“Dear Natasza… Loved your Code Name: Ghost Am happy to hear you will be finishing Kayla
And Thane’s story. I am a voracious reader and this book truly touched my heart…too many people have no clue about the sacrifices our service men and families make. Kudos to you and keep up the good work. Judy”
Dear Judy,
You have no idea how timely your words are! You know those days when everything goes in the bucket! As a writer, you have to take the good with the bad. I’ve learned that some folks really despise cliff hangers, and voice this with real fervor. I don’t mind that, but CNG is so much more than just a love story, and you pegged it. The underlying theme is the mental struggle and the hardships of service men and women, thousands of miles away, fighting an enemy that will literally never stop because of their beliefs. A warrior is trained to deliver a kill, but it doesn’t mean they walk away unscathed.
An intrinsic arc in the story is that PTSD came into the limelight because of war, yet many women have been at war, most times alone, in their own home, but the term PTSD hasn’t really been applied. They suffer, and many never heal. In the same way a warrior comes home and is haunted by what they experienced, abused women have the same trauma. Kayla and the Commander’s story is based on real life to a great extent, and like real life, this story couldn’t be wrapped up in one book without it making “Roots or Hawaii” look like a bedtime story. Thank you, Judy Reiss, for reminding me why I wrote the story. How important it is to be told. And although I wrapped it in a blanket of romance and suspense, the threads woven within are the most important: love, hope and faith can heal.
