Keeping a Warrior by Melanie Hansen

Please welcome Melanie Hansen author of Keeping a Warrior

Melanie Hansen will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

Keeping a Warrior

by Melanie Hansen

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GENRE: Contemporary Romance

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INTERVIEW:

1. What or who inspired you to start writing?

I actually started off writing fanfic! In 2012, I discovered an M/M romance series about two FBI agents who fall in love. Well, I fell in love, too, and when certain things happened off-page that I really, really wanted to see, I decided to write them myself. One fic led to another, which led to NaNoWriMo 2013. My debut novel, EVERYTHING CHANGES, was published in 2015. KEEPING A WARRIOR is my eighth book.

2. How did you come up with ideas for your books?

I grew up with an Air Force dad, and I’ve been married for nineteen years to a career Navy man. So the military is in my blood, and I’m fascinated with all aspects of it, good and bad. I decided to try and write a Navy SEAL series from a different angle than hard-bodied sex gods in a security or bodyguard role. In reality, they have a very difficult job requiring unbelievable personal sacrifice. Most of my ideas come from research, and by combing the internet voraciously for military news.

3. What expertise did you bring to your writing? The only expertise I bring to my writing is that of a life-long romance reader who knows what she likes! Before starting to write fanfic in 2012, I’d never written anything before that wasn’t work related. By the way, in my opinion, fanfic is an awesome tool for an aspiring writer to get their feet wet. Working with someone else’s characters in someone else’s world takes a lot of the pressure off, and then you’re able to focus on plotting and actually writing a piece of fiction from start to finish.
4. As far as your writing goes, what are your future plans? I’m planning to step away from writing military romance as of now. Never say never, things can always change, but for any future books, I think I’d like to try something different. Stay tuned!
5. If you could be one of the characters from any of your books, who would it be and why? Oh, I think it’d have to be Devon from KEEPING A WARRIOR! I wrote her to be everything I’m not—badass, self-confident, a woman who doesn’t let anyone define who she is. I love her! She’s athletic, motivated, driven, and capable of keeping up with a SEAL team in everything from offensive driving to defending herself from an insurgent. I can’t wait for you to meet her!
6. When did you first decide to submit your work? Please tell us what or who encouraged you to take this big step? After I finished my project for Nano 2013, I showed it to a few friends, who thought it might have the potential to be published. Even though it was a first attempt, this circle of fanfic readers encouraged me to take a few months to revise it, then try submitting it. At the time Dreamspinner Press took unsolicited manuscripts, so I decided to submit it to them. After the longest seven weeks of my life, I ended up with a contract offer, one of the best days ever!
7. Do you outline your books or just start writing? I’m a pantser through and through! I never outline, at all. I get an idea, do some research if the story requires it, pick a starting point and start writing. I’ve definitely had a few stories that have gone nowhere, along with some false starts that end up wasting a lot of time. I’ve tried outlining, but then my stories feel forced. I have to do what works for me, and eight novels later, I trust it.
8. Do you have an all time favorite book? I do! ROUGH CANVAS by Joey W. Hill is one of my all-time favorite books. It’s my catnip—deeply emotional, with layered, nuanced heroes who are both strong and vulnerable. It’s one of the few romances I’ve read over and over, and even today it’s still my comfort read. Highly, highly recommended.
9. Have you started your next project? If so, can you share a little bit about your book? I’m just about to turn the third and final book of the Loving a Warrior series in to my editor at Carina Press. It’s entitled TRUSTING A WARRIOR, and it’s going to deal with some current military topics such as suicide and post-traumatic stress. Lani and George have a lot to overcome, but their HEA will be worth it!
10. Can you tell us a little about the black moment in your book?

The black moment in KEEPING A WARRIOR stems from Rhys’s past colliding with Devon’s professional career goals. I don’t want to give anything away, but it’s a moment where neither of them believe their relationship has any chance of working out. Rest assured, though, there is an HEA!

11. Anything else you might want to add? Thank you so much for hosting me today!

BLURB:

Devon Lowe is a survivor.

A survivor of war. Of combat. And of a betrayal by men she considered her brothers-in-arms. But her trailblazing work as a Cultural Support Team member working alongside the Navy SEALs is too important for her to back down now.

Fresh off a painful break-up, Air Force pararescueman Rhys Halloran recognizes Devon’s trauma for what it is—something that’s left her isolated, but far from irreparably damaged.

With Devon’s trust still lying shattered back in Afghanistan, putting her faith in a man who’s nursing a broken heart isn’t easy. But she’s tired of people making her feel weak, and Rhys makes her feel anything but, sparking a heated attraction that was never part of the plan.

With all eyes on Devon to prove herself in a brutal man’s world, having it all will mean putting her heart on the line like never before. But when it comes to Rhys, it’s an uphill battle she’s ready to fight.

Publisher’s Note: Keeping a Warrior deals with topics some readers may find difficult, including past sexual assault.

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EXCERPT:

The night before, for the first time since he could remember, Rhys had fallen asleep with another woman on his mind.

The same woman now sitting and staring pensively at the plane. After a moment’s hesitation, Rhys gathered his courage and approached her, not sure of his welcome.

“Mind some company?”

Devon glanced up with what looked like a genuine smile. “Not at all.”

Rhys lowered himself to sitting and drew his knees up, ankles crossed, loosely draping his arms around them. “You okay?

”

With a shrug, Devon mirrored his pose and nodded at the plane. “Just sitting here trying to analyze my feelings.”

“About going back?”

“Mmm.”

“I can imagine those are some pretty complicated feelings,” Rhys said gently.

“Yeah, well, I’m in a totally different place now, at least. Back then I was so idealistic, so trusting, so goddamn stupid.”

Rhys didn’t say anything, just let her talk.

“I thought that bad things couldn’t happen to me, or if they did, it’d be something heroic, you know? Not—” She shook her head. “And now all I want to do is reclaim that part of myself that someone else took from me.”

A lump rose into Rhys’s throat at the slight quaver in her voice.

“Well, this time around you have me,” he said fiercely. “You have the guys.” He nodded his head toward Matt and Shane, who were leaning against a nearby wall, arms crossed, each with one booted foot propped against it, heads close together.

Devon smiled when she saw them. “Think they worked everything out?”

Rhys was about to say he hoped so when Matt pushed off the wall. As he did, Shane snaked his hand behind him and gave his ass a firm pinch, followed by a discreet pat. Matt elbowed him, hard, but he was smiling while he sauntered away.

“Um, I think that’s a pretty safe bet.”

He and Devon snickered together, and she bumped him with her shoulder. “You’re right. It’s gonna be different this time, for lots of different reasons.”

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Melanie Hansen doesn’t get nearly enough sleep. She loves all things coffee-related, including collecting mugs from every place she’s visited. After spending eighteen years as a military spouse, Melanie definitely considers herself a moving expert. She has lived and worked all over the country, and hopes to bring these rich and varied life experiences to the love stories she gets up in the wee hours to write. On her off-time, you can find Melanie watching baseball, reading or spending time with her husband and two teenage sons.

Buy Link:

Social Media:

https://melaniehansenbooks.com

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100009084006829

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13505006.Melanie_Hansen

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE

Melanie Hansen will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/28e4345f3000