I see several of my RomVets sisters have already beaten me to the punch

I write spy novels (with romantic elements) with former military personnel in the lead roles – and my heroine always kicks ass. I second your “Go us!”

(Not to nitpick but there are no “Airwomen”. In the A.F. we’re all “Airmen”.)

Like you, I miss wearing the uniform but my husband still wears it and I am lucky enough to live on a military base so that I hear reveille, retreat and taps every day.

Again, great blog.

I haven’t served in the military per se, but I’ve been employed by the military for over 14 years and my spouse is a LTC (uh, Lieutenant Colonel). I write SFR that often includes military elements. (Nothing sexier than a hero or heroine who values honor and duty.) I’m hoping to twist RomVets collective arm into letting me join their ranks someday.

I’m also a huge fan of Sandra McDonald’s THE OUTBACK STARS and I recommend it as a great read–to men, women, civ and military alike–every chance I get.

I hope that Catherine Mann sees this Romancing the Blog … she always gets it right. LOL to the lady married to career Army … one has to wonder what actual SEALs say about how they’re portrayed.

Now, my husband is career Army. He just howls whenever he sees a SEAL/Ranger hero. He just wants to know who is fighting when they are all at home getting hot sexx.

Excellent blog and so true. Our military men and women face and overcome adversities daily, those that are inherent in our heroes and heroines.

I’m a retired Navy chief, a military brat, and my son is active duty in the marines and just heading home from deployment. I’m also an author and write Scottish medieval romantic suspense set in the Braveheart era. Not contemporary military, but knights, the servicemen of our past.

Also, I’m unsure if you’re aware of the group, but Jessica Scott as I belong to a phenomenal group of women called RomVets, women who write and who are serving in the military or who have served:
http://www.camulod.com/

Again, my sincere thanks for your service. God bless.

I’ve been writing romance for 27 yrs. Although not all have been “military” romance, per se, nearly all my heroes have been in the military, because these are the guys I know.

Recently I’ve begun adding military heroines. And although I’ve been writing military romantic thrillers the past few years (including my last book, which dealt a bit with “don’t ask, don’t tell,”), my upcoming series is going to focus more on what happens when our troops come home. Because my deepest desire is that all the brave men and women we’ve sent off to war will come home safe and sound. And for those who don’t, that the resources will be there to help them.

As I’ve argued with publishers, I firmly believe the military and romance are a perfect blend of genres. Because a hero or heroine who can commit in, and believe in something larger then his or herself, can obviously commit to another person. And that’s what romance is all about!

I love romances where the military element is done well, whether it is the setting itself or (more often) the backstory of a main character. And although I don’t know the milieu well enough to spot every error, I have been thrown out of (or put off) a story where a character’s military background felt stereotyped or overly simplified. I have quite a few veterans among my students, as well as some family members and friends, and I have seen the profound impact that the complex experience of military service has had on each one of them.