Guest Post and Giveaway: Chief’s Mess by L.A. Witt

We’re so pleased to have author L.A. Witt dropping in today on the virtual tour for Chief’s Mess, book three in the Anchor Point series from Riptide Publishing. She’s here to tell us why Anchor Point exists, and there’s also a fantastic giveaway, so be sure to check out the entry details below.

Welcome, L.A.!

Why Does Anchor Point Exist?

Since the beginning of the Anchor Point series a few months ago, I’ve been asked a couple of times why I created a fictional base. After all, I’ve set plenty of books on real bases in the past. Razor Wire, Conduct Unbecoming, General Misconduct, and Flight Risk are all set on two Okinawa bases—Kadena Air Base and White Beach. My recent Young Adult novel, Having Her Back, is set here in Rota, Spain, where I currently live. Others have been set in Bremerton and Norfolk, and I might even set something at Offutt Air Base in Nebraska if I ever decide I want to mentally visit that place again.

There are two problems with using real bases. One is that, like real cities, they change constantly. I haven’t lived in Norfolk in eight years, for example, so it’s challenging to write about the bases as they are today. Roads get redone. Gate sentry policies change. Sometimes the commissary gets demolished and a new on is built. Uniform policies can vary from base to base and from commanding officer to commanding officer. For example, in the summer, service members are allowed to roll up the sleeves on their camouflage blouses, but exactly when they can start rolling them tends to vary.

So by creating NAS Adams, the base in the town of Anchor Point, I can keep things consistent and not worry that the Exchange has moved since I wrote the last book. Of course I still write in real cities and on real bases, but having a fictional world to play in means having a little sandbox with a different set of rules.

There’s also the matter of the issues I sometimes deal with in my military books. A number of people have asked if the assault case in Razor Wire (and the subsequent compromised investigation) was based on a real event, or if that kind of corruption was really happening at White Beach. (It wasn’t)  I realized I wanted to start diving into some of the bigger issues and not handle them with kid gloves, but I also didn’t want to demonize a particular base or ship. So, when there’s corruption, or illegal activity, or backstabbing within the ranks at NAS Adams, I’m not accidentally painting a *real* base with those brushes. i.e., so when I make references to a base commanding officer, I’m not accidentally pointing a finger at a real commanding officer.

So, Anchor Point and NAS Adams mean I can take the gloves off and really get down and dirty with the things that happen on a military base. And all I’m gonna say about that is… just wait for books 5 and 6. 😉

About the Book

Anthony Talbot is in Anchor Point to visit family, but after two days of strife, he needs a break. A local gay bar is calling his name.

When Chief Noah Jackson sees that red head stroll into the club, he immediately wants him. They’re perfectly matched, and before long, they’re burning up the sheets. Noah can’t get enough. Anthony can’t stay in Oregon for long, but as soon as he leaves, he’s counting down the days until he can fly back for more. And between his increasingly frequent visits, there’s always phone sex, sexting, webcams . . . anything they can get.

But Noah’s got a carefully crafted façade, and Anthony can’t help noticing the slowly forming cracks. The scent of alcohol in the middle of the day. The extra drinks at dinner. The hint of red in his eyes. Anthony knows what it means. He doesn’t want to believe it, but he’s seen this before, and there’s no denying it. If Noah doesn’t get his downward spiral under control, he’s going to lose both his career and the first man he’s ever really loved.

[zilla_button url=”http://www.riptidepublishing.com/chiefs-mess” style=”blue” size=”large” type=”round” target=”_blank”] Available Now from Riptide Publishing [/zilla_button]

Also check out Just Drive and Afraid to Fly, the first two titles in the Anchor Point series!

About the Author

L.A. Witt is an abnormal M/M romance writer who has finally been released from the purgatorial corn maze of Omaha, Nebraska, and now spends her time on the southwestern coast of Spain. In between wondering how she didn’t lose her mind in Omaha, she explores the country with her husband, several clairvoyant hamsters, and an ever-growing herd of rabid plot bunnies. She also has substantially more time on her hands these days, as she has recruited a small army of mercenaries to search South America for her nemesis, romance author Lauren Gallagher, but don’t tell Lauren. And definitely don’t tell Lori A. Witt or Ann Gallagher. Neither of those twits can keep their mouths shut…

L. A.’s backlist is available on her website, and updates (as well as random thoughts and the odd snarky comment) can be found on her blog or on Twitter (@GallagherWitt).

The Giveaway

To celebrate the release of Chief’s Mess, one lucky winner will receive their choice of two eBooks off L. A. Witt’s backlist (excluding Chief’s Mess) and a $10 Riptide Publishing store credit! Leave a comment with your contact info to enter the contest. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on June 24, 2017. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries. Thanks for following the tour, and don’t forget to leave your contact info!