Amazon Novelist Eryn LaPlant Black Lyon Publishing Amazon Category:  Romance Publisher: Black Lyon Publishing ISBN-10:  1934912484 Type: Fiction Pages: 310 Copyright: 2012 ISBN-13: 9781934912485 Hidden beneath the wall, a journal. With the answers to everything. First a mystery guest shows up at the funeral for Jesse Parker’s  mother, Julianne. Then a hidden box reveals papers that claim Jesse’s brothers were adopted. All it takes is one more surprise discovery for the real truth of Julianne’s life to be brought to light. Hidden from Julianne’s children is a journal containing the deeply personal story of her time as a combat war journalist in Vietnam. Mixed among her tale of the bombardment of war and harsh reality of being the only female amongst Camp Dakota’s troop of Marines, is the history of Julianne’s relationship with Sergeant Mack Roberts, the son of a WWII sailor and Japanese woman. Both Mack and Julianne are outsiders in a sense—bound together by love, and torn apart by war. Yet the secrets that follow in the pages of his mother’s journal show far more than an average love story as Jesse learns how twisted fates can become, and how a selfless attempt to give him and his siblings the most normal lives possible will turn everything they’ve ever  believed about themselves on end.       Excerpt South Vietnam February 8, 1966 Tomorrow will be the first day of the rest of my life. I’ll be landing in Da Nang, South Vietnam in seven hours to become one of the first female combat field journalists allowed to report from the Marine’s eye view from inside Camp Dakota. So far the experience of traveling to a communist, war-based country has been dramatically different from what I expected. I spent an hour with foreign relations at Kennedy Airport before being able to board the airplane. Once I passed inspection, I was allowed to join a jam-packed cabin filled with weary citizens, journalists and photographers. Each of us was waiting for our chance to see the nation the U.S. has been fighting for. • I was jostled awake by the crowded airplane touching down on the airstrip in Vietnam. Leaning over to pick up my bag, I bumped my head on the large man sitting next to me. “Sorry,” I murmured, rubbing my sore scalp. The man didn’t say a word, but glared, with a curl to his lip. I returned his snarl and took the elastic band out of my disarrayed hair. The spirals fell down my back and with both hands I gathered the thick mass into a ponytail. The airplane doors opened and a gust of hot, humid air filled the already uncomfortable cabin. There was still a wait for the exit and forty-five minutes later, I was finally at the door. Taking a deep breath, I exclaimed, “I have arrived. Hey!” Without notice, I was shoved onto the stairs by my seat neighbor pushing his way past me. Not wanting to cause a scene, I continued into the cramped airport lined with gun-toting Vietnamese soldiers. One scowled at me and it made me realize the truth: I was very afraid, very small and very American. At the customs post in front of me, a full inspection of personal belongings was being conducted. On impulse, I pushed my camera under my arm to protect the film inside. The movement caught a Marine’s eye, and he stared me down. By holding his hand flat and moving only his fingers toward his palm, he signified that he wanted the camera. My shoulders drooped as I reluctantly handed it over. Next thing I knew, a Vietnamese soldier lifted my luggage to a table and pawed through my property. “State your name and purpose here, ma’am?” the sandy blonde Marine whose name patch read Shaw asked with a Texan accent. “Julianne Parker, combat field reporter for The Village Voice. I’m here on assignment at Camp Dakota,” I announced with confidence. “Who is escorting you there, ma’am?” “Captain Lawrence Ramsey.” I had the man’s name memorized from my itinerary. Shaw nodded once. I grimaced as the Vietnamese soldier next to him opened my camera, exposing the film. “Great. There go my pictures. Thanks a lot.” “You may retrieve your belongings now,” Shaw commanded. Picking up my camera, I closed the back and slipped it into its case, trying my best to keep my temper under control. But I have a tell-tale face and right then, I knew it was pink with anger. Shaw came around the table and jerked my elbow, ushering me outside the airport. “Miss Parker, I don’t care for your attitude. I got you out of there before you made an even bigger scene than you already did. You’d better be able to learn to roll with the punches, kid.” That was it. I stepped up to him and since he was only a few inches taller than my five foot four inches, I easily stared him in the eyes. “I am not a kid. I’m a reporter, and a damn good one. That film in there just cost me—” His icy blue eyes narrowed as he cut me off. “What, a buck? Hell, I’ll give you a dollar. You can go down to the PX and pick some up before you leave.” “That’s not what I meant. Those pictures were priceless and I’ll never get them back.” “Boo hoo. You’ll get more.” He pushed his nose into my face. “Why are you in Vietnam?” I stood firm. “I wanted my paper to have their best reporter covering the situation over here.” The Marine laughed. “And that would be you—a small young girl with no common sense?” I crossed my arms. “Yep, that’s me minus the no common sense part.” He kept laughing. “You don’t even know how to properly address an officer, do you? How are you going to survive in the fields?” “I grew up on Army bases all over the world. I know how to address an officer, Lieutenant.” I used his correct rank by reading the lines on his collar. He raised his eyebrows in mock surprise. “How old are you, Parker?” My voice stepped up an octave. “Old enough to know I don’t like your insinuation of what you think I am.” “Oh?” He stopped jesting. “And what insinuation is that?” “A naïve, unqualified girl who thinks this is a vacation rather than a mission to a war-torn country.” “Well, I take that back. I guess you do have a tiny bit of common sense.” “Look, Lieutenant Shaw. Yes, this is all new to me. It’s my first war assignment and yes, I’m excited to be in a country I’ve never visited before, but I do not appreciate being treated like a spy by not only this country but my own as well. I do assure you, sir, I am well qualified to perform my duties here. I am not naïve or stupid. I’m as prepared to do my job well as you are to do yours.” Smirking, the Lieutenant sarcastically applauded my speech. I sighed and bit my tongue until Captain Ramsey arrived. There was no winning this battle.

