Countdown to Being Prince Charming by D.L. Jackson

Countdown to Being Prince Charming, commences.

             Sometimes fairytales come true....

  They say write what you love, and nothing is nearer or dearer to my heart than the military. Every man or woman in uniform has a story or two they could tell you. As the daughter of an Air Force veteran, granddaughter of a WWII naval hero, wife of an Army grunt, daughter in law of a female Marine (yes my mother in law), mother of a Marine and Army combat medic, I have a lot of connections with the military. But the biggest connection, the reason I write stories about love in combat boots, is that I’m an Army veteran. I believe some of the greatest love stories take place in uniform.

   The military is a brother and sisterhood you have to experience to understand. Inside this world there are struggles, victories, heartbreak and romances, and I hope my tales can bring some of that to you, my readers—the good times, and sometimes, the hard times. In my humble opinion, nobody deserves to have their stories told more. There are no heroes larger in life, than those that place their lives on the line every day serving our country.

     What’s not to love?

   So, what’s the next fairytale, military romance coming down the pipeline?

   For those of you who have been asking what comes after Cinderella Wore Combat boots, and does Gunny have a story? He does it’s called Being Prince Charming.

   Blurb:

   “You’re no Prince Charming.”

   Words screamed in anger, an empty nest, empty life--there are a lot of reasons people divorce. For Gunny, a diehard Marine who refuses to give up the Corps, and Lissa his wife of over twenty years, the reason isn’t a good one. When words exchanged in anger morph beyond their control, Lissa leaves and August doesn’t go after her, letting his pride get in the way.

   Two years later, Lissa is about to move on with her life and marry another man, except her reason isn’t the right one either.    Her heart still belongs to a Marine she left behind.

   Now, an unexpected gift in the form of a 1Night Stand may change everything.

   August is back, looking for a second chance, but this time he isn’t letting Lissa walk away without a fight. He’s thrown everything he’s got into their date to prove that he can still be her Prince Charming. But if he can’t convince her in one night it’s for keeps, he may very well lose the only woman he’s ever loved.

   Excerpt:

Lissa never returned, going home to where they’d been high school sweethearts, even if her family had long since moved on. Gunny crumpled the divorce decree and tossed it in the trash, refusing to hold onto the one souvenir he’d retained from his marriage with Lissa. Gone were their wedding pictures, the dishes, pots and pans, everything that had made their off-camp apartment a home, including the woman he still loved. He surveyed the room. Except for a few pieces of plastic outdoor furniture, the apartment sat empty as his life.

No matter how he tried, he couldn’t wrap his mind around the finality and accept it. Marines didn’t give up. He picked up his bags and walked out the door, not bothering to lock it behind him.

Anyone who wanted it could have the remnants of his life. He’d finally retired from the Marines and, thanks to Cori, had secured a job working for Sol’s company, Protect and Serve. Not that it mattered. Without Lissa, he had no reason to care, but it would help him to get by until he could figure out how to get his wife back.

Make that ex-wife.

And he would find a way. Eventually, she’d come to her senses. No one could turn love off. He’d be the one to know. His heart ached constantly for the woman he’d once had. He’d been an idiot not to listen to what she said, to put the Corps before her. Hindsight being twenty-twenty and all that, he decided he needed to man up, improvise, adapt, and overcome.

August strode up to the unsexiest vehicle a man could own, a fifteen-year-old minivan with rusty doors, a black cloud of smoke that followed wherever he drove it, and a driver’s side door that wouldn’t open. He tossed his bags in the rear cargo area and climbed over the passenger seat to take his place behind the wheel. Patting his pockets, he searched for his key and extracted it, wondering why he even bothered to remove it from the ignition. A thief would be doing him a favor to steal it.

Thanks to all who allowed me to guest blog today. To one lucky commenter, I am giving away a copy of Cinderella Wore Combat Boots. I will draw a name from my virtual hat and post the winner’s name in the comments section. Please be sure to leave your email addy, so I can contact you if you are my winner.

Best,

D. L. Jackson