-
Is All Fair in Love and War with @SharonLHamilton #RLFBlog #Romance
Navy SEALs are known for being the
best of the best when it comes to working in the arena of war. Highly trained
and skilled, practiced in all aspects of Team life, they are literally
programmed to react certain ways and to call on resources in the flick of an
eye.Not so at home. In fact, it’s well
known that many of the Special Forces have problems on the homefront, with a
higher than normal divorce rate. I created a scenario with my next series, Band
of Bachelors, a house full of men who have banded together because of their
common enemy: women. You can imagine the advice these bachelors give each
other—both solicited and unsolicited, and most of it horrible. Yet, one by one,
each will find his happily ever after.You know these guys already. They
are loyal to The Brotherhood, to the Navy, and to their wives and children,
even when they are estranged from them. Some will find their way back to wives
they never stopped loving, others will have to find love again, but each tale
will be a compelling and humorous journey of the heart, to find their true
soulmate.About the Book
Title LucasGenre Erotic RomanceAuthor Sharon
HamiltonBook heat level (based on movie ratings): RSpecial Operator Lucas Shipley
thought his troubles were past him, when he discovers they’ve only just begun.
Recently separated from his wife of five years, he gets some unwelcomed
news. He thought his living arrangement,
with four other separated or divorced buddies from SEAL Team 3, was
temporary. Now, he understands he has to
move on with his life.Marcy Gelland is one of the
smartest, most successful realtors in San Diego County. She’s hired by Lucas’
soon-to-be ex-wife to help her liquidate their joint holdings and help
orchestrate a speedy departure from Lucas’ life. Based on what Marcy’s been
told, Lucas deserves any amount of pain she or her client can dish out to him.But when they are left alone
together in the remote Northern California woods, they ignite a personal
bonfire that threatens to burn down the whole forest. Marcy is forced to see she has been misled.Amidst the backdrop of hardened
bachelor SEALs with their unsolicited, anti-long- term relationship advice, and
a criminal gang operating nearby, Lucas must do what he’s always done and never
gotten proper credit for: be the hero that saves the day.Buy This Book
Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Band-Bachelors-Lucas-SEAL-Brotherhood-ebook/dp/B012RJMMUC
About the Author
Sharon Hamilton Sharon Hamilton is a NYT and USA/Today bestselling author most known for her SEAL Brotherhood series.
Her Golden Vampires of Tuscany are not like any vamps you’ve read before, since they don’t have to go to ground, and can walk around in the full light of the sun.
Sharon’s Guardian Angels struggle with the human charges they are sent to save, often escaping their vanilla world of Heaven for the brief human one. You won’t find any of these beings in any Sunday school class.
All of Sharon’s books are available on eBooks (most formats), print and Audible.
A lifelong organic gardener, Sharon lives with her husband in the Wine Country of Northern California, where most of her stories take place. When she’s not writing, she’s getting verra verra dirty in the mud, or wandering Farmer’s Markets looking for new Heirloom varieties of vegetables and flowers.Author Social Media
Newsletter http://eepurl.com/saokH -
Writing While Traveling by Sharon Hamilton @sharonlhamilton #RLFblog #amwriting
Breakfast at sea Early on in my writing career I needed
complete quiet or certain music in a familiar place to write. But that left behind
my love of travel. And my love of cruising, in particular.The past two years I’ve been able
to merge these two loves into one. I now take writing “vacations” often,
going to places I’m going to write about, but many times just to meet colorful characters
I can use in my books. And to have a bit of fun. Here’s a little excerpt from a
blog I did in December. Here’s what I mean about fun:http://www.authorsharonhamilton.com/2014/12/sundays-with-sharon-cheeseburger-in-paradise/Traveling has also been good for business.
Between last December, when we took our Italy to Rio cruise, and now, I went from
having 1100 Facebook Author followers to over 11,000, as people followed my travels.
