs with scissors. A cowgirl at heart, she’s also been an Army officer’s wife and mom, and has worked in the legal field, fire service, and law enforcement. Now retired from the real world, she lives in Oklahoma and spends her days writing with the assistance of her two Newfoundland dogs, the cat who rules them all, and the myriad characters living in her imagination. www.silverjames.com

BLURB: The HARD TARGET Team: Judge, jury, executioner. The multinational Hard Target special operators hunt the worst of the worst, and each brings their own brand of special to the mix. Genetically enhanced Navy SEALs. Wolf shifters from the SAS and Irish Marines. An Israeli Oketz officer. And a team of former USAF pilots and pararescue jumpers whose humanity doesn’t keep them from the fight. All corralled by Mother Goose, who commands the undercover group with steel-toed combat boots and cold beer.

Double-crossed… 

Duke Reagan’s mission went to hell. His SEAL teammates dead, abandoned by Command in the middle of an African warlord’s territory, he’s wounded, blind, and on the run with a terrified American, Coreen Prince, a doctor who was supposed to be collateral damage. Somehow, they survive, but not before they lose a bit of their hearts to each other. It takes a year to restore Duke's vision, and the return of his sight comes with the opportunity to join the Hard Target team, a not-quite white hat organization doing what government coalitions can’t. His first mission as the team’s sniper puts a drug cartel boss in his sights, but a familiar face that’s haunted Duke since Africa crowds the scope. 

Dr. Coreen Prince struggled to put her life back together after her African ordeal, but a slight detour one night in Key West offers her the chance to apologize to the man who saved her at such great cost to himself. Too bad Duke didn't recognize her. On special assignment in South America, Cory once again finds herself in the wrong place at the wrong time. But rescue comes from the last man she expects to see, the one man she can’t forget. Will they get a second chance at love or will he just see her as another double cross… AMAZON 

ANNE WILSON lives just outside of Phoenix with her husband and two children. She served nine years active duty as a navy helicopter pilot, which included deployment to the Persian Gulf. Never in her wildest imaginings did she think she would be a writer one day, but now she’s found her passion. Her books are a combination of romantic suspense, military thriller, and women’s fiction. Hover is her debut novel. www.anneawilson.com

 

BLURB: Navy helicopter pilot Sara Denning wants nothing more than to disappear into the uniform, but her talent at the controls make her a stand out to Eric Marxen, a driven lieutenant with a few secrets of his own, and uncovering them may lead her to actually finding herself.  AMAZON

NANCY S. BRANDT is a stay-at-home mother of two children, a daughter, 25, who is an appointment's clerk at an orthopedic clinic and an editor and book reviewer; and a son, 12, who studies karate, and wants to be either an historian or an artist. Nancy's husband, Steven, is also an author and an adjunct professor of computer science at Louisiana State University.

In about sixth grade, an English teacher gave an assignment to write a descriptive essay. Nancy's was all about a wonderful cave filled with diamonds, emeralds and other precious gems. From that experience, she walked into every English class hoping to get to write something, and she learned three things:

1. The difference between stalactite and stalagmite,
2. That fantasy was probably the genre she should concentrate on, and
3. Never end a story with "It was all a dream."

Nancy is a kidney transplant recipient (her husband was her living donor), a thyroid cancer survivor, and an Army veteran. She is currently working on the sequel to Pigsty Princess, called Questionable Queen. www.nancysbrandt.com

BLURB: In a country where Elemental Sensitivities determine a person's place in society, Mariana, fourth child of King Jonathan and Queen Alexandria, was born an Insensitive. She is given the made up title of Progenna, because she can't be in line for the throne and therefore, can't be a Princess. All her life, she is reminded that she isn't quite good enough. When her father decides she is to marry Pir Leo Valentine, an eighty-four year old man with a scar across his face that took his eye and only one hand, she runs away from the palace.

Orlando of Talla is a pig farmer and former soldier who served the King until he watched his Sovereign burn an entire harbor town rather than lose a battle. Now he tries to live a quiet life while leading a band of rebels who steal from the nobility to bring prisoners home from that war.