An ever-twisting literary love story set during the Vietnam War
I thoroughly enjoyed Eryn LaPlant's debut novel, Beneath the Wall. I love to learn something new while getting to know interesting people in the midst of a love story. LaPlant's knowledge of Vietnam and the Vietnamese War is evident and fascinating. The characters are heartwarming and diverse. LaPlant twines plot changes and twists throughout this romance right up until the very end. Way to go, Eryn!

Jules is a persistent, dedicated reporter for The Voice newspaper and stationed in Vietnam. She finds challenges everywhere...from the soldiers, the officers and, of course, the devastations experienced from war. Mack isn't ready to accept a woman into the ranks, much like the rest of the military, but he can't help but admire her stubbornness. Their trials and secrets kept me on my toes as I traveled through 'Nam with them.


Happy Ending Reviews
I picked up this book because it called to me on two levels, one it was a romance and two the hero was a United States Marine. From the very beginning the story pulled me in and I often had trouble putting the story down as the author took us on Julianne Parker's journey as she finds not only herself but the love of her life all the while facing the brutalities of war.

Julianne Parker, a journalist from New York, travels to Vietnam during the war. At the very beginning Julianne is not taken serious by the Marine's she is with at Camp Dakota. Very quickly she sets out to prove to herself and the Marines that she can handle her role as a War journalist just as well if not better than a male reporter. Slowly she earns the respect of the men she is with and becomes a part of their Marine family.

Sgt Mack Roberts is very THE perfect Alpha Male. He is physically and mentally strong. A true man's man, but at the same time he has deep emotions and will do anyting for not only the woman he loves but the other men he is fighting with in Vietnam.

Unlike in many romance novels the hero and heronine do not instantly fall in love. As often happens in real life they start off as friends and then we see their relationship grow and change as we read about their time together in Julianne's journal. But the love story is not the only one the author presents to us through her novel. She also does a fabulous job of prsenting to us a very dark time in US history. She includes great detail regarding the military as well as the emotions that those men and women must have felt while fighting a war that was so controversial. I truly felt the emotions experienced by the characters.

In closing I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a well-developed story with well-developed characters. I hope this talented author publishes additional books in the future because if she does I will definately pick them up.

An Evocative Love Story Set in the Vietnam War
"Beneath the Wall" by Eryn LaPlant was a truly touching book. From the beginning, I was drawn in and became involved in the lives of the characters. They were so well-written and caught my interest, as did the central mystery of the story.

I love a good mystery and a good love story, and this book easily combined both, while also bringing in details about what it was like to be involved in the Vietnam War -- something I've never really thought about, but this book really brought it to life for me.

This book and the characters touched my heart. I won't soon forget about Jules and Mack. Great work!