Inspirational Military Romances for the Patriot in All of Us!
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Stay up to date with the Rules of Engagement series, including new releases, book announcements, cover reveals, author appearances, special events, and other series news.
How do you say goodbye to a family you’ve spent five books getting to know?
With gratitude, a few happy tears, and one more story to share.
Susan M. Baganz and I sat down to answer some great questions from our publisher, Pelican Book Group. Our conversation takes you behind the books as we celebrate Mission: Matrimony—The Final Engagement, the fifth and final book in our Rules of Engagement series.
Writing this story and getting it into readers’ hands has been bittersweet. The Sava family and their friends have become dear to us. Saying goodbye feels a little like packing up after a military assignment—you’re grateful for the memories, but leaving your people is hard.
The awesome news? These goodbyes don’t have to last.
You and I can pick up any of the five books and enjoy the faith, family, friendship, and romance all over again. No moving boxes required!
If you haven’t started reading the series, there’s no time like the present.
And speaking of presents… wouldn’t a sweet, inspirational military romance series make a wonderful Christmas gift? 🎄
Start with Operation: Camouflage Christmas, which has been described as a Hallmark movie in print. Then follow the family and friends through Operation: Allegiance, Operation: Reconnaissance, Operation: Skirmish, and finally, Mission: Matrimony.
Give the series to a reader who enjoys stories filled with heart—or put it on your own Christmas wish list. There’s always room for one more book. Or five.
That’s one of the biggest lessons Susan M. Baganz and I have learned while writing the Rules of Engagement military romance series together.
We began with a story idea and a friendship. Along the way, we’ve learned about writing, military life, and what it takes to work together when real life interrupts the plan.
In this video, recorded during a visit to Susan’s home in Wisconsin, we share a few lessons from our journey.
Say Yes—and Be Ready
When Susan suggested we become co-authors, I was surprised and excited. After prayer, I embraced the opportunity.
Although I hadn’t yet published a book, I had already gathered research, developed backstories, and written material for the story. When Susan asked me to send what I had, I was ready.
That preparation mattered. Sometimes the work we do before an opportunity arrives helps us take the next step when it does.
Give Each Other Grace
Working with another person means making room for another person’s life.
Health challenges affected both of us. Susan broke her right arm, making it difficult to read, much less write. I had health challenges of my own.
Those moments reminded us to extend grace. A delayed task doesn’t tell the whole story of what someone is facing.
Keep Friendship on the Calendar
During my Wisconsin visit, we worked and had a book signing. We also made time to enjoy each other’s company and laugh.
That time together filled our cups.
Our friendship needed attention beyond editing, revisions, and questions about the storyline. We prayed together, prayed for each other, and remembered that the person beside us mattered more than the project.
Keep Learning from Each Other
Susan helped me grow in writing, editing, and shaping a story. My military background helped her understand a world that was less familiar to her.
Together, we wanted our books to honor service members, veterans, and their families—the people navigating ordinary family responsibilities alongside deployments, separations, and uncertainty.
We’ve gained more than books from this partnership. Our friendship has grown deeper.
What has working with a friend taught you? Share in the comments—we’d love to hear!
Sometimes a new adventure begins with one unexpected question: “Maybe we should write it together?”
That’s how my writing partnership with Susan M. Baganz began—and I’m still grateful she asked.
In this short video, recorded during a visit to Susan’s home in Wisconsin, we share how friendship and a story I couldn’t quite get onto the page brought us together as co-authors of the Rules of Engagement military romance series.
A Story Susan Didn’t Forget
Before I became a published book author, I had a story I’d wanted to write for a long time. My military experience gave me a background to draw from, and I wanted to bring that world into a novel.
I pitched the idea to Susan in her role as an editor. She wanted the story.
There was just one small detail: I still needed to write it.
Susan didn’t forget. Each year, she would ask, “Where’s your story?”
Let’s just say she gets points for persistence!
