We are here today with Catherine Lanigan whose July
release, FAMILY OF HIS OWN, is the 8th book in the SHORES OF INDIAN
LAKE SERIES.
What does
the back cover say about FAMILY OF HIS OWN?
He’s ready to settle down…with or without her
Scott Abbott has always loved Isabelle Hawks. And
he’s always been her rock. Patient, dependable, strong. But lately, she’s been
acting like that rock is weighing her down. With her art career taking off,
Isabelle has been spending less and less time in Indian Lake…and with him.
Scott isn’t even sure what they are to each other anymore. They might be
friends with a history, but it sure doesn’t feel like a future. Maybe it’s time
for Scott to set her free and focus on his own dreams. A real home. A family.
All the thing he had hoped to share with her…..
Where did
you get the idea for the novel?
Since the inception of
The Shores of Indian Lake series when I first introduced Isabelle and Scott,
I’ve wanted to write Scott’s story. His
unrequited love for Isabelle, the passionate, obsessed artist, was the kind of
angst that always draws me to buy a novel.
Also, I identified a
great deal with Isabelle. I know what
it’s like to be “in my creative zone”. But Isabelle takes her need for distance
and space to an unhealthy level. I’ve seen this kind of behavior so many times
not just in myself but others. My curiosity couldn’t wait to explore it. I have
to admit to being a biography addict. I love reading about real people, who
left a mark on this world. It’s fascinating to me to see the convoluted routes
so many of us must take to get to the end goal. For artists, writers,
composers…all creative types, we do have this “alternate world” we live in.
It’s more than escape for me, it’s a place I inhabit with my characters.
Because Isabelle is so focused on her art and is just about to accomplish her
lifetime goal, when Scott finally asks her to marry him, she feels like the
Titanic when it hit an iceberg. She thinks she’s making the right decision, but
what she doesn’t realize is that her life is terribly out of balance.
As fiercely as
Isabelle grasps her career, Scott is the polar opposite and realizes that his
happiness is not to be found in a Pulitzer Prize winning piece of journalism,
but in the little arms of two “abandoned” children of a heroin-addict mother. I
didn’t have to do much research to learn about the “Foster Care system” in our
country. I have been witness to stories told to me by patients in my
brother-in-law’s dental office where I work. I know one couple, now in their
eighties, who have been foster parents to sixty-three children. A former
writing student of mine and his new bride have just become foster parents.
Another patient in the dental practice spent three years first being a foster
parent and then adopting a disabled child. Their stories tore my heart to
shreds.
When I was researching
PROTECTING THE SINGLE MOM, the detectives told me stories of these children
being left in mini-marts, grocery stores, left on playgrounds and at the beach
by drug-addicted parents. We’ve all read stories of babies being found in
dumpsters, but the situation is becoming common. It’s not “shocking” enough to
warrant a story in a newspaper or on-line column. The noble and caring hearts
of these people who take in these abandoned children deserve all my respect.
They are the real heroes in our world today. I wanted Scott to be that kind of
guy. And he was.
Do you have
a favorite scene?
I have several favorite scenes. Because I’ve posted the scene between
Scott and the two children he comes to adopt, Bella and Michael, I thought I’d
share a different scene here with you.
This is the scene in which Isabelle turns down Scott’s marriage proposal.
I had so much empathy for Scott, who finally had the courage to ask Isabelle
and at the same time, I felt her terror at the choice she thought she was being
given. To give up a lifelong dream and know that all her life she would resent
Scott, her best friend, for pulling the rug out from under her, it had to be
frightening and heartbreaking on BOTH sides.
Scott leaned toward her, gazing at her
with a force of longing and desire she couldn’t remember seeing before.
“Isabelle, I came here tonight...” He placed his hand on hers. “To ask you
something.”
A sense of foreboding settled over her.
“Scott, I don’t think...”
“Hear me out. We’ve always been best
friends. You’re the first person I think about when I wake up. We spend so much
time together. We know each other inside and out. I want us to move forward with
our lives.” He squeezed her hand earnestly.
“We are moving forward,” she said
reflexively.
