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| Debby Giusti (R) with Nancy Carlisle (L), AW2 Advocate, Fort Benning, GA |
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.
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| 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.
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| 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 Art
Department
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 Fort
Benning 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
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
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
