Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Can We Talk About Navy SEALs?


Think it's time to talk a bit. We've seen things in the news concerning reveals about Navy SEALs and their tactics, their mental capabilities and their planned missions. There is a lot of controversy about this, and I am not clear on which side of the fence I stand, except to say that I want our bravest and best-trained warriors protected, at all costs. There's a mystique to being a SEAL because much of what they do has to be kept secret. And we all know there is temptation not to keep those secrets.

So, as a writer, I walk a fine line between accuracy and storytelling, all the time worrying about protecting the fine men and women who put themselves in harm's way so we can write the crazy books we do, and go run around and do unmentionable things with our lives. Our SEALs signed on for this. They are our warriors and they want us to have a normal life.

There are details in my books I've written on purpose incorrectly. There are probably details in my books I've written incorrectly by accident. I don't think I've gotten wrong the community or the character of the men who serve as SEALs. The how of what they do might vary, but the why and the way they are I believe is as accurate as I can make it. I love the smack talk and the sense of humor these usually soft-spoken warriors have.

Now we have hundreds of writers thinking they can write Navy SEAL romances. I love reading the blurbs where SEALs perform jobs real SEALs would never do, or serve in capacities they would never serve under. Reviewers don't pick these up, and I think that's fine. The bottom line is that it's good all this misinformation is out there. I hope our enemies are reading all the Navy SEAL romances, because they'll get pretty confused when they do. If they read my SEAL stories they'll get a lot of sex education too. Some of our enemies I think might need a little of this.

And that would probably make a SEAL chuckle to himself. He'd never tell you that you are an idiot writer getting facts and figures wrong, well, maybe if you knew him well enough he would. Have I been an idiot? You bet. Proudly. Will I continue to be? Hey, the more newbie SEAL writers there are out there the better I look. LOL. Seriously. We're talking about FICTION. We aren't writing Tom Clancy or WEB Griffin or Dick Couch.

As one SEAL told me, "Just make it up. If you can imagine it, it probably happened."

And so I have.

You can watch my Chapter One Live read of SEAL's Promise here. Some adult content language some of my fans think is funny seeing me say.

SEAL's Promise Excerpt (TJ Talbot and his best friend are talking about dating and other unmentionable things - strong language here). Hear the buttery, romantic voice of my Warrior Storyteller, JD Hart, as he breathes life into my words. The audio book will be out any day now.

SEAL's Promise is available on Kindle, and iTunes, Nook and Kobo.


Sharon Hamilton
Life is one fool thing after another.
Love is two fool things after each other.






4 comments:

  1. LOL Sharon! I loved this post, you made me laugh. I was also thinking about how much more we read and see about the SEALs these days and is it prudent. Love the part: "I hope our enemies are reading all the Navy SEAL romances, because they'll get pretty confused when they do. If they read my SEAL stories they'll get a lot of sex education too. Some of our enemies I think might need a little of this." LOL

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  2. Thank you, Eniko. Heaven help the enemies who go to romance novels to get the "real deets" about these Navy warriors. You have the same sick sense of humor I have!!

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  3. LOVED this post!! Laughed at same parts as Eniko because I'm right there with you as a Marine wife going on 36 years who writes military romance. Even as wives, OpSec is essential. Personally, I'm just glad most writers haven't discovered the Marine equivalent to SEALs. We won't discuss "real deets" in the movies, either. And as for getting details from our books, considering romance books are banned in the countries of our enemies, I guess they'll have to depend on their spies here in the USA. Lots of discussion points for next time we meet. :)

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    1. Indeed, KaLhyn!! Love it. I used to stress so much about this topic, and then I realized that it's probably a good thing. Not that being sloppy or writing unbelievable things is what we should aspire to. But I'm not going to be a purist, even though you and I probably both get that thrown at us a time or two. LOL. They are stories. Thank goodness. And thanks for stopping by!!

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