behind the books

People often ask if my books are autobiographical. They aren’t, at least not completely. Things that happen in my life spark story ideas.

Sometimes it’s the location or an event.

That’s especially true of the first book in the Promise Series: Love in the Morning Calm.

The idea for the story came from my experiences as a Department of Army Civilian at Headquarters, Eighth Army, Yongsan, South Korea. Morning Calm is another name for South Korea, hence the title.

During the Vietnam War, I followed my husband on his unaccompanied tour to the 8th Army, Korea Procurement Agency. As unauthorized dependents, my daughter and I could not live on post in Yongsan. Instead, we rented an apartment high above the Han River in Han Nam Dong’s U.N. Village.

We did enjoy the other privileges like Post Exchange (PX), commissary, and medical facilities. I even rode the Army bus to work at the compound several miles away.

In Love in the Morning Calm, Lily lives where we did and works at G3, Eighth Army as I did.

But that’s where the character similarities end. 😉 The plot is not my personal story but a made-up love story of Lily and Alex.

I used events that happened while we were there to build the plot. President Lyndon Johnson’s secret visit to Eighth Army during his Southeast Asia Tour was what brought Lily Johnson and Major Alex (Ace) Cabot together. I was the secretary for the G3 group overseeing the presidential visit.

Other real experiences and places appear in story scenes too. Chungpyung Reservoir where we picnicked with friends.

The Bando Hotel where my husband and I had dinners and Walker Hill where the Presidential Reception was held.

And there really was a gold dress like Lily wore at the Presidential Reception.

Creating plots for books allows me to weave my life experiences, and places I’ve been into the stories I write.

In that sense, the stories I write are little memoirs. Not wholly, but in pieces.

I’ll be sharing the stories behind my other books in future blogs, come back. And, if you want to read about Lily and Alex’s story, here is the link: Love in the Morning Calm

In the furor of the ’60s, when women were fighting for their rights and men the Viet Cong, a young Tennessee preacher’s daughter seeks personal liberation. Lily finds instead a love that defines her even as it forever alters her definition of freedom and liberation.

Green Beret Major Alex Cabot meets Lily Reed, a Department of Army civilian at Eighth Army Headquarters in South Korea. He’s a high-potential career officer, who should resist the temptation of any woman, but he can’t ignore Lily.

In an uncertain time, in a temporary safe zone, yielding to temptation changes both their lives forever.