In Losing My Breath, a Marine veteran finds himself matching wits with his princess of a neighbor, a woman to whom he finds himself drawn despite the fact they are complete opposites. What was the inspiration for the setup...

In Losing My Breath, a Marine veteran finds himself matching wits with his princess of a neighbor, a woman to whom he finds himself drawn despite the fact they are complete opposites. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

This one wandered off track. I started off with a prompt that was supposed to be for a short story, just a cute little sexy thing where a new girl moves into an apartment building and her neighbor ends up helping her out. The prompt was: “I don’t know what he’s fixing but mine just broke.” So, I wanted a rather attractive-looking guy to be her neighbor. And he needed to be the kind of guy that would help people, but it’s more fun when you get them to grudgingly help the person. And then, over time, get to be not-so-grudging. As Callan and Meridian began to emerge from the pages their story became so much more real and deep and interesting.

I tried my best to do their story justice.

What is one pivotal moment in the story that you think best defines Callan and Meridian’s relationship?

I think it has to be the part where he somewhat jokingly says that he’s been through SERE training – so he’d be able to withstand / survive her interrogations (she, rightfully, wants to know more about him).

Meridian turns serious for a moment, basically saying she knows he’d survive just fine without her. But is survival really all he wants out of life? Is that enough?

And he knows, he can tell in that moment, what she’s asking him. She’s asking if he’ll ever let her in? Callan wants a committed relationship with her, but this is about what she wants and needs, too.

The part of him that has a habit of emotionally withdrawing, hates this question. But the part of him that has fallen in love with Meridian knows he has to fight “safety” sometimes and be vulnerable with her. So if he retreats right then (emotionally and figuratively as he was standing at her door, about to exit); if he lets that part of remain in control when he’s with her, she will (eventually) leave him.

So he finds a way to say something. Fights the urge to retreat to safety, and tells her that no, survival isn’t enough, anymore. (He wants to be with her).

And it may not have been the pretty words she would have liked to hear, but they were real. And they were honest and hard-fought. And they were enough.

What scene in the book did you have the most fun writing?

I had fun with several scenes. Most of this was just a lot of fun to write. I think the one where he’s saying that he didn’t get into Princess school, though, really set the stage for many of the other fun scenes.

I also can’t help but have a fondness for the scene where Callan is griping at his friend Greyson Watts after hearing Meridian’s friend Nora swoon over the guy (Callan was somewhat mollified that Meridian had better taste – in his opinion, anyway), since that’s the scene where the prompt line showed up.

What is the next book you are working on, and when will it be available?

My next book is a sports romcom. You can read a short story, called “Off the Record”, about Breslin and Olivia – available, now (free) on my website. The longer novel will be available in late summer 2024.

Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Facebook | Website

A Marine never says die.
Neither does his princess.Battle lines are drawn when sheltered debutante Meridian Daly moves across the hall from grumpy veteran Marine Callan Brand. Situated a bit closer than advertised to ‘crime alley’, Meridian’s neighbor finds himself grudgingly guarding the pampered princess out of habit. But with her sharp wit and killer curves, he can’t help but surrender to temptation…
When their relationship evolves from casual courtship to something more, Callan finds that Meridian’s already discovered his closely-guarded secret. But can he let go of his pride, and tell her the whole truth of who he is and what he’s done—in the name of honor and country?
As Callan’s scars start to reveal themselves, his life spirals beyond the careful control that’s helped him survive—and kept those he cares about safe.
From him.
But this tough-in-a-tiara princess won’t back down, even in Callan’s darkest hours. And Meridian just might prove to be more tenacious than a never-say-die Marine!

---

View Entire Post