Allie Boniface's Blog, page 6

Friday Flash Giveaway!

When you hear the word "hero", what comes to mind? In my previous books, some of my heroes have included a handyman, bartender, EMT, soldier, volunteer firefighter, and auto mechanic. It's not always their jobs that make them heroic, but their actions too: saving people from a burning building, rescuing an abandoned kitten, defending our country, supporting a loved one through crisis, braving a terrible illness, or showing someone how to love and trust again.

Today's giveaway question: who's your hero? It could be a general category, like mothers or cancer survivors or war veterans, or it could be someone specific, someone close to you, who's a hero because of their actions or beliefs. 
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Let me know what "hero" means to you, and one reader who comments will be chosen randomly to receive a $5 Amazon gift card. I can't wait to see your responses!

The Story Behind Soldier of Love - Part Five

I am busy working on final edits for this book, and I'm remembering why I love these characters so much! Today we’re going to hear from Franny Thompson, the heroine of Soldier of Love . If you’ve read any of the other books in the Hometown Heroes series, you’ll remember her as the quirky but kind-hearted owner of The Hideaway Bed and Breakfast in Lindsey Point. So many people asked me to give Franny her own story, so here (finally!) it is. I didn’t know when I started writing it that I’d give her a troubled but strong and sexy veteran to fall in love with, but stories and characters often unfold on their own terms. Anyway, here she is. Enjoy!

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Hi, Franny! So tell readers: how long have you lived in Lindsey Point?
    All my life, really, except for one year I spent up in New Haven in the hospital. Let’s just say that was a low point in my life.

Why did you open The Hideaway?
    When I got out of the hospital, The Hideaway gave me a purpose and something to do with myself. Once I opened it, I realized how much fun it was to welcome guests from all over the place. I’ve met so many interesting people over the last five years!

What’s your first thought when you meet Heath?
    Hmm. I thought he looked serious and lonely. And cute. Very, very cute!

Who’s your best friend in town?
    It’s funny to say, but probably Finn Cavallo, the owner of the Great White Bar and Grill (you met him in Inferno of Love, Book #2 of this series). He’s like the older brother I never had, and he’s always looking out for me. He saved my life once, too. I’ll always love him for that.

Here’s the same question I asked Heath last week: what’s your greatest fear?
    Losing the people I love. I’ve already been through that, more than once, and I know how grief can tear a person apart. I fall hard, I love hard, and I can’t bear losing people in my life. That’s why when Heath disappears --

Nope, readers, you’ll have to read the book to find out what Franny’s talking about here. March 18 is the magic day for Soldier of Love to hit the shelves in both ebook and print. I hope you’ll want to pick it up and follow these characters’ journeys.
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Soldier of Love is the story of a veteran returned from war and the woman he falls in love with. It will release at all retailers on March 18 and is available for exclusive pre-order NOW on iTunes. 
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Friday Flash Giveaway!

Some authors create play lists for their books. I love music of all kinds, but I never got around to doing that for any of my books. Lately, though, every time I hear Rachel Platten's song "Stand By You" on the radio, I think how perfect the lyrics are for the hero and heroine in Soldier of Love.

"And love, if your wings are broken, borrow mine 'til yours can open too, 
'Cause I'm gonna stand by you."

So in the spirit of music, here's today's giveaway question: what's your favorite song? Or if you can't pick one, who's your favorite singer? 

As always, I'll choose one person from everyone who comments today to win a $5 Amazon gift card. Bring me your music!

The Story Behind Soldier of Love - Part Four

I’ve shared a lot over the last few weeks about what went into the creation of my upcoming novel, Soldier of Love . Today I thought I’d have a little fun and share with you an interview with the hero himself. Heath Garrick hasn’t appeared in the Hometown Heroes series previously, but as soon as he shows up in Lindsey Point, he has people talking:

Good morning, Heath! We know you didn’t grow up with the rest of the gang in this series. So how old are you, anyway?
    I’m 35 (and yes, I’m single). I was a soldier in the Army for 17 years and enlisted right out of high school.


Why did you leave the Army?
    I loved serving my country, don’t get me wrong. But I saw a lot over those 17 years. When my best friend Roberto was killed in a mortar attack, I developed symptoms of PTSD and was advised to seek medical discharge. Wasn’t my first choice, but I wasn’t the same soldier I’d been before my buddy died. I left 3 years short of retirement age.

Where did you grow up?
    My Dad was in the Army too, so we moved around a lot. I finished high school in Bluffet Edge, which is close to the town of Lindsey Point, Connecticut. That’s where I live now, at least temporarily. I’ve always loved the New England coast.

What do you like most about Franny, the heroine?
    Man, she’s about the nicest person I know. Within fifteen minutes of meeting me, when she found out I was looking for a place to live, she offered me a rental at her bed and breakfast. Plus she’s one hell of a baker. I think I gained 5 pounds the first week I moved in with her.  

Here’s a tougher one: what’s your greatest fear?
    That I won’t find purpose living as a civilian. When you’re a soldier, you know what’s expected of you, every day. Now that I’m home, I’m scared of never feeling like I really matter again.

