Saturday, August 16, 2014
Guest Blog: Marliss Melton: Who's the Real Navy SEAL?
Over the weekend I went to the beach at Dam Neck Navy base, where the SEALs in my novels live and work. I was there for “research.” (A good writer wants to know if there really are picnic tables in front of certain buildings and what the immediate environment looks like.) As I sat under my umbrella trying to keep my freckled skin out of the sun, I asked myself which of these hunks are Navy SEALs. (Their faces have all been blurred to keep the real SEAL from being identified.)
Hard to tell, isn’t it? The point in this exercise isn’t just to treat you to some eye candy but to prove that SEALs come in all different shapes and sizes. I’ve seen tall ones and very short ones. I’ve known thin ones and large ones, but I can say that I’ve never known a terribly fat Navy SEAL unless he’s retired. The same goes with the SEALs in my books. I’ve got a former NFL player who is 6’6” and a senior chief who is only 5’7”. I’ve got brunettes and blonds and even redheaded SEALs—bald ones, too!
The only thing all Navy SEALs have in common is that they’ve got phenomenal mental strength. They’ve been driven to the brink of human capabilities, and they don’t quit. Neither exhaustion, nor physical torment, nor biting cold, nor chilling fear can induce them to give up. They have endured excruciating training and they continue to endure in the darkest, scariest parts of the world. These are America’s super heroes, and they’re the worthy subjects of my stories. Come enjoy the lot of them!
PS. The real SEAL is the last one!
BIO:
Marliss Melton is the author of over a dozen counterterrorist/romantic suspense stories, including two Navy SEALs series (SEAL Team 12 and Echo Platoon), a counterterrorist Taskforce Trilogy, three novellas, and two short stories. She relies on her experience as a military spouse and on her many contacts in the Spec Ops and Intelligence communities to pen realistic and heartfelt stories about America's elite warriors and fearless agency heroes.
BLURB: DANGER CLOSE (Book 1 Echo Platoon series) was just released.
When Lt. Sam Sasseville rescues environmentalist Madison Scott from a drug-infested town in Mexico, he hopes never to see the lovely environmentalist again. Maddy promptly appears in the terrorist-threatened region of El Chaco, Paraguay, where the SEALs protect American oil wells. Caught up in the power play, Maddy unwittingly leads Sam’s platoon to their targets, endangering herself, and terrifying Sam who realizes he’ll go to any lengths to keep her alive. But unless he can accept Maddy for who she is, he’ll have just his pride to claim when the mission is over.
Enjoyed your post.., clever that you only had one Seal in the line-up. Certainly all of us are proud of these wonderful men...
ReplyDeleteWow, great pictures. I would have taken each one for a SEAL. I love SEAL stories and will check yours out. I also love the cover of your latest and the blurb.
ReplyDeleteWow. I love to learn about the SEALs. They are amazing people. All the best with your *research* and your books!
ReplyDeleteGreat post, Marliss. Wonderful to see how your SEAL series is selling. I know readers can't get enough of those yummy heroes and you portray them well! congrats, my friend.
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