(You can do the same by scrolling down from the above link). Christmas and Thanksgiving
will never be the same for me again, since I got to see how local people celebrate
it in Italy, France, Spain, Portugal, Canary Islands, Morocco, the Virgin Islands,
Rio and Sao Paolo. I remember one Christmas Eve when we were serenaded by a group
of school children in the VI. Such a magical night seeing their bright little faces
on the night when Santa would descend upon them and their households. Afterwards
we walked on the beach in the warm balmy night.A Port of Call When I visited Morocco, the black
cobras that snake charmers display in the public square in Marrakesh intrigued me.
These snakes wound up in my book, Cruisin’ For A SEAL, where a group of terrorists
take over a cruise ship. They were unsuccessful because 9 Navy SEALs and their wives
were also vacationing on the same boat. I found a suitable lifeboat where a love
scene could be played out, wrote it while sitting on the bench, as the sea rocked
and rolled beside and underneath me.The multiple languages wash like water
over me. On these trips, I am very rarely around English-speaking people, which
is like background noise. This happy chatter excites me, as I pretend I know what
they’re talking about, or make up a story, undistracted from the reality of what
they’re really saying.Colors and locations are important.
I finished my Guardian Angel book, Underworld Queen, in the angel room, a room set
up for playing cards on the cruise ship.My husband got in a little trouble
noodling around on the balcony when our cabin boy surprised us. By that time, the
bottle of champagne had gotten to be properly, and I didn’t care he saw us necked.
And then we fantasized about the animal shapes he was making ever after that on
our bed with the towels.Romance is everywhere. In Italy, the
town of Savona became the backdrop for the beginning of my Cruisin’ story, where
a SEAL meets a lovely young Italian lady in a piazza, sipping cappuccino with her
mother. She turns out to be the dance instructor on the cruise. I also walked down
the cobblestoned village streets in Genoa, finding the little chapel where my vampire
book started, when my heroine says a prayer as her heart is breaking. Of course,
her fated mate, a 300-year-old vampire named Marcus Monteleone, overhears this prayer
and is mesmerized. I would have not had that scene if I hadn’t physically been there,
in that chapel, with the chimes and the flutter of pigeons and unfamiliar sirens
going off in the background.The view at sea In Antigua I found the cottage I will
rent some day this year, sit on the beach and write. I have a story brewing now.
Internet was wonderful. The rum punch fantastic, and the gentle water lapping up
on shore almost made me cry. I thought about the people who had sat on that very
beach over the centuries, especially Admiral Nelson, as he commanded the Caribbean
fleet there in English Bay. I felt the presence of some of those people who were
buried there. One soldier, buried with an infant on his chest, no doubt from a love
affair with an island girl.So traveling has turned my world upside
down and inside out. Now I look forward to go exploring. Letting my mind wander
wherever my muse will take me. After all, we write from our experience. Whether
it’s real or imagined, traveling just broadens my palette, and makes my soul sing.And that’s when the magic comes.About the Author
Sharon Hamilton NYT and USA/Today and Amazon Top 100 Bestselling Author Sharon
Hamilton’s SEAL Brotherhood series have earned her Amazon author rankings of #1
in Romantic Suspense, Military Romance and Contemporary Romance. Her characters
follow a sometimes rocky road to redemption through passion and true love. Her Golden
Vampires of Tuscany earned her a #1 Amazon author ranking in Gothic Romance.A lifelong organic vegetable and flower gardener, Sharon and
her husband live in the Wine Country of Northern California, where most of her stories
take place.Author Social Media
Newsletter http://eepurl.com/saokH -
RLF Gems: Blog Stats for Nov 2013 #RLFblog #BloggerAward
RLF Gems In November, Romance Lives Forever had 29 posts in a 30 day month.