What do you want readers to know about this book?
    Allie did a lot of research to find out what soldiers go through when they leave active duty. She has a good friend who’s served even more time than I  have, plus her father-in-law is a Vietnam veteran, so she has some good resources to draw on. I’m a tough guy, and sometimes I have a hard time keeping my temper in check, but I’m 100% devoted to the people I love. Wait until you see how that plays out in this book...
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Readers, I adore this character, and I hope you will too. (One of my beta readers said about Heath, “Okay, I LOVEEEE him.”) You’ll get to know a lot more about Heath when Soldier of Love releases ...soon!

Soldier of Love is the story of a veteran returned from war and the woman he falls in love with. It will release at all retailers on March 18 and is available for exclusive pre-order NOW on iTunes. Heads-up: beginning March 1, you'll be able to read the first 3 chapters for free! Stay tuned for the link.

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Friday Flash Giveaway!

Let's do something totally fun and funny for today's giveaway, okay? I'm sure some of you have seen or done this activity before, but here's the question: 

You're stranded on a desert island and can only bring 3 things with you (yes, they can be people if you want). The items cannot be anything that will help you get off the island (no boats  or life rafts, for example). What do you bring with you and why?

One person will be chosen randomly from everyone who leaves a comment today to receive a $5 Amazon gift card. Let's hear what you're bringing with you!  [image error]

Friday Flash Giveaway!

Yes indeed, it's Friday again -- that means another $5 Amazon gift card to be won! This week, because the weather has been so weird this winter in my neck of the woods, I'm wondering how you'd finish this sentence, readers:

As soon as the weather turns nice and warm again, the first thing I'm going to do is...

Tell me your dream for once the nice weather returns, and you're in the running for this week's flash giveaway. Let's get some sunshine going here today! 

The Story Behind Soldier of Love - Part Three

"The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him."
G. K. CHESTERTON, The New Jerusalem

When I first started writing Soldier of Love, I had a vague sense of the Black Moment I wanted my characters to face (the Black Moment is the point in the novel when you believe that everything is lost). If you do a little reading, you’ll quickly find that these are some of the major issues facing veterans in the 21st century: unemployment, homelessness, PTSD, readjustment to civilian life, and backlogged VA claims (among many others).
  
It’s disturbing to me that the very people who defend our rights overseas, against enemy forces, are treated so poorly once they come home. In fact, my local newspaper just ran an article about the high number of homeless veterans right in my county. They sleep in their cars or on friends’ couches or in the woods. If we consider the fact that “In the past 15 years (1999-2013), the National Coalition for the Homeless (NCH) has documented 1,437 acts of violence against homeless individuals…” and that 90% of these victims were males over the age of 40, we can clearly see the dangers homeless veterans face.

I chose two of these issues, homelessness and violence against those who are homeless, in creating the Black Moment for Heath, my hero in this book. Although he triumphs in the end (of course he does! it’s a romance!), I wanted to create realistic struggles for him and his fellow veterans, and raise awareness about the ways veterans are treated every single day in this country. They deserve better.

Soldier of Love is the story of a veteran returned from war and the woman he falls in love with. It will release at all retailers on March 18 and is available for exclusive pre-order NOW on iTunes.

Friday Flash Giveaway!

I can't believe it's time for another giveaway! Okay readers, you know the drill: leave a comment in response to whatever wacky question I'm asking this week, and I'll pick one person randomly to receive a $5 Amazon gift card. And thanks, as always, for stopping by. I read every comment each week and love hearing from my readers :)

Today's question: how do you feel about cliffhangers in books? They've become a lot more popular over the last few years,  and while some people love them, others hate them. Some authors will tell you they drive book sales, but other authors steer clear of them and wrap up the entire plot line within a single book. Where do you stand? Do you love reading cliffhangers because they leave you wanting more? Or would you rather finish a book and have nothing left to wonder about? Or do you fall somewhere in between?

The Story Behind Soldier of Love - Part Two

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs estimates that PTSD afflicts:

Almost 31 percent of Vietnam veteransAs many as 10 percent of Gulf War (Desert Storm) veterans11 percent of veterans of the war in Afghanistan20 percent of Iraqi war veterans
You’ve seen stories about veterans and their animals, right? You can’t scroll through Facebook or YouTube without seeing a dog ecstatic in the airport or at the front door when his ‘master’ returns from war. It always brings tears to my eyes, the fact that they're so devoted and so happy to see their people again.

There’s also a growing movement aimed at using dogs to help treat veterans who have PTSD. I decided to make that idea a part of my book Soldier of Love. My hero, Heath Garrick, doesn’t seek out counseling after he returns from war -- he’s too proud and too solitary -- but he suffers from some anger issues and wakes up with the sheets drenched from nightmares more often than not.

 Until Bud shows up in his life. Bud is a stray three-legged dog who’s never known companionship or compassion until Heath adopts him. No formal training takes place. Bud just naturally soothes Heath whenever he gets agitated -- a little like the dog in this clip featuring the Canines for Warriors program:


Animals are amazing, aren’t they? They have such fantastic instincts. I knew before I even started writing Soldier of Love  that my hero would have a dog by his side to help him through the dark times. They really are man’s best friend :)

Soldier of Love is the story of a veteran returned from war and the woman he falls in love with. It will release at all retailers on March 18 and is available for exclusive pre-order NOW on iTunes (the first 2 chapters will also be available at iTunes on February 20).