FIRE SEASON BY Catherine Lanigan


Nothin’ says it better than the cover, right?  This is my November release, Rescued by the Firefighter. 

My hero, Rand Nelson, is actually a SMOKEJUMPER and fights forest fires rather than buildings, residences, etc. The story opens with the heroine, Beatrice Wilcox, owner of a youth camp, running INTO the forest fire across the road from her beloved kids’ camp just as Rand drives up in the fire truck.  How’s that for a  Meet Cute?

 I conducted quite a bit of research about smokejumpers and was surprised at how far back their origins go.  The first smoke jumps were by  Rufus Robinson and Early Cooley at Rock Pillar near Marten Creek in the Nez Perce National Forest on July 12, 1940. 
Today, both men and women train to be smokejumpers…which I have to say, has spurred me to want to write about a woman smokejumper. But I digress.




When I was researching RESCUED BY THE FIREFIGHTER,  I spoke with firefighters, read interviews with smokejumpers, and delved into the history.  But when I saw this photo right from the beginning, it spoke to me.

From the blazes of the inferno to the “calendar” photos of buff firemen, these are the guys who risk their lives for us so that our homes, businesses and our lives are safe.
They’re just guys and gals who work hard, risk a lot, but at the end of the day, they’re exhausted just like we are---only more so.

When they’re all suited up in their gear with helmets and face masks, they appear like gods or alien masterminds, able to perform the impossible. And THEY DO!  They parachute into a blazing forest fire with not much more than a hatchet and a shovel. They kill the fiend and stomp out the blaze. The pilots drop chemicals and water to douse flames.

But at the end of the day, they’re guys who flop on the ground, no pillows or covers and dream.
So, when I look at this photo, I wonder what they dream about. Home? A special girl? A child? Or the next fire season that might take their life?  What I found is that they dream of all these things. And they give thanks that they are still alive.

I give my deepest and most sincere gratitude to them for protecting us.

All autumn long forest fires rage in our drought-riddled Western States and up into the forested northern regions. I discovered that these now epic fires are only going to get worse in the future due to over-population and the building of homes butted right up to the forests. Alien pests and insects are second on the list. We have an infusion of insects and foliage diseases that devour the life of our trees and turn them to ready kindling should a fire break out. It takes diligence on all our parts to keep fires from happening in the first place. Care and caution at our campsites to the blatant “flicking the cigarette butt” out of a car window. Believe it or not, on my last trip up to the “Rim” in Arizona, I passed a car in which the driver flicked out a glowing cigarette butt. Naively, I thought behavior like that was a thing of the past. Not so.

What ideas and thoughts do you have about preventing forest fires? Or any tips on keeping your home safe with the upcoming holidays? 

Visit www.Prismbooktours.com for my book tour. Amazon.com, follow me on Twitter for announcements @cathlanigan  and our Facebook page as well!  GOD BLESS, Catherine 

Comments

  1. That is a wonderful meet-up, Catherine and a compelling cover- those eyes and that determined jaw! I haven’t read your book yet, but believe it will be a tribute to men who serve under such dangerous conditions. Both of my brothers were firefighters and I heard some awesome stories from them through the years. All the best with “Rescued by the Firefighter”!

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    1. Thank you, Janice. I appologize to everyone. I have a friend in the hospital and was at work all day and when I had a breath...not many of those...I was texting to find out how she is doing---not well. So, if anyone reads this please say prayers for my friend, Sally.

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  2. That nest of sleeping smokejumpers reminds me of a similar photo taken years ago of firefighters who in combat with a blaze that had evacuated a small city. They crashed on someone's lawn. The mountain pine beetle has ravaged forest in the neighboring province and has now entered Alberta here. Not good. All the best with your story, Catherine! We count on our heroes.

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    1. You are so, so right. We count on these people every minute and they give so much!!

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  3. These firefighters have been on my mind a lot in recent years because of the number and extent of fires. We're lucky to have men and women willing to take on this work. Your story sounds great. It has a terrific cover that made me want to see inside! Congratulations.

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  4. Arizona had the big Yarnell fire a few years ago. It happened near Prescott and a couple of weeks after, I was driving my son to camp in Prescott. The townspeople were lined up along the streets with signs of respect and thanks. It was very humbling to drive through.

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    1. That's one of the fires my husband talked about a great deal. We went up there several times in later years....seriously, it was eerie.

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  5. I read an excerpt from your tour, and it is a great meet-cute. Can't wait to read the rest of the story.

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  6. I loved your book. The fire near the camp with a couple of lost kids makes a reader's heart pound. Like Pam, I was in AZ when we lost so many smoke jumpers in the Yarnell fire. So sad. And this year in California I think two men were lost. My husband was a volunteer fireman when we lived in Washington state. Spent many years with the plectron next to our bed that called him out in the middle of the night. Once the address was right across the street. He was over there and had a garden hose strung out with water on the house before the trucks arrived. Scary stuff, but those volunteers trained as hard as if it was their job.

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    1. Thank you, Roz! I'm so glad you liked it. You are so very right that all this is such scary stuff and to live with it, being a firefighter....I can only imagine the stress.

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  7. Wildfires are so frightening and fighting them is such dangerous work. Watching the news videos of these fast moving wind whipped fires out west, it seems crazy to send smoke jumpers into such peril, yet they go willingly. That's genuine courage. Kudos to you for writing about it.

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  8. A lovely cover and a great idea for a story. What heroes they all are!

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  9. Love your cover!! And when I see someone flick a butt out a window I want to chase them down and ask are they crazy! I don't only because in this day and age it's too dangerous.

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  10. What a wonderful post! I was in Alpine, Arizona, right after the Granite Mountain Hotshots were killed and their 4th of July parade was dedicated to them. Hotshots helped save Alpine when the Wallow Fire took out over 15000 acres, so they have a special place in the heart of all Arizonans. I can't wait to read your book. I already have the tissues ready!

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    1. Hi, LeAnne...After living in Scottsdale for 8 years and in Los Angeles for a decade or so...the tension that mounts moving into fire season makes my skin crawl. And yet, these fires are going to be more and more frequent.

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  11. I love the cover of your book, and I appreciate the further tribute to those who run into danger for the sake of others. While some fires happen because of lightning or other natural causes, we can all do a lot to help.

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    1. Callie, you are right. And what is interesting is that many of these really big fires are started on purpose. Angry, vengeful people and kids. My prayer is that in the future, we all learn how precious life is.

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  12. I'm reading this as here in California we are told to stay indoors because the air quality is so bad due to the fires in our state. I am heartbroken at news of more victims of the Camp Fire in Paradise Ca. These firefighters are heroes and I can't imagine doing their job. The photos of them fighting the fires are terrifying, especially as fires become more and more unpredictable. Your book sounds wonderful. Well done for writing about such important heroes!

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