This week I’m hosting MaryAnn Diorio with Surrender to Love (US only) and Susan Sleeman with High-Caliber Holiday (US only). If you want to enter the drawings for any of these books, please leave a comment on your post with your email address. I will not enter you without an email address (my way to contact you if you win). If you don’t want to leave an email address, another way you can enter is to email me at margaretdaley@gmail.com. The drawings end Sunday (November 8th) evening.
Interview with the hero from High-Caliber Holiday by Susan Sleeman
1. Brady Owens, tell me the most interesting thing about you.
I’m a sniper—former military, now with the First Response Squad. Some people find this interesting. Others find it revolting. I hate to fire my weapon, but the fact is, when someone has been taken hostage or an active shooter bursts into a crowd of people and starts firing, a sniper can save lives, and I’m proud of that.
2. What do you do for fun?
I’m a whittler. An old-fashioned hobby to be sure. Took it up for two reasons. One, growing up with a single parent mom there was never any money for hobbies and I can always find a tree branch or other hunk of wood to carve. This year, I’m making a set of Christmas ornaments for my teammates. And two, I’m not good at sitting still so if I’m forced to sit in a meeting or something like that, whittling allows me to get through the meeting.
3. What do you put off doing because you dread it?
I dread anything related to household chores. Laundry. Cleaning. You name it. Maybe because I had to be so neat in the marines and I’m rebelling now. Who knows. But I hate it.
4. What are you afraid of most in life?
I’m afraid that I might hesitate when called to pull the trigger at a standoff. It’s happened once before at a callout involving a fellow marine who would have killed his family if I hadn’t fired. It felt like taking out a family member and I hesitated. I know what I do saves lives, but it was one thing in the military to protect our troops against enemy forces. It’s another thing to take out a man or woman who may just be having a bad day and aren’t thinking clearly. Hesitating could cost others their lives and the team has to be able to rely on me.
5. What do you want out of life?
That’s a simple one. A stable home. Family. Children. But that won’t happen for me if I don’t finish my college degree and make enough money to support a family. There’s no way I’ll let my kids grow up poor like I did.
6. What is the most important thing to you?
That’s a good question and one I’m struggling with, but I guess I’d say love and acceptance. If you have both of those things, isn’t life richer?
7. Do you read books?
I’d like to be a reader, but reading involves sitting still so I’m not a reader. I’d rather be outdoors hiking or doing some sport.
8. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
I kind of have—okay fine—I do have a thing about caring what other people think about me. Comes from growing up poor in a small town where others made fun of me and I didn’t feel equal. I’m working on getting over that, but I have to say, wealthy people who flaunt their wealth, and feel privileged just because of it, still irk me.
9. Do you have a pet? If so, what is it and why that pet?
No pet. I’ve just recently left the military where having a dog didn’t fit into my life. And, honestly, though I’ve been on the FRS for four years, I still don’t feel settled enough to have a pet. Once I settle down, buy a house, have a family, that sort of thing, I’ll think about a dog.
10. If you could travel back in time, where would you go and why?
I wouldn’t. I have no interest in history. Maybe because I’d never want to relive my past. I prefer to look forward and move ahead with my goals.
