fuonlyknew

Welcome to Jessica Scott and her new release of The Long Way Home.

Enjoy the cover reveal and don’t forget to enter the giveaway!

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I’m thrilled to announce that after a long way, the cover for The Long Way Home is finally out. The fabulous Shawntelle Madison did an amazing job with this, didn’t she?

Make sure you check out the reviews on Goodreads and if you haven’t already, add it to your shelf!

Get your copy today: Barnes & Noble | Smashwords | Amazon | Kobo

The rest of the bookstores links will be live soon!

Foreword

In 2009, I kissed my children goodbye and deployed to Iraq.

I thought deploying would be the hardest thing I’d ever do.

I was wrong.

Coming home from war is not an event, not a solitary moment on the parade field. I never knew what it would take to walk through my front door and become a mother after a year away.

This is my story of coming home from war. Of kissing my children and learning to be their mom again. Of taking command of my company and growing up from a smart-mouthed lieutenant to more thoughtful commander. Of being a wife at the end of the war.

A mom. A soldier. A writer. A wife.

If you’ve been following the journey thus far, thank you for joining me again. If you are reading it for the first time, I hope you enjoy.

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[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QGT0_2asMQ]

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Excerpt

Unprepared

December 27, 2009

When you get home from deployment, the Army sends you through all of the reintegration training. Some of it is worthwhile, a lot of it is a waste of time and even more is a check-the-block exercise. I understand the intent behind it, but frankly, I didn’t need or want most of it. There was, however, one class that I really got a lot out of and it was taught by the chaplains. They discussed reintegrating with your families and I paid attention because honestly, I’ve been worried about reuniting with my kids.

They talked about expectations and reactions and how you and they are different now than when you left home. I knew all this but I still paid attention. There was a lot of anticipation within me about seeing my kids and getting the family back together.

I thought I was prepared.

So when we’re in the middle of a busy rest stop in New Jersey last night and my youngest starts crying out of the blue, I wasn’t prepared to hear why she was upset. She had real, painful tears, the kind of crying that sounded like her little heart hurt. When I asked her what was wrong, she sobbed, “I don’t think you love me.”

It was not a fake cry. It wasn’t even a cry for attention. And I had no idea how to react. Instantly. I started crying. In the middle of a rest stop, with people wondering what the heck was going on, I was trying to get my oldest’s coat on her while trying to get my youngest to understand that I did love her and I had missed her.

My husband freaked out when he walked up and saw me and our youngest both in tears. My oldest rested her head on my shoulder and told me she knew I loved her. But none of that helped until I could make my youngest understand.

It was a brutal episode and one I did not expect. They tell you about the babies not knowing you or your grade school kids wanting to talk incessantly but nothing prepared me for my three year old’s confusion and true heartache.

It’s better today. She’s back to normal and so am I, but the pain from last night lingers. So today, I’m hugging both of them more than telling them I love them. I’d already been doing that but apparently, it wasn’t enough to make up for a year of no hugs and no close “I love you’s.” The web cam was good but it wasn’t enough.

I don’t know if I can ever make up to either of them being gone. I don’t know what else is coming.

And more excerpts

Giveaway

One lucky commenter will win digital copies of Jessica’s entire backlist (romance and nonfiction).

Just leave a comment about the cover or the book along with your email address and you’re entered!

Thank you for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

About Jess

Jessica Scott is a career army officer, mother of two daughters, three cats and three dogs, wife to a career NCO and wrangler of all things stuffed and fluffy. She is a terrible cook and even worse housekeeper, but she’s a pretty good shot with her assigned weapon and someone liked some of the stuff she wrote. Somehow, her children are pretty well adjusted and her husband still loves her, despite burned water and a messy house.

Oprah has called her. True story.

Her debut novel BECAUSE OF YOU launched Loveswept, the first Random House digital imprint.

She’s written for the New York Times At War Blog, PBS Point of View Regarding War, and IAVA. She deployed to Iraq in 2009 as part of OIF/New Dawn and is currently a company commander stationed at Fort Hood.

Most recently, she’s been featured as one of Esquire Magazine’s Americans of the Year for 2012.

Connect with Jessica at

Website: http://www.jessicascott.net

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/jessicascott09

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jessicascottauthor

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5131118.Jessica_Scott

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