“I mean together. I’ve thought a lot about
where my life is going, and I realize now that writing articles for the local
paper is not going to make a difference in this world. I saw that tonight, in
that apartment. But I can change the future for these kids. I can take
something horrible and make it happy. It’s my hope that you’d do that with me.”
All Isabelle could do was stare at him.
“You just got through saying we were best friends, but you don’t know me at
all. You of all people know that I just won the chance of my lifetime. A shot
at a gallery show! The one thing I’ve worked for since high school.” Her voice
cracked. “It might be selfish, but it’s my chance, Scott. The one I dreamed
about while I was raising my siblings.” Her palms were sweating and her heart
rammed against her chest like a caged animal. She shot to her feet. “You are
not asking me this right now.”
“Oh, but I am,” he replied quietly.
“I don’t believe this,” she said, raking
her hand through her hair and turning from him.
“You don’t want to be together?”
“I don’t want children,” she said in a
rush.
“You never told me that before.”
“Not in so many words.” How could he have
missed this obvious fact about her? She’d often confided how heavily the
responsibility for her brothers and sisters had fallen on her. How she valued
her independence above all.
“Why?”
“I’ve told you, Scott. My whole childhood
was cooking, cleaning, doing my siblings’ laundry while they played on the
swing set or went to football practice or piano lessons. I was sweeping and
changing diapers. I walked Violet in the middle of the night when she had
bronchitis, so my mother could sleep and go to work.”
Isabelle’s voice rose and tears streamed
down her cheeks. She could feel resentment in every teardrop. She hated that
she felt that way, but she did. “I rarely had time to draw. I desperately
wanted to be in the art club in high school. You remember. But most of the time
I had to drive one of the other kids to their lessons or the library or
whatever when they were supposed to meet. There was never any time for me.” Her
cheeks were blazing hot.
“I knew you resented the responsibilities...”
“Resented?” She snorted. “All I dreamed
about was drawing and painting. No one ever asked me what I wanted. What kind
of lessons I wanted.”
Her tears were coming in torrents and as
she dropped her face to her hands, Scott enfolded her in his arms. “I’m so
sorry, Isabelle. I didn’t realize how deep this went. There’s so much emotion
in your paintings... I should have understood.”
She sniffed and pulled back. She placed
her palms on his chest and felt his thundering heart.
She was hurting him, but she didn’t know
what course to take other than escape. “Don’t you see, Scott? This is my chance
to be free. My art has always meant freedom to me. I can explore the entire
universe if I make this sale. With the Lodges closed for the winter, I have
time to paint what Malcolm wants. I can do this. It will be my grand
adventure.”
“Your new life,” he said huskily.
“Yes.”
He smoothed her hair back from her face
and traced the edge of her cheek with his thumb. “You go for it, Isabelle. Be
the best you can be.”
“I intend to.”
Then he kissed her with so much longing
and passion, she felt weak.
He pulled her closer, and she melted into
him, catching the faint scent of the spicy cologne he always wore.
“Isabelle,” he whispered, as he released
her. “I have to go.”
She lowered her head. “I understand. Bye,
Scott,” she said, her voice quaking.
What’s
next for you?
Next up is HIS BABY DILEMMA to be released in
December. This is Mica Barzonni’s story
and for my series, this one is quite different.
I won’t spoil the surprises, and there are several, but I’m enjoying the
story between Mica, the youngest of the four Barzonni brothers and Grace, the
niece of Louise Railton the owner of The Louise House sweet shop. Grace is a
fashion designer who lives in Paris. She has also been in love with Mica since
she was sixteen. When she comes back to Indian Lake just before New Year’s, she
has a very big surprise for Mica.
I’m also working on four more stories for SHORES OF
INDIAN LAKE. I had such a good time with Isabelle Hawks’ large family during
the writing of FAMILY OF HIS OWN, I simply had to go back and dig deeper into
this wonderful family.
At the same time, there are always more secrets being
revealed about Mrs. Beabots and her past in Paris and with her mysterious
husband, Raymond.