Orlando is also the bastard son of a nobleman, and therefore, he has a Sensitivity, one of Blood that allows him to feel the Sensitivities of others.

He finds the injured Progenna in the forest and immediately realizes that the stories about Mariana aren't true. Rather than being an Insensitive, Mariana may be the most powerful Sensitive in Valborough.

AMAZON
DIANA COSBY A retired Navy Chief, Diana Cosby is an international bestselling author of Scottish medieval romantic suspense.  Books in her award-winning MacGruder Brothers series are translated in five languages.  Diana has spoken at the Library of Congress, Lady Jane’s Salon in NYC, and appeared in Woman’s Day, on USA Today’s romance blog, “Happy Ever After,” MSN.com, Atlantic County Women Magazine, and Texoma Living Magazine.

After her career in the Navy, Diana dove into her passion – writing romance novels. With 34 moves behind her, she was anxious to create characters who reflected the amazing cultures and people she’s met throughout the world.  With the release of her first two books in her new Scottish medieval The Oath Trilogy, An Oath Taken and An Oath Broken, both which hit bestseller lists in the U.S., Canada, and the United Kingdom, as well as the release of the e Box Set of the MacGruder Brothers series, she is now preparing for the release of the last book in The Oath trilogy, An Oath Sworn on 23 December, 2015!

Diana looks forward to the years of writing ahead and meeting the amazing people who will share this journey. www.dianacosby.com

BLURB: Colyne MacKerran is on a mission for his king, and he’s well aware that spies are lying in wait for him everywhere. Wounded en route, he escapes his attackers and is aided by an alluring Frenchwoman…whose explanation for her presence in the Highlands rings false. Even if she saved his life, he cannot trust her with his secrets. But he won’t leave her to the mercy of brigands, either—and as they race for the coast, he can’t help but wonder if her kiss is as passionate as she is.

With nothing in common but their honor, Colyne and Marie face a dangerous journey to safety through the untamed Scottish landscape—and their own reckless hearts… AMAZON

GWEN HERNANDEZ was a manufacturing engineer and programmer before she turned to writing romantic suspense. She’s also the author of Scrivener For Dummies and teaches Scrivener (writing software) to writers all over the world.

She loves to travel, read, jog, practice Kung Fu, and explore the Boston area where she currently lives with her Air Force husband, two teenage boys, and a lazy golden retriever. www.gwenhernandez.com

Message: Happy Veterans Day! As a former military brat (Army and Navy), and a current Air Force spouse, I’ve been surrounded by honorable, self-sacrificing men and women my entire life. My own personal heroes. I honor them in the best way I know how: writing about them. To all veterans—and those still serving—thank you!
 

BLURB: 

Rescuing a kidnapped aid worker from St. Isidore’s dangerous rebels is just another day at work for former pararescueman Dan Molina. But his mission falls apart when the woman—who once shattered his heart—refuses to leave the island.

Alexa Alyssandratos can’t return to her life as a nurse on the hurricane-ravaged Caribbean island, but she won't leave until she’s certain the orphans she cared for—especially one sick little girl—are safe from the rebels. Denied their ransom, a would-be dictator and his soldiers are hunting Alexa, and Dan is the only person who can protect her. Old passions reignite as she and Dan race to save the children before they disappear forever. AMAZON

 

HEATHER ASHBY is a Navy veteran who writes military romantic suspense with Major Christopher Bergeron, USMC, (Ret.) In thanksgiving for her Army son’s safe return from war, she donates 50% of her royalties to Fisher House Foundation, which provides free family lodging at military hospitals. Suzanne Brockmann says, “My readers will love Heather Ashby!”  (P.S. My handsome son is my cover model :-))  www.heatherashby.com

BLURB:

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 USS New York, she’s the only person who sees 9/11 spirits roaming the decks. The daughter of a famous psychic, Gwyn learns they 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 lover.

