Navy SEALS go from Superheroes to Sex Symbols

Reality is impacting the romance world yet again. On the heels of the royal wedding, which spawned several related romances, the focus has now shifted to Navy SEALS.

The Washington Post has picked up on the buzz surrounding the elite troops, which began after their daring raid on the Pakistan compound where Osama bin Laden had been hiding out.

Reporter Annys Shinn writes: “…people can’t get enough of the SEALs. There are some who want to know what it’s like to be one, and others who want to know what it takes to become one. Then, there are those who want to know what it might be like to, well, “be” with one.”

The talk first started on Twitter with comments from editors, agents and writers.

Deborah Nemeth, editor for Carina Press, Harlequin’s digital-first imprint, tweeted, “I wouldn’t mind some SEAL hero submissions. I predict a massive upsurge in Navy SEAL romance heroes.”

Avon’s May Chen seconded that, tweeting, “Navy SEALS make the best heroes–in real life and in romance novels.”

As Shinn reports, it can take 18 months for a manuscript to get onto store shelves while ebooks take a few months.

So the question is: will this surge of interest in SEALS last until the books can make it to market?