Debra always wanted to write a story with a military hero.
I knew a bit of how I wanted the story to go. I even wrote the opening scene in which we meet our Marine hero. And then it kind of languished. I didn't do much else with it.
Then the idea to do a series of holiday stories came to me. When I got to the Fourth of July one, my Marine was the perfect fit. There's not much of anything that's more patriotic than someone who has chosen to serve his (or her) country.
I wanted to do Tyler right. Make him the epitome of a Marine: the few, the proud. With a set of values and commitment that matched. Honorable. Strong. Brave. A warrior. A fighter. On the other hand, I didn't want him to be too alpha. Most of my heroes are an alpha/beta hybrid.
I've known a few Marines in my time, and I like to think that Tyler is a mix of all the very best of those men.
A lot of times the heroes in our stories are larger than life. In this case, there wasn't a whole lot of stretching to do. Real world military personnel do seem larger than life to me. People to honor and commend and to stand in awe of what they do and what they sacrifice. Real life heroes.
Did I get Tyler absolutely perfect? In my eyes...yes. (Then again, I do tend to think all of my heroes are pretty darn perfect...flaws and all.) Would a real life Marine agree? Maybe. Maybe not. After all, it's still a work of fiction, and some things have to be a certain way to make the story work, even if those things are 'off' a bit from reality. Tyler does come home injured, but he's probably a bit too well adjusted after having served three overseas tours of active duty in Afghanistan.
But it was an honor to write a story about a United States Marine. And everything he stands for.
Semper Fi.
Until next time,
Happy Reading!
Debra
www.debrastjohnromance.com
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Showing posts with label Fourth of July at The Corral. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fourth of July at The Corral. Show all posts
Thursday, September 29, 2016
Thursday, September 15, 2016
K is for Kyle
Debra 'doubled up' on a character's name.
My story An Unexpected Blessing features a little boy named Kyle. I didn't pick that name for any particular reason, but it came to me and I liked it, so I went with it.
When it came time to write Fourth of July at The Corral, I needed another boys' name for the heroine's son. I really didn't know what I wanted it to be, but I wanted to keep moving with the story, so I tossed Kyle in there as a 'place holder', fully intending to go back and change it when I came up with his 'real' name.
Wouldn't you know it? Turns out the little boy in that story really was a Kyle. The more I wrote, the more I didn't want to change it. I especially loved how it played off of the hero's (his father) name: Tyler. With the similar pattern in the spelling, it helped to solidify their connection.
I debated and debated with myself. How terrible would it be to have two characters in two different books with the same name? It bugged me for a long time. Ultimately, however, I stuck with Kyle for the Fourth of July book. I never would have done it with a hero or heroine, but in the end, I couldn't name that little boy anything else. He WAS Kyle.
I did once 'borrow' a character's last name in a WIP for a character in another book I was going to finish first. In that instance, I did go back and change the original name to something else.
Sometimes coming up with the right name is harder than others. I've also learned my lesson with secondary characters. Since I've used so many of them from my 'main' stories in spin-offs of their own, I've learned to think carefully about those names too. You never know when they might demand a story of their own!
Until next time,
Happy Reading!
Debra
www.debrastjohnromance.com
My story An Unexpected Blessing features a little boy named Kyle. I didn't pick that name for any particular reason, but it came to me and I liked it, so I went with it.
When it came time to write Fourth of July at The Corral, I needed another boys' name for the heroine's son. I really didn't know what I wanted it to be, but I wanted to keep moving with the story, so I tossed Kyle in there as a 'place holder', fully intending to go back and change it when I came up with his 'real' name.
Wouldn't you know it? Turns out the little boy in that story really was a Kyle. The more I wrote, the more I didn't want to change it. I especially loved how it played off of the hero's (his father) name: Tyler. With the similar pattern in the spelling, it helped to solidify their connection.
I debated and debated with myself. How terrible would it be to have two characters in two different books with the same name? It bugged me for a long time. Ultimately, however, I stuck with Kyle for the Fourth of July book. I never would have done it with a hero or heroine, but in the end, I couldn't name that little boy anything else. He WAS Kyle.
I did once 'borrow' a character's last name in a WIP for a character in another book I was going to finish first. In that instance, I did go back and change the original name to something else.
Sometimes coming up with the right name is harder than others. I've also learned my lesson with secondary characters. Since I've used so many of them from my 'main' stories in spin-offs of their own, I've learned to think carefully about those names too. You never know when they might demand a story of their own!