A Conversation That Changed Our Course
As our friendship grew, we continued talking about writing and life. In 2018, we were driving to a conference together when Susan suggested we write the story as a team.
My response? “Are you serious?”
Susan was already an established, published author. I hadn’t yet published a book. Her willingness to work with me helped me realize how much she believed in this story.
That invitation opened a door I hadn’t expected.
A First for Both of Us
Co-authoring was a new adventure for Susan, too. She had never written a book with another author.
We each brought something to the partnership: my military experience and long-held story idea, alongside Susan’s writing and publishing experience.
And we brought our friendship.
Looking back, the answer to “Why did you decide to write together?” is pretty simple: Susan wanted the story, I wanted to tell it, and we decided to take the next step together.
That step became part of the journey behind Rules of Engagement.
Join the Conversation
Have you ever teamed up with a friend to try something new? Or has someone’s belief in you helped you move forward?
Tell us in the comments—we’d love to hear your story!
What gets on your last nerve? Gum smacking? Running late? That driver who turns a four-way stop into a confusing game of “No, YOU go”?
Before one of our Rules of Engagement book launches, my co-author and best friend, Susan M. Baganz, and I sat down at her home in Wisconsin to answer questions readers had asked us.
This question took us beyond writing and straight into everyday life: What are your pet peeves?
Naturally, we had a few things to say—and a few laughs along the way.
Smacking, Licking, and One Very Innocent Dog
My list started with sounds. People smacking their gum or making smacking noises while eating? Those sounds can send me looking for a quieter corner.
Apparently, dogs licking their bones belong on my list, too.
Susan’s dog, Cooper, had been happily enjoying his bone the night before. He was simply being a dog. Meanwhile, I was discovering that my patience had a soundtrack—and that wasn’t it.
Poor Cooper. He didn’t know he was helping us prepare for an interview.
When Pet Peeves Point to Something Deeper
Susan shared that disrespect bothers her, whether it’s directed toward her or someone else. That led us to another pet peeve: chronic lateness.
She made an important distinction. A delayed arrival because of little children, an accident, or a train is one thing. Life happens, and those moments call for grace.
A pattern of arriving late to everything feels different to her. Being on time is one way she shows others that their time matters.
Susan also likes arriving a little early so she can settle in before a conversation. That certainly sounds better than rushing through the door with your “hair on fire,” as we joked in the video.
It’s interesting how an everyday irritation can reveal something we value. Underneath Susan’s frustration with lateness is a desire for respect and thoughtful connection.
The Four-Way Stop Standoff
I don’t generally struggle with road rage, but a four-way stop can test my good intentions.
You know the moment: someone waves for you to go when it isn’t your turn. Then the waving becomes more insistent while you’re trying to follow the proper order.
I appreciate kindness. I also appreciate knowing whose turn it is!
Tailgating made our list, too, along with Susan’s frustration with drivers who linger in the highway’s left lane when they have room to move over.
Of course, she acknowledged that she has occasionally realized she needed to move over herself. Sometimes we’re the person having the pet peeve. Sometimes we’re the person inspiring it.
That thought can keep us humble.
Friendship Leaves Room for Differences
Susan described herself as a slow-burn person who doesn’t get angry quickly. I described myself as a recovering hothead—and I’m thankful for the progress!
Our reactions aren’t identical. Neither are the things that bother us. Yet we can talk about those differences, laugh together, and learn a little more about each other.
As friends and co-authors, we enjoy these chances to let readers meet the women behind the Rules of Engagement military romance series. Sometimes that means talking about books. Sometimes it means talking about gum, punctuality, and a dog with a bone.
Connection often begins in those ordinary conversations.
Your Turn: What’s Your Pet Peeve?
Now we’d love to hear from you!
What everyday thing gets on your nerves—and why? Is there a funny story behind it, or does it connect to something you value?
