Romance Books '4' Us: #amwritingfierce

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Friday, April 20, 2018

Loving My Bone Frogs

By Sharon Hamilton

I've gotten a lot of feedback that readers love older guys (silver-haired guys, guys not in their 20's). And the girls that are not Barbie Dolls.

When I first started out writing my SEAL Brotherhood Series some 7 years ago, I used to write a novella, and then follow it up with a full length novel later on. It helped to flesh out the couple beforehand, and then have them progress in a later book. I really got the chemistry right that way.

I took a detour for several years, starting new series in my larger SEAL Brotherhood Series, creating the Band of Bachelors, Bad Boys of SEAL Team 3, and Nashville SEAL, Fredo Series and the True Navy Blue series. This way I got to incorporate all the other secondary characters. But all my books are mostly on SEAL Team 3, active duty guys.

This is the first time I've written an older SEAL who wants to re-join his comrades. And this actually happens on SEAL Teams, too. I spent part of my Monday with my buddy Mike, who owns a tattoo parlour in San Diego, down the range from Coronado, and who ran 10 years with the Teams in Vietnam, then did a stint with bikers and followed that up with another 10 years as a SEAL all over again.

My character in the May 1 release has followed a similar path, without the bikers in the middle. I explored his character and the chemistry with him and his lady, Brandy, a plus-sized gal with long mahogany hair. Just so happens Tucker loves big-busted and big booty. Brandy has never had a serious relationship. Tucker, plain and simple, who at first looks like Shrek to Brandy, blooms under his touch.

I love stories like that. Sort of a Beauty and the Beast, except Belle is a plus-sized gal, and the Beast stays big and doesn't morph into a handsome prince. He always was the handsome prince.

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I wrote New Year's SEAL Dream in early January as a novella, introducing these two people. It didn't take long before I knew I'd be loving the full book I'm launching May l: SEALed At The Altar.

We all age and worry about being vital as we age. But something else happens as we run around caring for families, taking kids to soccer practice and ballet, while we're paying bills and looking for houses, or gardening. Perhaps we get worn down a little bit? We get tired as we age. That's only natural.

But for an adrenaline-junkie male, taking a break from the Teams, can be a very difficult experience. I've talked to former SEALs who readily admit they miss the Band of Brothers backing them up, jumping out of airplanes and doing things others cannot do. My hero has stayed fit and is in peak physical condition at 39 years of age. But he's never had a family. He's been damaged by a wife who left him for another Team Guy. That happens too, on the Teams.

I was gratified by the response to my two other releases this year, both with older heroes. What about you? Do you love older, silver-haired heroes?

And what do you think of my new tattoo? Next visit to FSG on Coronado I'm going to enhance it with hearts and flowers to give her a little glam. She has to compete with the hippy frog on my other shoulder, and that's just not fair!

Monday, June 19, 2017

June 19 is a Big Day in our Family

Yesterday was quite a celebration, and I got off to a late start today. But, my garden is watered, since it will be another close to 100 degrees.

I wrote this for my FB post of today, and will embellish it:

46 years ago today. Honeymooned all summer camping from the UK, throughout Europe, Italy, Yugoslavia, along the Riviera to Barcelona, where this was taken. Came home in September for Sonoma State classes. Broke.

We did it all on $900, including $400 for two new Mario Monte bicycles we had handmade for us in a little village near Milan. The most we ever paid for a campsite was $1.55 in Spain at a place that had 7 swimming pools. Traveled with two German guys, a South African couple, an Aussie couple, two Irish guys who had to go to mass every day, and a married couple from the Netherlands for a couple of those weeks.

Slept in a field of sunflowers in France and never stayed in a hotel one time. Cooked all but 3 meals. Those were the days when Americans were not well liked because they were stoned, sitting in fountains all over the place. With our Dutch plates, we let people think we were from Holland.

Met a group of Navy SEALs and their wives traveling by MC before their next big deployment. DejaVu for me. Little did I know, but I loved talking to them and knew there was a presence about them. My husband had to point out who they were and how special they were.

How innocent the world seemed then, but with our whole lives ahead of us, so much was possible. And so much of those dreams were realized. Our oldest daughter turns 40 today, born on our anniversary, another blessing.

The whole trip had lots of memories, like my husband eating tuna fish sandwiches in Spain while we were watching a bull fight (none of the rest of us could stomach anything), the adventures getting lost, which turned out to be the only bad part about the time overseas. We finally reached that point where we just wanted to drive around a corner and see something we expected to see.

Now, 46 years later, I have 4 children, 2 girls and 2 boys. I have five grands, with a 6th on the way in October. That will make 3 boys and 3 girls, of course. Everything in perfect balance!

When I look back on those early married days, what a foretelling it was to meet the SEALs and their wives on that trip. It shows me how life is full of circles, and we are turning and coming back to our places of origin every day, every minute of the day. The colors are brightened, and the texture richer and richer. The tapestry of our lives is where we get the best of our stories as writers. I wouldn't have it any other way.

Happy June 19 to you as well!