Special Agent Mira Ellis, NCIS, Gets a Portrait too 🖼️

Hi, all—

I hope everyone's having a wonderful 1st week in May; I definitely am. The flowers in my neighborhood have begun to bloom in earnest. I have a mass of cheery pansies outside my office window, too—because they remind me of my mom. ☺️

I also have another gorgeous Ivan Zanchetta graphic to share with you all and some US Navy trivia to go with it. First up, Mira's website banner is finally complete! 

Check it out:

Like the banners for Regan & Kate, Mira's was designed for the welcome page on my website. But it's not up there yet. Why? I have something special in mind for all three banners. I've been juggling a graphics class alongside my writing in hopes of seeing my vision through. I'll let you know when the project's ready.🤞

As for the banner itself, note the awesome warship in the background off Mira's left. That's the USS Arlington (LPD 24). For those who aren't familiar with her, the Arlington is a San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship. She was christened in honor of those who died aboard American Airlines Flight 77 and in the Pentagon on 9/11. The Arlington contains steel taken from the Pentagon after the crash. Her sister ships—the USS New York (LPD 21) & the USS Somerset (LPD 25)—commemorate others who lost their lives that day as well. The New York and the Somerset also carry steel from those respective crash sites.

Mira's banner contains a bit of Deception Point series trivia too: the USS Griffith—the fictional amphibious warship that Regan Chase spends several days aboard during the plot of Backblast—is based on this class of ship. 

Finally, it's no secret that I love book research—and that I love sharing the more fascinating fruits of that research on this list. Hence, I was thrilled to come across the following tour of the Arlington on YouTube while I was writing Backblast. The video is just over 13 minutes in length & is well worth viewing. Some of the footage was shot at sea. Hence, you'll get to see the Arlington's well deck while it's flooded & an LCAC recovery, along with flights ops & a drone launch. You'll also see the Arlington's mess decks, the wardroom & a portion of her bridge. 

Just follow the link below & repeat after me: “Haze gray & underway!”* 😁

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKOGgQHmjWs

*For all you landlubbers, “haze gray” denotes the official tint of paint used for USN warships. This particular shade blends in beautifully with the normal haze on the oceans' horizons, making it more difficult for lookouts to spot the ships bearing it. ⚓️

—Candace