Until next time,
Happy Reading!
Debra
www.debrastjohnromance.com
Thursday, August 11, 2016
F is for Fourth of July at The Corral
Fourth of July is the third (and middle) installment in Debra's Holidays at The Corral Series.
I know I've mentioned it before, but I tend to get inspired by music. My genre of choice is country, and someone once said to me, "There's a story in every song". For me, it doesn't even need to be an entire song. Sometimes, a verse or a stanza or a single line can trigger an idea. So it happened with a song sung by Rodney Atkins called "The River Just Knows". There are a couple verses in the middle which go like this:
The way the sun bounced off the water
I could hardly make him out
But I could see he had a fish on
A big ole rainbow trout
The fight went on forever
And as they headed down my way, I saw his
military hair cut and the new scars on his face
Right then I knew what brought him to this place
You know the river don't talk, the river don't care
Where you've been, what you've done
Don't know why it is your standin' there
It just rolls on by whisperin' to your soul
It's gonna be alright, the river just knows
He held that fish down in the water
And he coaxed it to back to life
He said "I'll help, you get your wind back
'Cause you helped me get mine."
And all I could think to say was "Welcome home."
But I think that river said it best on its own
The first time I heard the song it made me want to write a story about a military hero who comes home wounded. I started the beginning, but didn't get much past the first page. When I decided to write a series of holiday stories, it dawned on me that the military hero book would be perfect for a Fourth of July story. Just like in the song, my hero has scars on his face from an IED explosion during a tour of duty in Afghanistan. He's sent home to recover. At one point in the story, Tyler heads down to the river to let it ease the stress and strain of life. The scene comes complete with a stranger offering him a fishing pole and a "Welcome home, son."
To get to the root of the conflict in the story (SPOILER here), I turned to another song. This one "Two Pink Lines" sung by Eric Church. In it, a guy and girl indulge in a brief summer affair that culminates in them waiting to see if two pink lines materialize on a home pregnancy test.
Yeah, that second hand just keeps slowing down
I swear it stopped twice the last time around
Yeah, we'll know the truth in 3 minutes time
We're just sitting around waiting on two pink lines
Sitting around waiting on two pink lines
When the moment of truth finally comes
She gives me a look
And then comes undone
She says, "It looks like we're lucky
Someone's smiling down."
She grabs her coat and says,
"See ya around."
In the song, the result is negative and they each go their separate ways. But I had a thought. What if it was really positive, but she lied so he wouldn't feel trapped?
So, I combined the two ideas and in my story, not only is Tyler injured in the line of duty, but he comes back to discover he has a son he never knew about. The two of them waiting on the pregnancy test results appears as a flashback in the story.
Even though I can't carry a tune in a bucket, music is a huge part of my life. For me it defines my memories and brings me endless amounts of inspiration. And when I hear those lines in the songs now, I immediately think of my characters. It makes them even more real to me.
Until next time,
Happy Reading!
Debra
www.debrastjohnromance.com
I know I've mentioned it before, but I tend to get inspired by music. My genre of choice is country, and someone once said to me, "There's a story in every song". For me, it doesn't even need to be an entire song. Sometimes, a verse or a stanza or a single line can trigger an idea. So it happened with a song sung by Rodney Atkins called "The River Just Knows". There are a couple verses in the middle which go like this:
The way the sun bounced off the water
I could hardly make him out
But I could see he had a fish on
A big ole rainbow trout
The fight went on forever
And as they headed down my way, I saw his
military hair cut and the new scars on his face
Right then I knew what brought him to this place
You know the river don't talk, the river don't care
Where you've been, what you've done
Don't know why it is your standin' there
It just rolls on by whisperin' to your soul
It's gonna be alright, the river just knows
He held that fish down in the water
And he coaxed it to back to life
He said "I'll help, you get your wind back
'Cause you helped me get mine."
And all I could think to say was "Welcome home."
But I think that river said it best on its own
The first time I heard the song it made me want to write a story about a military hero who comes home wounded. I started the beginning, but didn't get much past the first page. When I decided to write a series of holiday stories, it dawned on me that the military hero book would be perfect for a Fourth of July story. Just like in the song, my hero has scars on his face from an IED explosion during a tour of duty in Afghanistan. He's sent home to recover. At one point in the story, Tyler heads down to the river to let it ease the stress and strain of life. The scene comes complete with a stranger offering him a fishing pole and a "Welcome home, son."
