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This particular story had been in my head for years, but it felt like too many voices and no real conflict until my son, Jon Paul, asked me what my next book was going to be about. We were strolling down a quiet street in La Grande, Oregon, and I started rattling off my idea about a judge with an atypical one-night-stand that could be a big deal if he runs for office, his private investigator buddy, and a baby. The more I talked, the clearer the characters became. My fingers were itching to write everything down. And when I asked Jon Paul what he thought of the premise, he told me, āWrite it, Mom.ā So I did.
As my heroine, Sara, came into focus, I realized she shared some of my daughterās positive attributes. Both have a ready smile and nonjudgmental attitude that make them easy to love. And both learned at a tender age that the strong go onāchin up. Or, as Sara says, āYou just do the best you can.ā
The biggest challenge in writing this book was the secondary charactersāeach showed up with a very strong, unique voice and personality that kept pulling me off track and in other directions. For example, it became apparent early on that Bo, my hero Renās best friend, was a hero in his own right. And to my surprise another character popped out of nowhere with a spunk and energy that seemed the mark of a heroine. You know what that meansā¦spin-offs!
Iām a big fan of second chances, but sometimes, the break you need isnāt the break youāre looking for. I really love when the right break happensāeven if my characters donāt appreciate it at the time.
In case you didnāt guess, this book was dedicated to my kiddos: Kelly and JP.
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