Guest Author Bethanne Strasser

The Man Inside the Uniform

Thanks to everyone here at For the Love of Military Romance for having me today. I’m excited and grateful for the opportunity to share my military and writing life with you and your readers. I'd be glad to give a copy of For Love or Duty away to a commenter. The winner will be posted in the comments so make sure you check back on the 15th!

June is a fun month! One, because my book For Love or Duty is one year old. I took a bold—and somewhat shaky—step into independent publishing last year with a romance about military life. I hope you’ll check it out. Since January 1st, all proceeds go to WoundedWarriors in Action. That’s not to say it’s a charity case! Haha. It’s a light, fun, and quick read.

The other awesome thing about June is my husband’s birthday. 37 this year, he joined the Army at the age of 34. He was one of the last people to be given an age waiver in 2010 for his Officer Packet, which is basically the application for approval to sign on with the Army. At the time, he’d gone to all of the recruiting offices to see what his options were—Army, Navy [his dad was in the Navy], Marines, and Air Force. What I love about his recruitment story is that he wanted to join the Army. He didn’t settle for the Army. You want to know why?

Because, of the branches willing to take an ‘old’ guy, the Army was the only one who would put him through basic training. He WANTED to be tested. He wanted to earn the rank on his chest through more than just academic achievement. Bottom line, I’m so proud of what he’s done and what he’s made of himself [yes, he’s very muscley now].

But the truth is…I love the man inside the uniform—well, yes, in more ways than one. I’m one of the lucky wives who had her soldier before the Army did. I love the man who has been by my side since we met in the fall of 1998. And though he refuses the label of Accountant, he did four years in college, two years of tax law, and then another year to study and take the CPA exam. We forgive him for that.

What he really loves to do is work with his hands…

He loves wood and building stuff. He can renovate a house, build a house, and create beautiful pieces of furniture. He’s at home in the garage and in his shop. He’s my devoted [don’t tell him I said that; it does sound cheesy] handy man. My passionate Italian. My orderly German. The loving father of our children and a faithful man of God. He’s so much more than just a soldier to me.

We love our life in the military. Love the adventures we’ve already been on and the ones we’ll take in the future. This is our life, and there isn’t anywhere else I’d rather be.

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Bethanne is a woman, imperfect yet trying–a wife, mother, friend, and lover. She has one published book, For Love or Duty, which can be found at most online book retailers. She writes romance–suspense, contemporary, and an occasional paranormal. Her stories are full of life, family, and love. You can find her reading just about any genre of romance, but her favorites are fast-paced suspense, where life is on the line and love is the only saving grace. She wants a book that makes her heart pound and her pulse race.

When she’s not writing, she can be found, dinking around in the kitchen and cooking for her five kids, or reading a good book. She loves God, family, and coffee–in that order. Her music of choice is Country and Classic Rock, but she grew up around all kinds of music and just about anything gets her foot tapping.

She can be found online:

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