Friday, November 6, 2015

Aloha to Kirsten Lynn and THE AIR I BREATHE

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Kirsten Lynn joins us today as we prepare for two celebrations next week - the Marine Corps' 240th birthday and Veterans Day.  From her bio,

Kirsten Lynn is a Western and Military Historian. She worked six years with a Navy non-profit and continues to contract with the Marine Corps History Division for certain projects. Making her home where her roots were sewn in Wyoming, Kirsten also works as a local historian. She loves to use the history she has learned and add it to a great love story. She writes stories about men of uncommon valor...women with undaunted courage...love of unwavering devotion ...and romance with unending sizzle. When she's not writing, she finds inspiration in day trips through the Bighorn Mountains, binge reading and watching sappy old movies, or sappy new movies. Housework can always wait.


Kim:  Yes, housework can wait.  Wyoming!  What is your favorite sight, sound, and smell?

Kirsten:  There’s so many favorite things I love about Wyoming. My favorite sight has to be the mountains. I love the Tetons near where I grew up and the Bighorn Mountains right outside my window today. My favorite sounds include the sounds of the WYO Rodeo every summer, of cattle and horses, and the blessed sound of silence that seems hard to find anywhere else. Favorite smell? For my favorite smell, I have to get a bit nostalgic and say the smell of my grandparents’ farm. It hasn’t belonged to the family in years, but when I’m out in the country and close my eyes and take a breath it takes me back to all those wonderful days spent on the farm.

Kim:  What influenced your decision to pursue a MA in Naval History? Can you share a secret from any of the Navy museums ala Night at the Museum?

Kirsten:  I have always had an interest and great respect for the military and our servicemen and women and the history of our Nation’s conflicts and wars. When I was in undergraduate school, a professor asked me if I had ever considered a career as a military historian as he noticed in papers I had an understanding of strategy and tactics he wasn’t seeing in other students’ work. Honestly, I didn’t know the military had historians, but I was 100% sold.

My interests always drifted toward the Navy and Marine Corps. So, in graduate school Naval Warfare, International became my focus and my major. During my studies, I took a course about Special Forces and was introduced to a new breed of warrior the Navy SEAL (this was before everyone knew about the SEALs, before Captain Philips and Bin Laden).

I also started doing some contract work with the Navy and the Marine Corps with their oral history projects, which led to me getting a job in DC, where I worked for the Naval Historical Foundation in support of Navy history. I also continued to contract with the Marine Corps.

I continue to work with the Marines on a contract basis, and am currently working on a project with them.

I WISH I’d had a Night at the Museum experience! On second thought, maybe not…the Museum I was at has a Trident Missile and A-bomb and I’m not sure I’d want the sailor figures coming to life and trying to launch something. I also didn’t need the Forrestal model coming to life and mini A-4s bombing me.

The Foundation was in the process of assisting in standing up a Cold War Gallery annex to the National Museum of the United States Navy, so it was fun when new artifacts would arrive. We were like kids at Christmas when objects like the Ready Room chairs from the JFK showed up.

Kim:  Tell us about THE AIR I BREATHE - what inspired it?

Kirsten:  So many people and experiences inspired the creation of this story. This is probably why AIR is the story of my heart and soul.

When I started that course in Special Ops years ago, I never realized how much it would change my life. While studying the Navy SEALs, the first SEALs blew me away. These were men who didn’t just go and fight in a war; they created a way of fighting a war. The lessons learned in Vietnam were brought back and taught to the new guys in BUD/S and many of those lessons transformed the training. I cannot express how much their history means to me. You’d have to talk to my poor parents and friends who endured long lectures on the history of the SEALs, especially those Vietnam era SEALs.

Long before I ever considered writing a romance, Jack “Cowboy” Kerr was born. Jack is so much more than a “hot” SEAL hero. He is real. He and the men of his squad represent all those first SEALs. The outstanding men who by their actions and lessons learned created the finest fighting force in the world. Jack is also real in his humanity and his interactions with Libby and his men, and, yes, sometimes missions fail and real life goes to crap. He is a warrior doing what he’s called to do in time when it was unpopular to do it.

Libby is more real than I can say. She represents the dreams I had as a child of singing with Bob Hope in the USO. She also represents the USO and Red Cross workers whose oral histories I’ve listened to, and the military wives who have shared their stories and I was honored to play a small part in seeing their stories told. Libby also holds many of my own experiences from volunteering with the USO and Yellow Ribbon Fund at Walter Reed and here at the local VA hospital. The men she meets along her journey are not made up from my imagination. They are young men, I’ve had the privilege of knowing and then never knowing what happened after we said goodbye.

Even though I had studied SEAL history in depth, I wasn’t there and I wanted this to be on target 100%. Through contacts I made while in DC, I was introduced to Doc Rio a real deal Vietnam SEAL, and he agreed to read over the ops I wrote. Then he took it a step further and gave me a few of the ops he was on. He gave me the greatest compliment that I wrote SEALs like I was with them. We’ve become great friends, and through him I’ve met another legend in the Teams who has graciously become my weapons and sniper advisor.

