ABOUT THE BOOK:

Behind Enemy Lines and Beyond the Battlefield

In Blood, Tears, and Purple Hearts, author B.J. Ricketts delivers an unforgettable portrait of war and its aftermath through the eyes of two elite female Navy aviators. When their helicopter is shot down during a mission in the Syrian desert, they face a harrowing fight for survival against ISIS insurgents—and then, a far more complex battle once they return home. Physically wounded and psychologically scarred, the women must navigate the invisible injuries of war: trauma, loss, and a military system that isn’t always prepared to support its returning heroes.

Inspired by Ricketts’ own years of military service and time in the Middle East, this gripping novel blends the raw intensity of combat with a deep, compassionate exploration of what happens after the fighting ends. With precision, heart, and unflinching honesty, Ricketts shines a spotlight on the realities of women in combat and the unseen burdens they carry long after the war zone fades.

More than a war story, Blood, Tears, and Purple Hearts is a tribute to resilience, a call for understanding, and a timely reminder that the wounds of war aren’t always visible.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

B.J. Ricketts is a U.S. Navy veteran who served for seven years during the Cold War aboard an Amphibious Assault ship, participating in two Western Pacific deployments and the 1979 Iranian hostage crisis response. After 9/11, he joined the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary as a flight crew member conducting air security patrols in Southeast Texas. He later worked as a civilian contractor in the Middle East during the Iraq War, experiences that deeply inform his writing. Ricketts studied Aviation Business Management and creative writing at Southern Illinois University, National University, and UC San Diego. Through fiction, he aims to foster empathy and awareness for veterans living with the long-term effects of combat.