A trope is a recurring literary device thatโs been proven to appeal to
a broad audience. Consciously or not, writers use them all the time. I choose
two or three tropes when Iโm planning a story. After that, I really donโt pay a
whole lot of attention to them. The story is what it is.
HER SECRET, HIS
SURPRISE is a secret baby story. (Yep, thatโs a trope.)
I love babies. But Iโve never been a huge fan of secret babies. In real life if
a baby has to be kept a secret, at least one of the parents probably has some
major issues and I donโt have much patience for people with issues either.
(Other people, I mean. Iโve got plenty of my own. Those are okay because I try
to keep them to myself.)
As a writer, however, a secret baby and parent(s) with issues proved an
irresistible challenge to me. Children arenโt bargaining chips in adult
relationships. How could I possibly make myself, let alone readers, like these
people?
Enter Cass, Logan and little Olivia.
Cass has baggage. She had a terrible childhood, so when she becomes pregnant by
a man she canโt find, she chooses to give her baby the childhood she never had.
Her baggage makes her strong, not weak. Logan is a spy. When he ends up working
undercover at Cassโs company and canโt tell her who he really is, he has to
prove to her that heโs awesome despite what she sees as his reluctance to step
up to the plate. Her world is pretty black and white, but everything about
Loganโs is shades of gray. (Not that kind of gray. This book is PG.) Loganโs
problem is that he wants Oliviaโand Cassโdesperately, but he canโt do anything
about it until his investigation is over. And yet he canโt stay away from them
either.
Olivia, however, is never used as a bargaining chip in Cass and Loganโs
developing relationship. I couldnโt bring myself to go there. Children come
first. Cass and Logan are united in their need to protect her.
So, my question for readers is: How do you feel about
secret babies in romances? For or against?
Because, after I finished writing this story, Iโm now definitely in favor.
Oliviaโs one lucky little girl to have parents this awesome.
Since being disowned by her strict father, Cass Stone has spent her adulthood
trying to prove him wrong. Her drive has led to more success than her family
ever thought sheโd achieve, and life is looking great. Not even an incredible
and mysterious one night stand that leaves her a single mom can trip her
up...until the father of her baby stumbles back into her life, as sexy as ever.
Logan Alexander hasnโt forgotten the night he spent with Cass two years ago, but
he never expects to end up undercover as her assistant. His job saves livesโlike
it should have saved his brotherโand he canโt afford complications. Itโs
difficult enough to maintain his cover as a carefree wanderer when he realizes
his attraction to Cass hasnโt faded...and then he meets Cassโs daughter.
**Note: this title was originally released July 14,
2014 and has been updated to be a closed door Bliss.
Multi-published author Paula Altenburg has written short contemporary
romance, as well as fantasy and paranormal romance, for publishers Entangled,
Tule, and Tor. Her Spy to Have, the first book in her new and exciting Spy Games
series, marks her 13th published work of fiction. She lives in rural Nova
Scotia, Canada, with her husband and two sons. Once a manager in the aerospace
industry, she now enjoys working from home and writing fulltime.
First time reading Paula altenburg. I enjoyed reading the book and will definitely try another book. (Tammy Gowan 6:49pm April 20, 2016)
In reading, the secret baby makes a good story but not in real life. (Melinda Marks 10:03pm April 24, 2016)
In real life, I would be appalled at a secret baby. But some of my favorite romances include them. They can make for a delicious "just wait" feeling. (Elizabeth Krentz-Wee 7:59am April 25, 2016)
I don't read a lot of secret baby books for the exact reasons you mentioned. It's hard for me to be ok with hiding a baby from a good guy, and hard for me to accept the hero at all if he's such a bad guy a baby needs to be hidden from him. I read the description of your book a few days ago and was intrigued, though. The spy part of it adds an aspect that could make it work. (Heather Bokon 2:45pm April 25, 2016)
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