DIAL V FOR VALENTINE/MORE THAN A LOVE STORY

DIAL V FOR VALENTINE/MORE THAN A LOVE STORY
Friday, February 9, 2024 by LINDA SHENTON MATCHETT

Categories: Friday's Fiction / GUEST AUTHORS

PLEASE WELCOME

LINDA SHENTON MATCHETT

FICTION FRIDAY

THE AUTHOR’S STORY

Asking an author her favorite story that she’s written is a lot like asking a mother to identify her favorite child. Can’t be done! However, what I can tell you is which story has the most memorable research experience, and Dial V for Valentine is one of those stories.

Dial V is a contemporary book, but the plot includes a historical element because the bride-to-be is given her grandmother’s WWII wedding gown, a dress constructed from a silk parachute. I’d already researched that topic for a display I helped curate at the museum where I volunteer. The two topics I was clueless about were Valentine’s Day and the military.

My mother’s birthday is February 14, so when we were growing up that date was all about celebrating Mom, not romance. As a result, observing the day never carried over into my adult (dating) life, so I had to research what Valentine’s Day means to people and how it is celebrated. Additionally, even though I know many people who serve(d) in all branches of the armed forces, I had no idea what it’s like to be part of a military family.

USA Today and Publishers Weekly Best-selling Author Jodie Bailey and her husband 1SG(R) Paul Bailey were a wealth of information, and after multiple calls, I finally felt equipped to write the story. Like any industry, the army has its own vocabulary. Here are a few tidbits of what I learned:

Mission cycle: A soldier can be called in and have to report within two hours. They can’t be more than a certain distance from home and must be within reach at all times. When called they can be “wheels up” in less than 24 hours. Someone is always on mission cycle.

Wheels up: Literally, in the airplane and on the way to your assignment

Rapid deployment: This doesn’t just happen to any old unit or soldier at any time. A rapid deployment typically happens to those on mission cycle. It’s unplanned and typically in response to a world event.

Regular deployment: Military members often know about these months or even a year in advance. Departure and return dates are well-known. These are rotational. However, a regular deployment can be extended.

Transfers: If a soldier is transferred into a new unit, and that unit is deployed, he’s going along. It’s not like, oh, you’re new, you can wait until the next round.

Writing this book was a joy, but the best part was how the research gave me a greater appreciation for those serving in the armed forces. There’s no way I have what it takes to be part of this special group of people. I hope Dial V for Valentine honors them and brings to light their daily sacrifices.

ABOUT DIAL V FOR VALENTINE

Valentine’s Day is perfect for a wedding. If only the bride will agree.

Being part of the military is not just a job for Fergus Rafferty, it’s a calling. He’s worked his way up the ranks and doing what he loves best: flying Apache helicopters. The only thing that will make his life complete is marrying Celeste. After he transfers to a unit scheduled to deploy in three months, he’s thrilled at the idea of marrying before he leaves so they can start their new life. Except Celeste wants to wait until he returns. Can he convince her to wed before he leaves?

Celeste Hardwicke has just opened her law practice when she finally accepts Fergus’s marriage proposal. Not to worry. She has plenty of time to set a date, and then plan the wedding. Until she doesn’t. But a quickie wedding isn’t what she has in mind. Besides, why get married when the groom will ship out after the ceremony? When she stumbles on her great-grandmother’s diary from World War II, she discovers the two of them share the same predicament.

At an impasse, Celeste and Fergus agree to call into WDES’s program No Errin’ for Love. Will DJ Erin Orberg’s advice solve their dilemma or create a bigger divide? One they’ll both regret.

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ABOUT LINDA SHENTON MATCHETT

Linda Shenton Matchett writes happily-ever-after historical Christian fiction about second chances and women who overcome life’s challenges to be better versions of themselves. Follow the journeys of relatable characters whose faith is sorely tested, yet in the end, emerge triumphant. Be encouraged in your faith-walk through stories of history and hope. A native of Baltimore, Maryland, Linda was born a stone’s throw from Fort McHenry (of Star-Spangled Banner fame) and has lived in historical places all her life. She now lives in central New Hampshire where she is a volunteer docent and archivist at the Wright Museum of WWII.

Social Media Links:

Website/Blog: http://www.LindaShentonMatchett.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/lindashentonmatchettsreadersgroup

Moments in History: http://www.youtube.com/@lindamatchett

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/linda-shenton-matchett

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