If there’s one alpha male I love in my romance reading, it’s the military
hero. Strong, determined, capable, ready to go to emotional war to keep the
woman he loves. Is there anything better? Seeing as I write military heroes
in my Flight & Glory series, I strive to make them as realistic as possible.
These guys are honestly a special breed, and deserve attention to every
delicious detail. So how can we write realistic military guys? By knowing
them.
I grew up as an army brat, raised by both a mother and father serving. Fast
forward a couple decades and I’ve been married to my own military hottie for
the last thirteen years. It’s safe to say that I’ve been around my fair share
of soldiers, but in all honesty, my favorite soldier to study is my husband.
He’s been deployed four times, seriously wounded in action, and is the most
swoon-worthy man I know. For every rough moment he has in uniform, every war
he’s fought, he’s twice as gentle with our kids, with me. Because I know him,
I've seen the ravages of PTSD, I’ve lived the moments where you hold on to
them fifteen seconds longer because you’re terrified that’s your last kiss.
I’ve seen him stand straighter once that uniform is on, when he becomes the
insanely skilled Apache pilot, and I love him in that moment, but I also know
the man who ties hockey skates for our kids, and I love that man just as
much, if not more.
Writing military heroes with authenticity means that we value each side of
these men. To only show the alpha, hot headed side, we’d be losing the man
under the camouflage shell. To only show the emotional side, we wouldn’t do
justice to the warrior he is. It’s about showing the two sides of them, and
more importantly, the area where the two bleed into one. In BEYOND WHAT
IS GIVEN, my latest release, these two sides are ever-present in Grayson,
who readers have only seen as the quiet military-minded guy in previous books
in the series. By showing him at home in North Carolina, his other side comes
to light, but when Sam enters the picture, his world is upended. She sees how
hard he struggles to keep his halves separate, and she’s the one who has to
navigate the gray, murky area where he is both the man she knows at Fort
Rucker, and the one his family knows in North Carolina. One of the most
realistic ways to portray a military hero is for them to acknowledge that
separation, for them to make peace with it.
Of course having the right terminology helps too. I’m really lucky that my
husband reads all of my books even before my editor, and can catch if I miss
something, or mislabel something. Nothing is worse to me than hearing, “Hey,
that can’t really happen!” This is where I lean heavily on experience and
make sure that while each situation is unique and emotional, it’s also true-
to-life. Chances are, I’ve seen it, and if I haven’t directly experienced it,
my husband has.
Oh, and my absolutely favorite part of making military heroes realistic? They
really do look that good in uniform. Seriously. Jaw-drop-worthy romance novel
gorgeous. I for one, absolutely adore being married to my military hero!
Rebecca Yarros is a hopeless romantic and lover of all things
chocolate, coffee, and Paleo. In addition to being a mom, military wife, and
blogger, she can never choose between Young Adult and New Adult fiction, so
she writes both. She’s a graduate of Troy University, where she studied
European history and English, but still holds out hope for an acceptance
letter to Hogwarts. Her blog, The Only Girl Among Boys, has been voted the
Top Military Mom Blog the last two years, and celebrates the complex issues
surrounding the military life she adores.
When she’s not writing, she’s tying on hockey skates for her kids, or
sneaking in some guitar time. She is madly in love with her army-aviator
husband of eleven years, and they’re currently stationed in Upstate NY with
their gaggle of rambunctious kiddos and snoring English Bulldog, but she
would always rather be home in Colorado.
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Be careful what you wish for...
Lt. Grayson Masters is focused on graduating the Apache helicopter course,
and the last thing he needs is his gorgeous new roommate Samantha Fitzgerald
distracting him. While her smart mouth and free spirit are irresistibly
irritating, he can't deny their off-the-charts chemistry, no matter how hard
he tries.
Having just been expelled from college, Sam has no business digging for
Grayson's secrets while she's hiding her own, but that doesn't stop her from
trying to tear down his walls. Each barrier she busts through drops one of
her own, though, and she's not prepared for the truth: another woman laid
claim to Grayson's heart long ago.
Falling in love is something neither Grayson nor Sam can afford, and when
that line is crossed and secrets are exposed, they'll learn that sometimes
it's the answered prayers that will put you through hell.
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