To get to the root of the conflict in the story (SPOILER here), I turned to another song. This one "Two Pink Lines" sung by Eric Church. In it, a guy and girl indulge in a brief summer affair that culminates in them waiting to see if two pink lines materialize on a home pregnancy test.
Yeah, that second hand just keeps slowing down
I swear it stopped twice the last time around
Yeah, we'll know the truth in 3 minutes time
We're just sitting around waiting on two pink lines
Sitting around waiting on two pink lines
When the moment of truth finally comes
She gives me a look
And then comes undone
She says, "It looks like we're lucky
Someone's smiling down."
She grabs her coat and says,
"See ya around."
In the song, the result is negative and they each go their separate ways. But I had a thought. What if it was really positive, but she lied so he wouldn't feel trapped?
So, I combined the two ideas and in my story, not only is Tyler injured in the line of duty, but he comes back to discover he has a son he never knew about. The two of them waiting on the pregnancy test results appears as a flashback in the story.
Even though I can't carry a tune in a bucket, music is a huge part of my life. For me it defines my memories and brings me endless amounts of inspiration. And when I hear those lines in the songs now, I immediately think of my characters. It makes them even more real to me.
Until next time,
Happy Reading!
Debra
www.debrastjohnromance.com
Thursday, May 19, 2016
T is for Ta Da!
Debra reveals her latest cover.
It's finally here! The cover for the third installment in my Holidays at The Corral series was finalized today.
And here's the blurb:
When United States Marine Tyler Collins is injured in the line of duty and sent home, the first thing he does is go see the girl he left behind. He wants peace and to escape from the memories of violence and war. Instead, what he finds might change his life forever.
Their time together was supposed to be a fun summer fling, but in the three years since Tyler's been gone, he's never far from Pam Foster's thoughts or heart, even though the last thing she did before he left was lie to him. She has to right the wrong, but can a man with such integrity and honor forgive her? Especially when she hasn’t forgiven herself.
Is rekindled love enough, or will the secrets of the past ruin any hope of a future together?
Fourth of July at The Corral hits cyber shelves on June 3.
Until next time,
Happy Reading!
Debra
www.debrastjohnromance.com
P.S. Just for comparison, here are the covers for the other two books in the series. I'm just loving how they all really look like a set. Cover artists at TWRP rock!
It's finally here! The cover for the third installment in my Holidays at The Corral series was finalized today.
And here's the blurb:
When United States Marine Tyler Collins is injured in the line of duty and sent home, the first thing he does is go see the girl he left behind. He wants peace and to escape from the memories of violence and war. Instead, what he finds might change his life forever.
Their time together was supposed to be a fun summer fling, but in the three years since Tyler's been gone, he's never far from Pam Foster's thoughts or heart, even though the last thing she did before he left was lie to him. She has to right the wrong, but can a man with such integrity and honor forgive her? Especially when she hasn’t forgiven herself.
Is rekindled love enough, or will the secrets of the past ruin any hope of a future together?
Fourth of July at The Corral hits cyber shelves on June 3.
Until next time,
Happy Reading!
Debra
www.debrastjohnromance.com
P.S. Just for comparison, here are the covers for the other two books in the series. I'm just loving how they all really look like a set. Cover artists at TWRP rock!
Thursday, November 19, 2015
T is for Tyler
Tyler is the hero in Debra's "Fourth of July at The Corral".
The Fourth of July edition of my holiday series is almost ready for submission. I completed the first draft last week and then printed out a copy, which I've gone through to do paper and pencil edits. Next I'll enter those into the mss, and from there do some line edits and such. After the synopsis is written, I'll submit it to my editor. Summer stories are due by December first, so I have roughly 10 days to get it all together.
As always at this stage, I am more than a little in love with my hero. This isn't anything new. I fall in love with each of my heroes in turn.
Tyler Collins is a United States Marine. His family has a long history of military careers. His dad still serves, and his granddad served in Vietnam. He didn't enlist right out of high school, but as soon as he graduated college, his plan for a military career of his own began. Before heading off to OCS (Officer Candidate School) he took a visit to his college roommate's home town. There he met Pam. There was an immediate attraction, and they were soon head over heels. But since Tyler would be deploying overseas after OCS, they knew there time together would be brief. Tyler leaves and serves two tours of duty in Afghanistan. During his third, he is injured and sent home on medical leave. Upon being released from the hospital, he heads right to Pam, even though they haven't seen each other or had any contact for three years.