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

 

 

 
 

Get Lost in an "Unforgettable" Romance from Heather Ashby and Maj. Chris Bergeron

The 9/11 spirits aboard USS New York are back! Their mission: help Cate and Mike find their happily ever afters—and stay alive. 

Captain Cate Hawkins, has run from her unconventional childhood by becoming a Marine Corps pilot. But when a mission in East Africa goes awry, she finds herself in a race for her life. 

Navy pilot, Mike Nikolopoulos wants nothing more than to rescue his new love. If the spirits help him save her, they’ll finally be free to move on to the light. But can Mike overcome a sudden fear of flying to find his way to Cate before terrorists repeat “Black Hawk Down”—with a female American pilot this time?

E.E. Today, my special guests are Heather Ashby and her writing partner, Major Christopher Bergeron. They're here today together, loaded and ready to roll with a fascinating interview about their writing, collaboration and background -- including their real-life "romances." They'll be sharing an exclusive excerpt, and there's a giveaway, too. 

Heather: Elisabeth, thanks for inviting us to Get Lost In A Story. And thanks for giving us the conn today. (Military-speak for “we are in charge.”) Go put your feet up. We’ve got this. What do you think, Chris? Can we handle an interview all by ourselves?

Chris: I’m mission ready. How about you?

Heather: I’m good to go. Okay, first question. You’re a retired Marine Corps major and I know you can write awesome USMC scenarios, but I don’t really know what you did in the Marines. Care to share with us?

Chris: I was in logistics, a job had that me touring with every aspect of the Marine Corps—from wing units to infantry. All over the world. I specialized in unit movement and operational planning. My job was to get Marines and their equipment combat ready to fight when they got there. I also spent six years attached to Navy amphibious ships, so writing NEVER FORGET and UNFORGETTABLE have been a trip down Memory Lane to familiar turf. 

CHRISTOPHER BERGERON

Christopher Bergeron is a retired Major in the United States Marine Corps, with twenty-four years of service. His ten deployments include combat tours in Desert Shield/Desert Storm; Somalia; Kosovo; Haiti; Fallujah, Iraq; and Helmand Province, Afghanistan. Chris’s travels have covered the globe, including more than twenty countries. He lives with his wife and son in Rockford, Michigan, where he is currently a Communications/Marketing student at Grand Valley State University. Unforgettable is his first novel.

HEATHER ASHBY

Award winning author, 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 their Army son’s safe return from Afghanistan and Iraq, she now writes military romance novels, donating half her royalties to Fisher House Foundation in support of wounded warriors and their families. Heather lives in Atlantic Beach, Florida with her retired Navy husband. Unforgettable is the fourth and final book in the “Love in the Fleet” series.

Website

Twitter: @HAshbyAuthor

Facebook: Heather Ashby Author  

Chris: What did you do in the Navy, Heather?

Heather: I was a Personnelman working in the Transient Personnel Unit in Norfolk—what many people call the armpit of the Navy. I hope I made some sailors’ trip through TPU a bit more palatable by taking an individual interest in them as I processed their records for transfer or discharge. Norfolk was not my choice of duty stations, but I did meet my husband there, so it was all for the best. What I learned in the Navy was to appreciate what I have and to not complain. I have little tolerance for whiners. I bet you’d agree with that.

Chris: No tolerance, whatsoever. Your husband was in the service too. So tell me how you met “Commander Integrity.”

Heather: He was Lieutenant Integrity in those days, still doing the right thing and following all the rules—except for this one time. I picked him up at a party at the Officer’s Club in Little Creek, Virginia. He was an officer. I wasn’t. We’re going on 39 years of marriage and we haven’t gotten caught yet. If you’ve read FORGIVE AND FORGET, you’ll know exactly where I got the idea about a rule-following lieutenant hero—and a rule-bending, enlisted heroine.

