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Trusting a Warrior
by
Melanie Hansen
GENRE: Contemporary Romance
George Monteverdi always had one goal, to become a navy SEAL. Now that he's both a SEAL and a K-9 handler, saving lives is his priority. When tragedy touches his own life, he handles it—with the help of his crew and his dog, Bosch. Having those guys by his side means he’ll never be alone…though any sort of romance feels like a faraway dream.
Heartbroken after her fiancé falls in love with another woman, Lani Abuel seeks comfort in the arms of a stranger, only to find herself pregnant and alone. She’ll do whatever it takes to be a good mother, which means finally facing the trauma in her past. The last thing she expected was a warrior with wounds all too similar to hers finding his way into her heart and loving her child as his own.
As their worlds entwine, Lani and Geo find the joy and redemption they’ve been seeking. But despite the sanctuary they’ve created, a forever love seems impossible. A K-9 handler who spends most of his time deployed with his SEAL team, staring danger in the eye, is far from what Lani—or her baby—needs, and Geo can’t imagine a future doing anything else.
Holding Lani’s eyes with his, Geo tilted the tip of the bottle toward her. “To new friends.”
Smiling, she clinked her glass with his. “And badass dogs.”
Geo couldn’t remember the last time a meal tasted so delicious. He stuffed himself to the gills, finally leaning back in his chair to hide a satisfied belch behind his hand.
Forking up the last bite of her spinach salad, Lani groaned. “I’m so full. I need to get out and move.”
He couldn’t resist. “I thought you didn’t like to exercise. Ow!”
She glared at him as she kicked his shin again. “You’re not supposed to make fun of me.” She surged to her feet in mock outrage and started clearing the table.
As she bent over him to pick up his plate, he found himself reaching up to brush the backs of his fingers down her smooth cheek.
“You had some flour there,” he said huskily. “Got it.”
Their eyes met, the spark of desire in hers kicking his heartbeat into a sudden gallop.
“Mmm, well…” As he sat breathless, she picked up his napkin and dabbed it gently along the corners of his mouth. “Had some butter there. Got it.”
They stared at each other, and she leaned in closer. Helplessly, he lifted his face, lips parting…
Crash!
The fork sliding from his plate to the table broke the spell, and with a self-conscious chuckle, she straightened and turned to carry the dishes to the sink.
Geo raked a hand through his hair, once again willing his body to calm down.
She’s having a baby and you’re leaving, asshole.
Shit.
If he repeated that enough times to himself, maybe he’d eventually be able to remember it.
Please tell us about growing up. Siblings? Locale?
I was born in Arizona, but because my dad was in the Air Force, as a child I lived all over the country. My parents, my aunt and uncle, my brother and sister all live in Arizona now, along with my thirteen nieces and nephews! So I do call Arizona my home!
Were you the shy kid or the tomboy? Married, single? Children?
Growing up, because I was always the “new kid,” I tended to be very reserved and hard to get to know. Some of that’s carried over into my adult life, especially because I married a career Navy man and the cycle continued. It’s hard to make friends knowing it’s only temporary. Now that my husband’s retired from the Navy, and we’ve started to put down roots in Arizona ourselves, it’s getting easier to make those friendships, knowing they’ll last. Having two teen boys active in high school sports and clubs definitely helps!
When you’re not writing, what’s your favorite way to relax and recharge? Hobbies?
I work full time at our local library, so writing is actually my hobby! Taking long walks and listening to music, totally unplugging, is how I relax and recharge. I also love reading, of course. And cooking, if I’m in the mood.
How long have you been writing?
I started writing fanfic in 2013, and in 2015 my first novel was published. Writing has long been a dream of mine from way back in elementary school, when I won a school-wide writing contest! It’s definitely been a dream come true.
Where do you prefer to write? Do you need quiet, music, solitude? PC or laptop?
Since I work full time, most of my writing gets done in the very early morning hours. I try to get up around 3:30 or 4 a.m. so that I can have a few quiet hours to myself before the day gets going. My creativity flows best then, too, because I’ve trained it so well. I alternate between writing on an iPad Pro and a laptop. It’s easy to email my MS back and forth to myself and have it available on whichever device I have handy at the time.
Are you a plotter or a pantser?
Oh, boy. I used to call myself a pantser, but I’ve found that method to be overly stressful. I’ve written myself into corners pantsing, and when a publisher has set a deadline, that can cause problems. I took a plotting course from an amazing editor, and that has taught me how to outline. The way I do it now, I can set boundaries and structure for myself, with some wiggle room for pantsing. I’m cautiously optimistic because it seems to be working!
Tell us about your writing schedule. Do you set goals? Do you write daily?
I don’t have any goals, per se, but I do try to write a little every day. Some days I just manage a sentence or two, and that’s okay. I have to be realistic with my goals, especially since writing isn’t my day job.
Tell us something about yourself that might surprise readers.
I used to be an avid backpacker and hiker, and I’ve hiked the Grand Canyon four times! Once it was a very primitive trail, and we had to filter our own water to drink and cook with. That’s the trip where I sprained my ankle very badly, and because there’s no way out except to walk out, I had to suck it up and keep going. I learned a lot about myself that week!
What advice would you give to unpublished authors?
Just keep writing! I recommend starting with fanfic, too. It was a lot of fun to write in someone else’s world with someone else’s characters, especially at first. I learned a lot from writing fanfic. When you’re ready to self-publish or query, ask around and find a good—no, great—editor to work with! My editor has taught me so much, and she’s pushed me and helped me grow.
What has helped you in your writing career?
The support of my friends and family, no doubt. They’re my cheerleaders and biggest fans, and so many times they’ve encouraged me to keep going when I just wanted to quit. In the writing process itself, I’ve had to learn to give myself grace—to make mistakes, to fail, to not be afraid to scrap something and start over. All of that comes with experience and time.
What do you hope your writing brings to readers?
My biggest hope is that readers learn something about the military—that at heart it’s just a job, that not everyone who serves is a hero, and that there a lot of sacrifices involved for both the military member and the people who love them.
Tell us about your latest release.
TRUSTING A WARRIOR is the third book in my Loving a Warrior series. Each book stands alone, but all are interconnected, and I think Geo and Lani’s story in TRUSTING is my favorite. Geo is a SEAL K9 handler who’s grieving the loss of his mentor and friend. Lani’s just gone through a painful breakup with her childhood sweetheart. Together they find understanding, healing, and of course love.
Melanie Hansen doesn’t get nearly enough sleep. She loves all things coffee-related, including collecting mugs from every place she’s visited. After spending eighteen years as a military spouse, Melanie definitely considers herself a moving expert. She has lived and worked all over the country, and hopes to bring these rich and varied life experiences to the love stories she gets up in the wee hours to write. On her off-time, you can find Melanie watching baseball, reading or spending time with her husband and two teenage sons.
Melanie Hansen will be awarding a $50 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
