I feel an affinity for this guy because I have a Marine in my life and my upcoming release of America's Hero has a Marine in it. Let's make sure this Marine has a very merry holiday filled with lots of good wishes!
Marine needing some cards & letters… wanna help?
Regan's Books
Reads From Regan Taylor
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Thursday, November 11, 2010
HONORING OUR VETERANS
Today in the United States we honor our veterans. I believe in Canada they call it Rembrance Day and I like that.
I found out for the first time last night one of my favorite uncles was a Marine. In retrospect, I should have guessed. My Uncle Neil was one of those men who loved is family and was a quiet presence that gave comfort just by his being there.
Today I think about my friend Jim who died on February 2, 1991 in a friendly fire incident at the Kuwaiti airport during Desert Storm. It's been 9 years but I miss him like I saw him just yesterday. Jim was another of those quiet presences. Sitting in the background but would let you know you were special to him. It seems all the Marines I know are like that -- a stoic presence, not intrusive unless they are partying and partying together, solid, stable in their support to those they care for. If your immediate family has a Marine in it, you are part of the larger Marine family.
I read about the incident that killed Jim in the paper the day it happened. It upset me more than the other daily reports I saw. He was based out of Camp Pendleton and was among the first to land in Saudi Arabia in August 1990. I still live in Northern California, where I lived then. I was at work the next day and looked up to see two Marines come up to our floor. My heart lodged in my throat because my boyfriend, one of Jim's best friends was over there as well as a forward air controller. Rick has recently transitioned from flying COBRAs to being a forward air controller. I knew he'd be at the battle for the airport. All I could think when they arrived was something happened to Rick.
I stood and in one of those moments when you don't know if you should run toward someone or run away as fast as your can, I stood frozen as they approached. They came to tell me they'd received a call from my key wife at Camp Pendleton. She didn't want me to hear the news over the phone so she asked for someone from Alameda to go tell me about Jim.
The battle for the airport was intense, fast movers (jets) screaming over head, both ours and Iraqi--they still had aircraft then, Fast and easily manueverable MiGs. We had COBRA helicopters firing an enemy aircraft, CH-46's bring in ground troops and performing medivac duties. Jim was a CH-46 pilot.
As I said, it was a friendly fire incident. I don't think I need to tell you what happened. There was no Pat Tillman-like cover up. Just a tragic battle where four Marine's all people I knew, died.
Rick was never the same after that -- how could he be?
It was another Marine, one who is still in my life, that got me through the ensuing months, wanting to help Rick through his darkest days.
I miss my uncle Neil and I miss Jim and today we honor all of our vets, living and dead.
I found out for the first time last night one of my favorite uncles was a Marine. In retrospect, I should have guessed. My Uncle Neil was one of those men who loved is family and was a quiet presence that gave comfort just by his being there.
Today I think about my friend Jim who died on February 2, 1991 in a friendly fire incident at the Kuwaiti airport during Desert Storm. It's been 9 years but I miss him like I saw him just yesterday. Jim was another of those quiet presences. Sitting in the background but would let you know you were special to him. It seems all the Marines I know are like that -- a stoic presence, not intrusive unless they are partying and partying together, solid, stable in their support to those they care for. If your immediate family has a Marine in it, you are part of the larger Marine family.
I read about the incident that killed Jim in the paper the day it happened. It upset me more than the other daily reports I saw. He was based out of Camp Pendleton and was among the first to land in Saudi Arabia in August 1990. I still live in Northern California, where I lived then. I was at work the next day and looked up to see two Marines come up to our floor. My heart lodged in my throat because my boyfriend, one of Jim's best friends was over there as well as a forward air controller. Rick has recently transitioned from flying COBRAs to being a forward air controller. I knew he'd be at the battle for the airport. All I could think when they arrived was something happened to Rick.
I stood and in one of those moments when you don't know if you should run toward someone or run away as fast as your can, I stood frozen as they approached. They came to tell me they'd received a call from my key wife at Camp Pendleton. She didn't want me to hear the news over the phone so she asked for someone from Alameda to go tell me about Jim.
The battle for the airport was intense, fast movers (jets) screaming over head, both ours and Iraqi--they still had aircraft then, Fast and easily manueverable MiGs. We had COBRA helicopters firing an enemy aircraft, CH-46's bring in ground troops and performing medivac duties. Jim was a CH-46 pilot.
As I said, it was a friendly fire incident. I don't think I need to tell you what happened. There was no Pat Tillman-like cover up. Just a tragic battle where four Marine's all people I knew, died.
Rick was never the same after that -- how could he be?
It was another Marine, one who is still in my life, that got me through the ensuing months, wanting to help Rick through his darkest days.
I miss my uncle Neil and I miss Jim and today we honor all of our vets, living and dead.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Nano 2010!
I usually get it together to say something about Nanowrimo long before this, but the first week has been hectic. That said, I did get in 8066 words the first 5 days making me only about 300 words short of the 1666 daily word average. Too many numbers?
Let me back up.
Nanowrimo, referred to as Nano by many, is held each November. The goal is 50,000 words in thirty days. If you break it down into a daily average it's about 1666 words per day. I've found if I make the average I finish right on time at the end of the month. Most years I've gone beyond and every year I've done it a few months later the book is contracted. I find just telling the story that wants to be told works best. If you stop to edit, double check names, eye colors, research the best restaurant in Petaluma, you get bogged down with minutae that you do need to deal with, but unless you are fortunate enough to write 8 hours a day like a regular job, you may be crunched at the end.
This year I'm writing two novellas. I have contracts for The World and the Devil with eXtasy and it's the perfect time to write them. First up is The World. I was kind of struggling with it. It's a romance but I just wasn't able to get the feel for a lot of romance for a woman who just gave birth to twins via C-section. Somehow a candlelit dinner with hubby and a romantic evening with dining and dancing, soft kisses and moonlight leading up to some fabulous sex, isn't high on the new-mom list.
I needed to get to romance, you know?
Inspiration comes to us in myriad ways. The romance for this book came to me in the form of one of my favorite co-workers. He's such an awesome guy. A true friend. Caring, compassionate and a privilege to know. Without giving away a part of the story which I am thoroughly immersed in now, I now have a cop who's going to save someone from herself and a very bad man. It's a totally awesome feeling when a story clicks.
Let me back up.
Nanowrimo, referred to as Nano by many, is held each November. The goal is 50,000 words in thirty days. If you break it down into a daily average it's about 1666 words per day. I've found if I make the average I finish right on time at the end of the month. Most years I've gone beyond and every year I've done it a few months later the book is contracted. I find just telling the story that wants to be told works best. If you stop to edit, double check names, eye colors, research the best restaurant in Petaluma, you get bogged down with minutae that you do need to deal with, but unless you are fortunate enough to write 8 hours a day like a regular job, you may be crunched at the end.
This year I'm writing two novellas. I have contracts for The World and the Devil with eXtasy and it's the perfect time to write them. First up is The World. I was kind of struggling with it. It's a romance but I just wasn't able to get the feel for a lot of romance for a woman who just gave birth to twins via C-section. Somehow a candlelit dinner with hubby and a romantic evening with dining and dancing, soft kisses and moonlight leading up to some fabulous sex, isn't high on the new-mom list.
I needed to get to romance, you know?
Inspiration comes to us in myriad ways. The romance for this book came to me in the form of one of my favorite co-workers. He's such an awesome guy. A true friend. Caring, compassionate and a privilege to know. Without giving away a part of the story which I am thoroughly immersed in now, I now have a cop who's going to save someone from herself and a very bad man. It's a totally awesome feeling when a story clicks.
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