Chris: LOL, I can just see you crashing a party at the O Club, Heather. Here’s how I met my wife. She was in the Navy and we were both assigned to the USS Bonhomme Richard, LHD-6 when it was being built in Pascagoula, Mississippi. It’s an amphibious ship, so the falling in love part of NEVER FORGET and UNFORGETTABLE brought back a lot of memories. Anyway, we started out as friends who ran in the same social circles. One night we all ended up in New Orleans and the whole group burned out except for the two of us. We danced until the sun came up on Bourbon Street and we’ve been together ever since. 

Heather: Awwww, great story and you’re an awesome couple, Chris. Okay, so you’re retired from the Marine Corps and back in college. What do you want to be when you grow up? What’s your major and what do you want to do next with your life?

Chris: Wait. Do I have to grow up? I suffer from total Peter Pan Syndrome. One of the benefits of the military is that you can put off deciding what you want to be until you’re forty-something. I’m currently studying advertising and photography. Photography is a creative outlet I’ve played with since childhood. Come on, how cool was it shooting the covers for FORGIVE and FORGET, FORGET ME NOT, and NEVER FORGET? Remember how fun—and crazy—that week was?

Heather: Yes! Readers, Chris is an excellent photographer with professional equipment. Our editor, Teresa Medeiros gave us the go-ahead to use my son as the cover model and let Chris shoot the covers. But, Chris was in the middle of moving after his retirement. 

We had a one week window to get my son flown in, gather all the necessary uniform items, and set up Chris’s equipment before the movers packed them up. We needed a flight suit and uniform jackets from the base thrift shop, but it was only open on Thursdays. On that last Thursday before he left town, we met at the thrift shop at 9:00 when it opened. We literally raced through, grabbing uniforms, giggling our tails off, because I had a substitute teaching job at 10:00 across town and he had to be at his son’s fifth grade graduation at 10:00 a.m. We found the right items, threw the money down on the table and raced to the parking lot, laughing the entire time. The next day we picked my son up at the airport, draped my dining room in black, set up the photography equipment, and voila! Book covers!

Heather: Okay, back to questions. What’s your most interesting quirk?

Chris: I’m a complete Sci-Fi geek. I think I’ve seen every B Sci-Fi movie from the 70’s. “Forbidden Planet,” “The Day the Earth stood still.” You name it. It fascinated me as a kid and my Dad is the same way. It was one of the things we shared. I just introduced my son to “Close Encounters of the 3rd Kind” and we’ll be visiting Devil’s Tower as part of our summer vacation. My turn. What’s your favorite movie of all time?

Heather: “To Kill A Mockingbird.” Favorite book and movie. And one of the few films that did the book justice. How about you?

Chris: “Lawrence of Arabia.” It was such a sweeping and magical movie. It was a war movie, but so much more. I just wish I’d been old enough to see it on the big screen.

Heather: Haha! Some people in this interview were old enough to see it on the big screen. I always forget I’m old enough to be your mother. I keep thinking you’re my little brother.

Chris: Well, you’re the closest thing I’ve ever had to a sister, so I guess that works.

Heather: Well, the giggles in that thrift shop will last me a lifetime. These are the kind of memories you make with your little brother. Okay, let’s get back on track. What inspires you?

Chris: All I need is an hour in the pool, on my bike, or in my running shoes. Something about physical exercise spears my brain and gets the creative juices flowing. It’s like a big re-set button. You would mention something we needed to do in the story and then I’d head out on the bike or go for a run. I’d just turn the idea over and over, mixing it up, and then I’d come back and hit the computer. And it would just flow onto the paper. How about you? 

Heather: I’m very spiritual. The mornings I set aside 30 minutes of dedicated prayer and meditation time turn into the most productive days. Everything seems to just fall into place, practically without effort. I am extremely ADHD, so without this focused time to get centered—and anchored—my days just spin out of control.

Chris: Let’s switch things up a little. Who’s your favorite villain?

Heather: I don’t have one. There are so many real villains in the world already, that I don’t want to read about them or watch them in a movie. I know my stories need to have an external conflict and good has to conquer evil, but it still creeps me out so I try to keep it to a minimum. Why do you think I had you write the bad guys and the violence? Who’s your favorite villain?