On the 11th, there was a tribute to authors who are also veterans. Here are the
top posts (judging by page views).1. Elle James, Delilah Devlin (authors who are sisters and
veterans)2. Jenna Storm3. Sharon
Hamilton4. Sascha Illyvich5. TD HassetHonorable mention: Diane Saxon, DP Denman, Nancy
Corrigan, Rue Allyn, and the Salute to Author Veterans, all of whose posts
scored within a few points of the top five.Romance Lives Forever
features authors and new books. It has a blogger’s FAQ page with a downloadable
guide and optional interviews. Readers can follow via Google Friend Connect,
Networked Blogs, Bloglovin’, Linky Followers, email, an RSS feed, and there’s a
blog button readers and authors can grab.. RLF takes up to three images per
article, so authors can share previous books. The blog uses author or publisher
names as SEO tags on posts, and author Twitter handles in the titles. The site
is broadcast over Triberr with a potential reach of over a million readers via
its Twitter-linked network. Twitter mentions are also gathered in several
Paper.li ezines, giving the author an additional opportunity for promotion. At
the end of each year, a pdf version of the blog is available for readers to
download and share.The Romance Lives Forever
Paper.li ezine features guest authors on its front page every day. The Yahoo Group Romance Lives Forever has
nearly 1200 members, and is Kayelle’s private group. It is open once a month to
authors who have been guests on the blog. Guests get one day to post info,
share news, book releases, offer contests, and so on. For that day, the group
is open and members are allowed to reply and take active part. It’s like an
old-fashioned chat, where you can share and answer questions. Only authors who
have reserved the day are allowed to post, so it’s exclusive. There is no
charge. You can read more about it here: http://is.gd/rlfauthordayAdvertise on Romance Lives Forever
Book cover ad spots are available for 2014, with limited
space. Cost ranges from $1 for a week, to $3 for a month. Discounts are given
for ads posted for one quarter and up to one year. Covers can be changed
monthly.Sign Up for a Future Post
Click the tab above or click here: http://is.gd/rlfblog_requestMy thanks to all who took part this month. You made Romance Lives
Forever a great place to discover new books and authors.Other participants this month in alphabetical order by first
name are:Ana Blaze, Christina
Phillips , Cynnara Tregarth, Erin Moore, Gray Dixon, Jan Meredith, Jess Mahler,
Johnee Cherry, Keta Diablo, Kris Bock, Martha O’Sullivan, Michaela Rhua, Nancy
Corrigan, Patricia Kiyono, Rue Allyn, Sarah Grimm, Susana Ellis, Teresa Reasor,
Veronica Bale -
Sisters, Veterans, Authors: @DelilahDevlin and @ellejamesauthor #RLFblog
Please join me in welcoming military author and former
military woman Elle James to the Romance Lives Forever blog. She’s going to
share with you today about her sister, author Delilah Devlin, also a former
military woman. Take it away, Elle! And thank you for your service. As a former
Navy vet myself, I know the sacrifice it took.—Born and raised as children of a career Air Force man, it was
only natural that my sister and I would follow in my father’s footsteps and join
the military. Because my father retired in a small town with a public university
that only had Army ROTC, my sister and I joined the Army ROTC program. We loved
the discipline and challenge of being a part of the military and fully embraced
the lifestyle.My sister graduated and went right into the U.S. Army. I married
in college and joined the U.S. Army Reserves and later branch transferred to the
U.S. Air Force Reserves. We are now both retired and writing full time, but the
military is still very near and dear to our hearts. We loved being a part of something
bigger than ourselves, serving this great country and protecting our freedom.This veterans day we teamed with a great group of authors who
write military romances to produce a boxed set of military romances in honor of
Veterans Day and all the brave men and women who help to protect our nation.Uniform Desires
Six Military Romances fromNational Best-selling AuthorsInfatuation by Melissa SchroederSEAL’s Honor by Elle JamesSEAL the Deal by Sharon HamiltonDangerous Liaison by Delilah DevlinHer Forever Hero by JM MaddenCinderella Liberty
by Cat JohnsonInfatuation by Melissa Schroeder
USA
Today Bestselling AuthorTo prove her love and save her man, she has to go above and beyond
the call of duty. SEAL Francis McKade never acted on his feelings for his best friend’s
sister. All that changes at a wedding in Hawaii,
but the next morning, he’s called for a mission-one that leaves his world in shambles.
