Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Author Laura Griffin: ‘I Will Never Quit’

Today I’d like to feature author Laura Griffin. Her latest work, UNSTOPPABLEcvr9781439191118_9781439191118, appears in the Pocket Books anthology DEADLY PROMISES.

“I will never quit” By Laura Griffin

Several years ago I stood knee-deep in the Pacific Ocean, teeth chattering, wondering what on earth would possess a sane man to join the Navy SEALs. I was on Coronado Island that day, and my mission was partly tourism and partly research. I had decided to write a SEAL character in my next book, and had spent the past few months researching what many would call the most elite fighting force in the world.

Coronado is a place where young men who aspire to be SEALs suffer through a ruthless training regimen that boggles the mind. For weeks on end, bands of SEAL trainees run with telephone poles, do five-mile ocean swims, undergo “drown-proofing,” endure sleep deprivation. They are systematically broken down—pushed beyond all limits, both physically and emotionally—and if they survive, they’re built back up again. Few make it through, and that is the point. Those who do come out stronger and more deeply committed to their jobs than most of us can imagine.

It takes a special sort of man to become a Navy SEAL, which is precisely why I had decided to write a SEAL character in my next story. I want my heroes to be, well, heroic. I had recently finished reading LONE SURVIVOR, a book about Marcus Luttrell, the SEAL who managed to live through a deadly firefight in the mountains of Afghanistan. Three of his teammates died. After being blown off a mountain by a rocket-propelled grenade, Luttrell--severely injured--crawled and walked seven miles to a village where he was taken in by a local tribe.

How did he do this? The man is a SEAL. The word “impossible” is not part of the SEAL vocabulary. Men who become SEALs share a special vision of what it means to stand in the face of adversity.

I will never quit…If knocked down, I will get back up, every time…I am never out of the fight. Sound hardcore? It is. It’s straight from the SEAL creed.

A man such as this—one who is unwilling to give up under the most dire circumstances—was just the sort of hero I needed for my story, UNSTOPPABLE, which involves a terrorist plot on American soil. After months of research, I started writing about U.S. Navy SEAL Gage Brewer, and I’m still writing about him today.

I thought about the SEAL creed recently as I watched the news about Osama Bin Laden. I am never out of the fight. It seems fitting, and not altogether surprising, that SEALs were the ones to finally track down the world’s most wanted man. They risked their lives, in an operation that could have ended in disaster, in order to make the world a safer place. These guys are tough, they are committed, and they never give up—not even after ten years. They are heroes. And it’s a good thing we have them in real life, and not just in books.

Laura’s next book, SNAPPED, will be published in September. Find out more about Laura and her writing at her website.

Laura brings up an interesting point, it takes a certain kind of person to be a SEAL. Thankfully there are those willing to do what it takes to become a member of this elite team. Laura, the good folks at Pocket Books and I ask that you consider donating books and care packages to our brave service men and women stationed overseas.

What are your thoughts on writing soldiers, especially elite units, into your stories? As a reader, do you enjoy stories that involve soldiers? Thanks for stopping by. 

9 comments:

  1. Sounds like an exciting book! I've always been amazed at what the SEALS, and other elite units, go through in their training. No wonder that they were able to find Bin Laden...

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  2. I'm a military spouse. Thanks, Laura. The project I just finished has a current military woman and a former SEAL as protagonists. A member of my family knows Marcus Luttrell. He's a good man.

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  3. Mason - Thanks for featuring Laura's work.

    Laura - Thanks for reminding us of the dedication and hard work it takes to be a member of an elite service group like the SEALS.

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  4. I have a lot of respect for Seals and other elite service groups. Their training is mind blowing and they're dedication is also. I'm a former military spouse, daughter of an officer, niece and grandniece to a couple. Our family is peppered with them. My dad, while not a seal, was in a team used in under water demolition. Dangerous job and tough men.

    To answer your question, yes, I enjoy stories using military--if it's done right and the author has researched it well enough to give it validity. When it's not done correctly I tend to get ticked off and toss the book in disgust.

    I'll be looking forward to reading about Gage. :-)

    Sia McKye's Thoughts...OVER COFFEE

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  5. I always enjoy it when an author brings extensive research to a piece of fiction. It gives the story so much authenticity. Thanks for the inside look at the SEALs.

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  6. Laura, your books sounds really good. Secretly, I've always wanted to be a Seal which makes me laugh since my exercise right now consists of walking to and from my car to go to work. But, I could live vicarously through your words?

    Mason, thanks for being a great host to all who venture here.

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  7. I'm a military brat, so I've always admired servicemen, and my main character is a pilot in the Cassan fleet.

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  8. In my second book of my trilogy, there is a US senator who has four guys as his security detail. He;'s a real bad guy and of course there are a lot of people who would like to kill him. So he has these ex special-ops he takes with him wherever he goes.

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  9. I adore soldiers in stories. My first two books used them and I definitely read them.

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I'd love to hear your thoughts on today's post. Thanks for dropping by.