Wednesday, June 19, 2013

HERO TOUR: WRITING THE MILITARY HERO

 
Welcome to RWA/NYC's Hero Blog Tour.
Join us every day from June 14-25 for a new look at Heroes.

Leave a comment today and you can win a "Taste of Blaze" --
A SEAL'S SEDUCTION and A SEAL'S SURRENDER
by Tawny Weber.


WRITING THE MILITARY HERO
by Sara Jane Stone



I have a confession. I’ve never served in the military, nor do I come from a military family. Yet, my debut novel, COMMAND PERFORMANCE, is about a professor writing a behind-the-scenes look at the Army Rangers' latest mission. Both my hero and heroine have made the military their lives’ work. So, where do my ideas come from? Research. I’m sure many other authors are in the same boat (though I know a number of my fellow Harlequin Blaze authors have served our country or are married to a soldier).

Years ago, I read a review in the New York Times Book Review for a nonfiction book titled HORSE SOLDIERS, which tells the story of a band of Special Forces soldiers who rode to war against the Taliban on horseback. These “cowboy soldiers” as Maggie, the heroine likes to call them (Chief Warrant Officer Hunter Cross, the hero, hates that label) seemingly combine two romance novel archetypes, the cowboy and the soldier. I simply had to write a story featuring a horse-soldier hero.

But, as I wrote, my characters—namely Hunter, my commitment-phobic soldier who lives for his job—took over and the research was relegated to the backseat. The inspiration was always there in my mind, but it wasn’t what drove the story. In fact, the mission my heroine wishes to learn more about is entirely fictional. I kept a number of the details, including the fact that the saddles were made out of goat hide stretched over boards, but apart from that, I told the story of a man and a woman falling for each other. Their jobs shape who they are as characters, but they don’t define them.

I’d love to hear from readers and writers. What are your favorite “types” of heroes? Is research a jumping off point for you or do you stick to the facts?

If you’d like to learn more about my debut COMMAND PERFORMANCE and my journey down the road to publication, please find me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/SaraJaneStone or visit www.sarajanestone.com. The book will be on sale in October 2013, but is available for pre-order now!♥




After several years on the other side of the publishing industry, Sara Jane Stone bid goodbye to her sales career to pursue her dream—writing romance novels. Armed with a firm belief that dreams do come true, she sat down at her keyboard to write fun, sexy stories like the ones she loved to read. Sara Jane currently resides in Brooklyn, New York with her very supportive real-life hero, two lively young children and a lazy Burmese cat. Visit her online at www.sarajanestone.com, or become a fan of Sara Jane Stone on Facebook, or follow her on Twitter: sarajanestone.


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Winners announced daily on "front page" of RWA/NYC Blog.

JOIN US AGAIN TOMORROW FOR ANOTHER HERO AND
ANOTHER CHANCE TO WIN A PRIZE.


4 comments:

  1. Dukes! I like funny, charming heroes whether they're Regency or contemporary military :)

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  2. I "get" what Ms. Stone says in writing about an industry she has no experience in. I write case studies and most of the time I have no real clue about a particular field until I start doing research before I interview clients. She was very brave! in writing about military people knowing her book would fall into the hands of women who were either married to soldiers or where in the military themselves. I look forward to reading her book and picking up some pointers.

    From Clara(dot)Galvano@yahoo(dot)com

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  3. Military heroes are the new knights in shining armor. It would take a strong woman to stand at their side, which would make a great romance.

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  4. I like crazy, wonderful characters whether they're Regency or modern army
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