Months later, Kade shows up in her bar a changed man. When he pushes her to her
limits in the bedroom, Shannon refuses to back
down. One way or another, he’ll learn there’s no walking away from love—not while
she still has breath in her body.SEAL’s Honor by Elle James
Award-winning AuthorTwo Navy SEALs jeopardize their lives and hearts in a battle-torn
land when they vie for the love of one sexy Night Stalker helicopter pilot. SEAL
Reed Tucker doesn’t believe in commitment, until he tangles the sheets with one
hot pilot, Delaney O’Connell. His phobia against commitment is challenged when his
best friend asks Delaney to marry him. As a helicopter pilot for the 160th Night
Stalkers, Delaney knows the risks of loving a SEAL. When her lover’s friend loses
an arm in battle, she can’t refuse his marriage proposal when he’s already lost
so much. In love with one man, pledged to marry another, she’s torn. Tuck and Delaney
must come to grips with the happiness they owe themselves and the happiness of their
friend who has lost so much.SEAL the Deal by Sharon Hamilton
Bestselling AuthorA SEAL’s nightmare of a promise given at his sister’s deathbed
gives him the woman of his dreams. Special Operator Nick Dunn promises his dying
sister that he will help shut down her business and settle her affairs. He must
work with his sister’s best friend he vaguely remembers. But boy has she grown up.
Though Devon Brandeburg created a small fortune in real estate, she has a total
lack of experience with men. Who needs their testosterone-stuffed egos sucking the
air out of the room, like Nick’s does? The promise turns into a hot affair neither
expected with Nick the teacher in Devon’s journey
to womanhood. As she comes alive in his arms, the student brings the teacher something
he’s never allowed himself to want, and now needs.Dangerous Liaison by Delilah Devlin
Award-winning AuthorA pampered travel agent escapes through the jungle with an undercover
DEA agent when a drug lord mistakes her for a rival’s daughter. After surviving
a week of anti-terrorist training in a Central American jungle, Maya Cordoba is
ready to kick off the mud from her designer boots after she hijacks her sexy driving
instructor. Instead, she finds herself staring down the barrel of an AK-47and being
kidnapped! Mistaken for a rival drug lord’s daughter she knows if they learn she’s
not who they think she is—she’s dead. Rescue comes from ex-marine and undercover
DEA agent, Angel Rickman. He promises to get her out as long as she does everything
he tells her to. Together, they make a mad dash through the jungle with the drug
cartel’s army on their tails.Her Forever Hero by JM Madden
Bestselling AuthorWhen the boss’s pregnant, unwed daughter needs rescuing, disabled
Marine Grafton Parks proves he’s still a hero. Kendall Herrington is drawn to her
handsome new security guard, prosthetic hand and all. The man is totally wrong for
her, but on a lonely Christmas night, she gives in to her body’s demands, regret
setting in on the morning after. Former EOD Marine Grafton Parks knows Kendall is resisting admitting she’s pregnant and that the
board won’t allow an unwed, pregnant female to run the multi-billion dollar Herrington
Corporation. Even if she is the boss’s daughter. As they struggle to come to terms
with each other, an unexpected danger threatens their lives. Will they survive long
enough for him to be…Her Forever Hero?Cinderella Liberty
by Cat JohnsonNY Times and USA
Today Bestselling AuthorA weekend liberty leads to unexpected passion between a Marine
and his best friend’s sister, but he must survive seven months in Afghanistan to get
back to her. Marine Gunnery Sergeant John “Crash” O’Malley has two goals.
Enjoy his liberty in New York City, and survive his
deployment to Afghanistan.
