Naples Author Caryn Hacker-Buechel

Brings Psychological Depth and Global Stakes to The General’s Princess

Naples-based author Caryn Hacker-Buechel spent her professional life listening to stories of resilience, love, and survival shared behind closed doors. After 32-years as a psychotherapist, Hacker-Buechel retired and wrote The General’s Princess, a romantic military thriller that blends psychological realism with high-stakes international intrigue.

She relocated to Southwest Florida from New Jersey in 2000. “Like so many others, we were ready for sun on our faces and sand between our toes,” she recalls. Over time, Naples became not only her home but also the place where her creative life flourishes.

Always a background component, writing now became a focus. “Although I had no formal journalistic training, composition was integral to both my education and my professional life.” Locally, her work appeared in The Naples Daily News and eBella, with her curiosity in human behavior at the forefront.

Her first published work, the award-winning children’s book A Bully Grows Up: Erik Meets the Wizard, reflected her philosophy. Drawing directly from her psychotherapy background, Hacker-Buechel designed the story to create empathy and behavioral change. “I believe that addressing the bully is paramount, because fewer bullies mean fewer victims.”

***Caption Below***

With The General’s Princess, Hacker-Buechel moves decisively into adult fiction. Set in 2004, the novel follows Cara Florés Hart, a penniless 50-year-old personal trainer from Naples who accepts a job in Saudi Arabia. What begins as an opportunity turns perilous when Cara becomes trapped inside human-trafficking within the royal palace.

Running parallel to Cara’s story is a U.S. military rescue led by General Sam Kennedy, triggered by the kidnapping of an American college student. As the narrative unfolds across Washington, D.C., and Saudi Arabia, the novel intertwines personal survival with global consequences.

Readers state that they identify deeply with her characters. “Each personality is created with intention, and aligned with narrative purpose,” she says. The antagonist, Major Amir Assad, was crafted as a malignant narcissist, charming, manipulative, and dangerous, while Cara evolves through adversity, developing resilience and empathy.

Authenticity extends beyond psychology into the novel’s military elements. Naples-based Brigadier General Ed Dyer (Ret.) served as the book’s military-accuracy consultant, ensuring realism in combat scenes and plot twists. Their collaboration grew out of shared involvement with Home Base Florida, a nonprofit supporting veterans and their families.

“This book was written to honor those who endured,” she said. “For thirty years, I listened, while clients taught me about love, pain, isolation, and connection.”

Hacker-Buechel celebrated the novel’s release with a VIP launch at Books on Third in downtown Naples. She speaks at book and civic clubs throughout the community that helped shape her journey.

The General’s Princess is available in paperback, eBook, and audiobook on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and locally at Books on Third.

***Caryn Hacker-Buechel with the owners of Books on Third

---

Learn more at carynhackerbuechel.com.