Share in the comments. Keep it kind, and remember: Cooper was unavailable to defend himself. 🐾
Want to spend more time with our stories? Explore the Rules of Engagement books at DeeDee’s store.
Susan and I met more than a decade ago at the Colorado Christian Writers Conference in Estes Park, Colorado. It was my first big writers conference and Susan’s first time attending as an editor for Pelican Book Group.
It seems like yesterday that I stopped to chat with her in the theater-style auditorium where the large-group meetings—and those slightly nerve-racking one-on-one appointments—were held.
There’s a much bigger story about how that meeting eventually turned into a friendship and writing partnership. I’ll save that for another blog, because I can’t wait any longer to announce this:
Our fifth and final book in the Rules of Engagement series,Mission: Matrimony — The Final Engagement, releases November 6, 2026!
That is literally right around the corner.
The roots of this series go back even further. I began plotting and dreaming about becoming an author while our family lived in Panama from 1991–1994, when my husband was stationed at Fort Kobbe. More than thirty years ago! Somehow, that also feels like yesterday.
Our first four Rules of Engagement books were published by CrossRiver Media, where I’ve worked since 2016. For our final story, we’ve come full circle: Mission: Matrimony is being published by Pelican Book Group, where Susan serves as an editor.
Meet Canyon and Harley
Many of the characters in the Rules of Engagement series were carefully planned and plotted.
And then there were the characters who apparently missed the memo that they weren’t supposed to take over. 😂
Canyon Davis and Harley Barnett were two of them.
When these two appeared in the series, there were definite sparks. What we didn’t know at the time was that Canyon and Harley would refuse to quietly disappear into the background. They wanted their own story.
We’re so glad we listened.
In Mission: Matrimony — The Final Engagement, former soldier Harley Barnett has built walls around her heart while carrying guilt from her past. Canyon Davis has patiently loved and prayed for her through the years. When the secrets Harley has buried finally come into the light, she must decide whether to remain trapped by the past—or trust God and the man who has never stopped loving her.
Catch Up on the Rules of Engagement Series
Haven’t read the first four books yet? There’s no time like the present to join all the cool kids. 😉
Operation: Camouflage Christmas A Christmas military romance that introduces readers to the faith, family, military life, and unexpected love at the heart of the series.
Operation: Allegiance Duty, faith, and romance collide when Army helicopter pilot Alexandros Sava meets Kobbe, a woman determined never to marry a military man.
Operation: Reconnaissance A story about trust, family, second chances, and discovering that sometimes God points the heart in an unexpected direction.
Operation: Skirmish A heartfelt story of loss, healing, hope, faith, and discovering that love can still grow after heartbreak.
And if you’d like to come along for the final mission, join our Rules of Engagement Reader Community. You can grab a free first chapter ofOperation: Allegiance, join the Mission: Matrimony Launch Team, and/or sign up for the latest Rules of Engagement news.
For her, it was a marriage of convenience. He prayed she’d grow to love him. But their tragic pasts threaten to destroy any hope for their future together.
A tragic accident changed Rusty Sava’s life, and he battles daily with the consequences. Love wasn’t something he bargained for, but once he met Jane his heart was lost, and her little boy was an unexpected blessing.
The last thing Army Captain Jane Adams was looking for was a second chance at love. She wants to be wooed and desired—something entirely missing from her disastrous first marriage.
Can Jane’s love for Russ blossom with her in Korea and him in Colorado? But their tragic pasts threaten to destroy any hope for their future together.
Buy Operation: Reconnaissance, a sweet military romance, today.
We are honored to inform you that book 2 in our Rules of Engagement series released this week! Operation: Allegiance is available now!
Injured Alexos Sava wants nothing more than to get back to his Army helicopter unit in South Korea. At home to convalesce on his family’s ranch in Colorado, his faith has been as battered as his ankle. The last thing he expected during his recovery was to fall head over wounded heels for a lovely redhead.