What he didn’t plan on is Trish. A guy can’t have a one-night stand with his best
friend’s sister and then abandon her at midnight when his liberty ends, but starting
a new relationship days before shipping out would be crazy. Crash doesn’t realize
his friend’s displeasure is nothing compared to what the insurgents have in store
for them in the Helmand
Province. Now, Crash’s new
objective is to get home alive and make Trish his.About the Author
Elle James spent twenty years livin’ and lovin’ in South Texas, ranching horses, cattle, goats, ostriches and
emus. Retired Lt Colonel U.S Air Force Reserves and former IT professional, Elle
is proud to be writing full-time, penning intrigues and paranormal adventures that
keep her readers on the edge of their seats. She has 39 works with Harlequin, self
published works under pen name Elle James, over 40 works with other publishers including Kensington and Avon and 18 works self-published under pen
name Myla Jackson. Now living in northwest Arkansas, she isn’t wrangling cattle, she’s wrangling
her muses, a malti-poo and yorkie. When she’s not at her computer, she’s traveling,
out snow-skiing, boating, or riding her ATV, dreaming up new stories.Find Me Here
Website http://www.ellejames.com/ -
When Writing Military Boxed Sets @sharonlhamilton #RLFblog
Uniform Desires Uniform Desires is a boxed set of novellas from some of the best
military writers on the planet: Delilah Devlin, Melissa Schroeder, Cat Johnson,
JM Madden, Elle James and myself. Most of us have either served in the military,
or have had husbands and children who have served, or who are serving now.The release of this anthology is timed for Veteran’s Day, 11-11-13.
It is the only all-military boxed set available this year.Our stories run the gamut, from Marines to para-rescue teams,
wounded vets and Navy SEALs. These are the quiet guys who get things done, putting
themselves in harm’s way, sacrificing their own safety for ours. It’s the least
we could do to help bring their stories to life.We aren’t writing detailed accounts of war. There are great writers
out there who specialize in bringing readers that genre. We write about the love
stories, about what happens when the soldier comes home, when his special training
doesn’t prepare him for the “dangers” of falling in love.I think that’s what I love most about writing military romance.
Certainly no national secrets are divulged in my books, but I’ve enjoyed the SEAL
community I’ve gotten to know, and like to write about what happens to them on a
personal side. I’ve said many times when I’ve spoken to groups, that the stories
I’ve heard are even more outrageous than what I put in my books. No one would believe
some of the things I’ve been told. Indeed, truth can be stranger than fiction.When I’m at book signings or book fairs, people sometimes shy
away from picking up a military romance because they don’t like to think about men
and women coming into harm’s way, and perhaps for many, it is too close to home.
In romance, or romantic suspense, although not everyone survives the stories, usually
the hero and heroine do. Forced to deal with life and death, they are thrown together,
and almost don’t survive. In the midst of a crisis, love finds a way, and turns
out in the end to save the day.Unlike some of the other boxed sets being sold today, most of
the material in the anthology is brand new. And, although there are many kinds of
heroes out there who sacrifice themselves for the public every day, the heroes in
our book are only military heroes.Instead of attaching a blurb, I’m going to run down brief blurbs
of each of the stories, and the authors who wrote them:Infatuation by Melissa SchroederUSA Today Bestselling Author www.melissaschroeder.netTo prove her love and save her man, she has to go above and beyond
the call of dutySEAL Francis McKade never acted on his feelings for his best
friend’s sister. All that changes at a wedding in Hawaii, but the next morning, he’s called for
a mission-one that leaves his world in shambles.Months later, Kade shows up in her bar a changed man. When he
pushes her to her limits in the bedroom, Shannon
refuses to back down. One way or another, he’ll learn there’s no walking away from
love—not while she still has breath in her body.SEAL’s Honor by Elle JamesAward-winning Author www.ellejames.comTwo Navy SEALs jeopardize their lives and hearts in a battle-torn
land when they vie for the love of one sexy Night Stalker helicopter pilotSEAL Reed Tucker doesn’t believe in commitment, until he tangles
the sheets with one hot pilot, Delaney O’Connell. His phobia against commitment
is challenged when his best friend asks Delaney to marry him.As a helicopter pilot for the 160th Night Stalkers, Delaney knows
the risks of loving a SEAL. When her lover’s friend loses an arm in battle, she
can’t refuse his marriage proposal when he’s already lost so much. In love with
one man, pledged to marry another, she’s torn.Tuck and Delaney must come to grips with the happiness they owe
themselves and the happiness of their friend who has lost so much.SEAL the Deal by Sharon HamiltonBestselling Author http://sharonhamiltonauthor.com/A SEAL’s nightmare of a promise given at his sister’s deathbed
gives him the woman of his dreamsSpecial Operator Nick Dunn gets the call he has been dreading
since before his last deployment. His sister is in her final stages of cancer. He
drives up to Sonoma County from Coronado
to help her shut down her failing nursery business and tie up her final affairs.
