Military Romance Week: Author Heather Long (Guest Post/Giveaway)

Thank you for joining us during our Military Romance Week! To wrap this week up we've invited romance author, Heather Long, to join us with her sexy Marines!

Good morning and thank you Crystal for inviting me to your military romance week, I'm truly thrilled to be here. This past weekend, we celebrated the Marines birthday on November 10. The U.S. Marines can trace their history back to November 10, 1775.  According to the official Marine heritage timeline, this is the date that a committee of the Continental Congress met at Tun Tavern in Philadelphia, PA, to draft a resolution calling for two battalions of Marines able to fight for independence at sea and on shore. November 10, 1775, the Marine Corps was born.

I've always known I wanted to be a writer, but I freely admit I didn't expect to write military romance. I have always held deep respect for our men and women who serve in all branches of the military, but my first love was science fiction and fantasy—even better when it held a splash of romance. But even in sci-fi and fantasy, I found myself drawn to the military and the Marines (Space Above and Beyond, Babylon 5, Starship Troopers).  My heroes all tend toward the alpha, but I find nothing sexier in a man than one who forms strong bonds with his brothers, embraces honor, integrity, and loyalty—that inner strength that turns an ordinary man into a superman.

Heather & Thor, Bearine Honor Guard

Yes, for all my love of science fiction, fantasy, even suspense—I loved the romantic elements driving a hero to be better and stronger. When I wrote Once Her Man, Always Her Man, I found the perfect setting for that hero in Luke's service and devotion as a Marine—and as the saying goes—that's all she wrote. I couldn't get enough of these men (and women) in uniform. I've written ten so far and the stories keep flowing.

My heroes are tough, resourceful, and after the last decade they've survived engagements in Afghanistan and Iraq. They served their country with distinction—not for honors or accolades, but because it was the right thing to do. At the end of the day though, it wasn't just those who served that I wanted to write about—but those who sit and wait. Too often we forget about the sacrifices of our military families. The spouses and significant others who wait at home are a fundamental part of the fabric of military life and deserve not only a mention, but also the same accolades we dedicate to our military personal.

Freedom isn't free. They also serve who sit and wait and keep the home fires burning. In my Always a Marine series, I strive very hard to acknowledge that. The series began as a part of the 1Night Stand line from Decadent and continues to expand. I hope to include other military branches eventually—these are the men and women who put their lives on the line to protect freedom and their brothers. They uphold their honor, they put others first, they are loyal, trustworthy and above all else, they are Marines. When they love it is with the same ferocity they dedicate to defending their country. I am exceptionally proud of my Marines.

Be sure to check out the first full length Always a Marine, a follow-up to Retreat Hell! She Just Got Here, on November 20^th in No Regrets, No Surrender. A portion of the proceeds from this novel will be donated to the Fisher House Foundation which provides low-income housing and options for the families of wounded military vets. In many ways, it is a real life Mike's Place.

Heather Long | Facebook | Twitter | Always a Marine

At the end of their night of frenzied passion, Jazz Winters walked away from the only two men who’d ever made her feel like a woman. Logan Cavanaugh and Zach Evans let her go, but only if she swore all her future leaves to them.
Waiting fourteen excruciatingly long months, visiting Jazz when they can, is harder on the guys than they like to admit. But their work at Mike’s Place, a veteran’s rehabilitative facility, only lets Zach and Logan go one at a time.
Jazz fears their unconventional relationship can’t last a lifetime. The stress of years of military service in hot zones, combined with life-threatening injuries pushes her to the edge. But when she comes home a wounded warrior, not the woman she believes they want, Zach and Logan are right there to help her, even when she resists.
She’s not alone. Whether she chooses one or both, they have no regrets and they won’t surrender.

Read an excerpt.

~*GIVEAWAY*~

Heather is giving away one eBook of choice from her Always a Marine series. To enter, just leave a question or comment on this post for Heather and then fill out the Rafflecopter below. Additional entries are available but  not required. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway