Keeping a Warrior
by Melanie Hansen
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GENRE: Contemporary Romance
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLURB:
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.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Excerpt Two:
Rhys watched until Devon had disappeared safely into her room, then turned toward his own with a sigh.
“If I were you, I’d watch yourself with her.”
The voice came at Rhys out of the darkness, and he jumped. “Jesus!”
Mullet stepped out of the shadows where he’d been leaning against the wall. He held up his phone. “Came out to call my wife, saw you drive up with Lowe.” He paused. “What were y’all doing?”
None of your business. “Just talking,” Rhys said tightly. “Unwinding. What’s it to you?”
“Man, it ain’t nothin’ to me. Just think you should be aware of what you’re dealing with.”
“We were just talking,” Rhys emphasized with a slash of his hand. “What exactly am I ‘dealing’ with?”
“Why don’t you ask one of the guys she accused of rape? Oh wait, he’s dead.”
Rhys rocked back on his heels. “What?”
“Yeah, that first team she was attached to in Kandahar?” Mullet’s voice was hard. “Lowe started fucking one of the dudes there, and when she found out he was engaged, she lost it and accused him and two other guys of rape.”
Rhys’s mouth flapped open and closed uselessly.
“She was hanging out with them,” Mullet went on. “Drinking with them, you know? A real party girl. Got into a relationship with this dude, and when he tried to break it off ’cause of his fiancée, she turned on him, tried to ruin his career.”
“Where did you hear this?” Rhys croaked. “Did she tell you this?”
“Nah.” Mullet shook his head. “You think El-Tee isn’t gonna vet anyone we’re bringing on board?”
Rhys’s face went hot with anger. “And then what, our leadership just sat down and gossiped with you about it, knowing it could destroy unit cohesion before it even had a chance to form? No way. Try again, and leave El-Tee out of your bullshit story.”
“Fuck you with the gossip and the bullshit,” Mullet growled. “All you need to know is it’s a fact that accusations were made, there was an investigation, and Lowe was transferred off the team.”
The team Rhys had been a part of for such a short time. One mission. The mission where Devon had made such an impression on him.
“It’s your life, Halloran, but that girl’s trouble, and if I were you, I’d keep it strictly business.”
He strode off, leaving Rhys numb with shock. He sucked in a few deep breaths, horror freezing his blood when he saw Devon standing there, an ice bucket in her hand, her face white as a sheet.
Oh, God. She must’ve heard everything.
“Devon.” Rhys took a step toward her, and she put up a shaking hand to ward him off.
“Just in case you’re wondering if his facts are true,” she said tonelessly, “they are.”
Devon’s knuckles clenched white on the bucket, her lips twisting in a bitter smile. She shoved open her door, and right before she disappeared inside, she turned to look back at Rhys.
“Not all war stories are heroic, you know.”
She shut the door with a quiet click.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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:
https://www.amazon.com/Keeping-Warrior-Loving-Book-ebook/dp/B07J3CW95D/
Social Media:
https://melaniehansenbooks.com
https://twitter.com/MelJoyAZ
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100009084006829
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13505006.Melanie_Hansen
Interview with Melanie Hansen
What is your favorite part of this book and why?
My favorite part of Keeping a Warrior is the scene where Devon and Rhys walk around an old aircraft boneyard and climb into one of the planes. They act a little silly together, and talk a bit, and it’s the first time they realize that they’re really attracted to each other. It was fun to write, and a very romantic scene!
- If you could spend time with a character from your book whom would it be? And what would you do during that day?
Absolutely I’d love to spend the day with Devon. She’d have so many interesting stories to tell, especially because her job is working directly with special operations guys! And believe it or not, I’d love to go skydiving with her—a tandem jump, of course, with one of her hot SEAL teammates!
- If you could have been the author of any book ever written, which book would you choose?
My favorite book, and one of my go-to comfort reads, is Rough Canvas by Joey W. Hill. It’s a M/M romance, a second chance at love story, and it’s an absolutely beautiful read. I only wish I could write something so achingly emotional. I highly recommend it!
- Are your characters based off real people or did they all come entirely from your imagination?
I created Devon after I read a non-fiction book about the U.S. Army’s Cultural Support Team, a unit of women who deploy with special operations guys such as Army Rangers, SEALs and Green Berets. It’s such a fascinating story to me and I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to write a story about such a badass woman.
- What made you want to become a writer?
I’ve always been a voracious reader, and I fell into writing almost by accident when I wrote some fanfic for a romance series I enjoyed. It was well-received by the fans of the series, so I kept on with it, until eventually I started writing my own original stuff. It’s turned into a hobby that I really enjoy.
Thanks so much for hosting me today!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GIVEAWAY INFORMATION
Melanie Hansen will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
Follow the tour and comment; the more they comment, the better their chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here: http://
Thanks for hosting!
ReplyDeleteI appreciate getting to hear about your book. Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteSounds like a great read.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for hosting me today <3
ReplyDeleteI love the cover, sounds like a good book.
ReplyDeleteHappy Monday, thanks for sharing the great post!
ReplyDeleteSounds like a good read
ReplyDeleteLooks very interesting.
ReplyDelete