He must work with his sister’s best friend he only vaguely remembers from his past.
But boy has she grown up.Devon Brandeburg has
created a small financial fortune through her success in real estate. Her career
is her main focus, but a closely guarded secret is her total lack of experience
with men. After all, who needs them? Especially when their testosterone-stuffed
egos suck all the air out of the room, like Nick’s does.Nick’s sister requires two things of the both of them as her
dying wish. What starts as a deathbed promise turns out
to be a hot affair neither one expected. Nick becomes Devon’s
teacher in her journey to womanhood. As she comes alive in his arms, the
student brings the teacher something he’s never allowed himself to want, and now
knows he needs.Dangerous Liaisons by Delilah DevlinAward-winning Author www.delilahdevlin.comA pampered travel agent escapes through the jungle with an undercover
DEA agent when a drug lord mistakes her for a rival’s daughterAfter surviving a week of anti-terrorist training in a Central
American jungle, Maya Cordoba is ready to kick off the mud from her designer boots
after she hijacks her sexy driving instructor. Instead, she finds herself staring
down the barrel of an AK-47and being kidnapped! Mistaken for a rival drug lord’s
daughter she knows if they learn she’s not who they think she is—she’s dead.Rescue comes from ex-marine and undercover DEA agent, Angel Rickman.
He promises to get her out as long as she does everything he tells her to. Together,
they make a mad dash through the jungle with the drug cartel’s army on their tails.Her Forever Hero by JM MaddenBestselling AuthorWhen the boss’s pregnant, unwed daughter needs rescuing, disabled
Marine Grafton Parks proves he’s still a heroKendall Herrington is drawn to her handsome new security guard,
prosthetic hand and all. The man is totally wrong for her, but on a lonely Christmas
night, she gives in to her body’s demands, regret setting in on the morning after.Former EOD Marine Grafton Parks knows Kendall
is resisting admitting she’s pregnant and that the board won’t allow an unwed, pregnant
female to run the multi-billion dollar Herrington Corporation. Even if she is the
boss’s daughter.As they struggle to come to terms with each other, an unexpected
danger threatens their lives. Will they survive long enough for him to be…Her Forever
Hero?Cinderella
Liberty by Cat JohnsonNew York Times and USA Today Bestselling AuthorA weekend liberty leads to unexpected passion between a Marine
and his best friend’s sister, but he must survive seven months in Afghanistan to get
back to herMarine Gunnery Sergeant John “Crash” O’Malley has two
goals. Enjoy his liberty in New York City, and survive
his deployment to Afghanistan.
What he didn’t plan on is Trish. A guy can’t have a one-night stand with his best
friend’s sister and then abandon her at midnight when his liberty ends, but starting
a new relationship days before shipping out would be crazy.Crash doesn’t realize his friend’s displeasure over him breaking
the ‘no sisters rule’ is nothing compared to what the insurgents have in store for
them in the Helmand
Province. Now, Crash’s new
objective is to get home alive and make Trish his.We are honored to be able to bring you these stories for Veteran’s
Day. Won’t you share them with your friends and family, who love to read about the
men and women who protect and defend us every day?Buy link:
http://www.amazon.com/Uniform-Desires-Make-Mine-Military-ebook/dp/B00G187832?tag-sharohamil-20About the Author
Sharon HamiltonLife is one fool thing
after another.Love is two fool things
after each other.Sharon Hamilton Sharon’s
award-winning spicy Navy SEAL stories in the SEAL Brotherhood series, have consistently
made best sellers lists and review sites. Her characters follow a sometimes rocky
road to redemption through passion and true love.Her Golden Vampires of Tuscany are not like any vamps you’ve
read before, since they don’t go to ground and can walk around in the full light
of the sun.Her Guardian Angels struggle with the human charges they are
sent to save, often escaping their vanilla world of Heaven for the brief human one.
