September 2013 News
DEAR READER:
Some of you back in 1999, read my first E-book, Valkyrie. It later went on to win the Romantic Times Best E-book of the year 2000.
Valkyrie has been bought by Harlequin and I’m thrilled with this acquisition. Why? Because I’m going to use this book as the beginning of a new series called Shadow Warriors, which will be published by Harlequin HQN. It will be book #1. And it is retitled: Danger Close.
For those who might have bought the book, I’ve done some editing. I’ve also cut down the book length and tightened it up to 100,000 words. Originally it was 130,000!
This is a story of Corporal Cathy Fremont, US Marine Corps, who volunteers in 1985 for a congressional one-year trial to see if women can handle combat or not. Cathy is a sniper-quality shooter, so Major Louise Lane, CO of the WLF (Women’s Liberation Forces created by Congress), wants to show her off to the world, to tout what women can do as well–or better–than men.
Captain Jim Boland, USMC, Marine Force Recon black ops, is asked by Colonel Mackey, to try and get one of the WLF women to tell the truth about Major Lane. Her heavy handed leadership, running the company of women into the ground with extra patrols to get media attention. Jim is of high moral fiber and does it because he sees Cathy Fremont as an overworked under dog.
Cathy is not allowed to consort with the Marines in Thailand where there is a dust-up between them and Laos. The Marine brigade is there to stop incursion of Laotians into Thai territory. When she meets Jim Boland, she trusts him and he slowly gets her trust. In doing so, Jim falls in love with her. And she with him.
Mackey is not above politics and has maneuvered Jim Boland into an impossible position: get Cathy Fremont to go to Congress, in front a a senate meeting, and tell the truth about Major Lane and her abusive leadership of the women in her company.
Jim and Cathy are caught up in politics, without knowing that the players on both sides of the argument over women in combat is wise or not. Their love will be tested to the breaking point. And it is only when Jim throws down the gauntlet to protect the woman he loves, that he is willing to throw away his career to save her.
BEST OF ALL….I’ve been able to write the SEQUEL to this, Down Range, HQN, December 2013 (eBook and paperback). This is their daughter’s story, Captain Morgan Boland, USMC. And you’ll get to see Cathy and Jim in it, as well. I’m very excited about the Shadow Warriors series and the fact that Danger Close is the foundation book. I’ve also had a book trailer created for Danger Close. Enjoy!