CAN Scavenger Hunt #10

Dear Readers, welcome to stop #10 on the CAN Scavenger Hunt. If you haven't been to the first nine, here is the link to the first stop on our hunt:

http://christianauthorsnetwork.com/newreleases/

Anne Greene, I’m so happy to feature you on my blog for this CAN Scavenger Hunt. What book are we featuring today?

Today we are discussing ANGEL WITH STEEL WINGS.

What encouraged you to write this story?

This is a story of my heart. I’m a WWII buff. The war and its aftermath changed the world, especially for women and offered them tremendous opportunities to better their lives. During the years 1941-1945, thousands of women answered the call of duty to help protect our country. Scores of these women died because of their service. Angel With Steel Wings tells the story of the women test pilots, WASPs. Army and Navy NURSES, WACS, WAVES, and SPIES also served. My Women of Courage series will tell these stories. I’m so proud of what these women accomplished.

What are some of the things you like to do for fun?

I love to travel. I’ve been fortunate enough to visit over thirty foreign countries. Some of my other books are set in foreign countries where I’ve spent a good deal of time. Some of my travels were in conjunction with my Special Forces Colonel husband. Angel With Steel Wings has several scenes in England where I spent a lovely time. I also enjoy spending time with friends and singing in our Church choir. I dabble in oil painting as well.

How many books do you have out now?

At present I have seven published books available. I have two Christmas novellas, A Christmas Belle and A Groom for Christmas available on Amazon. My novella for Barbour Publishing, The Marriage Broker and The Mortician, releases in August. I’m working on the sequel to Angel With Steel Wings called Spies Like Her, which is the second book in my WWII Women of Courage series, and then I’ll work on the second book of my Handcuffed In Texas detective/mystery series, after the first book, Holly Garden, PI, Red Is For Rookie. My novella, Recipe For a Groom releases in November for a Thanksgiving Anthology. I also have three other novellas releasing in 2017. So I’m pretty busy.

Please give us the first page of the book. 

ANGEL WITH STEEL WINGS.

“She’s late! Where is she?” Insides churning like pistons, Major Harvey Applegate stared hard at the

tiny blonde standing in front of him, her hands clenched behind her back.

Her chin trembled. She looked so young he wanted to pat her on the back and send her to the hangar for a hot chocolate, but majors didn’t do that. So he gritted his teeth. He was supposed to show respect for the WASPs invading his air base. That was asking a lot. They were young and unpredictable. Men fought wars to protect American women. Men died in wars. Not women. He restrained his impulse to pound the metal side of the wet hangar and slapped his thigh with his cap instead.

 

“I can’t lose another WASP on my watch. Not two in as many days.” He plowed his hand through his short, dripping hair, frowned, and reminded himself not to get his underwear wrapped around an axle.

“She’s only half an hour late, sir.” Doreen’s lower lip quivered.

 

“Didn’t that pilot get the word this morning?” Harvey wrung his cap. He wouldn’t take his temper out on this innocent blonde.

“No, sir. Corporal Jones ran up to tell me we were grounded twenty minutes after she was in the air.”

Above the wail of the wind, Harvey picked up the faint lilting song of a Merlin engine running slightly rough. He gazed toward the windsock blowing straight out and pivoted toward the landing strip. A P-51 came in fast and low, circled the field, made a perfect three-point landing, and taxied to a halt.

He snapped his cap onto his head. He didn’t have many men who could land in a crosswind that well. Even he would have had trouble. Boots splashing water, he dashed across the tarmac and reached the craft before the propeller stopped spinning. The canopy of the single-seater flew open. A slight figure, clad in a man’s too-large flight suit, climbed out onto the rain-slick wing. He stretched up his arms and grabbed her waist to lower her to the ground. Even with the weight of her boots, flight jacket, and gear, this one felt light in his arms.