You won’t find any of these beings in any Sunday school class.She lives in Sonoma
County, California with
her husband, and two Dobermans. A lifelong organic gardener, when she’s not writing,
she’s getting vera vera dirty in the mud, or wandering Farmer’s Markets looking
for new Heirloom varieties of vegetables and flowers.Find Me Here
-
Character Interview: SEAL Calvin Cooper @sharonlhamilton #RLFblog
Fallen SEAL Legacy In a departure from our usual format today, author Sharon
Hamilton is interviewing her character Nebraska
born and bred Navy SEAL Calvin “Coop” Cooper. After his own family has perished
in a tornado, Cooper is ordered to meet the family of a prominent San Diego psychiatrist. The
doctor’s brother is a fallen SEAL medic who died in Grenada. There, Cooper meets Libby Brownlee,
the beautiful niece of this fallen hero. Heavily influenced by her father, “We don’t
speak military here,” is her comment about the military in general, and the SEAL
community in particular.What starts out as a frosty debate between two people privately
dealing with their own personal grief, turns into a passionate affair neither expected.
Just as Cooper realizes perhaps Libby is the woman he’s always been looking for,
she is snatched out from under him by a psychopathic killer bent on revenge.Dr. Brownlee is forced to rely on Cooper’s help, along with his
buddies in SEAL Team 3. Will Cooper be able to survive the loss of the woman he
loves, or will his self sacrifice be enough to keep her safe?Book: Fallen SEAL LegacyGenre: Contemporary RomanceBuy links:Amazon http://amzn.com/B00AKJN1TI/Interview
Today I am pleased to do a character interview with Special
Operator (SO) Calvin Cooper, from SEAL Team 3, based in San Diego, California. I’ve been given a little cheat sheet on him, and so I’m going
to ask him some questions he probably wasn’t expecting.Sharon: Tell me a bit about yourself and your
background.Cooper: I was born
in Nebraska, near
Pender. My family was third generation farmers, having come over from Denmark in the early
1900’s. When I was little, my great grandfather used to read Hans Christian Andersen
stories to me at bedtime.Sharon: Those sound like wonderful memories. What
did you like best about growing up on a farm?Cooper: The way the
land looks after you’ve plowed it, the smell of the soil and the early morning sunlight.
Summers we worked sun up to sunset. Some day I hope to move back there, when the
time is right.Sharon: I understand you experienced a tragedy
last year. Your whole family destroyed in a tornado. I’m so sorry for your loss.Cooper: The farm,
my dad, mom, my sister and her husband and their little girl. And grandpa. Everyone.
All gone. My dog Bay survived. It was the lowest point in my entire life. I threw
myself back into my job. Wanted to go back to work in the worst way, but Chief Timmons
ordered me to meet the family of SO Brownlee, who had been killed in Grenada.Sharon: That was significant, having you meet
the family of SO Brownlee. You carried his name engraved on your KAY-BAR, right?Cooper: Yes, every
SEAL is awarded a KAY-BAR in a private ceremony before we get our Tridents. We carry
the name of a fallen SEAL. Chief Timmons wanted me to meet his family. Little did
he know I would find the girl of my dreams there.Sharon: From what I’ve been told, they were none
too pleased to meet you.Cooper: Kinda made
me mad at first. Not used to families who aren’t friendly toward our community.
