Patricia, what is
this series about?
Oklahoma Girls
features three best friends, Gemma Whitmire, a nurse and midwife; Carly Joslin,
an organic gardener and furniture restorer; and Lisa Thomas,a realtor. They live in Reston, their hometown, in a rural
area of the Sooner State. Both of my
parents are from Oklahoma and I’ve always loved visiting family there.
Where did you get the
idea for His Twin Baby Surprise?
I wanted to do a book about an unplanned pregnancy featuring
a heroine who had only a dysfunctional family background to draw on, and a hero
who had a good family, but no desire to be a father. Lisa Thomas, a realtor who
has created a successful life strictly through her own hard work, and Ben
McAdams, local football hero, businessman, and confirmed bachelor, fit my scenario.
What did you like
best about writing this book?
I like the characters, and the differences between them.
Lisa was raised by her grandparents, who were hoarders, in a house so filled
with clutter she often felt she couldn’t breathe. Ben was raised by doting,
successful parents who supported him in everything he undertook.
Can you share an
excerpt?
Shakily, Lisa took a big drink, then held
the cold plastic bottle against her cheek and closed her eyes. She had to get a grip on this, but all she
wanted to do was fold up in a ball and cry.
When she opened her eyes, her friends had
seated themselves across from her and were looking at her curiously.
“What?” she asked.
“We’re wondering,” Gemma said. “When you’re going to tell us –“
“Who the father is,” Carly concluded.
Lisa pressed her lips together.
“Oh, come on, Lisa, we’re your best
friends. We’re not going to judge you,”
Gemma gave her a fond smile.
Lisa looked from one to the other of them –
Gemma with her practical, no-nonsense approach to life, and Carly who was
strong and businesslike, but could look at a broken down old wooden chair from
a junk heap and imagine it as a fun and useful porch swing.
Taking a deep breath, she released it
slowly, and said, “It’s Ben McAdams.”
“You’ve got to be kidding,” Carly
yelped. “The Reston Rascal? Oklahoma’s answer to Casanova?”
“I thought you weren’t going to judge,” Lisa
said dryly.
“Um, sorry.”
Astounded, Gemma said, “I didn’t even know that
he was back in town, or that you two were dating, or even liked each other.”
“We don’t.”
Lisa gazed at them miserably. “We
haven’t been friends since we were twelve and his parents banned me from Ben’s
life after I . . . .”
“Masterminded the jail break,” Carly
interrupted with a grin.
“Yeah, and that hasn’t changed."
“Lisa, obviously
something changed.” Gemma smiled in
sympathy. “However, you don’t have to
tell us and –“
“I
want to know what happened,” Carly objected.
“You don’t have to talk about it until
you’re ready,” Gemma went on as if Carly hadn’t interrupted. She stood and began gathering the test kits
for disposal.
Carly settled down and gave an encouraging
nod, but, Lisa, her eyes full of tears, dropped her face into her hands for a
few seconds before she, too, sat back and stared at her friends.
“I feel like my head is floating somewhere
off in space.”
“And that will continue for a while,” Gemma
said. “But things will settle down. You’ll get used to the idea, and you’ll be
anticipating motherhood.”
“I can’t
be a mother,” Lisa said desperately. “I
had a terrible mother. I’ve still got a
terrible mother. And my grandmother
tried, at least when I was little, but she wasn’t much of a model mother,
either.”
“You’ll figure it out, Lisa. You’re the smartest and most driven person I
know.” Carly stood to come around the
table and give her a hug.
The warmth of her friend’s arms couldn’t
stop the shaking that had suddenly begun to quake through her.
“I swore I’d never do this,” she said
fiercely. “I swore I’d never be careless
and get pregnant, and leave my baby –“
“You would never leave your baby,” Gemma
objected.
“Lisa, you’re twice as old as Maureen was
when she had you and left you with her mom and dad. You’ve got a successful career, a home of your
own, a support system. Friends,” Carly said, emphasizing the
last word as she gave her another squeeze and stepped back to watch her
anxiously.
Lisa took deep breaths and tried to still
the shaking that came in waves from her core and moved outwards. After a few moments, she looked up and tried
for a shaky smile.
“Right now, the question is, how are you
going to tell Ben?” Carly asked.
“I don’t know, but it better be soon,” Lisa
said. “I don’t like putting off
unpleasant tasks and this isn’t something that can be hidden indefinitely.”
What’s next for you?
Right now, I’m working on a new idea for Heartwarming, and I hope it
will be the beginning of a new series.
Patricia Forsythe is the author
of twenty-five books for Harlequin, with many more to come. She loves creating stories with interesting
characters and happy endings.
What an adorable cover! Being the aunt to twins, this is a must read for me.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on the release, Patricia. Thanks for sharing the excerpt!
And thank you! I wish I could take credit for the cover, but, alas, my talents don't lie in that area.
DeleteCongratulations and best wishes with your new release, Patricia! I look forward to hearing about your new series.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Kate
DeleteIt sounds like a great read, Patricia! And 25 books! Here's to many more. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks. I wish many more for you, too.
DeletePatricia, what a fun excerpt! It makes me want to know these women. Can't wait to find out how poor Lisa tells Ben. Something tells me it's not going to go very smoothly. Congratulations on 25!
ReplyDeleteThank you. No, the big reveal doesn't go well.
DeleteCongratulations, Patricia! That has to be the most darling cover...I just want to pick up those babies! Good luck on your new series as well. I look forward to your announcements about it.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Catherine. I adore those babies.
DeleteI started the book last night. Laughed aloud at the opening scene.
ReplyDeleteOh, good. I hope you enjoy it.
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ReplyDeleteLoved the excerpt and can't wait to read the book. I admit, I bought the May box set last week and haven't even started reading yet. I better get on it because I have to find out what happens! I love that your characters both came from such different backgrounds and I really want to learn about this jailbreak thing. Good luck on your new project.
ReplyDeleteThanks, LeAnne. I had fun writing this one, and my TBR pile grows by the day.
DeleteLoved the excerpt! The story sounds so intriguing. Can't wait to read the rest!
ReplyDeleteThank you. I hope you enjoy it!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on the new release, Patricia! I love the excerpt and can't wait to read the book. I wish you a ton of sales!
ReplyDelete