Military Romance
Date Published: January 23, 2025
Publisher:‎
MindStir Media
Cara is almost fifty, and nearly penniless. She needs a fresh start and
when a unique job falls in her lap, she moves to Saudi Arabia to work for
the royal family, never dreaming the change would quickly spiral into a
nightmare. Cara is alone and powerless, trapped in the crosshairs of a human
trafficking ring.
Meanwhile, the kidnapping of a young, American female triggers a risky
military rescue with General Sam Kennedy leading the Special Forces team
into Riyadh, throwing Cara and Sam into the same chaos. Cara is now enmeshed
in the spinning wheels of this deadly conflict, managed from the White House
Situation Room, and exploding in real time within the opulent Royal
palace.
Unravel the threads of survival, courage, and unexpected love in this
gripping tale of resilience against the odds.
Interview
Introduce yourself and tell me about what you do.
I’m Caryn Sabes Hacker-Buechel, a woman with many last names. The granddaughter of immigrants, my original last name was a derivative of Russian/Ukrainian, the family hailing from a small village my grandparents refused to discuss, yet my blue/green eyes tell a quiet story of historical unrest, or love. The German names of Hacker and Buechel were added later. I kept Hacker after the divorce to my first husband to honor my son and his family, and my relationship
to Dr. Fred Buechel, Sr., happily continues, three decades and counting.
I’m a mother, step-mother and grand-mother and feel the closest to my son and my grandchildren. It’s an honor to be loved so deeply and understood with such clarity.
I grew up in a variety of cities, from Minneapolis to Philadelphia to Detroit and Livonia and finally settling in Lexington, Kentucky. Each stop offered cultural experiences which I gobbled up, contributing to my sense of wanderlust and adventure, which I still appreciate. As an adult I lived in Louisville, Kentucky, Kansas City, Missouri and Kansas, Omaha, Nebraska, South Orange, New Jersey and finally settled in Naples, Florida.
I earned a Bachelor of Science degree in social work from the University of Kentucky and a Master of Science degree in social work from the University of Louisville at the young age of twenty-one.
My first professional job was as a day camp co-director. This unique camp utilized transactional analysis principles as the foundation for camper harmony and growth. It was my first opportunity to incorporate psychological modalities into my work. That experience of using psychological and therapeutic modalities to shape behavior set the standard for every professional interaction I encountered and still holds true today. As I took positions in the public and private sector, from residential to group treatment to private practice, I worked to use skills obtained through higher education, as well as life experiences, to shape me into the best version of myself, both personally and professionally.
Tell me more about your journey as an author, including the writing processes.
Regarding my writing experience, I was a budding writer, poet, and songwriter at an early age. At 14, I played my guitar into the night, with my bedroom room door closed, the area drenched in candlelight. My life was filled with musical expression and song. I wrote articles for various magazines throughout my professional psychotherapy career, along with my first book: A Bully Grows Up: Erik Meets the Wizard. The General’s Princess was begun ten years ago, but only finished after professional retirement, when I could re-invent myself and write full-time.
This compilation is unique in that the characters were created with years of behavioral science behind each flaw, wound and asset. After working with thousands of clients over the past thirty years, my background as a relationship and narcissism expert touched every scene and each line, so the characters are authentic as each was touched by trauma in different ways.
Additionally, my consultant, Brigadier General Ed Dyer (Ret.), kept a careful eye of each detail so the military scenes are accurate portrayals of a soldier’s life.
Joseph Courtemanche (
www.commotioninthepews.com) added his baritone narration to this story with linguistic precision and artistic expression. His background as a naval linguist allowed him to handle the drops of various languages scattered throughout the pages with ease.
Amanda Jaron of ajaron.com designed the necklace worn by the kidnapped character, Kyle Hazelton. This necklace, a gift from her mother, helps to keep this young college student grounded during an intense ordeal, and needs to be linked for sale on the website.
From the heart of The General’s Princess to the final audiobook recording, this journey has been nothing short of incredible. Grateful to have had Brigadier General Ed Dyer (Ret.) by my side as my military consultant, ensuring every detail of the story was authentic and true. His insights and expertise were invaluable in shaping this book. And of course, a huge thank you to Joe Courtemanche of
https://www.commotioninthepews.com whose voice brought every character and each emotional scene to life in ways I could never have imagined. It’s amazing to see this story come together with such a talented team. Here’s to the power of collaboration and storytelling!
Tell me about your Book
Cara Florés Hart is a 49-year-old, unemployed and divorced personal trainer who, with the help of a psychic, is offered unique employment in Saudi Arabia, working for a princess. She naively accepts this job and ignores her grown children’s warnings even though she is unaware of the country’s customs and mores.
Her dream of steady and lucrative employment quickly spirals into a nightmare where she is alone and powerless, trapped in the crosshairs of her narcissistic boss and his human trafficking ring.
The unlikely kidnapping of a young, American female triggers the involvement of the US Army and Special Forces with General Sam Kennedy leading the team into Riyadh, directly into Cara’s crumbling world.
The deadly rescue mission is managed from the White House Situation Room with the President and Vice President in attendance, while Cara and Kennedy become enmeshed in the mission.
Each character has been touched by psychological damage and/or stress though how the effects are demonstrated are different, but essential to the storyline.
Any message for our readers
I’m most excited to share these characters, and their stories of trauma and post-traumatic stress, which are based in real-life experiences to which the reader can relate. The inclusion of the combat trauma, and early childhood attachment in story- form brings realism to the page, where narcissism and attachment issues are exposed and healed for some, but not others.
About the Author
Caryn Hacker-Buechel keeps her computer nearby, often writing in coffee
shops, on beaches, and in her own Naples, Florida, backyard. After thirty
years as a master-degreed psychotherapist and relationship expert in the
public and private sector, she finally retired and turned her attention to
completing the novel she had worked on for ten years.
The General's Princess is her debut novel and second book. The
award-winning first book, A Bully Grows Up: Erik Meets the Wizard, was
written for children. In both, Caryn creates characters rich in dramatic,
realistic traits, portraying psychological and behavioral depth, utilizing
the knowledge she gained as an observer of human behavior and emotional
trauma. The concepts will touch your life.
Her journey through love, marriage, children, divorce, travel,
stepchildren, and grandchildren is reflected in her writing. The adventure
can be intense but also emotionally healing. She hopes you enjoy the
ride.
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