THE SOLDIER'S SISTER, by Debby Giusti

Debby Giusti (R) with Nancy Carlisle (L),
AW2 Advocate, Fort Benning, GA

Some years ago, a friend told me about her new job as the U.S. Army Advocate for injured military personnel in the Atlanta area, and the seed for a story was planted. At that time, I wasn’t writing my Military Investigations series so I didn’t act on the idea, yet every time I saw my friend Ann Yingling, I learned more about the Army Wounded Warrior Program (AW2).

The AW2 initiative started in 2004 as a way for the Army to help severely wounded, ill or injured soldiers. Local advocates work with the service members during their hospitalization, rehabilitation and convalescent and provide hands-on support throughout the soldier’s transition back to active duty or return to civilian life. Advocates walk the injured and their families through the maze of paperwork that often accompanies government programs and also provide career counseling and information on educational opportunities and resources available to the soldiers.

As an Army Mom, I know the concerns families have when a loved one on active duty is deployed. I continue to thank God that my son came home safely at the end of each of his four, war-zone assignments, and my heart breaks for all who have had a loved one injured while on active duty. I was encouraged to learn about the AW2 program and thought others would be interested in knowing about it as well.

Cover: Fayette Woman, Jan 7, 2010
Photo by Images by Rainy Photography Inc.

The more I read about the AW2 program, the more I wanted to write a story that involved wounded warriors and their advocates. Last year, when I was ready to create the next story in my Military Investigations series, I called Ann. She put me in contact with Nancy Carlisle, the AW2 Advocate at Fort Benning, Georgia. Nancy invited me to visit her, and a few days later, she graciously welcomed me to her office and answered the many questions I had about her work as an advocate.

Nancy gave me a detailed overview of the AW2 program and talked openly about the support she provides to the soldiers on her caseload. She also discussed the structure of the Warrior Transitional Battalions, special units on each Army post where the injured soldiers live and work during their recuperation.

AW2 Advocate Nancy Carlisle in her
Fort Benning office.

In the weeks ahead, my story took shape. The heroine would be an AW2 advocate, and the hero would be a special agent in the Criminal Investigation Division. A crime would have to occur as the inciting incident and needed to involve the heroine in some way.

I decided to have one of the wounded warriors on her caseload attacked in the opening chapter and upped the heroine’s internal conflict by including an estranged brother who is also an injured serviceman. Making the brother a suspect in the crime would add an interesting twist and increase the tension between the CID hero, investigating the crime, and the advocate, hoping to reconnect with her brother.

Last year as I was putting the story together, I wrote a blog post on Seekerville about the process I used to create the story and included children's building blocks as props.  Click here to read “How I Built My Latest Story,” which appeared June 20, 2012.

During my trip to Fort Benning, I snapped the following pictures of the Wounded Warrior Battalion Headquarters. Later, I submitted the photos to the Art Department. Can you tell what they used for the cover art? 

I'm sure you've heard of the Wounded Warrior Project, a civilian organization created—as their motto states--to honor and empower Wounded Warriors. Many of you probably support the good work they do with your financial contributions, and I know some of the Villagers work on weekend R&R events for warriors and their families. My hat’s off to everyone who helps our military, especially wounded warriors. Thank you for the many ways you reach out to our military heroes. To learn more about the Wounded Warrior Project, visit their website. 

I’ll have a book signing early in September at Omega Book Center, my local independent book store. The proceeds from the books sold that day will go to the Wounded Warrior Program at Fort Benning. Bookseller Karen Duncan takes phone orders and mails books throughout the U.S. so if you’d like to take part in the event, reserve a signed copy of THE SOLDIER’S SISTER by calling: Omega Books Center, 100 North Peachtree Parkway, Peachtree City, GA 30269, 770-487-3977.

The coffee’s hot. Fill your cup and let’s chat about books and writing and reading and any of the following questions I thought might provide a springboard for today’s discussion. Leave a comment to be included in a drawing for the three Seeker September releases: FALLING FOR THE LAWMAN, by Ruth Logan Herne, A CANYON SPRINGS COURTSHIP, by Glynna Kaye, and THE SOLDIER'S SISTER, by Debby Giusti.

As writers, do we have a responsibility to bring important causes, problems and/or programs to light by including them in our stories?

Do you like fictional stories that educate as well as entertain?

Do you sometimes seek more information about a program or cause after having read about it in a favorite book?

What’s the most interesting fact you’ve uncovered through research that has played into one of your novels?

I brought an all-American breakfast and enlisted the help of the Fort Bragg unit where my son is currently stationed to serve us today. Grab a plate and get some chow! Eggs cooked to order. Bacon, ham, sausage and chipped beef on toast. Hash browns. Waffles, pancakes, breads and biscuits. Fresh fruit. Grits.

Happy writing! Happy reading!

Wishing you abundant blessings,

Debby Giusti 

www.DebbyGiusti.com                                                                                          

www.craftieladiesofromance.blogspot.com

THE SOLDIER’S SISTER

By Debby Giusti

WHO WILL PROTECT HER?

Someone wants Stephanie Upton dead. A warning to leave town is just the beginning. Fearing for her life, Stephanie turns to Special Agent Brody Goodman for help and protection. But can she trust him when he’s convinced her own brother is a prime suspect? Torn between her devotion to two men—an estranged brother whose trust she yearns to regain and an agent she may be falling for—Stephanie doesn’t know who or what to believe. As feelings between her and Brody escalate, she’ll have to choose sides to stay alive.

Available now at Amazon.com