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!
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
More books from Kirsten Lynn
