Volunteer trip of a Lifetime-Normandy, France by Janice Lynn

Volunteering can change ones life. It certainly has mine. In 2023, I had the opportunity to volunteer with a group that was bringing WWII veterans back to Normandy, France .(Honoring Veteran Legacies). My military son was able to volunteer with me for that trip and my love and appreciation for my country and for France grew. Although my son was unable to go this year due to his own military career obligations, I was blessed to be able to volunteer again this year to accompany 7 WWII veterans during their time in France in observance of the 80th anniversary of D-Day. We also were able to spend time with veterans from other groups such as the Best Defense Foundation.

Like my heroine, I'm totally in awe of the men of 'the greatest generation' and my travels this summer continue to reinforce that respect and awe I feel for these men (and women as there were also Rosies there. :) ) I could go on and on about all the amazing things these individuals did in their roles to stop tyranny and how they continue to be amazing. For example, one of the veterans retired last year--at 98 years old! He didn't have to financially work, but chose to. These men love their country, love their family, and carry themselves with pride. I adore them. 

Y'all know I was already very pro our military and readily acknowledge how I owe my freedom to their sacrifices, but my appreciation pales next to how the people of Normandy honor our veterans. Their emotion is so powerful that you truly have to experience it to believe how genuine their gratitude is. 

In real life there were no romance during my volunteer trip (that I am aware of at any rate), but fortunately for the heroine in my upcoming release, Risking It All with the Paramedic, Dr. Ivy falls for paramedic Caleb. They say to write what you know and I drew from my own experiences as a volunteer as the backdrop for their romance during their time as volunteers with a fictitious group that returns veterans to Normandy. Caleb is a hero I adore as he's a wounded warrior himself who now works as a paramedic in the civilian world. Ivy's grandfather was a WWII veteran and she had longed to accompany him on the trip and goes in honor of his memory. I've fallen in love with France and its rich history and attempted to weave some of that into the story without overwhelming the reader (hopefully!) with what has become a personal passion. 

 If you are looking for a way to enrich your life, I challenge you to volunteer. Find something that interests you and volunteer. An animal shelter. A nursing home. A community charity event. A veterans group. A children's advocacy group. A quilting group that makes quilts for veterans, babies, foster kids--you get the idea. There are so many great places out there that need involvement. I truly believe that by volunteering it's me who receives the greatest blessing by the people I meet and the friendships made, and that I get to help others in the process by donating my time--it's a win-win. Find your win-win.

Risking It All With the Paramedic

Two weeks of temptation for the medical volunteers! Join them on a life-changing trip to France in Janice Lynn’s latest Harlequin Medical Romance novel.

FROM FRANCE TO FOREVER?

 

When unlucky-in-love doctor Ivy leads a medical team on a veterans’ trip to Normandy, her sole thought is for the patients in her care. So she’s unprepared for the frisson of attraction she feels at meeting fellow volunteer Caleb! It’s clear the good-looking paramedic has ghosts of his own, but over the fortnight they’re together an undeniable connection forms... Only when they return home will they be brave enough to risk everything and turn temporary...into happy-ever-after?

USA Today, Wall Street Journal, & Publishers Weekly Bestselling author JANICE LYNN lives in Tennessee with her Prince Charming and their princes and princesses, her vivid imagination, an adorable Maltese named Halo who's the true royalty of the house, and bunches of unnamed dust bunnies that moved in after Janice started her writing career. In addition to writing romance, Janice is a nurse practitioner, a quilter, a military mama, and an avid supporter of the Quilts of Valor Foundation. www.janicelynn.com  

WRAPPED UP IN CHRISTMAS LOVE is coming November 2024 from Tule Publishing