Chris: (Rubbing his hands together while sneering villainously.) Any Bond villain. James bond fanatic here too. I will admit that the end of UNFORGETTABLE was a Bond-style death for the bad guy and I got a ton of inspiration for writing that truly wicked baddy from Ian Fleming. If I had to name just one though, it would be Dr. No, the uber-cheesy villain from the first Bond film. Everything about the guy was over the top, but still I loved it and believed it. I wanted to make Khaliif in UNFORGETTABLE that kind of bad guy, with depth, purpose, and drive—but fatally flawed. 

Heather: And you did. Amiir Khaliif Thamak is truly unforgettable. So where do we go from here? The series is done. You’re the best little brother/co-author a girl could ask for. What do we do next

Chris: I like the idea of writing a series prequel about how our elderly ghost couple met during WWII. Lots of spy and undercover action in Europe going through my head. But you got to give me a couple of years while I finish school. How about on your own? Any writing plans up your sleeve

Heather: Yes. There were epilogues cut from all four book in the “Love in the Fleet” series. I’m going to cobble them together and put them out as a $.99 special right after New Year’s. I’m sure readers would like to see what happens to our characters when they “grow up.” (Except for Sky. He’ll never grow up.) Okay, I’ve got one parting question for you, Chris. What makes you smile? Even on a bad day?

Chris: That’s an easy one. My son. The boy is a total ham and comedian. After 24 years of service, one of the main reasons I retired from the Marines was I just got tired of being away from him. 

Heather: That’s so sweet. I can hear the readers saying “Awww” through cyberspace. It would be a poignant note to end our interview on, but Elisabeth asked us to include a brief excerpt. Since you waxed and waned so beautifully on villains, I say we share a bit of your creation, Amiir Khaliif Thamak.

Excerpt from UNFORGETTABLE

    “What about the rest of the village, Amiir?” asked one of Khaliif’s henchmen.

    “Leave it. The beheading should get our message across. The prize is Lady America. We get her and we own the revolution. We will all be rich and powerful men.”

    Khaliif’s men smiled at one another. And he smiled at his power over them. He still had their loyalty. Even after the lion attack and all the adversity, they again believed this coup was going to happen. They climbed into the trucks and disappeared down the road.

    Khaliif lit a cigarette and sucked the smoke down deep into his lungs as he drove. His mind slipped to his prey and the hunt at hand. He exhaled bitterly as his mother’s screams echoed in his head. Soon it would be his turn to exact the ultimate revenge. An eye for an eye, the infidels called it. His lips curved into a dangerous smile. An American female running loose on his turf? Yes, this would be sweet. A woman who would soon understand how his mother had felt before her death, who might welcome her own death by the time they were done with her. All his key men would get to play.

And Khaliif would be first in line.

Chris: Oh, yeah, I loved writing Khaliif! But don’t worry, readers. He’ll get his due.

Heather: (Shaking off icky-bad-guy vibes.) Thanks, Elisabeth for letting us take over for a few minutes. We have several questions for your readers: 

Chris wants to know if they like stories with dastardly villains who get what’s coming to them? I prefer to hear what inspires your readers or makes them smile, even on a bad day. We have a copy of UNFORGETTABLE signed by both of us for one lucky commenter who answers either question. 

If they haven’t read the rest of the series, they may want to start with Book 1, FORGIVE and FORGET. Thanks for inviting us to Get Lost In A Story!

Forgive and Forget

Forget Me Not 

Never Forget 

Unforgettable 

Heather is currently featured as one of Lorelei’s Lit Lairs “Authors to Watch” on Read A Romance Month. 

Check out her blog post for a chance to win a Vera Bradley laptop bag filled with romance novels. Drawing on 8-31-15.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

More UNFORGETTABLE military romantic suspense with Major Christopher Bergeron and Heather Ashby

Today we continue our spotlight on the new military romantic suspense, Unforgettable, from award-winning author Heather Ashby and Maj. Christopher Bergeron. 