Kobbe Cooper-Sanchez has vowed to never marry a military man. When her father is seriously injured in a military helicopter accident, she returns home to help her mother. Alexos catches her eye but when she discovers his career, all bets are off.
How can love bridge the obstacles between this stubborn redhead and determined Army helicopter pilot?
How are you connected to the Military, and what branch?
My dad is a drill sergeant currently serving overseas. I’m now in Officer Candidate School to become a Psychiatric Physician’s Assistant.
What did you like and/or dislike about being a military brat?
My father was strict and life changed dramatically when he was around. Life was easier when he was gone. He didn’t show a lot of emotion. It was hard too when bad things happened that he wasn’t always there for us.
I didn’t mind moving around because I met interesting people and I guess the discipline my dad instilled in me helped me through college and hopefully through officer training.
What do you say when people ask, “Where are you from?”
I usually tell them I’m an American. I don’t belong to any one place.
Where is home for you?
Home is wherever my mom is. Someday I hope it will be wherever my wife is.
Why should someone read Operation: Camouflage Christmas?
Well, if you want bad poetry, by all means go ahead. I’m just happy my plan to woo Brooke worked. You’d need to read it to find out just how. I think God covered a multitude of my own weaknesses in the process.
If you read our “about” page you know that DeeDee and Susan became friends years ago (more than we want to admit because it makes us older!). They met at the Colorado Christian Writer’s Conference in Estes Park Colorado and Susan was on faculty and DeeDee was her first appointment. There as an instant connection and friendship that came out of that, probably because DeeDee can make friends anywhere. Part personality and part of being a Navy brat and an Army wife.
Setting aside broken dreams of love and marriage, Samantha “Brooke” Cooper-Sanchez is determined to complete Officer Candidate School at Fort Benning, Georgia, so she can be a nurse in the Army Medical Corps. She wasn’t looking for love. Then surprise Christmas gifts begin showing up. Who is sending them and how does this person know her so well?
Bernard Travis has been friends with Brooke since high school. They’d remained in contact over the years, and now for the first time, she is available to pursue, except dating is forbidden in OCS. When she doesn’t realize who her mysterious gift giver is, Bernard begins to doubt he’ll ever win her heart. Will God make his fondest Christmas wish come true?
Meet Samantha “Brooke” Cooper-Sanchez, the female protagonist in our first installation in the Rules of Engagement Romance series!Operation: Camouflage Christmas is a novella available in ebook and print format! We hope you’ll enjoy it, and Brooke’s interview.
How are you connected to the military? What branch?
My father is an Army helicopter pilot, which makes me and my sisters military brats.
Where was your favorite place to live?
I loved the adventure of living in various places. I have a particular fondness for Fort Rucker in Alabama. Probably our longest stay and I finished high school there. Got my first glimpse of Bernard who I had a huge crush on.
What was the best thing about being an military brat?
I loved the traveling and seeing different parts of the world and immersing myself in culture. Probably one of the reasons I joined the Army myself.
What was the hardest thing about being a military brat?
Leaving friends behind when we’d move was always difficult. Thankfully I can keep in touch with most of them. My sister is a twin so I had a built in best friend with me wherever we went.
Where do you call home?
Wherever my mom is, that’s home.
What do you tell people when they ask, “Where are you from?”
Sometimes I say ‘Bama because that’s where I finished “growing up.” Most military brats don’t care where they’re from. We are more concerned with where we are right now.
Any advice for sponsors and families of children in the military?
Make home a priority and don’t sacrifice your children. Make every moment together all the more special. Life is uncertain and precious. Work hard, yes. Do your duty, absolutely, but make sure your family knows how much they are loved. My dad was great at this.
Why should people read Camouflage Christmas?
I lived it so maybe I’m biased, but the events in that story took me by surprise but God worked it all out in the best possible way. I don’t want to give away any spoilers but I for one am living a happily-ever-after moment with Bernard… remember the guy I met in high school? Yeah, he was there and it ended up being wonderful.
