Behind the Scenes: Danny R.O.S.S.

Danny R.O.S.S. is a story about a Navy SEAL who lost his eyes during a failed mission. After being in a coma for six months, he wakes up in an unfamiliar place to find his damaged eyes had been replaced with robotic ones.

Inspiration / Muse:

The SEAL Team Six's successful mission on May 2, 2011 in Pakistan and the loss of elite Navy SEALs on August 6, 2011 in a fatal helicopter crash in Afghanistan acted as the fuel for my first and only (so far) Nanowrimo story. I wanted this Sci-Fi Adventure to serve as a tribute to the guys who face high-risk situations in service to their country every day and night, whether on land, in the sky, or under the waves of our seas.

Theme:

How does someone who's used to physical challenges and willing to go anywhere in an instant deal with an injury endured during battle? I've often wondered about this and have read books depicting the way in which many veterans deal with the new path their lives have taken. My compassion for them drives me to help organizations that supply desperately needed help to those who sacrificed their health so the rest of us can continue to pursue our dreams. This story touches a bit on the need to be useful and effective post injury despite the dreaded PTSD that clings to those who've been in combat.

Journey:

I'd just released A Beautiful Girl and had recently signed a contract for Love's Intensity (October 30th) when I learned about Nanowrimo, an event every November when each participant spends tons of time each day, beginning November 1st, to achieve at least 50,000 words by midnight November 30th. That's 1,667 words on average each day--no easy feat with a day job and two kids less than 12 years old. I didn't have an outline or even a story idea. With the recent events in the news, I figured I'd write an adventure book the likes of the Bourne Identity movies--a tall feat. With minimal research and a mental motion picture outline attempted in 2 days, I embarked on a typing frenzy the remaining 28 days. I was and am so proud of the 51,163 word count and my Nanowrimo winners badge. This novel has grown by almost 5K words since then. Wow! The past nine years of fixing up this novel for release has been quite the journey.

Meaning behind the cover:

With one rejection under its belt, Danny R.O.S.S. landed a contract. However, when that publisher closed, I submitted to another one, not expecting it to return to me unread because that publisher was closing down too. I'd decided to self-publish, then a pandemic closed down the world. Knowing some people didn't feel quite creative during this time, I had no idea whether I'd be able to get a cover done. None of the pictures I looked at quite matched what I had in mind. I was trilled when Kyle Lapinski said he'd accept the job.

Impact / Tribute:

I just want to say thank you to all the troops and their families for the many sacrifices you make so we can retain our freedoms.

Danny R.O.S.S. is planned for release on November 1, 2020 as a salute to the month during which it was created.

The thirteenth in the Behind the Scenes series is planned for a later date, so stay tuned.