Let's start with a blurb and excerpt:

Available for Kindle and Nook

The 9/11 spirits aboard USS New York are back! Their mission: help Adam, Gwyn, Mike, and Cate find their happily ever afters—and stay alive. 

As the only person who can see them, Lieutenant Gwyn Pritchard tries to help the spirits move on to the light. That is, when she’s not helping Gunnery Sergeant Adam Connor heal from his PTSD—or falling madly in love with him.

Captain Cate Hawkins, has run from her unconventional childhood by becoming a Marine Corps pilot. But when a mission in East Africa goes awry, she finds herself in a race for her life. After burying the hatchet with Cate, Navy pilot Mike Nikolopoulos wants nothing more than to rescue his new love. If the spirits help him save her, they’ll finally be free to move on. But can Mike overcome a sudden fear of flying to find his way to Cate before terrorists repeat “Black Hawk Down”—with a female American pilot this time?

Here's another excerpt:

  Cate choked down the last energy bar as the final brilliant rays of the sun were winking out on the horizon and the moon began to rise. Granola was a lot easier to swallow when you’re not completely parched. She packed everything as quietly as she could and re-wrapped the splint bandana around her head, OD green being a lot less noticeable than blonde hair in the moonlight. 

   Ditto for her white skin. She pulled out the camo paint compact and applied a liberal layer of browns and blacks to her face and neck. She’d hated wearing war paint while training in the Quantico highlands during Basic School because it was a break-out waiting to happen. Now she was more worried about keeping her head attached to her neck.

   She got her bearings and set off eastward with her pack. The landscape could best be described as a flat and arid forest of bramble bushes about nine to ten feet tall. Occasionally she’d come across termite hills. Some were massive structures taller than the surrounding bushes. One had to be fifteen feet in height. Cate climbed it to have a look around. Brambles extended in all directions. To the south, they looked like they started to thin out, meaning it might be a creek. Good lord, please let it be water.

   She was about to slide down when something caught her attention to the west. Lights. A mixture of vehicle head lamps and what looked like flashlights appeared in the dimming light. Her heart rate slammed into high gear. She swallowed the best she could, both to counteract the anguish climbing up her throat and her killer thirst. No friendly military outfit would be out here searching with white lights and headlamps. It was most likely the last people she wanted to run into: al-Shabab. She eased herself down and slipped on her gear.

   Thank God, she’d been correct about the small clearing. It was a stream—or at least it was a stream when it rained. Right now it was a series of muddy puddles. She submerged one of her collapsible canteens in the muck and strained the water through gauze from her first aid kit. After dropping in two iodine tablets, she drank her fill.

   She was still being pursued, but at least she wouldn’t die from thirst now. She even allowed herself a small smile—but it was short-lived. When she raised her eyes from the canteen, sheer terror twisted her gut. Twenty yards away, two sets of amber eyes stared back at her in the setting sunlight. A pair of massive female lions stood frozen, their gazes fixed on Cate. Moving as slowly as possible, she reached to her side and drew her pistol. If they charged, she might get one or two rounds off, probably only wounding one—and alerting her pursuers at the same time.

   Cate was screwed either way.

   She prayed they were more interested in a drink of muddy water than the flight-suit-encased-Happy-Meal she was beginning to feel like. After staring for what seemed like an eternity, but was probably only minutes, the lionesses lowered their heads and began to lap at the murky water. Cate hoped they would drink their fill and be on their way. She pressed her elbows painfully to her sides, trying to make herself as small as possible. Both lions turned suddenly and peered in the direction Cate had come. Something had alerted them. They slunk off into the brush.

   Suddenly she heard a motor growing closer by the second and she took off running. How could those men drive through the tall grass and brambles? Soon she could make out the sounds of undercarriages and brakes squealing. Surely this had been what had scared the lions away. Cate’s heart thundered as she picked up her pace. At times they would get close enough that she could hear voices as they called back and forth between the vehicles and men on foot. And then they called to her. “We know you are out here, Lady America. Make it easy on yourself and give up. We have water and food. We’re not going to harm you. So be a smart American lady and let us take you to safety.”

