CAN WE TALK ABOUT NAVY SEALS?

Can we sit down and have a chat about writing Navy SEALs?

Think it's time to talk a bit. We've seen things in the news concerning reveals about Navy SEALs and their tactics, their mental capabilities and their planned missions. There is a lot of controversy about this, and I am not clear on which side of the fence I stand, except to say that I want our bravest and best-trained warriors protected, at all costs. There's a mystique to being a SEAL because much of what they do has to be kept secret. And we all know there is temptation not to keep those secrets.

So, as a writer, I walk a fine line between accuracy and storytelling, all the time worrying about protecting the fine men and women who put themselves in harm's way so we can write the crazy books we do, and go run around and do unmentionable things with our lives. Our SEALs signed on for this. They are our warriors and they want us to have a normal life.

There are details in my books I've written on purpose incorrectly. There are probably details in my books I've written incorrectly by accident. I don't think I've gotten wrong the community or the character of the men who serve as SEALs. The how of what they do might vary, but the why and the way they are I believe is as accurate as I can make it. I love the smack talk and the sense of humor these usually soft-spoken warriors have.

Now we have hundreds of writers thinking they can write Navy SEAL romances. I love reading the blurbs where SEALs perform jobs real SEALs would never do, or serve in capacities they would never serve under. Reviewers don't pick these up, and I think that's fine. The bottom line is that it's good all this misinformation is out there. I hope our enemies are reading all the Navy SEAL romances, because they'll get pretty confused when they do. If they read my SEAL stories they'll get a lot of sex education too. Some of our enemies I think might need a little of this.

And that would probably make a SEAL chuckle to himself. He'd never tell you that you are an idiot writer getting facts and figures wrong, well, maybe if you knew him well enough he would. Have I been an idiot? You bet. Proudly. Will I continue to be? Hey, the more newbie SEAL writers there are out there the better I look. LOL. Seriously. We're talking about FICTION. We aren't writing Tom Clancy or WEB Griffin or Dick Couch.

As one SEAL told me, "Just make it up. If you can imagine it, it probably happened."

And so I have.

You can watch my Chapter One Live read of SEAL's Promise here. Some adult content language some of my fans think is funny seeing me say.

SEAL's Promise Excerpt (TJ Talbot and his best friend are talking about dating and other unmentionable things - strong language here). Hear the buttery, romantic voice of my Warrior Storyteller, JD Hart, as he breathes life into my words. The audio book will be out any day now.

SEAL's Promise is available on Kindle, and iTunes, Nook and Kobo.

Sharon Hamilton

Life is one fool thing after another.

Love is two fool things after each other.

Author Page ** Sharon's Blog ** Sharon's Website ** Facebook**Twitter

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All Boxed And Loaded

I've become somewhat of a boxed set queen this year. Three times in the last 9 months anthologies or collections I've been involved in have hit the New York Times list. Six times the USA/Today list. These have been long term goals for me, things on my bucket list. I'm thrilled.

Although I am most known for my Team 3 Navy SEAL Brotherhood stories, I've begun a new venture involving SEAL Team 5, writing shorts for Bella Andre's Kindle World: Game For Love. So, while I complete Book 8 of my SEAL Brotherhood, SEAL's Promise, I am creating a whole new world around Team 5 for readers of Bella's dynamic worlds. My part will be a serial of three novellas that will end with a hard Happily Ever After in: The Beautiful Game: SEAL's Goal, SEAL's Challenge and SEAL's Score. This storyline is about a professional goalkeeper who comes home to bury his best friend since childhood, who has died on a mission as a Navy SEAL. Patrick Harrington decides to give up his lusty soccer player lifestyle to pursue the career his best friend had. The series will chronicle this journey, as he pursues the love of his childhood sweetheart, who was also the fiance of his fallen best friend.

I've been prolific this year. I've also traveled, attended more conferences than I should have, meeting wonderful fans and aspiring writers. All 11 of my books are now out in audio format. The boxed sets have increased my readership base through collaboration with other authors.

The industry is about to change again. Seems like just as we get used to one aspect of it, another comes along. One thing is for sure, being out there in the public with multiple books in series, released close together, whether in a collaboration with other writers, or our own work, is smart. Writing short or long, having dynamic book trailers or audio books, expanding street teams and social media, trying new venues like podcasting and video readings, blogging and showing up for Facebook parties, are all part of a successful writer's daily bread.

But it's still about the story. Fortunate for me, the more I write, the more stories I come up with. Here's the book trailer from my latest release, SEAL Of My Heart. We are completing the audio version of this book this week. The eBook and print versions are available now. Audio will become available mid September. Enjoy:

http://youtu.be/TgdLSIwq78Y

If you'd like a complimentary copy of the novella, SEAL's Goal, leave a comment here along with your coded email address, and it will be yours. If you'd like a complimentary copy of the audio version of SEAL Of My Heart when it's released in September, please request it by noting this in your comment.

Okay, now back to the beach and my SEAL Team 3. I gotta get this baby born and on to their Happily Ever After so I can begin the next in The Beautiful Game.

Sharon Hamilton

Life is one fool thing after another.

Love is two fool things after each other.

Author Page ** Sharon's Blog ** Sharon's Website ** Facebook**Twitter

Sharon’s Newsletter