In my debut novel, The Path to Freedom, and the stories that follow in the Task Force 125 series, my heroes are all men and women who served.  Sure, anybody can be a hero, but in my eight years in the U.S.A.F. Security Forces I’ve seen qualities that only those who have served share.

Sense of Duty

There is a shared sense of duty which makes failure unacceptable.  It is a binding quality that joins people of every race, sex and nationality.  It is the common language of military personnel the world over.

Teamwork

Military heroes have faults.  Sometimes they swear, drink or smoke too much.  Sometimes their relationships take a back seat to the mission.  Whatever their faults, they are only human.  What makes them extraordinary is the fact that they face fear and press on anyway because their brothers and sisters in arms depend on them.

Though the heroes in my books work for the CIA, the British Secret Service and private military companies, they all share a common past – their military service.

That’s the beauty of writing military heroes – we all share a common past that allows us to all be just a little heroic.

Jay Stanstead was a career man in the British Special Air Service (SAS). He spent twenty years jumping out of planes, cut more throats than he cared to count and drank more pints than he could remember. He’d invested his money well and had a comfortable retirement courtesy of the crown but his life was missing something he couldn’t live without – action.

On the suggestion of a mate, he met with an American named Brock Benjamin who ran a private military company that specialized in providing freelance work for guys with a certain type of military experience. Jay’s type of military experience.

Jay enjoyed the freelance work and made a good reputation for himself.

One day, Brock called him and two other men in for a look at a special job. Brock showed them a photo of a woman and explained that she was an international businesswoman who needed a personal security specialist, a bodyguard.

No woman, real or photographed, had ever made Jay’s heart stop until that day.

Jay wanted this client. He had to have this client.

The pay was excellent and the conditions guaranteed were first class.

All three men expressed an interest in the job.

Brock stood, smiled and announced he expected to see one man in his office in ten minutes after they’d worked it out amongst themselves who would take the job.

Jay broke the bones of good men that day to be a bodyguard, to be Sarah Stevens’ bodyguard.

Excerpt from The Lonely Road, Task Force 125 book #4, by Lisa Pietsch

Lisa Pietsch is an author, mother, military wife, RomVet and USAF veteran.  You can find her online at www.LisaPietsch.com and the first story in the Task Force 125 series, The Path to Freedom, at Sapphire Blue Publishing.

Hi Everyone

First, a salute to Jess Scott who created this marvelous website. We ROMVETS (women who either were or are in the military list and who are writers) were in touch with her as she served her time in Iraq. We’re glad to have her back home, safe, with us! This was a dream of Jess when she was over in Iraq–to have a website to connect with all of you wonderful readers. So, at last, it is a reality. And we’re all thrilled to see it up and running. Jess and the other authors on the blog roll have lots of ideas to expand it over time, so be sure and drop by often!

Now, to my news.

I can hardly WAIT for 2010 to arrive! I want to wish each of you a very wonderful NEW YEAR!

I have FIVE (yes, 5!) books coming out in 2010!! I’m starting up a new Black Jaguar Squadron series (BJS 60) and that begins in March. And then, WARRIORS FOR THE LIGHT series that I started three years ago has its conclusion with three books in a row coming out. Lastly, my HQN in December, a final gift for all of you

Here’s the publishing dates and titles of my forthcoming books in 2010:

HIS WOMAN IN COMMAND, Sil. Suspense, March, 2010, Black Jaguar Squadron 60/Morgan’s Mercenaries, book 1 of 3) Nike’s tale. I had so many readers emailing me asking me to start another BJS series (the first one took place down in South America where the Army women pilots flew Apache gun ships and interdicted drug shipments out of Peru). And thanks to your requests, I brought this idea for a spin-off squadron (BJS 60) to my editor. She loved the idea and now I have a three-book contract to do just that! There will be one book a year coming out with Silhouette Romantic Suspense. I don’t know whose happier: me or my readers. It’s a win-win situation.

Also, those who follow Morgan’s Mercenaries and the stories of the children of Morgan/Laura, Alyssa/Clay and Noah/Kit, will be happy to know that I’ll be writing about Emma Trayhern-Cantrell. She is the child of Alyssa and Clay in the next book for SRS (that will come out in 2011). So, stay tuned!

For my readers who love the paranormal series, WARRIORS FOR THE LIGHT, Silhouette Nocturne, you will remember that UNFORGIVEN was the launch book for this imprint. That was released in October 2006. Well! I had planned on writing the last three of this six book series a lot sooner, but Life got in the way. The good news is, the last three installments of this series are ready to rock n’ roll in 2010! Here’s the schedule:

THE REUNION, Book 4, Warriors for the Light series, April, 2010, Silhouette Nocturne, (Great Serpent Mound, USA)

THE ADVERSARY, Book 5, Warriors for the Light series, May, 2010, Silhouette Nocturne, (Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada)

GUARDIAN, Book 6–final one to wrap up the Warriors for the Light series, June, 2010, Silhouette Nocturne, (Rosslyn Chapel, Scotland)

And, for those who love the mass market novels for HQN, I have another book coming out this year as well. I know my readers are very, very intelligent and they don’t miss a thing. I have been quietly (well, sort of….) building a new series concept over at HQN since 2008. I love Jackson Hole, Wyoming. I’ve spend a lot of time over there in the summers shooting the wildlife with my Nikon camera and 300 mm long lens. I think it’s one of the best, hidden secrets we have in the USA. There is the Grand Teton and Yellowstone Parks within fifty miles of one another. The Grand Tetons National Park is about fifteen miles north of Jackson Hole! It is a place of rich history and cowboys and ranches. All my favorite themes! I was raised in ranch and farmland so I have a special place in my heart for these types of books. And, I had been wanting to get back to them. Lucky for me, my editor at HQN agreed!

I began writing my Jackson Hole, Wyoming series with DANGEROUS PREY in 2008. Then, SHADOWS FROM THE PAST, in 2009. And next, is DANGEROUS IDENTITY, HQN, December 2010. I’ve even put in Morgan and Laura Trayhern’s adopted daughter, Kamaria’s story in the 2009 release. I intend to sprinkle some Morgan’s Mercenaries children’s stories in here from time to time as well. For my readers who love Nature, rugged cowboys, the exciting ranching life, stay tuned to HQN in the coming years as I continue to develop more novels around one of my favorite places on earth: Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

Quite a year. Lots of writing in 2009 to make this so. I want to thank my editors, copy editor who have worked as hard as I have. I feel it will be worth it–but you, my readers, let us know! Happy New Year.

And congratulations, Jess, on this wonderful website. Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to blog on it!

Lindsay McKenna
www.lindsaymckenna.com
eharlequin.com blog