   And then, in the moonlit-speckled darkness, she heard another sound that made the whole world stop: the slow, throaty growl of an animal. Cate froze, then lowered herself to the ground. In her attempt to move away from the vehicles, she’d forgotten about the other pair of pursuers. Was it possible she was being hunted by two different sets of predators?

Meet the Authors

HEATHER ASHBY 

Award winning author, 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 their Army son’s safe return from Afghanistan and Iraq, she now writes military romance novels, donating half her royalties to Fisher House Foundation in support of wounded warriors and their families. Her son serves as her cover model, helping to raise money for Fisher Houses around the world. Heather lives in Atlantic Beach, Florida with her retired Navy husband. Unforgettable is the fourth and final book in the “Love in the Fleet” series.

Where you can find Heather:

Website: www.heatherashby.com

Twitter: www.@HAshbyAuthor

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HeatherAshbyAuthor  

CHRISTOPHER BERGERON

Christopher Bergeron is a retired Major in the United States Marine Corps, with twenty-four years of service. 

His ten deployments include combat tours in Desert Shield/Desert Storm; Somalia; Kosovo; Haiti; Fallujah, Iraq; and Helmand Province, Afghanistan. Chris’s travels have covered the globe, including more than twenty countries. 

He lives with his wife and son in Rockford, Michigan, where he is currently a Communications/Marketing student at Grand Valley State University. 

Unforgettable is his first novel.

You can find Chris on Twitter: @acyclingfrenchy

Q&A

E.E., thanks for inviting me to Get Lost In A Story. I have to admit this is pretty cool, since Unforgettable is my first book. Although I was the military advisor for Heather’s 3^rd book, Never Forget, I’m proud to be a co-author this time.

E.E.: How was it working with a co-author?

Chris: When Heather was looking for a USMC advisor for Never Forget, she shared the basics of the story and asked me if I’d be interested in helping her. The wheels in my head were already turning. I told her, “I’ve spent twenty plus years writing training scenarios for the Marine Corps and never got to use half of them. So I already know how we’re going to free those hostages from that consulate.” It’s been fun writing with her. We each start off writing certain parts of the story, but we often bleed over and finish each other’s sentences and scenes. Like I wrote some of the ghost parts because I got to know the characters. And when I got real busy with school toward the end, I told her to write the final battle scene, then send it to me and I’d “Marine-it-up.” I think it was a really cool compliment when our editor, Teresa Medeiros, said, “This is seamless. I can’t tell which one of you wrote which parts.” And considering that Heather and I both write scenes and chapters out of order as the mood strikes us, I’m kind of amazed that we ended up with a finished book. But that’s all been part of the magic of this publishing ride.

E.E.: When and where do you do your best writing?

Chris: You might think this is strange, but I do my best “writing” while I’m doing PT. That’s military-speak for Physical Training. I’ll head out for a run, or a swim, or a long bike ride—or even skiing since I live in Michigan now—and the scenes will just form in my head. I get all the details like the steamy air our heroine is running through, the buzz of the insects on the African plain, and even the shine of the villain’s gold tooth. All the thoughts tumble over each other in my head and when I get home, I just dump them into the computer. I don’t worry about grammar or spelling or paragraphs or anything. I just write it down and send it to Heather. She’s always telling me, “Just send me sand and I’ll make sand castles out of it.” I think it really frees people up to write good, creative stuff when they don’t have to worry about mechanics or that some teacher with a red pen is going to mark up what you wrote.

E.E.: Are there any bloopers in this book?

Chris: Yes, there’s one in the print copy of the book. It’s fun getting to use your friends’ names for characters. Heather had already named one corporal after her Marine friend, Shawn Garrett. I still had a friend I wanted to get in there with the last name of Ellis. So she changed a corporal’s name from Garrett to Ellis for me. Except she only changed it in one place and it appears twice. So in one scene Corporal Garrett is holding an M203 grenade launcher, but apparently changes his name to Corporal Ellis right before firing it.

E.E.: What do you do to relax?

