Aloha to Anne Elizabeth and ONCE A SEAL

Anne Elizabeth is my personal hero.  I met this vivacious dynamo at the RT Booklovers' Convention/2007 in Houston.   She has a big smile for everyone ... and a bigger heart for the military community.  She tirelessly supports the Navy community in San Diego ... and is the first to offer support for SOS America.   I am honored to host her today as she celebrates the release of ONCE A SEAL, her second book featuring Navy SEALs.    Please join me in welcoming Anne Elizabeth! 

Heroes come in all shapes in sizes. This is the main lesson I’ve learned from the SEAL community. The news media will often celebrate our men--the individuals who have achieved these monumental feats and goals--and yet they don’t necessary see the other side of the hero—his family. The wife that keeps the children fed and loved and moving through the rigors of academic challenges. Or, the children that have to allow the nation to have first dibs on their dad’s time. Spending time in the SEAL community has shown me the gift these family members give and how they, too, are astounding heroes and deserve to be celebrated. So, if I may, I’d like to share what I’ve learned...

Heroes are those individuals that have courage. Let us celebrate the unsung, the super-heroes—spouses and children. True, most wives tend to keep our heads down so as not to rouse the interest of terrorists and bad guys, but for the purpose of this blog and the amazing woman that hosts it, I want to say...this is one of the reasons I focused on home life for my second SEAL book—ONCE A SEAL. Because it needs to be said, a spouse is a hero. A child is a hero. Who else could better understand that the minute your spouse walks out the door that some appliance is destined to die or the car run out of oil or that your child or grandchild needs a school project built at the same time you have a work deadline or a bill due. These are the events that are not so romantic, that don’t make the news, and yet, these women/spouses are super-heroines and so are their children because they overcome and succeed by their sheer willpower and grit, they demonstrate great valor and values, and do so to honor their country and their mate.

“HOOYAH!!!” I shout to our military kids and spouses, to those readers and organizations that support the military, and all that care. “Your powers are boundless, and we appreciate you. For we know that you, too, are true super-heroes.” And that...is what I have learned from the SEAL community and from all of our brave men and women and their families.

Anne Elizabeth is an award winning romance author, the creator of the teen PULSE OF POWER comic book series, and the Columnist on Comics, Manga, and Graphics Novels for RT BOOK REVIEWS magazine. With a BS in Business and MS in Communications from Boston University, she is a regular presenter at the RT Book Lovers Convention as well as a member of the Authors Guild and Romance Writers of America. Her published credits include stories with Atria/Simon & Schuster, Highland Press, Dynamite Entertainment, Sea Lion Books, Bravo Zulu Studios, LLC, and Sourcebooks, Inc. She grew up in Greenwich, Connecticut, and now lives in the mountains above San Diego with her husband, a retired Navy SEAL. In her free time, she is also a serious Amelia Earhart who is always on the hunt for a new adventure. Catch AE on the Web at AnneElizabeth.net.

Sailors man the rails aboard the USS Michael Murphy.
The ship is named for Lt Murphy, a fallen SEAL.
public.navy.mil

I posted my five star review of ONCE A SEAL on Amazon (link) and Goodreads (link):

It's going to take a SEAL's strength to make this marriage work

Every woman dreams of marrying the perfect man-handsome, thoughtful, strong, and sensitive -and Aria Kavanagh believes she's found the ultimate hero in Chief Petty Officer Daniel McCullum. But being a U.S. Navy SEAL wife is a serious challenge, especially when the missions are putting more than their love in the line of fire. Can they jump the hurdles and handle the daily rigors without falling apart? Or will the pressures attached to the handsome uniform have them both questioning if their dedication is worth it? Every moment matters when the only thing that truly lasts is love.

Sourcebooks is giving away a print copy of ONCE A SEAL to one randomly selected commenter.  To enter the giveaway,

1.  Leave a comment Anne Elizabeth's statement, "Heroes are those individuals that have courage."  Do you know a courageous person who is not in the military?   

2.  Sourcebooks' giveaway is open to residents of the US and Canada.

3.  Comments are open through Saturday, November 16, 10 pm in Baltimore.  I'll post the winner on Sunday, November 17.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore

Aloha Spirit in Charm City