Laura Griffin on the heart of a hero

Laura Griffin, author of Beyond Limits (out Tuesday!), explores why SEALs are so great at wooing us in romances.

Laura: Why the fascination with SEALs? I'm seeing them in books, on survival shows. I'm seeing them on the big screen played by Hollywood heartthrobs like Bradley Cooper and Mark Wahlberg.

SEALs have become icons of our popular culture, but what exactly is the appeal?

Obviously these muscle-bound warriors are nice to look at, but if that was all there was to it we'd have an overabundance of movies about Olympic athletes. I believe people are drawn to SEAL stories because they want to see the real men behind all the muscle.

Years ago I stood in the bone-chilling waters of the Pacific wondering what would possess someone to want to become a Navy SEAL. I was on a stretch of beach known as the Silver Strand, just a stone's throw from where hundreds of people a year try to make it through one of the most rigorous training programs in the world. Few withstand it.

I was there to do book research for a SEAL character I was writing, and I learned all about the endless training regimen of beach runs, night swims and log PT. I learned about sleep deprivation, drown-proofing and the many other challenges designed to break men down and then — for the few who don't quit — build them back up again.

It takes strength and skill, but also an amazing amount of determination. It takes an unwavering commitment to overcoming adversity and not flinching in the face of impossible odds. This determination is embodied in the SEAL creed that says, "I will never quit … If knocked down, I will get back up, every time … I am never out of the fight."

These are people who truly believe no challenge is too difficult. Bring it on.

My new book, Beyond Limits, features Navy SEAL Derek Vaughn, who is just back from an overseas rescue mission where he discovered clues about a secret terror cell operating on U.S. soil. A domestic threat is not really his problem — it's the FBI's — but Derek comes home determined to help thwart the attack. He decides his best way into the investigation is to persuade a woman he cares about, FBI agent Elizabeth LeBlanc, to risk her job by giving him inside information.

Here is a glimpse of the scene where Derek tries to persuade Elizabeth that he's uniquely qualified to help her team:

—

"Over and over again, our mission was to find a needle in a haystack. And we did it." He leaned closer. "I can find this guy in Houston. Hell, I can find him in Texas."

She didn't respond.

"Just give me what you have," he said. "A license plate, a phone number, an address. Give me some scrap of something about this tango or someone you even think might be helping him, and I'll turn it into a lead and track him down."

His confidence was mind-boggling. She would have laughed if he hadn't looked so stone-faced.

"You're serious."

He nodded.

"We've got an entire task force looking for this guy," she said. "What makes you think you can find him?"

"I'm better."

She shook her head.

" I can do this, Liz. I promise you."

—

From a writing perspective, one of my challenges was pairing Derek with someone who wouldn't be overshadowed by him. Elizabeth is smart and tenacious, and after spending years in the male-dominated field of law enforcement, she has her guard up against playboys. As she and Derek team up, though, he begins to chip away at her defenses.

Like Derek, Elizabeth is tough. But as the story unfolds we see a softer side to both of them.

This is where the true story happens. Because whether it's a story about SEALs, or cops, or FBI agents, we don't want to see people who are one-dimensional. We want to get past the outer shell to what lies beneath. We want to know what makes them laugh and cry and love, what makes them human.

And when we know that, we can root for them to find their happily ever after.

Find out more about Laura and her books at www.LauraGriffin.com.