Chris: Define “relax.” I’m not familiar with that word. LOL. I’m pretty high energy and need to be on the go all the time. It’s very important that I get a PT session in every day to work off some of my energy. But I’ve been a full time college student since retiring from the Marines, and sometimes PT just doesn’t happen. Spending time with my wife and son is a huge priority though, so I try to relax with them when I can. We like to fish and ski and I coach my son’s soccer team. And I love to shoot with my camera. (I shot the cover photos for Heather’s series.) And I’m told I’m a pretty good cook, so spending time in the kitchen is another way I can kind of let down and relax.

E.E.: Be honest. When reading, do you put yourself in the hero’s role?

Chris: Now this might sound funny, but in Unforgettable, I put myself in the heroine’s role. When Heather and I brainstormed this book, she said, “The USS New York will be off Somalia, so I’m thinking about a conflict with Somali pirates.” To which I replied, “It’s been done. I think we should do ‘Black Hawk Down’ with a female American pilot this time.” I have to tell you I have the utmost respect for the female Marine Corps aviators I watched take to the skies during my career. They are one of the last groups to brave the old boy network and succeed. I kind of based our heroine on Lieutenant Colonel Sarah “Diamond” Deal, who I had the honor of serving with during my final deployment to Afghanistan. So Heather and I wrote about Captain Cate Hawkins. Heather wrote her back story and I picked up the reins to shoot down Cate’s MV-22 Osprey and have her running from al-Shabab at the Somali/Kenyan border. Her journey is pretty darn exciting, if I say so myself. I’ve served in East Africa, so it was fun setting the scene for Cate as I repeatedly put her in danger. And, because she’s a Marine, she repeatedly gets herself out.

E.E.: What three things are, at this moment, in your heroine’s purse, pocket, satchel, reticule, or weapons belt?

Chris: I don’t know what a reticule is, but I know what Cate has in her flight suit pockets as she runs from the thugs. Among other things, she has: Iodine tablets to purify water, one 9-mm pistol with 45 rounds, one blood chit, and one freaking radio that isn’t freaking working. A blood chit is a piece of paper that says—in various languages—that the bearer is a member of a certain government’s military and anyone who gives that person aid and protection will be monetarily rewarded by the bearer’s government. Cate’s is written in English, Arabic, Swahili, and French.

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

Chris: Now that is an impossible question to answer. I’ve met so many real life heroes, I wouldn’t know where to begin. Several of them are sewn nicely into Unforgettable. But if I were to pick just one for this blog I have to say my dad. Little boys of my generation grew up on GI Joe. I was super lucky because I had a GI Joe in the next room. My dad served 3 tours in Vietnam, which included being awarded the Purple Heart, Bronze Star and being fortunate enough to survive several helicopter crashes in triple canopy jungle. After 26 years in the Army, he went right back to work as a Department of the Army civilian with the elite 75^th Ranger Regiment. My dad deployed 4 more times to combat with them. I even had a chance to share a meal with him when our paths crossed completely by accident in Bagram, Afghanistan. He is the most humble and honest person I know. 

E.E.: If you were given a chance to travel to the past where would you go?  

Chris: I would love to have served in the Grande Armée under Emperor Napoleon. Can you tell I love my French heritage?  That era—the beautiful uniforms and men of courage standing shoulder to shoulder advancing in lines to close with the enemy—it was the last truly Romantic Era of combat.

E.E.: If you could interview one person who would it be and Why?  

Chris: Epictetus the Stoic, hands down.  He was a man of great wisdom. I recently started reading his works. It’s amazing how many of his quotes hit home. When you dissect the work on its face value, life make more sense. The underlying theme of only worrying about things you can control, and accepting the things you can’t, really helps you deal with life. I enjoy philosophy in general, though. I think we as a culture are losing our appreciation for critical thinking.

Chris, fascinating interview! Thank you so much for joining us. Wow, I can see why Heather is so excited about writing this book with you. What an amazing life you've led thus far, and your experience and creativity really shine through in Unforgettable.

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