The A&G ranch in Wyoming is based on a ranch I do some contract work for here in Wyoming that opens its doors to Special Operators and Doc brought my attention to another such ranch in another location. I wanted to give Jack’s squad a place for R & R, but also some equine therapy (thanks to Libby) and a place to train for ops. The A&G is located in Big Horn, Wyoming, so I can take a short drive for inspiration anytime.

I may write a thousand more books in my life, but there will never be another Jack and Libby.

Kim:  What's next for Kirsten Lynn?

Kirsten:  I am currently working on the second in the A&G Branded by the Navy series. It follows Erik “Wizard” Walls and his path to a HEA. Of course Jack and Libby’s story will continue in this book and the rest of the squad will be chiming in with insults and shenanigans as is their way. There will be ops to keep the guys busy and of course Libby and the other women will be keeping busy, as well, as they stand up support systems for the spouses. (There will be a total of ten books in this series)

I am also working on Libby’s parents and her two uncles’ books. These take place during WWII and will fall under the A&G, The Original Brand series.

The story that launches both series is RIDIN’ FOR A FALL and was released earlier this summer.

Just for clarification, the A&G is a ranch in Wyoming owned by the Allaways and Bodens (Libby’s family). All stories in both series will have some scenes on the A&G.  

So lots to keep me busy and out of trouble…or in trouble with this group! 

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Mahalo, Kirsten, for your devotion to the Naval history ... and the Navy SEALs!   Kirsten is giving away two digital copies of THE AIR I BREATHE to randomly selected commenters.  To enter the giveaway,

1.  Leave a comment about museums - do you have a favorite?  My favorite is a floating museum and movie star - the USS Missouri, the Mighty Mo!

2.  Comments are open through Saturday, November 14, 10 pm in Baltimore.  

3.  I'll post the winner on Sunday, November 15.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore
Aloha Spirit in Charm City

Learn more about Kirsten and her books at kirstenlynnwildwest.com.

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More books from Kirsten Lynn

23 comments:

  1. Thanks so much, Kim, for letting me help celebrate 240 years of the United States Marine Corps, and Veterans from all the branches!!! It means so much for me to be involved in the celebration here. Semper Fi, Marines! And thank you to all who have served and continue to serve our country!

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    1. I'll share my favorite museums, too, just for fun. Of course I love the National Museum of the United States Navy, but the Marines out did themselves with their museum (like that's a surprise). I love the USS Midway in San Diego and the Yorktown in Charleston, being on board a retired vessel is always a special treat. I look forward to visiting the Navy SEAL Museum again since they just finished some major renovations. I look forward to hearing some of your favorites.

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  2. My favorite museum.....is the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago.

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    1. I haven't been to the Museum of Science and Industry, Danielle, but I've always heard good things. I hope to make it there someday. Thanks for stopping by!

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  3. We love museums and have visited a wide variety of them. One of our favorite surprises was finding the Montana Prison Complex of Museums in Deer Lodge, Montana. We enjoyed touring the prison, but the biggest treat was the Montana Auto Museum which is part of the complex. It has the best collection of vehicles we have ever seen. We had our 15 year old grandson with us and he was in Heaven.

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    1. That is a good one, and like you I was a bit surprised when we stopped to go through the complex. Thanks so much for stopping by!

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    1. Another vote for the Museum of Science & Industry. I'll definitely have to check it out.

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  5. I like the Boston Museum of Science and the Peabody at Yale University.

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    1. Both good choices, Debby! Thanks for stopping by!

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  6. My favorite was the Titanic Muesum maybe cause it was the only one I have been to.

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    1. I've never been to the Titanic Museum, but how interesting. I'll have to start making a list of all these I need to visit. Thanks for stopping by!

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  7. No favorites. Enjoyed the post - what an interesting life you have had! The series sounds so good....

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    1. Thanks so much for stopping by and reading the post, Karen! I'm thrilled you like the sound of the series. Jack & Libby's story is very special to me and I hope they can make their way into other hearts, as well.

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  8. I enjoyed the Natural History Museum in London. When I was a kid growing up in London, Kensington Palace also had a museum which I always loved visiting. I don't think that it's there anymore.

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    1. Oh I've always wanted to visit the Natural History Museum and the Imperial War Museum. I just have to make it to London. Thanks so much for stopping by, Diane!

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  9. Got to visit the Lourve once - wish I had more time. The Smithsonian in D.C. is wonderful. And Pittsburgh has lots of museums that are fascinating.

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    1. Would love to visit the Louvre, but I suppose someone would need days just like the Smithsonian. Thanks for stopping by, catslady!

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  10. I guess my favorite would be the BB King Museum in Indianola, MS!!

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  11. Martha, another museum that sounds interesting. Thanks for coming by!

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  12. The most recent museum I've visited was the National Museum of the Pacific War in Admiral Nimitz's hometown Fredricksburg, Texas. It's an amazingly detailed museum especially considering that it isn't located in a large town. In all honesty, I pretty much love all history museums. :-)

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    1. Glenda, I've heard wonderful things about the National Museum of the Pacific War. I'm with you, I love all history museums. There's so many hidden gems in the museum world. Thanks for stopping by!

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