Libby Brownlee was definitely the ice queen when I first met her. I think her father
had put notions in her head about what we are about.Sharon: So tell me about your Team. What kind
of guys are you?Cooper: We’re all
different. There’s Kyle, he’s our leader. Been on the teams for almost ten years,
always was a California
dude, if you know what I mean. Got himself a pretty little wife, Christy, who is
sort of our Team’s Realtor. Now has a baby. Kyle is an expert marksman, and a born
leader. He and Armando were swim buddies during BUD/S.There’s Armando, but we call him Armani because he likes to dress
up. Native of Puerto Rico, he’s usually the one
all the ladies want. Very protective of his mother and his little sister, Mia. Armando
is an explosives expert. He’s also the best swimmer on the team, although I’m right
behind him.Fredo is Mexican by heritage, grew up in LA. He’s our equipment
and radioman. He can rig a microphone anywhere and be able to track it remotely.
Also deadly with explosives. Don’t try to wrestle him, because he cheats. He’s in
love with Armani’s sister, but she won’t give him the time of day. He has a heart
the size of the ocean.We got a new guy on the Team, LT Malcolm Jones, originally from
Texas. He actually
got an NFL contract but decided to go to the Academy instead. Never saw a guy run
so darned fast before. He can high jump over cars without breaking a sweat.Sharon: But you haven’t told us what your expert
capabilities are.Cooper: I’m the gadget
guy. I think I became a SEAL for the equipment and the toys. That’s what I used
to spend all my time and money on when I first joined up. I live in a motor home
at the beach, so I could save up to have every gadget known to man. Just bought
a great drone in Silicon Valley, which came in
mighty handy recently.Sharon: I understand you are getting married shortly.Cooper: Yes, Ma’am,
that’s affirmative. Libby made me the luckiest man on the planet when she agreed
to marry me.Sharon: Other than the cool equipment, what do
you like about being a SEAL?SEAL Endeavor Cooper: I guess like
Kyle, I wanted to just see how far I could get. You never really know what you can
do until you test your limits. I just wanted to see, first of all, if I had what
it takes to become a SEAL. I didn’t get all macho about it. Bragging around the
place. Those are the fakers. Easy to spot. Tell everyone. That’s not the SEAL way.Like Kyle, I feel lucky to have found something I love doing
at such an early age. I guess I would have remained on the farm in Nebraska if I’d washed out.
Never knew anything else. Never wanted to make millions of dollars, and sure as
heck they don’t pay you that when you’re on the Teams. But that’s not why we do
it. We love being the heroes that save the day. Get all the great girls. We get
to jump out of airplanes and helicopters at midnight. Sneak in and get out before
anyone knows we’ve been there. You need guys like us. I like that our country depends
on us to get our job done without drama. Leave the drama in the theater where it
belongs. We just get ‘er done.Sharon: What advice would you give readers to
learn more about you and your Team buds?Cooper: There’s tons
of stuff written about us, not all of it very accurate, of course. But we think
it’s funny how everyone wants to make us out to be superheroes. Hell, we even get
Superman and Spiderman underwear for special missions. We’re just plain guys doing
a job no one else can do. That’s a pretty cool thing when you think about it.We’re trained to handle anything. Improvise. Learn from the enemy.
Observe mostly, talk little and never show off. So, let us be. Tell us thanks. That’s
the best thing anyone can do for us. Appreciate us. Because we love all of you.Sharon: Well, Coop, I don’t think I could have
said it better myself. Keep yourself safe, and I hope we’ll get to hear more about
you and your buddies in the months and years to come.Cooper: You bet. We’ll
be here. We’re always here, and we’re always ready.What question would you ask SO Calvin Cooper if you had the chance?
What would you like to see the SEALs do in an upcoming story? Anything you’ve wanted
to know? Maybe I can get Coop to answer back.About the Author
Sharon Hamilton Sharon Hamilton loves all things paranormal: Angels, Dark Angels,
Watchers, Guardians, Upogenie, and Vampires. She also has developed a series of
hot romantic suspense Navy SEAL stories that have ranked her in the top 100 at Amazon
in that genre and the book ranked in the top 100 for 12 weeks in a row.Her characters follow a spicy road to redemption through passion
and true love–not exactly what they taught you in Sunday School!An avid organic vegetable and flower gardener, Sharon and her
husband live in the Wine Country in Northern California,
where most of her stories take place.Find Me Here