As always, I love hearing your comments about Indian
Lake and what stories you would like to see in the future. You can visit my new
web site: www.catherinelanigan.com,
Follow me on Twitter @cathlanigan or Pinterest, Facebook and my Prism Book
Tours, past and present at www.Prismbooktours.blogspot.com.
Have a happy July!
Catherine, I am so happy to share a release month with you again. Thank you for sharing another wonderful scene from FAMILY OF HIS OWN . . . and your book is filled with them!
ReplyDeleteI know readers will love Isabelle and Scott's story, and I'm thrilled that you have more Shores of Indian Lake stories in the works.
Congratulations on your latest release!
Thank you, Kate! And as everyone knows all four of the July authors, you, me, Sydi and Cari have a great giveaway going on all month! So I hope for everyone who stops by here today, check out our blog over here to the right: JULY 1st CELEBRATION AND GIVEAWAY!
DeleteGreat sit down, Catherine! I loved the scene you shared. I'm looking forward to reading Scott and Isabelle's story...congratulations!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Jill! I loved this scene as well. And a tough one in real life, isn't it? Making those hard, hard choices define the rest of our lives and yet when we are in the middle of them, I don't think any of us really know if we chose well or not until decades later. GULP.
DeleteAll I can say is "what a scene!" Congratulations on this release. It sounds like Isabelle and Scott have a wonderful story.
ReplyDeleteHi, Virginia! Thank you. Can you tell I lived through one similar to that?
DeleteThat's such a heart-wrenching scene, Catherine, that I'm going to be thinking about it all day. Now I have to put this book at the top of my list to find out what happens! All the best with this and the upcoming titles!
ReplyDeleteJanice, what a lovely compliment! Thank you! I'm glad I chose that one to share with everyone. Have a fabulous weekend!
DeleteCongratulations, Catherine! Family of his Own sounds lovely! Great scene!
ReplyDeleteHi, Leigh! Thank you so much! And thanks for taking the time to stop by.
DeleteI so feel for the both of them because what each of them want is what I want all the time! I'm with Janice...great, heart-wrenching scene.
ReplyDeleteI'm bowled over with how much you all are liking this scene. I have a clutch in my throat I'm so grateful. Thank you for taking the time to tell me this. You have all made my WEEK! God bless.
ReplyDeleteA really good story that had me hooked to the end.
ReplyDeleteOh, Roz! Bless you! What an honor. I hope you have a great weekend as well.
DeleteCongratulations! Sounds like you've got a winner on your hands!
ReplyDeleteHi, Melanie!
DeleteThanks for stopping by. I have to say I loved this story and had seen it in my mind from the very inception of the creation of all the Shores of Indian Lake books. Scott won my heart a long time ago. Sigh.
I enjoyed Scott and Isabelle's story. Both of my parents were oldest children n their families, and took on much responsibility at a young age. As parents, they felt strongly that parents should be the parents and children shouldn't have to parent their siblings. So I understood Isabelle's frustration and resentment. And Scott -- Scott is a wonderful person.
ReplyDeleteHi, Beth! Thank you for reading my book! You certainly were blessed with very wise parents, weren't you. It is so very true. Those that were forced to "grow up" early missed out on being a child and too many times they spend the rest of their lives trying to recapture something quite vital...and they never find it.
DeleteGreat subject for a story. Congratulations!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for stopping by! Have a wonderful weekend!
DeleteHi Catherine,
ReplyDeleteI'm really late posting tonight and I'm so sorry. I've got my granddaughter this weekend and I make it a point to not be on the computer or my phone when I have her. But she's finally asleep so I'm trying to play catch up.
You're story sounds amazing and I can relate to Isabella in so many ways. I think a lot of people can. I can't wait to read the story.
Hi, LeAnne! That's wonderful you had time with your granddaughter. These moments are so special and they are the times that make your life. I love hearing from you.
ReplyDeleteJust finished this book and it's a must read! Beautiful, emotional and inspiring on many levels. It really makes a person stop and reevaluate their priorities in life too. Such a lovely story...not that I'm surprised coming from you!
ReplyDelete