The story begins here in Tyler's POV.
Chapter One
Would she remember him?
Tyler Collins stared at the wooden sign outside the bar: The Corral – Steakhouse and Saloon. Did she still work there? Over three years had passed. Three years in which he thought about her every day.
More than likely she didn’t remember. After all, their time together had been brief. Less than two months. Filled with idyllic moments of sunshine and laughter before he deployed for hell. Memories he cherished and held close even now. Memories that had gotten him through the worst times of his life. Gave him something to hold onto when the rest of the world turned to chaos and pain and death.
Every detail was etched into his brain. His heart. His soul. The dark chestnut of her hair. The lighter, soulful brown of her eyes. The way her lips went soft and pliant beneath his.
She had to remember. Because they’d also shared a few moments of nerve-wracking anxiety wondering if the entire course of their lives, three lives, had changed forever. No one could forget something like that.
Only one way to find out for sure. With a deep breath, he shoved open the door to the Jeep and stepped down onto the gravel parking lot. The small rocks crunched beneath his boots as he made his way to the entrance.
“Grow a set, Collins,” he muttered. “You’ve faced way worse shit than this.” He gave a wry chuckle. Mortar shells exploding within spitting distance he took in stride. Talking to a woman he hadn’t seen in three years made his knees go weak. He ran a hand over the short stubble of his hair, threw back his shoulders, and walked in.
Until next time,
Happy Reading!
Debra
www.debrastjohnromance.com
Christmas at The Corral (available now)
Valentine's Day at The Corral (coming soon)
The Fourth of July edition of my holiday series is almost ready for submission. I completed the first draft last week and then printed out a copy, which I've gone through to do paper and pencil edits. Next I'll enter those into the mss, and from there do some line edits and such. After the synopsis is written, I'll submit it to my editor. Summer stories are due by December first, so I have roughly 10 days to get it all together.
As always at this stage, I am more than a little in love with my hero. This isn't anything new. I fall in love with each of my heroes in turn.
Tyler Collins is a United States Marine. His family has a long history of military careers. His dad still serves, and his granddad served in Vietnam. He didn't enlist right out of high school, but as soon as he graduated college, his plan for a military career of his own began. Before heading off to OCS (Officer Candidate School) he took a visit to his college roommate's home town. There he met Pam. There was an immediate attraction, and they were soon head over heels. But since Tyler would be deploying overseas after OCS, they knew there time together would be brief. Tyler leaves and serves two tours of duty in Afghanistan. During his third, he is injured and sent home on medical leave. Upon being released from the hospital, he heads right to Pam, even though they haven't seen each other or had any contact for three years.
The story begins here in Tyler's POV.
Chapter One
Would she remember him?
Tyler Collins stared at the wooden sign outside the bar: The Corral – Steakhouse and Saloon. Did she still work there? Over three years had passed. Three years in which he thought about her every day.
More than likely she didn’t remember. After all, their time together had been brief. Less than two months. Filled with idyllic moments of sunshine and laughter before he deployed for hell. Memories he cherished and held close even now. Memories that had gotten him through the worst times of his life. Gave him something to hold onto when the rest of the world turned to chaos and pain and death.
Every detail was etched into his brain. His heart. His soul. The dark chestnut of her hair. The lighter, soulful brown of her eyes. The way her lips went soft and pliant beneath his.
She had to remember. Because they’d also shared a few moments of nerve-wracking anxiety wondering if the entire course of their lives, three lives, had changed forever. No one could forget something like that.
Only one way to find out for sure. With a deep breath, he shoved open the door to the Jeep and stepped down onto the gravel parking lot. The small rocks crunched beneath his boots as he made his way to the entrance.
“Grow a set, Collins,” he muttered. “You’ve faced way worse shit than this.” He gave a wry chuckle. Mortar shells exploding within spitting distance he took in stride. Talking to a woman he hadn’t seen in three years made his knees go weak. He ran a hand over the short stubble of his hair, threw back his shoulders, and walked in.
Until next time,
Happy Reading!
Debra
www.debrastjohnromance.com
Christmas at The Corral (available now)
Valentine's Day at The Corral (coming soon)
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