Aloha to Tara Neale and SERGEANT MIKE'S MIRACLE TOUR

On this date in 1862, the US Congress authorized the Medal of Honor.   It is the highest award:

Conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while engaged in an action against any enemy of the United States; while engaged in military operations involving conflict with an opposing foreign force; or while serving with friendly foreign forces engaged in an armed conflict against an opposing armed force in which the United States is not a belligerent party.

Tara Neale has created a series to remember our military heroes - SERGEANT MIKE'S MIRACLE TOUR:

Master Sergeant Michael O’Malley is a man on a mission. After over twenty years in the US Marine Corps, on his brand new Harley with his handy little Blackberry, Sergeant Mike is on the road to visit his men and women that came home injured or the families of those that never made it back. These stories are dedicated to the men and women who keep us all safe and their families.

I invited Tara to join us today at SOS Aloha!

Kim:  You are currently living in London - do tell! What is your favorite sight, sound, and smell? What did you see during the Diamond Jubilee Celebration? What are your plans for the Olympics? 

Tara:  I moved to London in June 2006 when I married a Brit. It has not been easy making the adjustment as I am a small town American girl at heart. But there are a few really nice things over here like the parks. There are so many of them. You can't walk a mile without passing one and when you have young children that is really nice. My favorite smell and taste is Greek/Turkish food. It is sort of like a good Texas barbecue except spicier and it has some delicious condiments that go with it.

Because my daughter is special needs and easily excitable, we stuck pretty close to home for the Diamond Jubilee. But just like there are so many neighborhood parks, there were also bunches of local festivals. We went to a different one every single day of the Jubilee. She even got to have tea on commemorative plates from Diana and Charles wedding.

For the Olympics, I am hoping to connect with some Americans. Like I said, I am terribly homesick and just spending time with someone from home would be great. My daughter has started swimming lessons and she loves to jump into the water so we might try and catch a diving event as well. 

Kim:  You wrote that you miss "her home in America" - where is your home and what do you miss? 

Tara:  I like the saying…Home is where the heart is. I have lived a lot of places in my forty-seven years: South Carolina, Florida, Maryland, Texas and California to name a few. I suppose the place I miss most though is Texas. I miss the Southern hospitality that I grew up with in a small town. There is nothing like it. 

Kim:  Your previous lives are enlightening - what was the most rewarding? most challenging? 

Tara:  Most rewarding is hands down stay-at-home mom. I did that for a decade when my adult children were little and I am lucky that writing allows me to do it again now with my youngest. Funny thing is my adult children still need me too. They call or come by often.

It is also the most challenging. You work from the time you wake up until the time you to bed, but no one seems to appreciate how hard your job is. I got so angry the other day when Cherie Blair, the wife of the former British prime minister, said that stay-at-home moms were unambitious and their children were clingy.

I am plenty ambitious. Just look at my release schedule. I have a novella in the Sergeant Mike's Miracle Tour coming out every month or two. 

Kim:  What inspired you to write Sergeant Mike's story? 

Tara:  Sergeant Mike is a compilation of several men that I have known. My step grandfather retired from the Navy. The stories that Papa Curt told of serving in the Korean War became a stable of my teen years and he was a big influence in my life.

But you have heard about the fish that got away? The biggest inspiration was a dear friend that worked as a bouncer part-time at the club where I danced. It was a tough time in my life and he was always a broad shoulder to cry on. Despite a few rough edges like Sergeant Mike, he was a gentleman to the Corps.

With guys like these, you definitely don't have to be an officer to be a gentleman; it just comes natural to them. Like Esther says men like these are modern day incarnations of the ancient heroes Hercules, Jason, and Odysseus. Men for whom honor still means something and it is my humble pleasure to tell Sergeant Mike's tales. 

Francois Boucher's HERCULES AND OMHPALE

Kim:  What's next for Tara Neale? 

Tara:  Well, this next year is pretty full of Sergeant Mike's Miracle Tour with release on the 4th of July, Labor Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas. The man is busy checking in on the men and women, who served with him. Or the families of those who never made it home. My Country Tis of Thee will come out on the 4th of July. It explores the complex issue of soldiers who serve in the United States armed services but who are not US citizens. In this story, Sergeant Mike gets to attend his first military funeral, but his focus is upon one thing…getting this brave soldier awarded post-humus citizenship. Then for Labor Day, he is off to Oklahoma to stand in for his best friend that died in Desert Storm. In Labors of Love, he is holding the hand of a hard-working American farmer, who might have never served in the military but made this country strong with the sweat of his brow and gave the ultimate sacrifice when he lost his only son. Then for Halloween, it is off to Texas. Shared Burdens is a re-write of the prequel Esther's Story told from Mike's point of view. 

But in between there, I have begun a romantic suspense called The Arrangement. Daniel’s wife committed suicide following the birth of their twin daughters, leaving this SEAL leader grounded with four girls to command. His mother and the quirky wife of his best friend come up with an idea – find him a new wife and mother for the girls on-line.

Jill has dedicated her life to raising her family. As the American wife of a British Marine she lived in exile for a quarter of a century. With her husband dead and her sons grown, she is homesick with a hole the size of Texas in her heart. She is a mother with no one to look after. What’s a girl to do when she sees a handsome officer and four beautiful daughters with no one to care for and love them?

To make matters worse, as Jill delves deeper into the supposed suicide of Daniel’s wife, near-miss accidents begin to plague the family. Is it just coincidence or someone trying to keep the truth hidden?

Mahalo, Tara, for writing about military families!  From Tara's email,

I have decided to make all the novellas in this series free of charge to raise awareness about PTSD and the issues facing our returning troops.

My Country Tis of Thee: Sergeant Mike's Miracle Tour (Book 1) is available at this link.

Esther's Story: Sergeant Mike's Miracle Tour (Prequel) is available at this link.

In honor of Tara's desire to raise awareness about issues facing our returning troops, I will donate $1 per comment, up to $100, to the Wounded Warrior Project at this link.   Leave a comment about motorcycles - have you had the pleasure of a ride?

Mahalo,

Kim in Hawaii

To learn more about Tara and her books, check out her website at www.taraneale.com.