SEAL of Honor by Tonya Burrows (Guest Post/Giveaway)

Today I would like to give a warm welcome to author, Tonya Burrows, joining us with the first book in her sizzling hot romance series about a group of sexy mercenaries, SEAL OF HONOR!

First of all, let me just say thank you for having me visit today!

One of my favorite things about starting a new book is that it gives me the opportunity to create new characters. I have a process that I follow with each new character, and it always surprises me when they start to take on a life of their own.

When I sit down to a new story, I start with a generic six page character profile. I figure out a character’s general personality—in the case of Gabe, the hero of SEAL of Honor, I knew he was going to be a leader, dominant and somewhat overbearing. Using that broad idea, I fill out as much of the profile as I can—stuff like full name, hair and eye color, hometown, financial and family situation. Does this character have pets? Kids? Siblings? What is their favorite thing to do at home alone on a Saturday afternoon? Saturday night? What is their ideal vacation? By the time I work through all that and get to some of the heavier stuff like past traumas, the character begins to talk to me.  I start to hear the character’s voice and I learn how he or she would react to any given situation.

I can’t start writing without knowing my characters first. I may have an amazing idea for a plot, but if I can’t find the right characters for that story, it will go unwritten. This was the problem I faced when I first started writing SEAL of Honor because, although I had Gabe and the rest of the guys of HORNET, I could not pin down the heroine Audrey’s character. I knew she was a flighty free-spirit, but that was all I knew about her. What did she do for a living? I had no idea and it stalled me out for weeks.

Then one day it hit me out of the blue. 

She’s an artist. Duh.

After I realized it, it seemed so obvious. I don’t know why it took me so long to figure it out, but the book practically wrote itself after I went back through and fixed all of Audrey’s scenes. The chemistry between Audrey and Gabe sizzled off the page. Their banter had me laughing out loud. Audrey’s courage under fire impressed me. She finally took on a life of her own and surprised me often. Some of the things that came out of her mouth… Seriously, I have no idea where it came from. I fell in love with Audrey right alongside Gabe and I hope readers do too!

Sometimes the frustration and struggle of wrangling a stubborn character is part of the fun!

Title: SEAL of Honor
Author: Tonya Burrows
Series: Hornet #1
Genre:Romantic Suspense
Length:352 pages
Release Date:May 28, 2013
Imprint:Entangled Select
ISBN: 978-1620612583
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It’s a good thing Gabe Bristow lives and breathes the Navy SEAL credo, “the only easy day was yesterday,” because today, his life is unrecognizable. When his prestigious career comes to a crashing halt, he’s left with a bum leg and few prospects for employment that don’t include a desk.
That is, until he’s offered the chance to command a private hostage rescue team and free a wealthy American businessman from Colombian paramilitary rebels. It seems like a good deal—until he meets his new team: a drunk Cajun linguist, a boy-genius CIA threat analyst, an FBI negotiator with mob ties, a cowboy medic, and an EOD expert as volatile as the bombs he defuses. Oh, and who could forget the sexy, frustratingly impulsive Audrey Van Amee? She’s determined to help rescue her brother—or drive Gabe crazy. Whichever comes first.
As the death toll rises, Gabe’s team of delinquents must figure out how to work together long enough to save the day. Or, at least, not get themselves killed.Because Gabe’s finally found something worth living for, and God help him if he can’t bring her brother back alive.

Author Information

Tonya Burrows | Writing has always been my one true love. I wrote my first novel-length story in 8th grade and haven't stopped since. I received a B.A. in creative writing from SUNY Oswego and I'm now working on a MFA in popular fiction at Seton Hill University.
When I'm not writing, I spend my time reading, painting (badly), exploring new places, and enjoying time with my family. Give me a good horror movie over a chick flick any day. (And, let's be honest, I'll take a bad horror movie too!) I'm a geek at heart and pledge my avid TV fandom to Supernatural and Doctor Who. I'm also a big fan of The Voice. What can I say? Guilty pleasure.
I share my life with two dogs and a ginormous cat. We live in a small town in PA, but I suffer from a bad case of wanderlust and usually end up moving someplace new every few years. Luckily, my animals are all excellent travel buddies.

Author Website - Hornet Series - Facebook - Twitter

Tourwide Giveaway!
One lucky winner will receive a signed copy of SEAL OF HONOR, swag, and will even have a character in one of Tonya’s future releases named after them! To participate in the giveaway, just embed the Rafflectopter code below into your blog post. Giveaway ends 6/30.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*This giveaway is sponsored and administered by the author and/or blog tour company. Please see our official giveaway rules. 

Official Tour Stops

June 4 - Cocktails and Books

June 5 - My Book Addiction and More

June 6 - Book Sniffers Anonymous

June 7 - Reading Between the Wines

June 10 - Fic Talk

June 11 - Waves of Fiction

June 12 - Herding Cats & Burning Soup

June 14 - Reading Reality

June 17 - Urban Girl Reader

June 18 - Simply Ali

June 19 - Romancing Rakes For The Love of Romance

June 20 - Love Books! Book Reviews

June 21 - Ex Libris

June 24 - Novel Reflections

June 25 - Feeling Fictional

June 26 - Proserpine Craving Books

June 27 - Crystals Random Thoughts

June 28 - Ramblings From This Chick