Guest Post: Leslie Jones

29 January of 2016 by Jean

Please welcome our guest Leslie Jones

Thank you so much for hosting me today. I’m thrilled to be here!

As my third book, Deep Cover (Duty & Honor Book 3) prepares for its launch, I find myself thinking more and more about the experiences that led me to write military romantic suspense. I’m a war veteran from the first Gulf War. In fact, one way or another, I was associated with the military for about 18 years.

To say I learned a lot during my time in the army would be an understatement. My experiences, both positive and not-so-positive, shaped who I am to this day. Most of my jobs as an army intelligence officer focused around making sure our soldiers knew what was going on around them to keep them safer. I was stationed in South Korea during the height of the student democratic riots and uprisings that swept the country in 1987-1988. I compiled data through multiple sources and briefed incoming soldiers on areas of threat, and liaised with local South Korean military units for support and deterrence. While some of the protests were peaceful, many involved firebombings and other forms of violence. My paramount mission was to ensure US soldiers did not get caught in the middle.

The absolute best thing about my time in service, though, was meeting my fabulous husband, who is also a Gulf War veteran.

As he puts it, every experience we’ve ever had, both separately and together, is fodder for my books. Signature phrases I hear him or others use, funny dialogue, even embarrassing moments. I keep a searchable file in Evernote of phrases, snippets, and scenes. He’s a wonderful tactician, too. I have fond memories of us sitting around the table in a restaurant with our son, plotting out a military assault using salt shakers and sugar packets. We practice weapons disarms in our living room so I get the martial arts details right. When we visited a museum in London to create the setting for Deep Cover, we worked out ambush points and potential improvised weapons instead of admiring the exhibits. I couldn’t ask for a better partner.

Since becoming a civilian, I’ve supported several veterans organizations, including the Wounded Warrior project, whose purpose is to raise awareness of and support for members of the Armed Forces injured while serving their country. They provide direct support to these brave men and women, and I’ve been a proud advocate for years. For more information, please check out http://www.woundedwarriorproject.org.

Now, I’d love to introduce you to Trevor and Shelby!

On a secret assignment for MI-5, British SAS soldier Trevor Carswell is deep undercover with The Philosophy of Bedlam, a home-grown anarchist group responsible for several museum bombings. He’s on the brink of unearthing their motives when Scotland Yard foils their latest attack. Desperate to escape, the Bedlamites take civilian hostages — among them, a woman Trevor never expected to see again.

American political analyst Shelby Gibson is stunned when she recognizes Trevor, her one-time lover, brandishing a shotgun in the lobby of the August Museum of Modern Art. He’s the last man she’d ever trust, but Trevor is no criminal, and he may be her only hope of getting out of the building alive.

With the woman he once loved in serious danger, Trevor will risk everything to get Shelby to safety, even if it means blowing his cover. As they search for the truth behind the bombings, Shelby and Trevor expose the powerful, desperate man pulling the anarchists’ strings… and the half-century-old secret he’ll kill to keep quiet.

To whet your appetite, read Chapter One here.

Look for Jean’s review soon…

Available now in ebook.  

Paperback available February 23, 2016