#1: Collateral Damage

Lynette Eason is the bestselling author of Protecting Tanner Hollow, as well as the Blue Justice, Women of Justice, Deadly Reunions, Hidden Identity, and Elite Guardians series. She is the winner of three ACFW Carol Awards, the Selah Award, and the Inspirational Reader's Choice Award, among others. She is a graduate of the University of South Carolina and has a master's degree in education from Converse College. Eason lives in South Carolina with her husband and two children. Learn more at www.lynetteeason.com.

How are the books in this series connected? The books are connected via four friends who met while in the military. The series follows their lives and adventures and the men they meet—and fall in love with—along the way. Collateral Damage deals with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). What type of research was required to write about this subject? I talked to a number of people about this disorder. Most people who have it don’t really like to discuss it. However, some people are more open—especially those who want to make sure the disorder is represented correctly. I also talked to those who had loved ones who suffered from PTSD, and they were able to give me pointers on how to make sure my story reflected it accurately. One of your main characters is a former Army special ops sergeant. How did you learn about the tasks and perils associated with this profession? I did a lot of online research, but the coolest thing EVER was when I was at the Mountainside Marketing Conference this past January and I met a guy who was teaching there. Turns out he had the exact same position as my hero, Asher! This wonderful man, Vincent, read each scene and gave me feedback down to which energy bar would be eaten! He offered me terminology for gear and vocabulary in the action scenes, etc. It was a fabulous divine appointment that only God could have orchestrated. You have two very different settings for your book. Can you please let readers know why you chose these locations? I’ve always been interested in the war in Afghanistan and the Middle East. I know some soldiers who are serving over there, so I knew I could get accurate information on that locale even though I’ve never been there myself. The other location is Greenville, South Carolina, and that’s simply because that’s where I live. I’m familiar with that location and it’s easy to write about! Your second book in the series will release August 2020. How is your next book similar or different from Collateral Damage? It’s similar in that it still has some of the military aspects, but very different in that it deals with a different theme, different characters, different conflicts.