The pilot glanced at his insignia. If she’d actually been military, she’d have had to salute. But she wasn’t, and she didn’t. The minute her feet touched ground, the slender woman pulled off her goggles and gazed up at him. Wide blue eyes circled with goggle marks.

Another starry-eyed angel. Harvey swallowed hard. His chest hurt. She looked so vulnerable.  He scowled, picturing that slender nose smashed and those winsome lips closed forever. He couldn’t face seeing another woman killed. He wanted these women off his air base. Wanted no more sleep lost over these young ladies. Wanted no more sending them into danger. Wanted no more funerals that tore him apart. He slapped the cowl of the plane so hard she jumped. No more charred women in downed planes. Trista took on a man’s job, and look how that turned out. Agony pierced his chest. He shook his head, trying to dislodge the memory.

“I’ll see you grounded!” Harvey thundered. “You were due back half an hour ago. Can’t you women obey rules?” 

 

Ruby lips rounded into an O of surprise. Her sapphire eyes widened. Her dark brows arched. “What?”

“Women pilots!” He slammed his fist into his palm. “I’ll shut down this program.”

Her brows furrowed. Her chin poked out. Her hands flew to her hips. She looked ready to jump all over him. As long as she was alive and safe, he didn’t care. He could handle her. “You head-in-the-clouds dreamers think you’re on your own private missions. This base is no place for a woman!”

“You men have such a high opinion of yourselves. Women could fly in combat, but you keep us home.” Flames tinted her wet cheeks. “You won’t admit our country desperately needs us to fly these planes.” She stressed each word passionately.

Harvey could tell she wanted to say more, but she clamped her lips. He glared.

She glowered back.

Tough if she thought he had an inflated opinion of himself. Better that than for her to guess he had a soft spot for these female pilots. “I don’t want any more dead women.”

She cringed. Her face crumpled.

Why hadn’t he kept his trap shut? Even on a base this big, she probably knew the missing WASP pilot. But he’d wanted to scare her into obeying the rules. Obedience gave the women pilots some semblance of safety.

She recovered from her first reaction and blazed. “Connie’s alive. I know it. And rumor patrol says it’s just a couple of you big shots who want to shut us down. Most fellas like us testing repaired planes and towing targets. They want to be free to fly combat.”

He shrugged. She was right. And he couldn’t dredge up a comeback.

She stomped stiff-legged toward the open hangar door, parachute bumping her backside, rain blurring his view.

 

“Feisty pilot, you’re the kind gets yourself killed,” he yelled just as she reached the hangar door. 

Where can the readers find you on the Internet?

Visit with me at www.AnneGreeneAuthor.com, www.facebook.com/AnneWGreeneAuthor, @TheAnneGreene, on Pinterest at The Anne Greene, on Book Fun Magazine at  http://www.anneswritingupdates.blogspot.com

SOME ROMANTIC PARTS OF ANGEL WITH STEEL WINGS

The most romantic thing my hero did for my heroine was to paint her name on his fighter plane. The most romantic thing my heroine did for my hero was to fly a plane dragging a banner asking a captivating question.

The most romantic place my hero and heroine went to was a hospital wedding. My couples’ favorite romantic restaurant was the café just off the Air Force base where they had their first date and first played their WW2 song, “I’ll Be Seeing You.”

The most romantic present my hero gave my heroine was her wings to fly. And she became the wind beneath his wings.

My couples’ favorite romantic vacation destination was London, after the war, especially the llama estate.

Now, here's the news (my phrase) about the rest of the hunt.

Stop #11 on this CAN Scavenger Hunt is:

http://anneswritingupdates.blogspot.com/

Anne is offering a giveaway of ANGEL WITH STEEL WINGS on her blog. Leave a comment on her post for a chance to win the copy.

You need to leave a comment on this blog for a chance to win a Kindle copy of my book The Gold Digger.

Be sure to sign up on every blog that has an individual giveaway,  and collect all the phrases for each blog, so you can enter the Grand Prize giveaway of a free book from all the authors on the hunt. Blessings on you today.