Book Title: Brotherhood By Fire by Lindy Bell
Category: Adult Fiction (18+), 445 pages
Genre: General Fiction
Publisher: Day Agency
Release date: August 2022
Content Rating: PG. There is one use of "hell" and one "oh my god." There are also several instances of kissing and one reference to "they loved each other with abandon" and one reference to "The bed where they'd loved each other so gloriously and so happily."
While passionately in love with his wife Katie, Andy also loves being a firefighter and when he is diagnosed with cancer, his whole world is turned upside down. What seemed so certain only days before, is now an unknown. Andy tries to protect Katie by not telling her, but her fears, and his increasing pain and moodiness only succeed in fueling a growing divide between them.
The fire station and its comradery are Andy’s refuge, but station officer Lt. Mike Bentley wages a vendetta against Andy, only making Andy more determined not to reveal weakness of any kind. In spite of Bentley, the C shift crew rallies to support Andy until events take a downward turn.
Firefighters face a myriad of dangers but invisible dangers can pose the greatest threat of all. Will courage, duty and even love be enough to save Andy from this unseen threat? If the worst should happen, would his greatest legacy be the love of the fire service or his love for his wife? Time can only tell because in the end, the unforeseen might have the greatest impact of all.
A project ten years in the making, Brotherhood By Fire is Lindy Bell’s debut novel and avidly reflects her admiration and love of the fire service. Thoroughly researched, the quest for accuracy for the book led Lindy to participate in the Plano Citizens Fire Academy, attend classes and accompany firefighters on ride outs. With a retired fire chief and a current paramedic/firefighter in the family, Lindy has witnessed firsthand the dedication and humbleness of first responders which fueled the impetus to convey the importance of the legendary fire service brotherhood and create cancer awareness and its growing effect on the fire service.
Lindy’s first book, Jane Austen Celebrates~Holidays & Occasions Regency Style, is a showcase Regency Era holidays and their impact on modern holiday celebration traditions. A member of the Jane Austen Society of North America, Lindy has spoken to a variety of groups and taught Continuing and Adult Professional Education courses at Southern Methodist University (SMU). A graduate of Abilene Christian University, Lindy currently lives in Plano, TX and works from home for a governmental executive recruitment and training firm. As hobbies, Lindy enjoys supporting Plano Fire Rescue by volunteering with the Plano Fire Rescue Association, writing, reading an engaging novel and cross stitching.
connect with the author: website ~ twitter ~ facebook ~ pinterest ~ instagram ~ goodreads ~ bookbub
Research for Brotherhood By Fire was certainly a key element for the realistic portrayal of life at the fire station, the relationships between firefighters, and the work they perform. I attended my local community’s Citizens Fire Academy where the classroom instruction was helpful and interesting, but the most relevant experience came from being on ride outs and going on calls with the firefighters and paramedics. I was able to eat meals with them, see what life was like firsthand at the station and then ride in the engine when a call was received. It was tremendously helpful to see and experience everything firsthand.
Do you use real life incidents in your book?
Yes – having a brother who is a retired Fire Chief and a nephew who is currently a Lieutenant with the fire service, stories they’ve shared abound in the book. By using some of these stories, I wanted to make the book as realistic as possible so when firefighters read it and reading about actual incidents, they’ll be able to relate and take the cancer concerns detailed in the book seriously.
What other projects do you have?
With the positive reception of Brotherhood By Fire, I have decided to write another book about the fire service and am adding elements about the police service as well. The idea for the story came from another story told by my nephew about a situation in the station where he serves. I am currently in the process of writing this story and am very excited about it.
What is your writing schedule?
I currently work fulltime so while I don’t have as much time as I’d like to devote to writing, I do set aside Tuesday and Thursday nights for dedicated writing along with any other time I can grab. I like to get as large a block of time as possible since once you get into the writing groove, it’s hard to step outside of that world again.
Is there anything that helps to make writing easier for you?
It may sound crazy, but the thing that makes writing easier for me is reading – a lot. Reading great authors and well written books really helps the words come more easily when writing. I remember what made a certain scene so vivid when reading a book, (i.e. was it a smell, was it a sound, was it the way something felt?) and I try to incorporate and adapt some of the same sensory inspirations.
What is your favorite thing about writing?
While it’s always important to write for yourself and feel confident and proud of your writing, there is also nothing quite like having someone tell you what your book meant to them or what they took away after reading your book, or the tears they cried while reading. It’s amazed me the wide variety of things that have stood out to different people. Sometimes, things I never thought would be significant have had the most impact. Words are certainly incredibly powerful.
Amy! Thank you so much for hosting BROTHERHOOD BY FIRE on your site and for the awesome review!! Both are greatly appreciated. I'm so glad you enjoyed the book.
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